To Kill A Mockingbird

To Kill A Mockingbird

Loss of innocence in Scout and Jem - Despite Atticus' efforts, Bob Ewell still invades the Finches' private lives and he initiates the children into the adult world. The children make the transition from the world of innocence to the reality of the adult world through the experiences they find in their own games and later, the adult games. The "Boo" games begin Jem's and Scout's journey to gain some of the most important values in life: respect, courage, and understanding. Through the games of the adults, the children learn to hold the values, of which the most important one is life itself.

To Kill A Mockingbird Essay
In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird a major theme is the loss of innocence. Whether from emotional abuse, racial prejudice or learning, Boo, Tom, and Scout all lose their innocence in one sense or another. The prejudice that each character endures leads to their loss. Through the responses of Boo, Tom, and Scout, Harper Lee shows how each character responded differently to their loss of innocence.
In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird the character of Boo Radley is the first to suffer the loss of his innocence. As a teen, Boo experienced trouble with the law and for his consequences his father imprisoned him in his own house. Because of the harsh consequences forced upon him by his father, Boo grew up without a real life and lived like a prisoner in his own home. One quote from the novel specifically says that the neighbors noted," The doors of the Radley house were closed on weekdays as well as SundaysÂ…"(15). By locking Boo inside his house and denying him the chance to live a normal life, Mr. Radley crushed Boo's child like innocence. Boo's response to his loss of innocence was to continue to live as a recluse even after his father had passed on. From the time he was a teenager, Boo was never seen outside his house even though at the time the story takes place he is middle aged. Although Boo could have come out after his father died, the effects of...

Saved Essays

Save essays to help find them more easily!

Join Now

Instant access to thousands of essays.

Join Now