To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - The Death of Innocence :: Free Essay Writer

To Kill A scoffer Death of Innocence A songbirds melody can evoke rapture in anyone, as can the smiling face of a child. The mocker sings for the sake of singing, and an innocent child possesses an innate joyfulness, as natural as instinct. Yet a mockingbirds song dies as easily as innocence. In the beginning of the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, scout and Jem are portrayed as innocents, uncorrupted by our world of prejudice and racism. Their world is simple, sensible, a childs world. However, by the end of the novel, their world has expanded to enclose the irrational nature of humans. Jem and Scouts growth up is portrayed by a series of events that shatters their innocence as easily as a mockingbird can be silenced. wiz of the first chinks in their armor of naivit that protected them was sociable prejudice. This was introduced to them in the figure out of aunt Alexandra. Scout was crushed when aunty Alexandra sent Atticus to talk to the Scout and Jem. " you are no t run-of-the-mill people, that you are the product of several(prenominal) generations gentle breeding...try to behave like the little lady and gentleman that you are " (Lee 133). Scout was upset because he was essentially sexual congress her not to be herself. Aunt Alexandra wanted to change Scouts personality to conform to societys ideas of what was right for a female child in those times. It seemed like Atticus had almost encouraged them to find their testify guidance, despite the disapproval of many in town overalls were allowed for Scout, a female, and they had set-apart run of the surrounding few houses during the day. Although the incident with Atticus preaching Aunt Alexandras ideas made Scout feel overwhelmed, Atticus resisted Aunt Alexandra by telling Scout to f orget what Aunt Alexandra told him to say, which reassured Scout somewhat. Another way Aunt Alexandra introduced Jem and Scout to social prejudice was how she wouldnt allow Scout reckon with Walter Cu nningham. Because the Cunninghams were farmers that lived out of town, Aunt Alexandra regarded Walter to be socially inferior, and said she would only let him in the house on business. " Because hes trash, thats why you cant play with him (Lee 225). " This exposure to social prejudice struck Scout harder, because this time around, Atticus couldnt say, forget it.