kill a mockingbird

Analysis of “To kill a mockingbird”
Saryuna Rinchino, gr. 02193
The story under analysis is an extract from a novel “To kill a mockingbird”. The book was written by Harper Lee in 1960. Harper Lee was born in 1926 in the state of Alabama. In 1945-1949 she studied law at the University of Alabama. “To kill a mockingbird” is her first novel and after being published it was highly acclaimed and even was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1961, one of the most important awards in literature. The book became an international bestseller and was adapted into screen in 1962.
The events of the novel “To kill a mockingbird” take place during a difficult time in the South. At that time black people were treated as people of lower level than white ones. Racial Discrimination was running high in the South as a whole, especially in Alabama. Many details of “To kill a mockingbird”are apparently autobiographical but Harper Lee insisted that the novel is fully a work of fiction.
The events of the extract take place in the court of Maycomb County. Two small children secretly came to the trial and was sitting there the whole trial. A Negro, Tom Robison by name, was falsely accused in rapping a white woman. But Atticus, a defender and the two children’s father, was absolutely sure in his innocence and tried to give all necessary facts to persuade the jury. Actually it was the white woman’s father, Bob Ewell, who had bitten her as he had seen her kissing Tom Robinson. And also it was Mayella Ewell who broke the code and “tempted a Negro”. Before the jury goes away Atticus refers to Thomas Jefferson to remind them that the court is the only place where people are equal, no matter black or white, clever or stupid, rich or poor they are. But apparently the jury don’t take into consideration his last words as the story ends with the jury accusing Tom Robinson.
Though the story is told by a small girl, Jean Louise, the main character of the story is Atticus Finch. His character is static. He is a protagonist of the story. Atticus Finch doesn’t radically change throughout the story, he adheres the same view point that all people are created equal and should be treated equally. Atticus is described indirectly, but it isn’t very difficult to understand what kind of person he is through his actions, words and behavior. In spite of being a good lawyer, he is also a good father. We can see it from the children’s behavior. Not every child would go to the court to listen to a trial. But these two children do instead of playing in the yard. They behave as people, who are interested in such things, which is not the same for other elder people. Moreover Atticus is a brave person as he is not afraid of Ku-Klux-Klan who may lynch you if you are in good relations with black people or tries to protect them. On contrary, Atticus is eager to take up this case. the author has a sharp eye for detail: Atticus sweats a lot and it shows him to be very nervous and proves that this case is very meaningful for him. Also his voice incessantly trembles, he makes many pauses during his speech. That fact demonstrates him not to be indifferent to this case as well. He is a smart and quick-witted man and his speech proves it. He uses many similes such as “a lie as black as Tom Robinson’s skin”, “this case is as simple as black and white”. He addresses the jury “jentlemen” which characterizes him as a respectful man. Using simile “he was talking to the jury as if they were folks on the post office corner” the author wanted to show that he is not going to ingratiate with them. The allusion of the Yankees and Thomas Jefferson’s speech also give us a certain image of a well-educated man and it also proves him to be a well-educated person.
As for Bob and Mayella Ewell, antagonists of the story, they are white poor men. The author also doesn’t describe them directly. Atticus calles Mayella as a “victim of the cruel poverty and ignorance”. He understands she is guilty but doesn’t blame her. She is an elder sister in her family and is always up to the eyes in work. Moreover Bob is not a good father. He is cruel and more ignorant and ill-natured man than his daughter. He is a drunkard and beats his daughter. And there is no chance for Mayella to keep in touch with him. But still the absence of normal life doesn’t justify her.
Tom Robinson is a minor character of the story. He is a young strong Negro who is charged in raping, but in reality not guilty. The only thing he is guilty in is the color of his skin. His character is flat and static. Atticus describes him as “a quiet, respectable, humble Negro”. And that is true. He is naive and believes in justice. But for the society of that time it was impossible to justify a Negro and accuse white man instead of black one. Tom Robinson is a real victim of the story and of the society.
The extract is a kind of a story within a story. The author uses first-person narrator. The story is told by Jean Louisse. Atticus’s daughter.
Harper Lee treats the characters in a serious tone. She uses only the words which are all connected with the main problem, she doesn’t tell any unnecessary word which would prevent us to concentrate on it. Though the story is written with many professional words, it is not very difficult to read it.

The syntactical pattern is not very difficult and it doesn’t do any difficulty to follow the main idea. Harper Lee doesn’t use many details. Every used detail is important from the author’s view point and carefully selected.

The prevailing style is oratorical. The main function of this style is to persuade the audience. The speaker, Atticus uses many stylistic devises while delivering his speech in order to make the jury come to the right decision, make them believe that Tom Robinson actually is not guilty. The most frequently used stylistic device is epithet: “any God-fearing, persevering, respectable white man”, “a quiet, respectable, humble Negro”, “the cynical confidence”, “the evil assumption”.
Atticus Finch also uses such stylistic devices as allusion in the speech: “Thomas Jefferson once said”, “In the name of God”, and antonomasia: “a Rockefeller, an Einstein” are also used. Simile is used by the author too: “...we know is in itself a lie as black as Tom Robinson’s skin...”, “this case is as simple as black and white”.
There is not only one problem in the novel. For me the most important problem is the problem of courage and bravery. According to Atticus, courage has no connection with the image of a man staying with a pistol in his hands. Courage is going on working and seeing it through knowing that you would fail. Atticus shows it on his own example: he defends Tom Robinson knowing that prejudice is more powerful then Law and he knows that for that time it is impossible to win the case.