Essay On Harper Lee's Use Of Emotions In To Kill A Mockingbird
Harper Lee’s effective use of descriptions and emotions through the viewpoint of an innocent child coerce the reader to pity Tom Robinson likewise the characters, and, when modern ideals and liberties are juxtaposed with those in the novel, a clash of values is created, shocking the reader. Throughout the novel, the reader sees the public treatment of not only Tom Robinson, but other blacks as well. For example, blacks and whites were segregated, which is shown when Lula said that Jem and Scout should not be attending “nigger church;” it is also shown that blacks tended to not be as educated as whites, as shown when Scout called Calpurnia’s diction “nigger-talk.” Tom Robinson also received this racist treatment, which is demonstrated during the trial when Mayella Ewell recounted her referring to him as “nigger,”
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An example of a character pitying Tom Robinson is Mr. B. B. Underwood, who, when referring to Tom Robinson, claimed that it is a “sin to kill cripples” and said that Tom Robinson’s death was like “senseless slaughter of songbirds by hunters and children.” Scout comments that Atticus “had no case” for Tom Robinson because in the “secret courts of men’s hearts” prejudice against and presumptions about blacks overruled reason and apathy in the men of the court. Another example of characters influencing the reader’s reaction is when Atticus informed Scout and Calpurnia that Tom Robinson had been killed and the reader learns that Tom Robinson had a family. Lee included Robinson’s family to make him more human and relatable, creating a stronger bond between the character and the reader. This “bond” is what makes the situation so powerful; by learning of Robinson’s death, the reader feels like they learned that somebody familiar died. This incurs a more vigorous reaction from the reader and in turn makes the story especially
An example of a character pitying Tom Robinson is Mr. B. B. Underwood, who, when referring to Tom Robinson, claimed that it is a “sin to kill cripples” and said that Tom Robinson’s death was like “senseless slaughter of songbirds by hunters and children.” Scout comments that Atticus “had no case” for Tom Robinson because in the “secret courts of men’s hearts” prejudice against and presumptions about blacks overruled reason and apathy in the men of the court. Another example of characters influencing the reader’s reaction is when Atticus informed Scout and Calpurnia that Tom Robinson had been killed and the reader learns that Tom Robinson had a family. Lee included Robinson’s family to make him more human and relatable, creating a stronger bond between the character and the reader. This “bond” is what makes the situation so powerful; by learning of Robinson’s death, the reader feels like they learned that somebody familiar died. This incurs a more vigorous reaction from the reader and in turn makes the story especially