Character Traits Of Dill Harris

In Harper Lee’s book “To Kill a Mockingbird” Jem , Scout , and Dill live in Maycomb , Alabama around the time of the 1930’s they all were struggling through racism and poor family’s trying to get by. Harper Lee’s first and only novel “To Kill A Mockingbird” was published during the civil right movements. In this book Jem, Scout, and Dill tend to have courage and loyalty through life and in their relationship toward one another . Jem and Scout are brother and sister, Dill is a friend of the family but they accept him as a brother. Although, Jem and Dill have the most exceptional relationship out of them all. “ To Kill A Mockingbird” the impact racism had on society shows through the setting , characters , and town of Maycomb , Alabama .

As an example, many people have compared characters from To Kill a Mockingbird to real-life individuals in Lee’s hometown. Alfred “Son” Boleware Jr., a resident in Lee’s hometown was the inspiration for the character Boo Radley. Like Boo, Boleware got in trouble with the law as a teen and as a result of his misdemeanors Boleware’s father kept him in the house as a “virtual prisoner” (Haggerty 90). Both Boleware and Boo were the subject of “endless lurid gossip and speculation” (90). This is an example of how Lee used people from her life and made them into fictional characters. Furthermore, the character Dill was also based upon Truman Capote, who was Lee’s next door neighbor. “Lee was certainly influenced by Truman Capote... whom she modeled the character of Dill” (Watkin 11). A third biographical representation that is portrayed in the novel is Scout, the protagonist of To Kill a Mockingbird. Harper Lee the author of To Kill a Mockingbird used to Scout represents her childhood (18). Both Lee and Scout grew up as tomboys, experienced the same events, and ultimately grew up with the same people. The biographical details in the novel reflects the novel by making it seem like a personal memoir by Lee. Harper Lee was biographically influenced by the people in her hometown. In her novel she used townspeople she was familiar with as inspiration for the characters in To Kill a Mockingbird.

Dill embodies the innocent search for justice in To Kill A Mockingbird. Dill's view of justice changes slightly as he grows older, but he always defends those who are oppressed.

Dill is established as being a creative character at first because the kids find themselves conflicted when Jem’s pants are not on him, but when Atticus asks the kids about this Dill comes up with a lie very fast. “We were playin’ strip poker up yonder by the fishpool,” is the lie that Dill told atticus which was a very believable lie because atticus and the rest of the adults believed it as well. Dill also acted fast when asked what type of strip poker he was playing and he simply answered, “no, just with matches” These fast answers show us that he can come up with stuff in a time of need.

Dill does not have the relationship with his parents that children deserve, thus Dill craves attention and a place he can feel home, only he does not feel at home with the people he should crave attention from. The only consistency in Dill’s life was staying with Miss Rachael during the summer. In the summer, Dill has friends he can depend on; the only relationship Dill can fully trust and accept into his life. While Dill’s parent-child relationship deteriorates, his relationship with Maycomb and its familiar face grows. Maycomb is a place where Dill has a deep connection to. Maycomb is a place to call home.

The emotions of the trial are running high for everyone. Jem, Scout and Dill are sitting in the balcony with the black people of the town. When it was the prosecutors turn Mr.Gilmer started to drill Tom hard. Dill’s emotions took over and he broke into emotional tears knowing that something was wrong. For the first time Scout realizes a change in Dill and tries to comfort him outside. The children are sitting with the blacks who hear Dill’s crys showing that he is full of compassion for the guiltless man.

Dill, also known as Charles Baker Harris, visiting Jem and Scout Finch every summer became an expectation in To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, but as summer approaches, Dill writes Scout to inform her that his plans for the season have been altered. Subsequently following an altercation between Jem and Scout in Chapter Fourteen, Scout retreats to her room for the night and believes a snake slips under her bed after being stepped on, but the so called snake reveals itself as Dill. Dill’s actions throughout the chapter aid in the indirect characterization of his character. For example, when asked about how he arrived in Maycomb, Dill tells Jem and Scout two improbable stories about an abusive new father and traveling with an animal show, as

In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the characterization of Dill helps to reveal the theme. Scout, Dill, and Jem was at the trial of Tom Robinson and they were watching the trial of Tom Robinson in the balcony of the courtroom. Tom Robinson is standing on the witness stand and is cruelly addressed by one of the juries. “I don’t care one speck, it ain’t right, somehow it ain’t right to do em’ that way. Hasn’t anybody got any business talkin like that- it just makes me sick.”(266). As Dill says, “I don’t care one speck,”this shows how he is enthusiastic about his opinions since his tone was exceptionally unforgiving. His perspectives on everybody being equivalent is solid since it makes him feel irregular by saying, “it just makes me sick.”This

