Journey from Innocence to Experience in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird
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Faculty of English
Abstract
The Major thrust of this research is the exploration of the moral nature of
human beings that is, whether people are essentially good or essentially evil. The
Coexistence of Good and Evil: The research shows the reader the transition of Scout
and Jem from innocent children, when they assume that all people are good, to a more
adult perspective where they encounter evil, prejudice and hatred. This research
approaches this question by dramatizing Scout and Jems transition from a perspective
of childhood innocence, in which they assume that people are good because they have
never seen evil, to a more adult perspective, in which they have confronted evil and
must incorporate it, into their understanding of the world. As a result of this portrayal
of the transition from innocence to experience. One of the most important themes
involves the threat that hatred, prejudice and ignorance pose to the innocent. People
such as Tom Robinson and Boo Radely are not prepared for the evil that they
encounter, and as result they are destroyed. Whereas Scout is able to maintain her
basic faith in human nature despite Toms conviction, Jems faith is Justice and in
humanity is badly damaged and he retreats into a state of disillusionment.
Keywords: Psychology, justice, quality and justice, innocence, transition, institutional
racism, prejudice.