Premium Essay

To Kill a Mockingbird Characters

In:

Submitted By attiasrl
Words 885
Pages 4
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.’ ‘She was the bravest person I ever knew’
Mrs Dubose provides Atticus with an opportunity to teach Jem Jem ‘how to hold [his] head high and be a gentleman’ and to ‘keep [his] head’.

Topic Sentence 2 Mrs Dubose is a very powerful

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

To Kill A Mockingbird Character Analysis

...us change as things happen, and time goes on? In the novel “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee,(Re-Word Whole Sentence) you can notice that happening throughout the novel, from beginning to end. The characters that have the most change, are the two protagonists, Scout and Jem. They get older throughout the novel, and as such they mature Do not list one of your paragraphs points in introduction. Different events that occur around them cause them to shape their views. The fact that they are still kids makes their minds more malleable, and they often side with ones close to them in conflicts. This causes them to adopt morals as they grow up, and changes how they view things in everyday life. Jem and Scout change throughout the novel, for a variety of reasons. As Scout and Jem age, they gain maturity, as humans do. When Scout attends school for the first time at 6 years old,...

Words: 1094 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Character Tropes In To Kill A Mockingbird

...Throughout the novel, Lee utilizes many different character tropes to support her protagonist. Most namely of these is Atticus, as he is the most prominent adult figure in Scout’s life. Through most of the story, Atticus has a very defined role in the town, being the voice of reason to all the chaos in Maycomb County. In a demonstration of the immense respect the people of Maycomb County have for Atticus, Scout is told to “stand up, your father’s passin’.” This act of respect has an even larger impact when put into context. In this scene, the trial had ended, with Atticus and his client on the losing side. Despite this defeat, the coloured people of Maycomb still felt it necessary to acknowledge their gratitude towards Atticus. Along with being...

Words: 309 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Minor Characters In To Kill A Mockingbird

...Statistics say that about 62 million people have died or have been killed due to racism and the caste system, within the past century.In Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird,” minor characters such as Mrs. Dubose and Aunt Alexandra exemplify traits such as racism and give off negative remarks and vibes to minorities, especially those of a dark skin tone. This book is not the only instance that speaks of division between county. We have seen it happen on the news and even been taught about it in History Class. The world we live in is far from perfect and discrepancies regarding social status’, don’t help the cause of creating a better environment for the future. If people don’t acknowledge their emotions and leave them to grow and form grudges,...

Words: 769 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

To Kill A Mockingbird: Character Analysis

...This a paper is over a scene over the movie “ To Kill a Mockingbird” this is where Atticus a character speak on behalf of another character who is black, and his name is Tom Robson. Tom was accused of raping a White women mind you Tom went over to this ladys house to help her with things around the house because she had no one to help her and she has kids running around the house. Atticus feels the petty put on this women but Atticus is also very educated and is going to bring justices and or try to do his best. Many people in the town don’t like Atticus because he is defending a black man Tom but Atticus knew that Tom was innocent and he knew he had to defened him. Atticus already knew that he was going to lose this case before it had...

Words: 399 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

To Kill a Mockingbird: Significance of Minor Characters

...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...

Words: 645 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

To Kill A Mockingbird Empathy Character Analysis

...Maturity is essential for life and people go through different processes to achieve it. However many people never mature, and they lose themselves in childish worlds of ignorance. Empathy is an essential tool for reaching maturity, which is prevalent through Scout, a character in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. In her novel, Scout matures by following her father’s advice to “climb into his skin and walk around in it.” (39) Examining how Scout treats the Cunninghams, Mayella Ewell and Boo Radley, empathy allowing for maturity is clear. The way Scout treats the Cunninghams shows Scout maturing through empathy. Near the beginning of the novel, Walter Cunningham’s behavior at the dinner table disgusts Scout. Throughout the meal, Scout acts...

Words: 604 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Essay On Foil Characters In To Kill A Mockingbird

...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...

Words: 582 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

To Kill A Mockingbird Scout Character Analysis

...In to kill a mockingbird by Harper Lee the main character Scout is a young girl in 1993 Alabama. Her father, Atticus Finch, is a successful lawyer defending a black man accused of rape. Scout’s brother, Jeremy Finch, who is four years her senior is her companion throughout the story. The main idea of this story would about scout losing her innocence. In the first chapter of this story Scout recalls the summer when her brother broke his arm and she looks bad at the incidents that lead up to the big bang. As scout starts school she has a teacher that’s new to Maycomb with a different teaching style. Scout does not have a good first year at school experience. She gets her hand spanked by the teacher for explaining another student’s financial problems (he couldn’t pay the teacher back for lunch)....

Words: 543 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

To Kill A Mockingbird Scout Character Analysis

...Scout plays a very important roll in To Kill a Mockingbird. Her character has a very strong voice and she is not afraid to voice her opinions.She shows courage in doing so.She is also very intelligent. She can notice people's behavior and understand corruption within the town. She often finds herself in trouble with her father and other authoritative figures. She spends most of her time playing outside with the boys. She would most likely be characterized as a Tom-boy because of her clothes. One situation where scout showed great courage was when she intervened a lynch mob. She had snuck out of the house with Jem and Dill to follow Atticus because they had a bad feeling about what he was doing and where he was going. When they caught up to...