In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird a major theme within the novel is the older one gets, the more desensitized one becomes to society's rules. Within the novel, a court case is being held; but the trial is extremely biased because the defendant, Tom Robinson, is a colored man. During the event, Dill, a friend of Jem and Scout, begins to cry because of how unfairly Tom Robinson is treated due to his skin color; “‘That old Mr. Gilmer doin him thataway, talking so hateful to him-’” (Lee 265). Dill doesn't know society's rules, particularly that colored people are treated poorly because of his lack of experience due to his young age. He will not able to truly grasp the concept until later on, and thus, he cries for Tom Robinson. Society's rules

“Nothin’, just sittin’ and readin’-but they didn’t want me with ‘em.” (Lee, Page 190). His situation made him sensitive to the sight of neglect towards others. At court when Atticus was defending Tom Robinson who was accused of rape. The prosecutor, Mr. Gilmer was questioning Tom in a hateful way. Dill notices this and starts sobbing and tells his feelings regarding Mr. Gilmer’s hateful tone. “That old Mr. Gilmer doin’ him thataway, talking so hateful to him-” (Lee, Page 265). He has the perspective that of a neglected child, which makes him not want to see other people neglected. He believes that all men should be treated with respect. “I don’t care one speck. It ain’t right, somehow it ain’t right to do ‘em that way. Hasn’t anybody got any business talkin’ like that-it just makes me sick.” (Lee, Page

In part one of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, the reader is introduced to Scout, the narrator of the book, her family and other members of the community in which she lives. Scout and her older brother Jem are the children of Atticus Finch, a lawyer in Maycomb County, Alabama during the Great Depression. Scout and Jem meet Dill, a boy spending the summer with his Aunt Rachel. He is between Scout and Jem’s age and becomes a great friend and playmate. He, like Scout and Jem are enjoying the freedom of no school, using their imagination inventing, and playing games throughout the summer. Next door to Scout and Jem, lives a very curious individual whom they have never seen but heard rumors about. This individual has been kept isolated by his father because of some innocent pranks he was involved in over fifteen years ago. Arthur “Boo” Radley is a young man rumored to be root of all evil in the small town of Maycomb. Curiosity is a theme repeated throughout part one as the Scout, Jem, and Dill desire to know or learn more about life and Boo Radley.

To Kill a Mockingbird is a book that shows both moral and physical courage throughout the book. The narrator, Scout, is a six year old girl who lives with her brother Jem and dad, Atticus Finch, who is a lawyer in Maycomb County, who is chosen to defend a black man who is accused of raping Mayella Ewell the daughter of Tom Ewell. Scout and Jem have a best friend named Dill who visits every summer. They are always daring each other to Boo Radley’s house. Boo Radley is a mysterious man, who never comes out of his house, and in the end is the

In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, there are many diverse characters with different personalities. Some are static and some are dynamic characters. Throughout this novel, the author manages to grasp ahold of the readers hearts and make them understand the characters. With the emotionally heavy plot which consists of many important topics, the reader gets a good sense for all the characters, their morals, ethics and personal values. Dill is the most courageous character in this novel because he is not afraid of rumors, he is not afraid of his parents, and he cries during the trial.

Throughout reading To Kill a Mockingbird, we have witnessed various character traits from Dill Harris. For example, we are aware that Dill is a chronic liar, and his speech is random. These various traits Dill portrays are clearly defined within the second half of the book, when matters in the town become serious, the citizens of Maycomb personalities are revealed. The reader is exposed to Dill’s traits after hearing Miss Rachel’s reaction to the Tom Robinson trial, and while Dill and the Finch children eat cake at Miss Maudie’s house. “‘Don’t talk like that, Dill,’ said Aunt Alexandra.

For example, after witnessing a white lawyer hatefully interrogating a black man, Dill begins to sob. Scout attempts to console him and explains that the lawyer was just doing his job, to which Dill replies, “I know all that, Scout. It was the way he said it made me sick, plain sick” (210). Not yet corrupted by the world, Dill’s young heart still reacts strongly to sin and hate. He even has sensitivities for the feelings of animals, which he expresses with his statement that hurting turtles is hateful. As he grows up, Dill never loses his humanity and compassion, which allow him to feel sympathy for those treated unfairly.