To many people, childhood is a period of their lives when they can connect with their true self, being completely happy and carefree. Although, at some point, children mature and “grow up”, whether it happens over time or because of a specific event. This theme is prevalent in literature, especially in The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton, To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, and the film Stand By Me, directed by Rob Reiner, and based on the novel by Stephen King. Each of these literary works teaches the audience what it means to lose childhood innocence through three major points. They all display a character who is forced to mature because of a specific event, and they also realize the harshness and reality of the world. One point of comparison …show more content…
In The Outsiders, the main character Ponyboy experiences a loss of innocence as he watched Johnny Cade in the hospital. Johnny was the smallest member of the gang, and an easy target for the Socs. Sacrificing himself for the well-being of others, Johnny became severely injured. In the hospital, Ponyboy had the realization that “[the members of the gang] needed Johnny as much as he needed [them]. And for the same reason”(121). To Ponyboy, it was obvious that Johnny needed the gang. He needed the companionship, and the feeling of being needed by his friends. However, Ponyboy finally saw the true value that Johnny gave to the gang as he was dying. Ponyboy loses a part of his childhood innocence when he sees how Johnny gave the gang a sense of purpose to protect him instead of facing all of their problems. Also, one of the main characters in To Kill A Mockingbird loses a part of his childhood innocence when he is forced to face the realities of the world. Jem’s confusion about Tom Robinson’s verdict …show more content…
In each of the three works of literature, the characters look at the world in a different way at some point. After Ponyboy lost Johnny, he went into a daze of loss and sadness. At the end of the novel, Ponyboy finds a letter addressed to him from Johnny, and thinks “it wasn’t only a personal thing to me. I could picture hundreds and hundreds of boys living on the wrong sides of cities, boys with black eyes who jumped at their own shadows. Hundreds of boys who maybe watched sunsets and looked at stars and ached for something better”(179). Reading this, Ponyboy takes a step back and realizes that someone needed to share his side of the story, and everyone like him. In the beginning of the story, he was proud of being a Greaser, but was also ashamed of it. At the end, he wanted to show people that greasers and socs are no different than anybody else, and avoid the instant judgement they receive from others. He stepped out of his own shoes and thought about all the other boys who were just like him, and knew he needed to do something. Also, Scout looks at her world in a different way when she takes her father’s advice. As she was standing in the Radley yard, she thought “Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. Just standing on the Radley porch was enough”(279). She
Through the three children in the story’s development, the author realistically portrays the coming of age in a world distraught with prejudice and racism. The three characters start out the start as naïve, ingenuous children, but grow up to be smart and mature by the end of the novel. Jem learns about true courage and who Boo Radley really is, a person completely contrary to his original misconceptions. Scout learns about the complacence with which a person can ignore injustices and that people are not always what the populace holds them to be. Dill learns that prevarication can lead into a very inauspicious life that can cost a human being’s life. As the characters grow up, they obtain new knowledge, learn new lessons, or understand the different aspects of life and society.
Innocence is defined as the state of being not guilty of a crime or other wrong act. The definition does not have any exceptions depending on race, age, gender or other physical characteristics. Yet in the south, the innocence of a guilty white man, is more important than the innocence of an innocent black man. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, is about a young girl named Scout who lives in Maycomb County, Alabama. The novel is separated into two parts, the first part is about the adventures of Boo Radley. While the second part is about the trial of Tom Robinson. In the first part of the novel, Scout along with her brother Jem and her friend Dill investigate the mysterious life of their neighbor, Boo Radley. Boo has not left
In the book To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee tells the story of coming-of-age and the loss of innocence through the character Jem. Through recurring events, Jem is faced with the realization of society’s injustice, and is left questioning the world he lives in. During a time of rampant racial discrimination and prejudice in the south, Jem transforms from naivety to maturity.
To Kill a Mockingbird - Theme of Innocence & nbsp; & nbsp; Innocence is a time when a person has never done something, it is the first step in the theme of innocence to experience. The second step in the movement from innocence to experience, is experience. This step is what is achieved after a person or thing has done something they have never done before or learns something they have never known before. The theme of growth from innocence to experience occurs many times in the first part of To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. This process is one of the central themes in the first eleven chapters of this book, because it shows how Scout and Jem change and mature. & nbsp;
Children have often been viewed as innocent and innocent may be a nicer way to call children naive. Since children’s lives are so worry free they lack the knowledge of how to transition from being a child to becoming an adolescent. Their lack of knowledge may be a large part of their difficulties growing up, which could be a few rough years for many. In books like the boy in the striped pajamas the story is told from the point of view of a little boy, this way we get a full view of how innocent he is. In this book the writer shows the reader first hand how a child viewed the holocaust and how his innocence cost him his life. Then in books like the perks of being a wallflower Charlie is a teen whom is struggling with the transition from being a child to becoming an adolescent. In this book the writer gives a first hand look at how difficult it can be to transition into an adolescent. Charlie has many difficulties in this book; he is in search of his identity and how to fit in.
