To Kill A Mockingbird: Section Three (Omar Ceja)

Humanity Struggles When Innocence is Lost

In a discussion with Jem, we see Scout struggle with the division of races in effort to understand the lack of humanity towards blacks by members of Maycomb. She tells Jem that “if we came out during the Old Testament it's too long ago to matter." and to that he responds, "that's what I thought, but around here once you have a drop of Negro blood, that makes you all black." This demonstrates the loss of innocence in the face of a society that places importance on the division of races, a concept seemingly insignificant to youth. As she struggles to maintain innocence, Scout reveals herself in the midst of a mob when Atticus refuses to back away from the jail. When she looks around at the men, she notices Mr. Cunningham and asks him to tell his son “hey.” This simple command demonstrates the innocence of child. In the face of societal scrutiny she displays a greeting to a fellow classmate, a gesture that leaves Mr. Cunningham, who proceeds to clear the seen with his mob, ashamed. Although humanity struggles when innocence is lost, it still has potential to exist amongst those who value morality over societal acceptance as made evident by the behavior of Atticus. While defending Tom Robinson, Atticus states "this is a truth that applies to the human race and to no particular race of men." This statement reveals that humanity is present in all humans, regardless of race. In my opinion, humanity is dependent upon recognizing the humanity in others.