Literal Elements in to Kill a Mocking bird
Uploaded by Afande on Nov 18, 2017
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Literary Elements: To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, is a compelling narrative on racial discrimination in 1900, in Alabama. The novel engages several literary devices such symbolism, setting, imagery, allusion, irony and foreshadowing to appeal to the reader. The tale revolves around the bravery of a man fighting for the have-nots during the Great Depression period. The novel reveals character telling stories of racial discrimination and prejudice from the small town of Maycomb, a segregate black and white town. Each of the stylistics devices reveals character and revealing insights to the reader. This essay shall discuss the stylistics devices Harper Lee utilizes in the captivating novel, To Kill a Mockingbird.
The story unfolds in Alabama in the 1930s revealing the setting of the novel. As a literal element, setting reveals the history and details of the immediate surroundings of the story. Harper Lee describes Maycomb town setting, “home in the summer,” a revelation of the happenings of the town. The reader can understand the happenings of Maycomb (Ayfer and Lütfiye 12). The story happens in the 20th century, the dialect of the novel is southern English giving a glimpse of the language spoken at the time.
The use of symbolism is pronounced in the text thus enhancing the reader's level of understanding. By itself, the title of the novel is symbolic. In the literal sense, a Mockingbird is a long-tailed bird that mimics the sounds of other birds. In the book, Lee uses a Mockingbird to depict innocence and peace. For instance, Scout is advised that to leave her gift next to the Mockingbird is harmless (Stiltner 51). On the other hand, Tom Robinson, a black male, is accused of raping a white female and even though evidence directly points to his father, the jury's decision is made based on his skin color. Tom, a symbolic representation of a Mockingbird, is innocent yet he is convicted of a crime he did not commit. Inequality is also a prominent point of symbolism in the narrative. Scout, an intelligent girl, is portrayed as ignorant of the social norms which dictate that a girl must wear a dress. She is defined as a tomboy who enjoys sports and dirty games. Her independent character is denoted by her pants, showcasing her ability to express herself (Lee 20). Notably, Scout's way of thinking enables her to view others beyond their...