Throughout life individuals face many challenges testing their values and personality one situation at a time. In the evocative novel The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton themes of growing up and innocence are shown. Ponyboy is not your average 14 year old he is part of a gang known to many as the Greasers. He encounters many situations testing his values and beliefs. Having lost both his parents recently he and his brothers stick together like a true family but this relationship is tested when Darry hits Ponyboy. He also experiences the loss several close friends in a very short period of time. Throughout this novel, Ponyboy encounters many life changing experiences that prove he is a dynamic character.
Growing up and becoming mature can be an intimidating experience; it is difficult to let go of one’s childhood and embrace the adult world. For some people, this transition from youthfulness to maturity can be much more difficult than for others. These people often try to hold on to their childhood as long as they can. Unfortunately, life is not so simple. One cannot spend their entire life running from the responsibilities and hardships of adulthood because they will eventually have to accept the fact that they have a role in society that they must fulfill as a responsible, mature individual. The novel “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger follows the endeavours of Holden Caulfield, a sixteen-year-old teenage boy who faces a point in his life where he must make the transition from childhood to adulthood. In an attempt to retain his own childhood, he begins hoping to stop other young children from growing up and losing their innocence as well. As indicated by the title, “The Catcher in the Rye” is a book that explores a theme involving the preservation of innocence, especially of children. It is a story about a boy who is far too hesitant to grow up, and feels the need to ensure that no one else around him has to grow up either. His own fear of maturity and growing up is what leads to Holden’s desire to become a “catcher in the rye” so he can save innocent children from becoming part of the “phoniness” of the adult world.
Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird: The Significance of a Mockingbird In a society surrounded by corruption, racism, and cruelty it is rare to find purity. Innocence is constantly being destroyed. For this reason, the harmless citizens need to be treasured and protected. Harper Lee’s classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird portrays the injustices of the 1930’s that expose the innocent to the malice of the society’s intentions. Some characters in the novel are characterized as harmless and pure and are symbolized by mockingbirds.
Ernest Hemingway once said, “All things truly wicked start from innocence.” This quote is relevant to the story, The Outsiders, because sixteen year old Johnny Cade is considered innocent. Johnny is still considered innocent because he is not yet an adult. Another reason he might be believed innocent is because he is quiet, small for his age, and the pet of a group called ‘The Greasers’. However, his conceived innocence is soon diluted not by adulthood, but the truly wicked act of murder. He and Ponyboy Curtis were running away when some guys from another group called ‘The Socs’ stopped them and were going to beat them up. Johnny ended the impending fight quickly by stabbing Bob Sheldon, one of the Socs, in the back because he had told David to drown Ponyboy. During this paper our group proves our verdict, innocent.
In S. E. Hinton’s novel The Outsiders, all is well until the end of this section; the innocence of Ponyboy of Johnny lost to the murder of Bob.The loss of Johnny’s innocence is the heavier surprise. He has mainly been the victim of his problems with his situations, showing the innocence, before
Recently, I have read both a Raisin in the Sun and To Kill a Mockingbird, both considered literary classics. They share a number of similar themes and character that face similar situations. Ultimately, they have extremely different plots, but address the same issues; some that were common around the time they were published, and some that carry relevance into current times. What I wish to bring to light in this essay is that in both novels, there are many characters that lives’ hit a shatter-point in the course of the story. This shatter-point is where the characters’ lives are irrevocably changed, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. What I’m going to explore is how these characters cope with the emotional fallout of what the aforementioned shatter-point left in its wake.
Loss of Innocence in Killing a Mockingbird Maycomb was an old town, but it was a tired old town when I first knew it. In rainy weather, the streets turned red slop; grass grew on the sidewalks, the courthouse sagged in the square. " (Lee 9). This environment, as Scout Finch accurately describes, is not conducive to young children, loud noises, and games. But, the Finch children and Dill must occupy themselves in order to avoid boredom.
In To Kill a Mockingbird, Innocence is a topic that is discussed and displayed throughout the story and is very important to having a complete understanding of the book. People’s view on innocence is something that is very subjective and it varies between every person. Through point of view, symbolism, and conflict, Harper lee shows that people’s perception of innocence changes as they grow up.
In The Outsiders it is given that through faith and devotion to one another Ponyboy and the gang use their close friendship in troublesome situations for instance when Johnny tells Ponyboy “i had to” he does this as an act of loyalty to Ponyboy to show him that he can trust him no matter what situation they are in. Most of the story is told from first person or Ponies perspective which shows us without exception every aspect of the story. When Johnny dies at the end of the book Ponyboy only then realizes the importance of him, and the gangs need for someone like Johnny to give them a sense of purpose after mentioning “we couldn't get along without him . We needed Johnny as much as he needed the gang.” Throughout all of Ponyboys hardships Johnny was always there to support him even when Ponyboy wanted to run away after darry slapped him, he never asked any questions.
The illusion of innocence is deeply instilled in the outlook of children. Reality soon takes its grip as kids begin to grow and mature, and they lose their pure qualities that they have once possessed. Their father Atticus shelters Jem and Scout from the town’s disease, teaching them the act of sympathy and how to distinguish the good aspects over glaring at the imperfections of people. The loss of innocence portrayed in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is exposed as the lives of Jem, Scout, and Dill go through their racist and prejudice society, learning how the worlds dreamlike qualities is nothing more than just a childhood fable. The children’s judgment of people and society quickly sheds as Lee displays the harsh realities to Jem, Dill,