To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a fascinating story that has captured the hearts of many readers. The main character and narrator Scout Finch, or otherwise known as Jean Louise Finch, speaks in the voice of a young girl who grew up in a small town called Maycomb County in the 1930s. Her father, Atticus Finch, is a non-racist lawyer in a very biased city. Throughout the novel, Harper Lee includes many themes, but one of the most important explains the loss of innocence and growing up. Even if one loses the innocence of his childhood, he eventually gains more awareness and understands himself and the world around him better. The first example in To Kill a Mockingbird of the situation where Scout and her brother Jem lose their innocence is related to a game they made based on Arthur Radley. Mr. Radley, also known as Boo, never leaves his house, at least not in front of anyone. The citizens of Maycomb County believe he is a monster, and children, due to rumors, have an accurate description of him: “There was a long, jagged scar running down his face; the teeth he had were yellow and rotten; his eyes were wide and he was drooling most of the time” (Lee 16). Atticus Finch one day sees the children playing this game. He asks them if it has anything to do with the Radley family; the children lie to their father and say that the game is not based on Boo. Once he leaves, they continue playing. Surprisingly, later in the story, they learn that Arthur Radley is truly a kind man. From time to time he leaves presents for children in a small tree hole; however, he abruptly stops doing so because his brother fills the tree hole with cement and blocks it from the outside world. Scout and Jem r...... middle of paper ......To Kill a Mockingbird: Themes | LitCharts.com." LitCharts.com | LitCharts Study Guides | The faster, downloadable alternative to SparkNotes. Web. September 8, 2011. "Growing Up." Growing Up or Losing Your Innocence? Web. September 8, 2011. " Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird: A Literary Analysis. " Online Prose Portfolio. Web. September 8, 2011. "Journal #3 - Loss of Innocence. " To Kill a Mockingbird. January 3, 2011. Web. September 8, 2011. Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird New York: Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 2006. Print..