She gained the wisdom of the world outside her back door and began to see how society works, (it is very cruel and cynical) Although this may not have been a good thing, she could now see how unimportant it was. Atticus taught Jem and Scout to be polite, caring kids. He instilled in them a great sense of love for their neighbor and told them things that would help them get on in life. Scout was very lucky to have someone to guide her along the way. Although she was faced with “the real world”, she had lots of people who would willingly explain to her and guide her.
Scout really matured during the course of this book. She went
from a six-year-old child with no knowledge of the real world to a ten year old
who had a lot of life’s most important lessons shown to her at a very young age.
She had to learn, very quickly, that life would not always be easy and fun. She
learned of the horrible ways men can treat other men and of the ugliness of
station, poverty and hate.
The author, Harper Lee, picked an interesting
person to narrate the story. This had some advantages and disadvantages as the
story progressed. This writing technique is a very versatile one. When the
author uses Scout as the first person, she opens the reader’s eyes to the way
children think and act. She also offers a fair opinion of the affairs of
Maycomb, and doesn’t dwell on adult matters and make it boring. Some
disadvantages of picking Scout for the first person viewpoint were that even
though she was smart, she didn’t really understand what all the fuss was about.
She was too innocent and young to really grasp the point sometimes and tell the
reader, about it. The author did an excellent job of making the story somewhat
easy to understand and fun to read. By picking a child to tell the story, it was
easier to read between the lines and find the real meaning of what was being
said.
“It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin
anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you
do. Mrs. Dubose won, all ninety-eight pounds of her. According to her views, she
died beholden to nothing and nobody. She was the bravest person I ever knew.”
This touching paragraph speaks about the meaning of courage. There were many
people who showed different kinds of courage. Atticus was probably one of the
bravest people in the story. He stood up for a black man who was going against a
white man in court. A lot of people disagreed with him, and some went so far as
to spit in his face. But he pressed on against all odds. Mrs. Dubose was very
brave also. She overcame her morphine addiction so that she could be free from
earth when she died. She was so determined to do it. She had beaten all the odds
to overcome her addition. Boo Radley was also brave. He risked his own life to
save two children that he barely knew. He could have run for the sheriff or
gotten Atticus, but he got into the thick of things and he killed a man to save
another. He also faced so much gossip and persecution because of his home life
and the way he chose to live. He could have come out any time he wanted to but
he didn’t, and because he didn’t, he suffered for it.
So many characters in
this book were brave in their own special way as well. Mr. Cunningham was brave,
because even though he was very poor, he took no charity and tried very hard to
pay off all his debts with goods, if not with money. In a strange way, the
Ewells showed courage also. If not admirable courage, it was still a form of
courage. Getting up in court and lying to save their honor (or what they thought
was honor) was not a wise thing to do. Harper Lee made sure that every single
character was defined and stable. She made each one real as our parents, while
still remembering they were characters in a book. Courage is a wonderful thing,
and Lee did a great job of showing real courage.
We then begin to hear about
how Tom Robinson, a black man, has been accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a white
woman, and how everyone is saying that Atticus defends Negroes. The plot then
goes on to explain about the trial and what happens afterwards, but we don’t
hear about Boo Radley until Halloween. When the kids are attacked, that is when
the two plots combine. Boo Radley fights Mr. Ewell and carries Jem home. Scout
figures out what happens and realizes who he is. Their game of “Making Boo
Radley Come Out” has finally succeeded!
The two plots could have easily been
made into two separate books. But the author is so clever about intertwining to
two plots, you don’t even notice how they are different until you sit back and
think about it. This is a really good literary technique. Harper Lee was so good
at writing that she just does it so naturally and wonderfully that it doesn’t
seemed forced or unnatural. These to plots are so interesting; I wish she had
gone into more detail with each one.
When you write a book, you should try
to use a variety of literary techniques to make your book or story interesting.
