Critical Response: to Kill a Mockingbird
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- Category: English: Novels
- Date Submitted: 04/19/2015 10:58 PM
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Critical response to Literature
“To Kill a Mockingbird”
Emma Cartwright
10GQ
Ms. Gorham
“In what ways has the text you have studied successfully used the power of language to challenge our understanding of ourselves and human nature?”
Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird uses the power of language to challenge our understanding of ourselves and human nature. Human nature is ‘the psychological and social qualities that characterize humankind, especially in contrast with other living things’ (dictionary.com). The novel is based in the 1930’s in the Southern United States and written in 6-year-old Scout Finch’s perspective. This essay is going to discuss how Harper Lee uses the characters Boo Radley and Atticus Finch, themes of empathy and courage and the symbolism of the mockingbird in To Kill a Mockingbird to challenge our understanding of ourselves and human nature.
Harper Lee’s use of dialect makes us question our understanding and morals as human beings in the forms of Atticus Finch and Boo Radley. She narrates the perpetual victimisation, as a result of rumours and sheer discrimination, towards the two men. At the beginning of To Kill a Mockingbird, Boo Radley is described based purely on the rumours that Scout Finch has heard. From this description, we presume that this man, who is confined to the basement of his house by his father because “No Radley is being locked up!” (Mr. Radley), is completely mad. On the other hand, Atticus Finch, a white lawyer who is appointed the case of Tom Robinson, a black man wrongly accused of rape, is discriminated against due to his support for Tom Robinson. In the town of Maycomb, it’s a sin to have anything to do with a Negro, so when Atticus, along with being appointed the case of defending Tom Robinson, believes that Tom is not guilty, the town turns on him – almost everyone calling him a “nigger-lover”. Circa half-way thorough the book, Atticus explains to...
Critical response to Literature
“To Kill a Mockingbird”
Emma Cartwright
10GQ
Ms. Gorham
“In what ways has the text you have studied successfully used the power of language to challenge our understanding of ourselves and human nature?”
Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird uses the power of language to challenge our understanding of ourselves and human nature. Human nature is ‘the psychological and social qualities that characterize humankind, especially in contrast with other living things’ (dictionary.com). The novel is based in the 1930’s in the Southern United States and written in 6-year-old Scout Finch’s perspective. This essay is going to discuss how Harper Lee uses the characters Boo Radley and Atticus Finch, themes of empathy and courage and the symbolism of the mockingbird in To Kill a Mockingbird to challenge our understanding of ourselves and human nature.
Harper Lee’s use of dialect makes us question our understanding and morals as human beings in the forms of Atticus Finch and Boo Radley. She narrates the perpetual victimisation, as a result of rumours and sheer discrimination, towards the two men. At the beginning of To Kill a Mockingbird, Boo Radley is described based purely on the rumours that Scout Finch has heard. From this description, we presume that this man, who is confined to the basement of his house by his father because “No Radley is being locked up!” (Mr. Radley), is completely mad. On the other hand, Atticus Finch, a white lawyer who is appointed the case of Tom Robinson, a black man wrongly accused of rape, is discriminated against due to his support for Tom Robinson. In the town of Maycomb, it’s a sin to have anything to do with a Negro, so when Atticus, along with being appointed the case of defending Tom Robinson, believes that Tom is not guilty, the town turns on him – almost everyone calling him a “nigger-lover”. Circa half-way thorough the book, Atticus explains to...