In To Kill a Mockingbird, prejudice can relate to the loss of innocence because Jem tells Scout about the lines between the different social classes and families in Maycomb, demonstrating how the reason behind why certain people and groups are outcasts lead to a whole other spectrum of adult realization.
In chapter 23, Jem says “‘I’ve thought about it a lot lately and I’ve got it all figured out. There’s four kinds of folks in the world. There’s the ordinary kind like us and the neighbors, there’s the kind like the Cunninghams out in the woods, the kind like Ewells down at the dump, and the Negroes.'” This quote is significant because it shows that Jem is taking a step forward from his safe, secluded childhood where everything is all fun and games, and instead taking a glimpse into the adult world, where names and titles are important i
n how others view you.
This type of thinking could have risen after the unfair trial of Tom Robinson. Jem, according to Scout, was set on Robinson’s victory because all of the facts were there and were laid bare on the table. It was clear to both the readers and him that Tom Robinson was innocent. However, Jem’s real loss of innocence was when he witnessed that the jury still convicted him guilty of rape, because even if the facts were true, they would not let a black man win over a white man. This is because Negroes have a lower social standing and respect, and therefore are prejudiced from the other townspeople and the world.
Readers know that Jem has reached the point of adult realization when he says, “‘Scout, I think I’m beginning to understand something. I think I’m beginning to understand why Boo Radley’s stayed shut up in the house all this time… it’s because he wants to stay inside.'” Jem finally understands the why for people’s actions, and he realizes it because of the outcasts and the shunned of Maycomb.
Jem is a clear reason why prejudice can relate to maturing and transition from childhood to adulthood. He sees how certain people can be pariahs and can not have the privileges that other people have, simply because of race or color, and this level of understanding demonstrates his loss of innocence. In conclusion, the loss of one’s innocence can be because of prejudice, for seeing and realizing why people are not treated the same way as others show understanding of the adult world.
Written by Alessandra Nguyen
The New Conventional Way 