what does losing innocence in the novel mean?
It means to kill that which is innocent and harmless - of innocents being carelessly or deliberately destroyed.
To Kill a Mockingbird
Writer Edwin Bruell summarized the symbolism when he wrote in 1964, "'To kill a mockingbird' is to kill that which is innocent and harmless—like Tom Robinson." Scholars have noted that Lee often returns to the mockingbird theme when trying to make a moral point.

Tom Robinson is the chief example, among several in the novel, of innocents being carelessly or deliberately destroyed.
when does to kill a mockingbird take place 1936 is it a novel? Yes it is a novel by Harper Lee. what is the novel about? The story, told by the six-year-old Jean Louise Finch, takes place during three years (1933–35) of the Great Depression in the fictional "tired old town" of Maycomb, Alabama, the seat of Maycomb County. what is the mentioned depression about? It was a severe worldwide economic depression that took place mostly during the 1930s, beginning in the United States. mention a few of its causes? The Keynesian (demand-driven) and the monetarist explanation re two of the supposed causes.. from where did it get its name? UNANSWERABLE did china face such depression too? No, they remained largely unaffected, mainly by having stuck to the Silver standard. when did it start? October 24, 1929 - the sudden devastating collapse of U.S. stock market prices. in which style is the aforementioned novel written? The author combines the narrator's voice of a child observing her surroundings with a grown woman's reflecting on her childhood, using the ambiguity of this voice combined with the narrative technique of flashback to play intricately with perspectives. what is the theme of the novel? According to the author, it is "a code of honor and conduct, Christian in its ethic, that is the heritage of all Southerners." did it deal with the issue of gender roles? Several female characters influence Scout, and her primary identification with her father and older brother allows her to describe the variety and depth of female characters. was it adapted into film? Yes, it was made into a movie of the same title
wiki:13388570
To Kill a Mockingbird [SEP] Loss of innocence
Atticus, he was real nice," to which he responds, "Most people are, Scout, when you finally see them." The novel exposes the loss of innocence so frequently that reviewer R. A. Dave claims that because every character has to face, or even suffer defeat, the book takes on elements of a classical tragedy. In exploring how each character deals with his or her own personal defeat, Lee builds a framework to judge whether the characters are heroes or fools. She guides the reader in such judgments, alternating between unabashed adoration and biting irony. Scout's experience with the Missionary Society is an ironic juxtaposition of women who mock her, gossip, and "reflect a smug, colonialist attitude toward other races" while giving the "appearance of gentility, piety, and morality".