Innocent Quotes In To Kill A Mockingbird

An innocent black man charged for raping a white woman- the trial that teaches Jean Louise “Scout” Finch about society’s prejudice. In the Great Depression, slavery had ended but blacks were still segregated and treated as less than whites. Therefore, blacks were stereotyped as untrustworthy, evil, and savage, especially around white women. The symbolism of the sinful killing of an innocent is shown throughout Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird through the use of simile, the corrupt justice system taking away the naiveté of children, and the comparison of Boo Radley.
Scout and Jem receive a valuable lesson in chapter ten, for Atticus, their father, taught them to never punish someone who is innocent. Atticus elaborates that Scout and Jem can “shoot all the blue jays” they can hit because they pester people, but never shoot a mockingbird who has done nothing wrong (Lee 119). This is Atticus’ way of teaching his kids to be fair and just, especially in the era they lived in. Scout doesn’t understand right away and questions Ms. Maudie, their widowed neighbor, more on the topic. Maudie explains that Atticus is “right” and that killing a mockingbird is a sin (Lee 119). She
Instead of letting Bob kill the kids, Boo Radley, who hasn’t been seen in public for years, saves the children in a brave, heroic act. The local sheriff, Heck Tate, decides that with Boo’s shyness it would be cruel to let him receive the press that comes with being a local hero, so he makes a false story where Bob Ewell tripped on his knife. Atticus refuses the idea immediately, but Scout agrees, explaining that if they do that to Boo “it’d sort of be like shootin’ a mockingbird” because Boo is shy and any attention would be a punishment. In the story Boo Radley and Tom Robinson are two characters who symbolize