Innocence in

tkam & the

boy in striped
pyjamas
 innocence
The texts that I will be analysing are To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper
Lee (a novel) & The Boy in Striped Pyjamas (movie). A common theme
which is present throughout both the texts is innocence. Innocence
when defined is the quality of being free of remorse, sin or moral
wrong. A lack of expertise or experience is also described as innocence.

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To kill a mockingbird
innocence analysis
 “
“ Jem says I was. He read in a book where I was a Bullfinch instead of a Finch. Jem says my
name’s really Jean Louise Bullfinch, that I got swapped when I was born…” (Chapter 2 , page
18).
There are many scenes from TKAM which indicates Scout’s innocence. An example of this
would be in chapter 2 , where Scout disputes that Atticus taught her to read and Miss Caroline
criticises her ability to read. Scout’s innocence is revealed when she tells her teacher that she
was born with the ability to read, stating (the quote above). Scout’s innocence is shown by her
belief in her brother’s fantastical tale about her ability to read.

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 “
“ Atticus had said it was the polite thing to talk to people about what they were interested in,
not about what you were interested in. Mr. Cunningham displayed no interest in his son, so I
tackled his entailment once more in a last-ditch effort to make him feel at home.” (page 168)
In Chapter 15, Scout unknowingly runs out into the midst of a lynch mob, which is another
unforgettable moment that exposes Scout's innocence. Scout has no idea she's in such a
precarious situation and attempts to strike up a conversation with the lynch mob's chief, Mr.
Cunningham. Scout is perplexed as to why Mr. Cunningham is avoiding her and displays her
naiveté by remarking the quote above.

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Boy in striped pyjamas
innocence analysis
 The boy in striped pyjamas
Bruno, the eight-year-old son of a construction camp commandant during
WW2, stars in the film The Boy in Striped Pyjamas. On the other side of the
fence, he meets a Jewish boy who has unexpected consequences for him.
Although Bruno and Shmuel have a childlike innocence, Shmuel is an Auschwitz
prisoner who has undoubtedly seen horrific sights. Bruno, on the other hand, is
shielded from the horrors of the Holocaust by his parents, who go to
considerable lengths to hide the knowledge of his father's job from him. The
juxtaposition of such innocence with the Holocaust's intrinsic evil creates an
affecting tone. Bigotry and hatred are learned behaviours, according to this
theme.

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 “
"It's so unfair. I don't see why I have to be stuck over here on this side of the fence where
there's no one to talk to and no one to play with and you get to have dozens of friends and are
probably playing for hours every day. I'll have to speak to Father about it." – Bruno (page 111)
Bruno reveals how little he knows about the situation at Auschwitz in his first conversation
with Shmuel. This quote is an example of dramatic irony, in which the reader recognises that
while Bruno has a backwards view of the world, the situation is unjust, and it is Shmuel who is
“stuck” on the wrong side of the fence. Bruno’s childlike ignorance of the Holocaust, as well as
his innocence at this point in the story, are reflected in this quote.

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 “
“If the commander asks, we’ll say that I cleaned him up. Which seemed terribly selfish of mum
to Bruno”.
Bruno misinterprets what is going on in the world and in this family . Bruno's misinterpretation
is exemplified when he falls off a swing and cuts his leg. Pavel tended to his wound and
wrapped him in a bandage. Bruno claims his mother is attempting to take credit for what she
did not accomplish. Bruno believes his mother was being self-serving when she took the credit,
but she was simply trying to defend Pavel, who is a Jew. The commander would be furious if his
son was touched by a Jew.