Symbol Of Innocence In To Kill A Mockingbird

If a person hears endless amounts of birds singing outside, there is a good chance the culprit is a mockingbird. Mockingbirds are known to sing continuously throughout the year, and most people find their company pleasant. Even though mockingbirds are a territorial animal, they don’t want to harm anyone. To most people, mockingbirds are viewed as a symbol of innocence. This is because all they do is make music for others to enjoy. The symbol of the mockingbird is used throughout the book, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. In this novel, the characters’ understanding of the symbol, the mockingbird, develops throughout the story showing readers that innocence lessens with age.
In the beginning of the book, the children are innocent
Boo saved Jem and Scouts lives, and Heck Tate wants to keep it quiet. Reason being, Boo has already gone through enough, just coming outside, and Heck doesn't want to make it any worse for him by spreading the news. After Heck leaves, Scout begins to realize why Mr. Tate did what he did. The author writes, “Yes sir I understand,” I reassured him. “Mr. Tate was right.” Atticus disengaged himself and looked at me. “What do you mean?” “Well, it’d be sorta like shootin’ a mockingbird, wouldn’t it?” (Lee 370). This quote shows that because Scout has grown, she has a better understanding of the situations going on around her. Because she’s not a child anymore, she’s lost her innocence, and now she understands what cruel things can do to a person. Scout realizes that Boo is like a mockingbird, he was once innocent too, but it was destroyed through contact with evil. This quote teaches readers that Scout has grown enough to understand people better, and how people can affect others. Because Scout can now realize this, it shows she’s lost her innocence, because she been in situations with evil people. Scout is now aware that to bring Boo out in public would be like shooting a mockingbird. After the trial, everyone finds out that the jury has found Tom
In the outset, Jem and Scout were innocent because they were children. As the story goes on, they encounter conflicts, and experiences that changed their perspective on things. This results in them being more mature, and experienced, but also losing their innocence. In conclusion, mockingbirds are a symbol of innocence. They bring delight, and don’t want to harm others. Thus, killing a mockingbird is to kill