Words: 255 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Character Analysis: To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

...Phoebe Sanders English 9 Period 1 Who can be considered a Mockingbird? When thinking back to “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee it makes people think of many characters. When answering the question who could be considered a mockingbird, people may think of three characters. Those characters are Atticus Finch, Boo Radley, and Tom Robinson. Readers can see this through the towns people actions, and beliefs. Many believe and consider it a sin to kill a mockingbird. This is because mockingbirds do nothing wrong. They do not hurt anyone, or hurt plants. They are simply here to give you pleasure. It is a sin to kill one because they cause no harm just like these characters. They give you pleasure and happiness and stand up for what they believe in....

Words: 463 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee: Character Analysis

...from the character in the book.This is shown in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, “Reading and literature makes us smarter and nicer” by Annie Murphy Paul and Shami Sivasubramanian 2016 article, “Study Finds Reading Fiction Develops Empathy”. Harper Lee teaches us about prejudice, family and fear, through the eyes of the characters in the book. Firstly Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird takes readers to a land of prejudice known as 1930’s Alabama. This teaches us how bad prejudice was back then and how much it has improved. “He despises Negroes, wont have one near him” is an example of prejudice. Atticus tells us that “there’s something in our world that make men lose their heads, they couldn’t be fair...

Words: 681 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Character Analysis: To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

...Mockingbirds are a big part of the story in Harper Lee’s classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Mockingbirds sing their hearts out, that’s just what they do. They don’t hurt others or damage any trees, they sing a beautiful tone for all to hear. As Mockingbirds sing, so do people, they have their own characteristics and ways that they express themselves in. Atticus says that it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird, and so it would be a sin to kill someone’s voice or the way they stand up for others. Three characters that I think are mockingbirds that sing their own song are Atticus Finch, Scout Finch, and Jem Finch. Atticus Finch is the person that does the dirty work, he is a wise and great father to his children, he teaches them many great life lessons...

Words: 817 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Character Analysis: To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

...Brittney Garrison Mrs. Easton English 3-4 Period 7 9 June 2015 To Kill A Mockingbird Everyday people’s lives are judged by others. Why? Because most think they understand what the other is going through when they have no clue. The idea of walking in someone else’s shoes teaches that everyone has things, big or small, going on in their lives and that you should not judge a person until you know the full story. Like in Harper Lee’s novel To Kill A Mockingbird, a few of the main characters begin to understand other people's suffering by “walking in their shoes” and learning that even the most misunderstood people need attention. One example of this theme is when the children prejudge Mrs. Dubose before they step into her shoes. She is a recovering drug addict who is very harsh and opinionated but the children only notice this and do not understand why. Jem begins to get tired of Mrs. Dubose’s taunts she makes at him and decided to break the stems of all her flowers. Because of these actions, the readers begin to see how courageous Mrs. Dubose really is by attempting to give up the drug “cold turkey” (Interpretation). This...

Words: 465 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

How Rumours Effect Characters in to Kill a Mockingbird

...How Rumours Effect Characters in to Kill a Mockingbird A main part in the novel To Kill A Mockingbird is rumours. The hole town of Maycomb is buzzing with different kinds of rumours. Some true and some false, their origins not many know. But they do know every inch of the made up tale. As the story progress the rumours get more and more violent. Causing characters in the novel emotional and some times physical pain. In this essay the difference between the way Atticus and Dill perceive rumours will be discussed. A rumour that seems to repeat itself throughout the novel is the rumour about Author Radley or more commonly known as Boo. In the rumours he is usually portrayed as some kind of lunatic child. “any stealthy small crimes committed in Maycomb were his work” (Jem,9). Boo is blamed for any small crime done in the town, even though every time the crime was proved to be someone else, most of the town clings to this idea. Dill is intrigued by the Boo Radley rumors they drew him to go closer to the Radley house “but drew him no nearer than the light-pole on the corner” (Scout,9). Oppositely Atticus took no interest in the Boo Radley rumors brushing them off “Atticus's only answer was for him to mind his own business” (Scout,11). This rumor points out the difference in Dill and Atticus of age and maturity. Dill letting his imagination run wild, while Atticus had his own work to care about. Another rumor that shaped the lives of the two protagonists Jem and Scout...

Words: 375 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

How Rumours Effect Characters in to Kill a Mockingbird

...A main part in the novel To Kill A Mockingbird is rumours. The hole town of Maycomb is buzzing with different kinds of rumours. Some true and some false, their origins not many know. But they do know every inch of the made up tale. As the story progress the rumours get more and more violent. Causing characters in the novel emotional and some times physical pain. In this essay the difference between the way Atticus and Dill perceive rumours will be discussed. A rumour that seems to repeat itself throughout the novel is the rumour about Author Radley or more commonly known as Boo. In the rumours he is usually portrayed as some kind of lunatic child. “any stealthy small crimes committed in Maycomb were his work” (Jem,9). Boo is blamed for any small crime done in the town, even though every time the crime was proved to be someone else, most of the town clings to this idea. Dill is intrigued by the Boo Radley rumors they drew him to go closer to the Radley house “but drew him no nearer than the light-pole on the corner” (Scout,9). Oppositely Atticus took no interest in the Boo Radley rumors brushing them off “Atticus's only answer was for him to mind his own business” (Scout,11). This rumor points out the difference in Dill and Atticus of age and maturity. Dill letting his imagination run wild, while Atticus had his own work to care about. Another rumor that shaped the lives of the two protagonists Jem and Scout is the rumor that Atticus Finch was a nigger lover. Although...

Words: 813 - Pages: 4