Use Of Innocence In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

Harper Lee implements various literary elements to display how innocence is the ignorance of cruelty. When Atticus protects Tom Robinson from a lynching, Lee utilizes Scout’s dialog and characterization to show the irony of a little girl’s innocence. To begin with, the author uses Scout’s dialog to show her ignorance of the conflict. Scout greets the only familiar face by saying, “Hey Mr. Cunningham. How’s your entailment getting along?” (204). Despite the tension, Scout uses a friendly greeting, showing her unawareness of the cruelty that is about to occur. Lee then uses characterization to display Scout’s attempt at a civilized conversation with Mr. Cunningham. Scout recalls a conversation with her father when she states, “Atticus had said

The situation is also ironic when Scout interrupts the tension with her innocence and saves Tom and her father. This is clear when she realizes a lynching is about to occur and says, “This was too good to miss” (202). Even though the crowd had malicious intentions, Scout burst through them to get to her father, contradicting what the reader predicted might happen. Overall, Harper Lee uses various literary elements throughout this scene to show Scout’s innocence from the cruel intentions of racism. Lee's usage of point of view and characterization conveys Mayella’s true nature to be innocent. As chapter eighteen begins, Lee displays Mayella’s perspective on Atticus. She expresses her fear by saying, “Don’t want him doin’ me like he done Papa, tryin’ to make him out left handed” (240). In this dialog, Mayella shows her point of view about Atticus; she believes he is trying to trick her because of the manner she is accustomed to in her home life. The author expands on Mayella’s characterization to be naive to the typical ways of the people of

Scout describes Mayella as ignorant, caused by her oblivion to the proper way to act in court. In addition, Mayella’s corruption of her father results in her point of view of the townspeople to seem rude and evil. During her testimony, she shouts through tears, “Long’s he keeps callin’ me ma’am an sayin’ Miss Mayella. I don’t hafta take his sass, I ain’t called upon to take it” (243). She interprets Atticus’ manners as imprudent, which makes her feel threatened by him despite his politeness. The manipulation Mayella experiences from her father leads her to be ignorant of the mannerism of everyday