Loss of Innocence in To Kill a Mockingbird"Maycomb was an old town, but it was a tired old town when I first knew it. When it rained the streets became red earth; the grass grew on the sidewalks, the courthouse collapsed on the square." (Lee 9). This environment, as Scout Finch accurately describes, is not conducive to small children, loud noises, and games. But children Finch and Dill have to keep busy to avoid boredom. Their surroundings represent their boundaries, but in their minds they have no physical boundaries. Although the "physical boundaries were Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose's house two doors north..., and Radley Place three doors south," (Lee 11) Jem, Scout, and Dill find ways to use the boundaries, in conjunction with their imagination, to have fun. It is the children who change the historic center and make it full of unexpected events. Like children, the adults in the novel play games that come from their imagination and they themselves provide fear to all the inhabitants of the country. “Maycomb County was recently told it has nothing to fear but fear itself” (10). Adults and children have in common that they both play, but there is also a difference between them. The children stage their fun, knowing that the games might get violent, but ultimately, when the games end, all the players get to go home. On the other hand, adults play their adult games, hurting anyone who does not respect the given rules, and not everyone is lucky enough to return home. Children sometimes pretend to be violent but adults actually are. As the children move through the novel, they use these games to move from their innocence to a level of experience by actualizing the reality of their games through the lives of adults. Through their games and those of adults, children learn the values ​​of respect, courage and understanding. As most children naturally do, Jem, Scout, and their new friend Dill find entertainment to make the days pass with excitement. . When they first meet Dill, they are starting "play day in the yard" (11). This means that playing becomes a routine for them and that every day brings with it a different experience.