Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird demonstrates organic unity through the use of literary tools to create, maintain, and amplify the central theme. Lee constructs and develops the theme of social inequality by employing dialogue, irony, and an extended metaphor. Through dialogue, the townspeople show contempt for blacks, viewing them and anyone who treats them as equals as inferior. This is evident in the analysis of the conversations of Bob Ewell, Mrs. Dubose, and Francis Hancock where they refer to black people as uncivilized savages. Not only does Bob Ewell, contribute to the theme through his dialogue, but his full name of Robert E. Lee Ewell provokes irony that clarifies the racist undertones of the novel. Moreover, irony functions
Theme: One theme from this novel is the American Dream. “Always certain of what he wanted from the world, Mr. Clutter had in large measure obtained it. On his left hand […] he wore a plain gold band […] which was the symbol, a quarter-century old, of his marriage to the person he had wished to marry…" (6) This quote demonstrates Herb’s embodiment of the American Dream. He has worked hard in his life, and been able to achieve everything he aims for. Another theme in this novel is mental illness. “She was "nervous," she suffered "little spells"—such were the sheltering expressions used by those close to her. Not that
As the train approached, unwavering in its path, the Meminger family stood up. Liesel, Werner and their mother. Werner was situated in his mother’s
Why does Holden continuously judge people based on their physical appearance? Could this be a projection of his insecurities or a reflection of his mental health?
Holden is in a cab on his way to Ernie’s and after he asks the driver with Holden. When Holden asks why he is “sore” about it, the cab driver denies being upset. Holden seems to constantly anger people throughout the story due to his blunt way of addressing topics and his inability to see the positive side of things. The cab driver on the other hand, is clearly upset, but is instead choosing to be passive aggressive by denying his anger. I do not like when people are passive aggressive. I would much rather someone talk to me directly and maturely if they are upset.
Looking at his watch, Nick saw the time. There was only a short amount of time until he would be back to the open streams in Michigan. Nick felt ready to see the sun and scout for trout along the water. The train continued to move and the shaking got lighter. Nick could feel the vibrations changing throughout the train. He paid close attention and grabbed the seat when the tracks got
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Harper Lee articulates coming of age in a town struck by racism. Scout begins the novel as a six year old girl who does not fully recognise how skewed her world is until she is nine and sees what it really means to kill a mockingbird due to the actions of a shy Arthur Radley. In the passage Jem and Scout are attacked by Bob Ewell; the father of supposed rape victim Mayella Ewell, in response to Jem and Scout’s father Atticus embarrassing Bob during the trial of Tom Robinson. However, Arthur Radley comes out to save them, inevitably killing Bob. This means he will have to go through the burdensome court process, but the county sheriff, Heck Tate wants to change that and Scout needs to understands why. Furthermore Scout realizes what it's like to be Arthur Radley, always watching. Within the final two chapters, To Kill A Mockingbird conveys the theme that there's good and evil in coming of age throughout the book by utilizing symbolism, conflict, and character.
Because the film’s narrative is conveyed as a frame tale, action takes place in two different time periods. The opening scene mainly consists of desolate land with mountains in the background. As train a train advances across the frame from right to left, it enters the foreground. The vehicle serves two functions. Firstly, it brings Ransom and his wife, Hallie, to the Western town of Shinbone so that they may attend Tom’s wake. Mourning Tom provides the basis for the framing narrative. Ransom initiates an embedded story, the tale of Liberty Valance’s downfall, while talking to reporters in Shinbone. The train’s second, more symbolic function is its role as a sign of modernity. As opposed to journeying by training in the
Interpreting To Kill A Mockingbird Killing a mockingbird would be a sin because there is simply no reason to kill them. Just as Tom was a metaphorical mockingbird in the book, real mockingbirds in the world act just as innocently. In this paper, I'm looking into three reasons why mockingbirds, and Tom, have no reason to be killed. The first reason that it is a sin to kill mockingbirds is because they are completely innocent.
Referential” is a short story in which Lorrie Moore, the author, captures the feelings of despair while attempting to cope with a loved one who is suffering from a mental illness. The mother experiences the hopelessness that comes with trying to balance life with a mentally ill sixteen-year-old son, while trying to salvage a relationship that is irreconcilable. The narrative voice was a well thought out choice that led to an effective story with such well-established characters and theme. The lack of satisfaction the mother experiences, despite all of her efforts, and the complex web of emotional pain within the characters that is so well communicated, may be a reflection of the narration.
Tillie Olsen’s short story, “I Stand Here Ironing,” expresses a single mother’s ability to care for her first born child Emily. She feels guilty over how she lacked showing her love and affection. At only nineteen years old during the Great Depression and Emily’s father leaving only eight months after the birth of Emily, she was forced to start working long hours at night. Eventually, Emily’s mother had to leave her daughter with his family, causing distance and lack of a bond between the two. The theme of “I Stand Here Ironing” involves a mother wanting her child to have a better upbringing and life overall, however, due to poverty, remarriage, four more children, inability to show love, and frequent absences, her guilt
In the course of the story in chapter one of To Kill A Mockingbird there was first person narration from Scout’s perspective. Scout a six year old female from Maycomb county Alabama is a tomboy that has a special relationship with her father Atcis, who is a lawyer. Further, Scout was also influenced by two other characters a boy named Dill who stayed in Maycomb over the summer to visit his Aunt and her brother Jem. Both characters are relatively the same age, about four years older, than scout. However Dill had to return to his home in the conclusion of the summer time. And this leads into Scout going back to school as well as her brother. Unintentionally however when Scout goes to school she finds out that the new first grade teacher Miss.Caroline doesn't like her advanced literacy, which she got from the people surrounding her and reading newspapers.
Racism is a part of human nature; everyone judges their surroundings and the people living in it through a secret lens. Since the beginning of time racism has occurred, but during the Great Depression this lens was most clear to all. This goes hand in hand with the story of “To Kill a Mockingbird”, written by Harper Lee. This book is based on Lee’s childhood during the Depression. Some of the characters in the story are portrayed in her actual life; Atticus is based off her father who was also a lawyer, Dill was in reference of her friend Truman Capote, and Jean Louise is referring to Lee herself telling the story of her life experiences (Baddeley). Throughout the novel, Lee expresses the events that went on around her during the
Relationships are the most important part of everyone’s life and most of them start from the very beginning. Many people assume that our first relationship, especially with our mothers are very important. As opposed to, our mothers play a meaningful role of being the primary nurturer and teacher. This is a unique situation, since when a mother gives birth to a daughter she becomes her nurturer and a role model because of that child start to mimic their mother, which may lead to a complex relationship. The characters from Tillie Olsen’s essay demonstrates this kind of a sophisticated relationship. However, their situation is happen to be so because the narrator is a teen mother left alone with a newborn baby at the Great Depression time without
In 1998, Elizabeth Cohen’s father had come down with a sever case of Alzheimer’s. Her mother would call and conference with her and her sister, telling them of his rapid degeneration. The way she describes her parents’ love story was almost fairytale-like. They ate together, laughed together, and so on. Everything was perfect except for one thing; her mother hated kids. Elizabeth had, what she describes to be, a vexing and confusing childhood. Her mother kept her at bay from her father, and mother seemed to merely put up with her kids rather than take motherly care of them. Elizabeth’s dad or “Daddy” had been