...To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a masterpiece of American literature. The minor characters in To Kill a Mockingbird played an important role; these characters are very relevant to the novel. The role of the minor characters in the book is significant because they outline strong themes and they portray elements of human nature. Minor characters such as Dolphus Raymond, Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose and Link Deas demonstrate strong themes such as courage, compassion and kindness such themes are very relevant to the novel. Link Deas is a marvelous minor character. Link displays courage in the novel. During the Tom Robinson trial Link gets up and says, “ I just want the whole lot of you to know one thing right now. That boy’s worked for me eight years an’ I ain’t had a speck o’ trouble outa him. Not a speck.” (Lee 195) It takes a lot of courage to speak out during the trial just to support Tom Robinson. Link is also very kind. He shows kindness because “He walked her the short way, by the Ewells’.”(Lee 249) It is very kind of Link to walk Helen home and commanding Bob Ewell to stop teasing Helen. As well as showing kindness Deas is compassionate. This is correct because “ Mr. Link Deas made a job for Helen. He didn’t really need her, but he felt bad about the way things turned out.”(Lee 249) Link shows compassion by hiring Helen he knows that she will struggle without Tom’s presence. Link Deas displays courage, kindness and compassion within the novel. Mrs. Henry Lafayette...
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...Racism, Poverty, and Violence in To Kill a Mockingbird Maycomb, like other Southern towns, suffers considerably during the Great Depression. Poverty reaches from the privileged families, like the Finches, to the Negroes and “white trash” Ewells, who live on the outskirts of town. Racism violently attacks the people of Maycomb and causes many conflicts throughout the novel which causes violence amongst the citizens. Harper Lee uses the characters involved in To Kill a Mockingbird as symbols of the main themes of the story, which includes, poverty, racism, and violence and these recurring themes influence the actions of the characters in numerous ways. Poverty is repeatedly referenced throughout the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. Many citizens...
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...People are Different In works of literature authors often use foil characters to reveal the strengths and weaknesses of main characters. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, the author uses the character Bob Ewell (minor character) and Atticus Finch (major character) to reveal the theme of respect. Atticus is a well dressed, politeful man who teaches his kids important life lessons. Bob is a rude, racist man who does not work, or take care of his family. Within the novel, the two foil characters give the reader a better understanding of a parent's respect towards themselves and others. In the novel Atticus strives to teach his kids important life lessons. Respect is the main lesson that Atticus stresses the most. Often, Atticus will set a good example of how to be respectful to elders by saying, “Good Evening, Mrs. Dubose!” (Lee 133) even after she was rude to his children. This shows his children...
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...Analysis of “To kill a mockingbird” Saryuna Rinchino, gr. 02193 The story under analysis is an extract from a novel “To kill a mockingbird”. The book was written by Harper Lee in 1960. Harper Lee was born in 1926 in the state of Alabama. In 1945-1949 she studied law at the University of Alabama. “To kill a mockingbird” is her first novel and after being published it was highly acclaimed and even was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1961, one of the most important awards in literature. The book became an international bestseller and was adapted into screen in 1962. The events of the novel “To kill a mockingbird” take place during a difficult time in the South. At that time black people were treated as people of lower level than white ones. Racial Discrimination was running high in the South as a whole, especially in Alabama. Many details of “To kill a mockingbird”are apparently autobiographical but Harper Lee insisted that the novel is fully a work of fiction. The events of the extract take place in the court of Maycomb County. Two small children secretly came to the trial and was sitting there the whole trial. A Negro, Tom Robison by name, was falsely accused in rapping a white woman. But Atticus, a defender and the two children’s father, was absolutely sure in his innocence and tried to give all necessary facts to persuade the jury. Actually it was the white woman’s father, Bob Ewell, who had bitten her as he had seen her kissing Tom Robinson. And also it was Mayella Ewell who...
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...The novels title is a metaphor for both men, each of them as a mockingbird. Boo Radley and Tom Robinson share many similarities in spite of the fact that one man is white and the other is black. However one mockingbird is shot, and the other is forces to kill. Boo and Tom are both handicapped men. Lee hints that he may be physically unhealthy, and she makes statements that lead the reader to believe he may be mentally unstable. However no character shows any of this actual condition, but this leaves the reader wondering weather Boo’s family or further handicaps him. Tom is physically handicap, his race though is a bigger problem. It’s sad for him though, because his life is over when a mean women decides to accuse him of rape. Both men know their town very well. Boo has watched them grow up. Boo and Tom have had...
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...In a time where social prejudice and racism is eminent, people's minds can be easily swayed depending on their influences. In the selections, A Lesson Before Dying and To Kill a Mockingbird, we witness the characters face challenges and reach new heights against the time period. While these works share similar attributes in their primary conflicts, how the characters approach and solve them differ. To begin with, in both Harper Lee and Earnest Gaines present similar conflicts and resolutions about racism and prejudice. First of all, Jefferson and Tom Robinson were convicted of a crime they didn't commit because of racial discrimination. For example, after the long awaited day, Judge Taylor came to a verdict, "Guilty... guilty... guilty......
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...Roosevelt once said “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop and look fear in the face. You are able to say ‘I lived through this horror, I am able to take on whatever comes next.’” Doing what is scary, what is not popular, requires lots of courage. Harper Lee illustrates this using Atticus a lawyer and single father striving to teach his children the true meaning of courage and bravery. She also uses Mrs Dubose, a morphine addict, and Miss Maudie, when she lost her home to illustrate different ways individuals should be courageous and brave. Like Eleanor Roosevelt, Lee explains that courage is strength of character not strength of force; it is gaining strength and confidence and be able to do.Throughout the book To Kill a Mockingbird, there is constant evidence of characters, both major and minor displaying acts of courage and bravery....
