The Importance Of Innocence In The Pact And To Kill A Mockingbird

There are two types of innocence, the youthful innocence of a child and the innocence of those who are without sin. The end of a carefree childhood isn’t determined on age, but rather when the responsibilities, reality, and hard facts of life come crashing down on a child’s innocence. In Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, the children of Maycomb witness their racially unjust community. Scout, the narrator, and her brother Jem live in a town where corruption, racism, and social class are centered around. Their father, Atticus Finch, influences their views on these issues. He values teaching his children empathy, tolerance, courage, and equity. Although Atticus attempts to protect his children through morals, they are exposed to inhumaneness

Abuse and violence are evils in both The Pact and To Kill A Mockingbird that affects the children’s innocence. In The Pact, Mike’s father’s alcohol abuse deeply influences his children. His alcoholism makes him become violent and abusive towards his wife, and later on his children. For example, the father starts arguing with the mother about her job as a waitress. He is intoxicated, which leads him to become abusive. Mike and Ron overhear the argument. They end up getting emotionally and physically harmed by their father. This excerpt from the book states, “The shouting stopped. There was a sickening rumble of furniture, then a high pitched scream and an explosion of breaking glass. Ron bolted toward the kitchen…. He shoved Ron in the chest, hard. The single motion sent Ron sprawling backward. He fell to the floor, both hands landing flat on the surface amid shards of the broken glass,” (Roers 121). The children realized that they can be harmed by the people that are supposed to love you, something a child should never have to learn. Their trama eventually builds into hatred for their father. Ron and Mike take on the responsibilities that their father once had when he went away for rehab. As they take on an adult role far too early, they lose their innocence. In To Kill A Mockingbird, Bob Ewell is humiliated in front of the town at Tom Robinson’s trial. He seeks revenge on Atticus by attacking his

Innocent characters such Boo Radley and Tom Robinson are persecuted by the residents of Maycomb in To Kill A Mockingbird. They are subjects to hostility and ill-treatment because of their race or uncommon practices. First, a lynch mob attempts to murder Tom Robinson before he goes to trial. Scout’s innocence brings the men to their senses. She does this by speaking to Mr. Cunningham about his son and their previous encounters. The excerpt from the text states, “In ones and twos, men got out of the cars. Shadows became substance as lights revealed solid shapes moving toward the jail door. Atticus remained where he was. The men hid him from view…. I thought they must be cold-natured, as their sleeves were unrolled and buttoned at the cuffs. Some wore hats pulled firmly down over their ears. They were sullen-looking, sleepy-eyed men who seemed unused to late hours. I sought once more for a familiar fare. and at the center of the semi-circle I found one.” (Lee 153?)This event displayed how the people of Maycomb will do the most unjustifiable things due to racism. Tom Robinson, an innocent citizen, is victimized for allegations that haven’t proven. Mr. Robinson was innocent until proven guilty. Therefore, he was innocent, and the mob attempted to kill an innocent man because of his race. Another innocent character was received ill-treatment because they were uncommon was Boo Radley. There were