To Kill A Mockingbird Essays: Children's Choices

Children’s Choices
Robert Fulghum, an American author, once said, “Don’t worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you.” This quote makes perfect sense, as children’s attitude cause them to be stubborn enough to disregard what an adult may say to them, however children look up to and learn from adults as role models both in their life and in society. Soon enough children adapt to their surroundings that the society present including: strict rules, law, and order. In a society, people know children as very innocent, due to their young age which provides a minimal chance for understanding greater concepts. The parents shield their children from the natural terrors of the world in an attempt to preserve their

When at the start of the novel, the boys organize a plan and become optimistic about the future, Jack suggests they need to go hunting. During a hunt, in a perfect opportunity “there became a pause, a hiatus…he noticed that he still held the knife aloft and brought his arm down, replacing the blade in the shealth” (31). Jack’s hesitance to violence reveals his existent morality. When Golding says “there became a pause, a hiatus” he is suggesting that Jack contemplates his actions, showing that he is still aware of right and wrong. Additionally, the interruption that makes Jack put his knife down, is the innocence that still shields him, making him fear doing the wrong action. Jack’s innocent nature makes him afraid of killing the pig, because he is still under the influence of the civilized society. Not only did Jack realize this weakness, the boys surrounding knew the reason is “because the enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh” (31). Since Golding has the boys understand Jack’s reason as well, this emphasizes that the children clearly feel the same. With not only Jack realizing the hesistance, but also the other boys, Golding implies that all the children are still under the influence of the civilized society. Furthermore as time progresses on the island, Jack and his group members go hunting more often. During a hunt Jack “held up the head and jammed the soft throat down on the pointed end of the stick which pierced through into the mouth”(136-137). Clearly the innocence that Jack has disappears, as Jack has the final kill of the sow and does not hesitate anymore, therefore indicating that he does not think over his actions, but acts on instinct. Because he does not hesitate to do this action and acts on instinct, the innocence is not holding