Harper Lee used almost every single one when she wrote, “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
He used humor, suspense, foreshadowing, dialect, flashback and irony to tell her
story. When Lee wrote this book, she made the entire book a flashback. She
begins the story as reminiscence about her brother’s broken arm. By making the
entire story a flashback, she could add funny stories and additions while still
keeping the story line. Suspense was another nig addition to the book. When she
ends chapters with sentences like: “ Well, call him” or “ He was right”, you
want to find out what is going to happen next, thus making you read on further.
Dialect is another interesting addition to the story. When she uses words and
language that are appropriate to the times, you get the feeling that you are
really there and not reading Shakespearian Literature. When Lee uses
foreshadowing to tell what is going to come, she makes you wonder what is going
to happen next. When Atticus talked about real courage, he was explaining to
them about his case and why he was taking it. Foreshadowing is another great way
to get your readers to keep reading and wondering what is going to happen next.
Humor is probably the best way to keep teenagers interested in the story. Irony
is one of the biggest elements in this story. An ironic moment is when the
children spend an entire summer trying to get Boo outside, and when he does come
out (of his own accord), it’s to save them. Irony is important to the story
because the theme of the book is ironic in itself.
When Harper Lee wrote
this book, she left room for relationships to grow and change. For example, the
children’s relation to Atticus starts out as the basic child-father
relationship. But as the story progresses, they begin to see what a great man he
is. They realize that by defending Tom Robinson, he is doing something that no
other man would do, not for the glory, but because it is the right thing to do.
Jem and Scouts relationship changed too. It started as a little child brother-
sister relationship. As Jem grew up, he began having second thoughts about
having Scout around all the time. It was turning into a big brother-little
sister relationship, where the brother doesn’t want the little sister around.
Scout and Aunt Alexandra do not really get along. Aunt Alexandra is concerned
with society and gossip, and Scout thinks it is dumb and boring. Their
relationship grows a little in the book, partly do to the intercession of her
father, but their relationship mostly stays the same. Scout and Dill’s
relationship is an interesting one. It goes from ‘just friends’ to wanting to
have a baby. Dill’s family life isn’t that great and Scout is like a sister to
him. When he runs away from home, Scout is really sympathetic and Dill thinks
that his parents do not love him. Scout really feels for him, and he likes that.
The children and Boo’s relationship is probably the most interesting one in the
book. It goes from an obsession to an unconditional love. When Boo saves the
children’s lives, he proves that he loves them. They realize that Boo was the
one giving them little trinkets in the tree, and they realize that he is the one
who folded Jem’s pants and laughed inside the house. Boo loved the children,
even though he barely knew them. He showed an unconditional love that most
adults would not show. He was so kind that he risked his life for the children,
and that is why Scout grows to love him.
Minor characters often play a
very important role in the story. Although their role may seem minor, they often
make the whole story come together and make sense. Harper Lee had a lot of minor
characters that played an important role in the story. Calpurnia was one of
them. Cal was the maid, but she was also the mother figure and disciplinarian of
the household. She was the one who taught Scout to write. If she had not done
that, the whole section about the teacher getting mad would not have happened.
Miss Maudie also played an important role in the book. She showed the children
respect for their elders and told them to mind their own business about Boo.
Link Deas was an interesting character. He wasn’t really important, but since he
was Tom Robinson’s employer, he had to exist, to give Tom Robinson a job so he
could pass the Ewells every day. Aunt Alexandria, Scout’s Aunt, tries to get
Scout to act more like a girl, which Scout cannot stand! Aunt Alexandria was
very concerned with raising Atticus’ children properly. She opens Scout’s eyes
to the ways of society and why gossip can ruin a person.
1.
Inner Cities
In 'To Kill a Mockinbird' by Harper Lee, I believe that the title of the novel
was very significant. It is significant due to the fact that the word
'Mockingbird' was symbolic for the innocence, secur
2.
To Kill A Mockingbird 2 ---
In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the Mockingbird was used to
symbolize those characters who were senselessly harmed by others yet harmless
themsleves. In this novel, certain individua
3.
