preview

Overcoming Fear In Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird

Decent Essays

It's the 1930s and racism, classism, sexism is prominent and the Great Depression is happening. In 1930, Harper Lee was 4 years of age. 1930, is the time period that her book, To Kill a Mockingbird, takes place. Due to growing up in the 1930s, Harper Lee has experienced all of the issues above, which provided her with material for themes and purposes in her book. Harper Lee uses imagery, metaphors, and characterization to show the theme of overcoming fear. First, Harper Lee uses imagery to show the importance of overcoming the fear of a person. For example, on page 319-320 as Scout links arms with Boo to escort him home she says to herself, "He had to stoop a little to accommodate me, but if Miss Stephanie Crawford was watching from her upstairs window, she would see Arthur Radley escorting me down the sidewalk, as any gentleman would do." With this quote, Harper Lee is communicating to the reader through the imagery of Boo, who is walking with her like a gentleman, that Scout no longer cares about what Miss Stephanie Crawford says about Boo because Harper Lee has created the mindset that Scout is willfully hoping Miss Stephanie Crawford is peeping through her window and sees that Boo is being a gentleman not a monster. Harper Lee is communicating to the reader that people do have opinions and make assumptions about people. And that once someone gets to know the person that is made out to be a villain, that those assumptions can sometimes be incorrect just like Miss

Get Access