Examples Of Loss Of Innocence In To Kill A Mockingbird

The children of today are the adults of tomorrow. If these children are influenced solely by the negativity that plagues the world, if their innocence is ruined, then there is no hope for societal evolution. In Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird”, this idea is perfectly illustrated within the characters of Maycomb County. It is shown that adults, like Robert Ewell, whose virtuousness has been forgotten are often harsher, crueller and more judgemental; the same can be said for children, such as Francis Finch and Burris Ewell, who are raised without morals, influenced by hate and prejudice. In the end it is children like Scout, who are raised to see the world as it truly is, without the influences of outside prejudices, negativity or xenophobia,

who provide the prospects for a better future. Thus it is only when children are given the opportunity to experience and view the world differently than adults, that there is hope for the future to be different.

Adults who see the world in a negative light, have long since lost their innocence. This topic is prevalent amongst the Ewell family as they are a harsh and racist clan. Their tenacity is admirable, but their loyalties are misplaced; it is said that when a white man cheats a black one, “no matter who he is, how rich he is or how fine a family he comes from, that white man is trash” (Lee 295). This epitomizes the very characteristics of the Ewell family. One instance in which they demonstrated their xenophobic tendencies occurred after the death of Tom Robinson. Helen Robinson, a newly widowed black woman, “had to walk nearly a mile out of her way to avoid the Ewells, who, according to Helen, ‘chunked at her’ the first time she tried to use the public road” (Lee 333). Over the years the Ewells have become lost in animosity; they try to infect anyone that comes close to them with despair. They are jealous of the happiness of others, so when societal expectations of racism allow them to vent this covetousness, they jump on the chance. Another Maycomb character whose innocence has long since disappeared is Miss Stefanie Crawford. Crawford is a quintessential xenophobic. Portrayed as the neighbourhood gossip, she always has something to say about someone other than herself. One of Crawford’s main targets is the Radley family, or more specifically, Arthur “Boo” Radley. Spreading her views to whoever would listen, the Radley’s became infamous for things they never did: “Miss Stephanie said she woke up in the middle of the night on time and saw him looking straight through the window at her … said his head was like a skull lookin’ at her” (Lee 16). Crawford’s gossip is lacking in truth, and somewhat fanciful, but also extremely judgmental of anything she deems irregular. The negativity behind her judgements suggests that Crawford is gossiping to make herself feel better. This gossip does nothing to help society move forwards, but instead helps to strip away a child’s innocence by encouraging them to judge others. It is because adults force their view of the world onto those near them, that a child’s perception could become negatively skewed. This change in perception forces children to see the world the same way adults do, forcing societal progressions to a minimum.

The children who are forced to grow up seeing the world through a biased lens often become as hateful as the ones who ruined their innocence in the first place.

Burris Ewell, the son of Robert Ewell, provides an excellent example of this. During his annual day of school, Burris displays his loss of innocence through his interactions with the school teacher, Miss Caroline: “‘Burris’, said Miss Caroline, ‘please bathe yourself before you come back tomorrow.” … “The boy laughed rudely, ‘You ain’t sending me home, missus. I was on the verge of leaving, I done done my time for this year’” (Lee 35). Burris Ewell has grown up in a world different from his peers. He lives in a world deprived of morals, knowing only judgement and hostility, and because of this he can only reciprocate negative behaviour. His innocence was shattered before it even formed in the first place. As a result his character can neither push society forwards or hold it back, he is simply another cog in the machine. A second example of this is found within the relationship of Scout and her cousin Francis. While Scout was raised knowing nothing but kindness, Francis was forced to grow up in a world of racism and prejudice. This greatly contributes to their confrontation about Atticus taking the Robinson case. While talking to Scout on day during Christmas, Francis, in reference to Atticus, says that “it’s bad enough he lets you all run wild, but now he’s turned out a niggerlover we’ll never be able to walk the

streets of Maycomb again” (Lee 110). Francis has been raised surrounded by racism, and because of that, all he knows how to do is hate coloured people and their allies. It could be inferred that if he was raised differently, he would demonstrate kinder behaviour and be more accepting of racial differences. He is forced to see the world the same way his parents see it, not allowing him to draw his own deductions about how things should work. This proves that children who are forced to share the same perception of the world as adults are sculpted into members of society that, though productive, fail to push society forwards.

In the end it is the children whose innocence is preserved, who grow up unbiased that provide hope for a better future.

Scout is given the liberty to grow and develop into her own person, sheltered from harsh racial judgements or xenophobia. She is free to make her own conclusions about the way life works, and as a result her youthful innocence is preserved. She has a strong sense of morals, and understands the importance of empathy. Scout’s innocence is exhibited during her conversation with Mr. Dolphus Raymond. As the husband of a negro woman, Mr Raymond pretends to be a drunkard to escape the torment that society would otherwise bring upon him. Scout does not understand why he would do this to himself: “that ain’t honest, Mr. Raymond, making yourself out badder’n you are already” (Lee 268). To Scout, there is no shame in falling in love: she is too pure to see how the colour of someone’s skin can affect their treatment in life. Atticus has raised her to be innocent and fair to everyone, and she does not yet fully understand that not everyone was raised the way she was. Like Scout, Jem is also unbiased, though less innocent. He understands the high degree of racial profiling within Maycomb County, but also understands how wrong it is. Jem especially struggles with the prevalence of racism throughout the town after the Robinson trial. His last few strands of innocence snap during the trial, as he is exposed to the harsh truth of reality: only the privileged are innocent

until proven guilty. This truth settles within Jem as the Finch family makes their way home from court: “his face was streaked with angry tears as we made our way through the cheerful crowd” (Lee 284). Jem cannot understand the conviction or how anyone could be so cruel as to convict an innocent man. He doesn’t understand that “Atticus had used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson, but in the secret courts of men’s hearts Atticus had no case” (Lee 323). The adults that served on the jury had all been carefully moulded by society to hate those who are different, and because of that, no matter what Atticus said, Tom Robinson would still have been convicted as guilty. It is because Scout and Jem are raised to be unbiased that they see the faults in society that everyone else chooses to ignore, and because they are raised with love instead of judgement they want to fix what faults they find.

Society is a movable force that, when pushed in the right way with enough effort, progresses onto better methods. However, until such a time when society is moved, people mould themselves whatever way is necessary to become part of what is known as “normal”. When the adults of society let bias cloud their thinking or inflict that bias onto their children, society cannot progress; but when children are raised with their youthful innocence preserved and they are allowed to perceive the world through open hearts, then there is hope for a better future.