To Kill A Mockingbird: Racism
If we don't understand the meaning of evil, how can we justify something as
evil? We label things because we feel the horror that will come from them. If we
don't know the consequences for actions, ho
4.
To Kill A Mockingbird: Prejudice In Maycomb
Two major people in To Kill A Mockingbird are prejudged; Boo Radley and Tom
Robinson. One man is the victim of prejudice; Atticus Finch. These men are
mockingbirds. For a mockingbird has never hurt an
5.
To Kill A Mockingbird: Atticus And Miss Maudie
Mayella Ewell is very much like a mockingbird. In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill A
Mockingbird, Atticus and Miss Maudie are two of the main adult characters. Both
of them explain to Jem and Scout that Moc
6.
How To Kill A Mocking Bird
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee is a story written written to show the
importance of black people in the 1930's. It is a good story with a good point.
The prime messages observed in this novel is
7.
To Kill A Mockingbird: Courage
I feel that many characters in To Kill a Mockingbird showed courage. They did
not all show the same type of courage, but I will try to explain the courage of
Atticus, Scout, and Tom Robinson as I saw
8.
To Kill A Mockingbird: Cruelty Against Blacks, Lawyers And The Poor
To Kill A Mockingbird “takes readers to the roots of human behavior” (Lee). It
portrays how unkind people of Maycomb County could be. It shows a time when
being different made life more difficult than
9.
To Kill A Mockingbird: Atticus Is Kind, Smart, And Wise
“Atticus is flimsy and feeble...” That is what Scout Finch, the narrator of To
Kill A Mockingbird thought about her father, she was wrong. Atticus is kind,
wise, and seeks the truth. I will prove all
10.
To Kill A Mockingbird 2
To Kill A Mockingbird: Man Versus Society There Are Five Literary Conflicts In
literature, Man Versus Man, Man Versus Nature, Man Versus The Supernatural, Man
Versus Society, Man Versus Himself. There
11.
To Kill A Mockingbird: Prejudice
Miss Harper Lee has chosen Scout as a first person narrator in this story. This
narrative technique has many strengths and some weaknesses. Scout is a bright,
sensitive and intelligent little girl. Fo
12.
To Kill A Mocking Bird Movie R
To Kill a Mockingbird - Movie Review To Kill a Mockingbird is an inaccurate
presentation of the novel for three main reasons. The first main reason why it
is inaccurate is because a lot of details in
13.
To Kill A Mockingbird: Symbolism In The Title, Names And Objects
Throughout To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee many examples of symbolism exist.
One example would be the names of Jem, Scout, and Dill. Another example would be
the use of the title in the book. And
14.
To Kill A Mockingbird: Trading Places With Atticus Finch
If I could trade places with somebody, it would be Atticus Finch, from the book,
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. There are many reasons I would trade. One
of the reasons I would choose Atticus i
15.
To Kill A Mockingbird 6
Essay on To Kill A Mockingbird. Parents always look out for their children and
try to provide for them. They also punish their children for misbehaving. Harper
Lee portrays a father, Atticus and how h
16.
To Kill A Mocking Bird 3
Miss Harper Lee has chosen Scout as a first person narrator in this story. This
narrative technique has many strengths and some weaknesses. Scout is a bright,
sensitive and intelligent little girl. Fo
17.
Summary Of To Kill A Mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird is a story written by Harper Lee which depicts a story of
heroism and ignorance. As seen through the eyes of Scout, a six year old girl,
living with her brother and father. The s
18.
Lees Philosophy To Kill A Mock
Nelle Harper Lee’s Philosophy on the Proper Treatment of Human Beings in To Kill
A Mockingbird The 1930’s were a time in which blacks faced many hardships. It
was a time in which the Ku K
19.
To Kill A Mocking Bir
There were many differences between the To Kill a Mockingbird the movie and the
book with the same title and story line. One difference was that the movie
didn’t show Miss Maudie’s