How Does Harper Lee Create Suspense In To Kill A Mockingbird
Suspense In “To Kill A Mockingbird”
Good suspense is created through a careful selection of words, weaving an intricate of scene, using complex and elaborate setups in order to create a suspenseful moment. Whether it’s a horror scene in a cheesy movie to an epic final battle that decides whether evil or good shall prevail. Suspense is an integral part of modern literature around the world and is manipulated perfectly by Harper Lee, in the book “To Kill A Mockingbird”. A particularly excellent example of this would be the scene of Jem and Scout attacked when walking home from the Halloween celebration held at the local high school. The foreshadowing was evident in the quote of Bob Ewell: “ One down, and about two more to go”. This signifies the threat Mr. Ewell represents towards everyone that humiliated him in court and the cowardice in him shows when he attacks the children. As Plato one said, “We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light”. In addition, we read onwards,fearful for the pair and their trial to cam, as we “ began our longest journey together.”(Lee 254) Harper Lee has created suspense in this scenario are the conditions and the restrictions that Jem and Scout are in: “ I [Scout] looked exactly like …show more content…
‘Our company shuffled and dragged his feet… Shuffle-foot had not stopped. His trousers swished softly and steadily Then they stopped. He was running, r unning towards us with no child’s step.’ Run Scout! Run! Run!’ Jem screamed.”
This shows the buildup to the attack and the suspense created through the ominous footsteps and the naivety of Jem and Scout. It shows how surprise is often the best way to go when shaping doubt and anticipation. Harper Lee is an expert on creating a scene that will be remembered for as long as this book remains prominent in modern
Good suspense is created through a careful selection of words, weaving an intricate of scene, using complex and elaborate setups in order to create a suspenseful moment. Whether it’s a horror scene in a cheesy movie to an epic final battle that decides whether evil or good shall prevail. Suspense is an integral part of modern literature around the world and is manipulated perfectly by Harper Lee, in the book “To Kill A Mockingbird”. A particularly excellent example of this would be the scene of Jem and Scout attacked when walking home from the Halloween celebration held at the local high school. The foreshadowing was evident in the quote of Bob Ewell: “ One down, and about two more to go”. This signifies the threat Mr. Ewell represents towards everyone that humiliated him in court and the cowardice in him shows when he attacks the children. As Plato one said, “We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light”. In addition, we read onwards,fearful for the pair and their trial to cam, as we “ began our longest journey together.”(Lee 254) Harper Lee has created suspense in this scenario are the conditions and the restrictions that Jem and Scout are in: “ I [Scout] looked exactly like …show more content…
‘Our company shuffled and dragged his feet… Shuffle-foot had not stopped. His trousers swished softly and steadily Then they stopped. He was running, r unning towards us with no child’s step.’ Run Scout! Run! Run!’ Jem screamed.”
This shows the buildup to the attack and the suspense created through the ominous footsteps and the naivety of Jem and Scout. It shows how surprise is often the best way to go when shaping doubt and anticipation. Harper Lee is an expert on creating a scene that will be remembered for as long as this book remains prominent in modern