Skip to main content

What are some ways Harper Lee in To Kill a Mockingbird forces the reader into the characters' shoes?

Harper Lee provides details of the background of Maycomb and provides a young narrator who is learning about the way things work. 

The two main ways that Harper Lee allows us to walk in characters' shoes is to provide us with a young narrator, Scout, who is very personable, and to provide us with background details of Maycomb through Scout.  Because Scout is getting to know the ways of the world, since she is young, we learn what Maycomb is like along with her. 


Scout tells us all about Maycomb, providing us background on its founding and its history up to the time the book takes place. 



Maycomb was an old town, but it was a tired old town when I first knew it. In rainy weather the streets turned to red slop; grass grew on the sidewalks, the courthouse sagged in the square. (Ch. 1)



Because she is young, she has to learn empathy.  As she learns empathy, the reader appreciates the experiences of others along with her.  She explains things to us without filters, and we understand what life is like for Scout, Atticus, Mayella, Boo Radley, and Tom Robinson. 


An example of this is Scout’s reaction to Mayella during the trial.  Her father has been trying to get her to understand other people’s perspectives, and she looks at Mayella and is able to appreciate what she must be going through.  She puts herself in Mayella’s shoes. 



As Tom Robinson gave his testimony, it came to me that Mayella Ewell must have been the loneliest person in the world. She was even lonelier than Boo Radley, who had not been out of the house in twenty-five years. (Ch. 19) 



Scout’s understanding of Mayella is very important for the reader, because it is easy to demonize Mayella since she is the one who accuses Tom Robinson of rape.  The reader is going to feel sympathetic toward Tom Robinson, so Scout’s empathy is helpful.  


The comparison to Boo Radley is significant, because Boo Radley and Tom Robinson are two plot lines that weave through the story. Through Scout’s interaction with these plot lines, the reader comes to understand the people of Maycomb and appreciate the circumstances.  We pass through Atticus’s story, and Tom’s, and Boo’s, as we experience Scout’s.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What is the meaning of "juggling fiends" in Macbeth?

Macbeth is beginning to realize that the three witches have been deceiving him since he first encountered them. Like jugglers, they have kept changing their forecasts in order create confusion. This is particularly apparent when the Second Apparition they raise in Act IV,   Scene 1 tells him that no man of woman born can overcome him in hand-to-hand battle--and then Macbeth finds himself confronted by the one man he has been avoiding out of a... Macbeth is beginning to realize that the three witches have been deceiving him since he first encountered them. Like jugglers, they have kept changing their forecasts in order create confusion. This is particularly apparent when the Second Apparition they raise in Act IV,   Scene 1 tells him that no man of woman born can overcome him in hand-to-hand battle--and then Macbeth finds himself confronted by the one man he has been avoiding out of a sense of guilt, and that man tells him: Despair thy charm. And let the angel whom thou still hast serve...
Post a Comment
Read more

What are some tensions between men and women in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar?

Julius Caesar is a largely male-driven play. Calpurnia and Portia are the two main female characters, and they are both wives of major characters. Calpurnia is Julius Caesar’s wife. She makes public appearances with him, but there may be some awkwardness between them because of her inability to have children. He publicly tells Antony to touch Calpurnia to cure her of barrenness when he runs the Lupercal, a “holy race” and fertility festival. Calpurnia has... Julius Caesar is a largely male-driven play. Calpurnia and Portia are the two main female characters, and they are both wives of major characters. Calpurnia is Julius Caesar’s wife. She makes public appearances with him, but there may be some awkwardness between them because of her inability to have children. He publicly tells Antony to touch Calpurnia to cure her of barrenness when he runs the Lupercal, a “holy race” and fertility festival. Calpurnia has nightmares about Caesar’s death. She claims that she is not naturally super...
Post a Comment
Read more

What is the probability that a cross between parents who are both homozygous recessive for trait will have offspring that are homozygous recessive...

In the question, both parents are homozygous recessive for a trait. Therefore, the only genes present in each parent's genotype would be two copies of the recessive gene.  If these parents decide to have offspring, 100% of their children will inherit two recessive alleles and will express the recessive trait. An example of this can be demonstrated with the sickle cell anemia allele. If both parents have sickle cell anemia, then all of their offspring... In the question, both parents are homozygous recessive for a trait. Therefore, the only genes present in each parent's genotype would be two copies of the recessive gene.  If these parents decide to have offspring, 100% of their children will inherit two recessive alleles and will express the recessive trait. An example of this can be demonstrated with the sickle cell anemia allele. If both parents have sickle cell anemia, then all of their offspring will have the disease phenotype. The disease phenotype of sickle cell anemia re...
Post a Comment
Read more