Theme Of Innocence In To Kill A Mockingbird

In a novel, using young characters is an effective strategy to show a theme because these characters show the most growth. Three young main characters provides a very strong base to explain these themes. In To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses the characters Jem, Scout, and Dill to reveal a loss of innocence through the experiences of racism and gender expectations, which leads to a sense of maturity.
Dill’s experiences in the courthouse change his views on the people of Maycomb because of the way they treated Tom Robinson during the court investigation. When Mr. Gilmer is questioning Tom harshly, Dill begins to cry explaining that “It ain’t right, somehow it ain’t right to do ’em that way. Hasn’t anybody got any business talkin’ like that-it just makes me sick,” (Lee 266). Being young Dill still doesn’t fully grasp the concept of race effecting the court system. Dill has lost his innocence through his experiences in the trial and has began to realize how skin color defines someone in their society. This has forced Dill to mature and accept the racism of Maycomb.

After the jury returns to reveal it’s verdict, Judge Taylor begins “ polling the jury: guilty… guilty… guilty… guilty… [Jem’s] hands were white from gripping the balcony rail, and his shoulders jerked as if each guilty was a separate stab between them,” (Lee 282). Jem was more emotionally attached to the trial than most because his father was working within the case,and if he was any younger he wouldn’t understand, and if he was any older he would have already gotten used to the racism of the court system. It pains him even more because Jem changes his views on all the people around him who he thought were great. The trial is what breaks Jem’s innocence allowing him to accept that blacks are unequal at a time like