Suffering Innocence in to Kill a Mockingbird
Seryca David
Mrs.Hannaberry
ENG3U
Janurary 19,2011
Suffering Innocence In To Kill A Mockingbird
The fascinating story To Kill A Mockingbird takes place in a sleepy, southern county of Maycomb in the 1930s. Although this town has a variety of pleasant and honorable citizens who have set morals, there are also people who live in Maycomb County who are unfair, possibly evil, and lack morals. Maycomb has a visible separation of two societies: the whites and the blacks. Throughout the novel there are numerous innocent characters who could be considered mockingbirds. However, Jem, Boo and Tom Robinson are three characters who are used to symbolize innocence in To Kill A Mockingbird. These three characters can be considered mockingbirds because they suffer pain through injustice, stereotyping, and racial prejudice and ultimately, they lose their innocence.
Firstly, Jem is a mockingbird because he suffers a terrible personal pain when he experiences injustice throughout the story. When Atticus loses his case against Bob Ewell, Jem along with the black community sees the injustice of the court system. During the trial Jem declares: “We're gonna win, Scout. I don't see how we can't. He's been at it 'bout five minutes. He made it as plain and easy as-well, as I'da explained it to you. You should've understood it, even” (Lee 202). Jem is explaining that Atticus proved Tom's innocence so clearly that the court room had understood and even young Scout could have. Jem is immensely confident in Atticus' defense and cannot possibly see how Tom Robinson could lose the trial; Nonetheless, Jem is robbed of his innocence when the jury rules unjustly that Tom Robinson is guilty. The injustice of the trial creates Jem a Mockingbird because the trial robs him of his innocence. He believe that jury was wrong in every way for believing Mayella Ewells lies along with Bob Ewells'. Jem believes that the conviction of Tom was not fair
Mrs.Hannaberry
ENG3U
Janurary 19,2011
Suffering Innocence In To Kill A Mockingbird
The fascinating story To Kill A Mockingbird takes place in a sleepy, southern county of Maycomb in the 1930s. Although this town has a variety of pleasant and honorable citizens who have set morals, there are also people who live in Maycomb County who are unfair, possibly evil, and lack morals. Maycomb has a visible separation of two societies: the whites and the blacks. Throughout the novel there are numerous innocent characters who could be considered mockingbirds. However, Jem, Boo and Tom Robinson are three characters who are used to symbolize innocence in To Kill A Mockingbird. These three characters can be considered mockingbirds because they suffer pain through injustice, stereotyping, and racial prejudice and ultimately, they lose their innocence.
Firstly, Jem is a mockingbird because he suffers a terrible personal pain when he experiences injustice throughout the story. When Atticus loses his case against Bob Ewell, Jem along with the black community sees the injustice of the court system. During the trial Jem declares: “We're gonna win, Scout. I don't see how we can't. He's been at it 'bout five minutes. He made it as plain and easy as-well, as I'da explained it to you. You should've understood it, even” (Lee 202). Jem is explaining that Atticus proved Tom's innocence so clearly that the court room had understood and even young Scout could have. Jem is immensely confident in Atticus' defense and cannot possibly see how Tom Robinson could lose the trial; Nonetheless, Jem is robbed of his innocence when the jury rules unjustly that Tom Robinson is guilty. The injustice of the trial creates Jem a Mockingbird because the trial robs him of his innocence. He believe that jury was wrong in every way for believing Mayella Ewells lies along with Bob Ewells'. Jem believes that the conviction of Tom was not fair