What Is The Nature Of Innocence In To Kill A Mockingbird

The novel To Kill a Mockingbird was written by Harper Lee in 1960. The novel takes place in the fictional southern town of Maycomb, Alabama during the Great Depression. It is told from the perspective of Miss Jean Louise Finch, a young, white girl who lives with her well-respected father, Atticus, her brother, Jem, and their black cook, Calpurnia. The novel explores the true nature of humanity through the coexistence of good and evil as Jean Louise develops her understanding of the world through life-changing experiences. Her innocence is compromised as she learns about the cruel effects of social injustice. This novel won the Pulitzer Prize in 1961, as it meets Joseph Pulitzer’s criteria for effective writing. To Kill a Mockingbird is clearly …show more content…
To explain, the author uses figurative language, vivid descriptions, and sensory imagery to create a rich visual experience for the reader. For example, the title itself is extremely evocative. A mockingbird is a harmless bird that is only known for its vocal imitations, used here as a symbol of innocence. As a result, to physically kill a mockingbird is to destroy innocence itself (Sparknotes, To Kill a Mockingbird). The idea of destroying innocence is repeatedly alluded to throughout the novel, especially when Tom Robinson is shot and murdered. After Tom Robinson’s death, Mr.Underwood, the publisher of Maycomb’s newspaper, explicitly relates Tom’s death to the death of a mockingbird. Mr.Underwood “likened Tom’s death to the senseless slaughter of songbirds by hunters and children…” (323). This metaphor emphasizes the injustice of Tom’s murder. The author is comparing Tom’s murder to the murder of a songbird because they are both innocent. To kill a mockingbird is as illogical and senseless an act as murdering Tom. Additionally, the guards are being compared to hunters because they intentionally kill innocent beings without remorse and the jury is being compared to children because they are unable to make an objective decision. These comparisons allow the reader to visualize an innocent songbird being shot and killed, which adds to the intensity and unethicality of Tom’s death. The novel uses exceptional description to provide the …show more content…
The novel clearly conveys the role that prejudice has in human interactions. In the novel, many innocent lives are compromised as they face and witness these prejudices. Prejudices can blind reasonable judgement and lead to unfair consequences. This is undeniably portrayed throughout the novel as Scout learns about the cruel effects of social injustice. To Kill a Mockingbird is beautifully articulated and is filled with meaningful lessons of equality and morality. As a result, it is unquestionably a work of literary