Scout's Innocence

Innocence is a stage in someone’s life when they are accompanied by a young mind throughout their childhood. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, a little girl named Scout is set out to experience the true identity of life. Growing up in the racial town of Maycomb, Alabama influences the way Scout contemplates the world as it is. Harper Lee uses Scout’s child-like perspective in order to show the innocence of a young mind. Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout’s naivety is displayed through her sense of acceptance. When something seems foreign, Scouts curiosity is clearly shown. For an example, Miss Caroline, Scout’s old teacher. was making sure everyone in the class had money for lunch. Unfortunately, Walter Cunningham, a poor young boy, did not have money to afford it and so Miss Caroline insisted on lending him fifty cents. Since Walter knew he wouldn’t be able to pay it back, he didn’t accept it and this puzzled Miss Caroline. Scout had to clarify the reason why so she stood up and said. “He’s a Cunningham ma’am,” (Lee 14) and sat back down. Scout saw nothing wrong with what …show more content…
However, the kids have tried to get his attention forever. Jem, Scout, and Dill have lived their lives believing all the rumors about Boo. For an example, Scout describes Boo as a malevolent phantom who she and Jem have never seen before. As Jem and Scout grow more and more curious about Boo, they are encouraged to try to communicate with him. Their first way of communicating was through the old tree on the Radley yard. Once Nathan Radley, Boo’s brother, found out that Jem, Scout, and Boo were communicating, he filled the hole in the tree with concrete and this upset Jem and Scout. Jem was affected by it the most while Scout was not really passionate about the event. The reason being is that Scout didn’t fully understand what happening or why the tree was even