To Kill A Mocking Bird Language Analysis Essay
"To Kill a Mocking Bird" by Harper Lee is renowned as a great text because of the important moral values it displays. The themes of the text such as growing up, courage and prejudice were particularly significant issues during the authors time, yet have never lost their importance Harper Lee highlights these themes through the use of language techniques, structure and symbolism.
The nature of growing up is portrayed through Scout and Jem's travels from childhood to maturity and the accompanying growth in their ability to see things from the point of view of others. Their change of attitude, in Chapter 16, to Mr Dolphus Raymond is an example of this. He is a white man from a rich family who is looked down upon be the white community because he lives with a black woman and her children. However, Scout and Dill learn that by pretending to be permanently drunk he gives the white community a reason for his chosen way of life. He explains to Scout and Dill that he does not drink much. He tells them this because they are young and without set attitudes they are more able to understand. Scout realizes …show more content…
Lee structures the novel such that a theme that underlies one chapter is again referred to in another, from different point of view. For example the close positioning of the shooting of the mad dog (chapter 10) and Miss Dubose's death from a morphine overdose (chapter 11) presents contrasting ideas about the theme of courage. The mad dog incident displays the more common view of courage, the quality of mind that enables one to encounter difficulties and danger with firmness and lack of fear. Miss Dubose's battle with her morphine addiction shows a different view of courage, continuing to pursue something even though you know you are fighting a loosing battle. This is a valuable lesson for the reader as many people place far less value on this less obvious form of
The nature of growing up is portrayed through Scout and Jem's travels from childhood to maturity and the accompanying growth in their ability to see things from the point of view of others. Their change of attitude, in Chapter 16, to Mr Dolphus Raymond is an example of this. He is a white man from a rich family who is looked down upon be the white community because he lives with a black woman and her children. However, Scout and Dill learn that by pretending to be permanently drunk he gives the white community a reason for his chosen way of life. He explains to Scout and Dill that he does not drink much. He tells them this because they are young and without set attitudes they are more able to understand. Scout realizes …show more content…
Lee structures the novel such that a theme that underlies one chapter is again referred to in another, from different point of view. For example the close positioning of the shooting of the mad dog (chapter 10) and Miss Dubose's death from a morphine overdose (chapter 11) presents contrasting ideas about the theme of courage. The mad dog incident displays the more common view of courage, the quality of mind that enables one to encounter difficulties and danger with firmness and lack of fear. Miss Dubose's battle with her morphine addiction shows a different view of courage, continuing to pursue something even though you know you are fighting a loosing battle. This is a valuable lesson for the reader as many people place far less value on this less obvious form of