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...Friar Lawrence, however questioning it before she drinks. There was always the risk of being tricked and she could’ve died not knowing what was in it, as well as pondering if whether or not he would ever find her in the tomb afterwards. " Romeo, Romeo, Romeo! Here's drink—I drink to thee." At the end of her dilemma she still takes the risks. Similarly, in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, she establishes continuous acts of courage by many of the characters in this story. For example, Lee demonstrates one kind of courage when Atticus shoots the rabid dog, only being an old man with poor eyesight. However, there’s also the other kind or courage that requires faith and justice for what’s right. "I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do." Atticus tells Jem and Scout that he took the case because there’s always that chance and must go through it even if society brings you down. In addition, a minor character of the story, Mrs. Dubose is a mean old woman to the eyes...
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...Essay Plan Prepare essay on 'two of the minor characters’ * Remember to integrate social, historical and cultural context. * ATQ- what is significant, how does Lee convey it. * At least two paragraphs per character * Gather relevant material evidence * Reflect on 'significance', and write topic sentences * Attribute evidence to each topic. Chosen Characters: Mrs. Dubose and Reverend Sykes Introduction Harper Lee uses minor characters in To Kill A Mockingbird to enhance our understanding of the events in the novel and to explore some of the main themes that are presented throughout. These minor characters are significant as they succeed in creating contrast with the other more important characters and also manage to set the scene of the novel. Both Mrs. Dubose and Aunt Alexandra both have minor roles however, they are crucial in that they portray the prejudiced society at the time and furthermore, they establish Atticus’s moral convictions and standing. Topic Sentence 1 Mrs. Dubose is used by Harper Lee to assert two of the key values presented in the novel: courage and kindness. ‘I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand.’ ...
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...A foil character can sometimes contrast one character to another in order to highlight particular qualities of the main character. In the fictional novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses Atticus Finch, as the main character, and Bob Ewell, the minor character, to showcase the kind nature of Atticus Finch. The author uses these two characters to illustrate the overall theme about the importance a father can impact a child. Atticus is a successful lawyer, lives in a nice neighborhood, and people are fond of him in the community. He is also the father of Scout and Jem Finch, and he has a very sapient and deferential way of parenting his children. On the other hand, Bob Ewell is known as a dirty and alcoholic man who lives in the dump, most...
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...Courage is the strength to do things that you fear. Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird is packed full of examples of courage and bravery. Some subtle some very direct. One of the many examples being Boo Radley's house. Many of the direct examples of courage was seen there. Harper Lee uses courage to create rising action and to develop or further a character's motives and beliefs. Like in the beginning of the book they showed Dill running to Boo Radleys gate and touch it at a time when most of the children in the neighbourhood feared him. Atticus and the entire court scene was also filled with courageous acts even if most were subtle and not easy to spot at first glance. Boo’s house even went though a few phases that we saw that greatly influenced others view on the house and of Boo himself. In the book almost all examples of courage was done to progress or tell the reader something about that character from totally changing...
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...semester, we are analysing a novel entitled ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ written by Harper Lee. I find this novel very meaningful and interesting to read as well. After reading and analysing the novel a few times along with the teachings of my lecturer, I can differentiate the story told from different perspectives, parts when Scout was young and parts when she was an adult. It is about the life and happenings in Maycomb County. The story is told in the first person point of view whereby Scout as the narrator, is a character in the story who tells us everything she has experienced. She can reveal only personal thoughts and feelings and what she sees and is told by other characters. Harper Lee wrote this novel based on her real life experience during childhood in a sleepy Southern town and the crisis of conscience that rocked it. “Compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ takes readers to the roots of human behavior namely innocence and experience, kindness and cruelty, love and hatred, humour and pathos.” Theme is the main idea or underlying meaning of a literary work. A theme may be stated or implied. Theme differs from the subject or topic of a literary work in that it involves an opinion or statement about the topic but not every literary work has a theme. Themes may be major or minor. A major theme is an idea the author returns to time and again, becomes one of the most important ideas in the story whereas minor themes are ideas that may appear from time...
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...Don’t be Ignore-it Scout in the book shows ignorance to many topics such as rape and what it even is, why a unguilty black man is accused guilty, and just the fact that why a poor man is paying in crops. This may seem like she need to take a step back and see the big picture however these are minor mistakes compared to her other times of ignorance. In Harper Lee’s novel To KIll a Mockingbird, the most dominant character trait displayed by Scout is ignorance.Throughout the book Scout shows ignorance towards her knowledge of angry mobs, proper women educate, and worst of all is when she yells mean words to someone who she can't see. Scout shows her ignorance to an angry mob even when she is told not to be there at all but still manages to stay...
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...To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is about siblings Scout and Lee who learn how bad racism is in the South and how whites treat African Americans. The story is being told from the older version of Scout as she reflects on her past. During this book, the author tries to shed light on racism in the South and how some people will stand up for blacks and help them. Robert Mulligan, the director of the movie version of this book, creates a good movie but adds and removes scenes and characters who he feels are not important. In the movie, the director omitted many minor characters that Harper Lee included in her book to show diversity in the characters. The absent characters are Link Deas, Dolphus Raymond, and Uncle Jack. The author inserts the...
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...Morrison points out those major themes in American literature that have Caucasians playing the heroic protagonist whereas the African American plays the antagonist. African Americans are seen as the dark, or the wrong within media. Throughout history most African Americans play minor characters that add conflict to stories such as To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee or Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. American history of race has impacted the world and created problematic stereotypes. “I pointed out that cultural identities are formed and informed by a nation's literature. What seemed to be on the "mind" of the literature of the United States was the self-conscious but highly problematic construction of the American as a new white...
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