Text Analysis to Kill a Monckingbird

Text Analysis From To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee The novel To Kill a Mockingbird belongs to Harper Lee, an American writer. The author has a considerable role in the literary field and she was even awarded the Pulitzer Prise. The writer’s background had a significant impact on her novel, as there are many similarities between her life and the main characters. For example, her father was a lawyer, as Atticus Finch; she also had an elder brother, as Scout; she grew up in 1930’s in Alabama, and the events of the story have the same setting of time and place. Moreover, Harper Lee was inspired by the so-called Scottsboro Trials and she preserved the fairly accurate examples in the novel. It becomes obvious that the author has put a lot of her own thoughts and feelings into the story. For this reason, To Kill a Mockingbird is very vivid, realistic, emotional and rejoices its popularity over the years. The given extract is particularly important as it depicts a key part of the novel-the trial, where the thin line between fairness and injustice is represented in a skillful manner. The work belongs to the epic genre, it is a novel based on true facts, comprising descriptive details essential for an expressive illustration of the actions. The narrative sequence contributes essentially to the proper presentation of the events. For this purpose, the author uses tenses like Past Simple, Past Perfect, and Past Continuous. The Present Simple is employed for direct quotation of the characters’ speech; with the intention of intensifying the suspense and to challenge the reader to appreciate the characters by means of evaluating the indirect characterization. Similarly, the use of an overt, limited narrator and some monologue sequences let the reader penetrate into the described environment and ensure a better understanding of the subject. In other words, the strength of the first-person narrator (Scout) is the direct display of the personal attitude and the striking comments on the subject. From the point of view of the narrative codes, the social aspect of the work is the most evident, as the author focuses on the social injustice and discrimination-a theme of constant interest. The novel may be regarded as a documentary which reproduces real events, and has the role of involving the reader in a vital issue- the racial discrimination and the unfairness of the justice system. More important, the dialogue is perhaps the most efficient way to show the characters’ interrelations, their moral values and social class; and to give an additional insight of the theme.
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It is worth being mentioned that the extract is a straight line narrative, presenting the events in a chronological order, and including various flashbacks while referring to past events. The fixed focalization allows the reader to see the events through the narrator’s perspective, and judge the facts accordingly. As a result, one may consider the point of view as being objective, since it is a child who describes them. Taking into account that we’re dealing only with an extract from a whole novel, it stands to reason that there is no prologue. The first sentence, however, provides some hints on the setting of the story (a court room) and on the circumstances (Atticus was half-way through his speech to the jury). The conflict may be rather deduced than identified, as it starts earlier than the process itself. It is an external conflict between the prosecutors (Mayella Ewell, her father, the whole”white” society) and the defender with his supporters (Atticus Finch, his children, the Negroes). The two opposing forces are presented in contrast and, during the development of the actions, the main arguments of the both sides are being specified by Atticus Finch. The lawyer uses argumentation to prove the innocence of the defendant. The numerous stylistic devices make the speech very convincing. Some of the examples are the epithets referring to the moral system broken by Mayella a rigid and time-honored code, a code so severe. The metaphor whoever breaks it is hounded from our society suggests the preferential treatment of the white people. The epithets cynical confidence and evil assumption refer to the witnesses as to people with no sense of justice. The climax is expressed by the period of time in which the suspense reaches a maximum degree of intensity, when the jury decides Tom Robinson’s fate, while the others wait impatiently to hear the result. A very suggestive metaphor is introduced in this context to underline the narrator’s feelings, the impact of the environment on her fragile inner world …and it was like watching Atticus walk in the street, raise a rifle to his shoulder and pull the trigger…. The imagery is too vivid and complex to be considered a simile. Furthermore, a sort of limitation of the action is felt when the jury is ready to give the verdict. It naturally follows that the resolution is the verdict itself, and this puts an end to the conflict between the 2 forces. Therefore, the antagonist wins the battle and the conflict is being solved, at least partially. The characters of the story may be classified into two big groups, depending on what side they take before, during and after Tom Robinson’s trial. Thus, one may see the Negro’s
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supporters as positive characters and the people who accuse him-as negative characters. Above all, the greatest part of the white society is seen as a collective character, behaving alike. Atticus Finch is the protagonist of the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. His appearance is not touched upon in the given extract. Instead, the reader may judge of his character by means of analyzing his motivation and behavior. Thus, one may easily understand that Atticus has a strong personality, as he is motivated by his own moral principles, which have acquired the status of personal laws. Consequently, he doesn’t betray his beliefs through his behavior. From a more concrete perspective, the reader is able to notice that Atticus is motivated by the spirit of justice and faith, being an enthusiastic lawyer, a passionate defender of a good cause. His complete commitment to the case is shown by his stressed state, expressed through the enumeration of his unusual actions he unbuttoned his vest, unbuttoned his collar, loosened his tie, and took off his coat. He reduces the complicated terms to the minimum in order to show the simplicity of the case. The effect is achieved by the simile this case is as simple as black and white. The man directs all of his efforts in order to save a Negro. Taking into account the stereotypes and social issues of the time, it is a real act of bravery to fight against a social injustice, in a desperate attempt to save an innocent man. The reader can’t identify much of the character’s background in the text, but one may suppose that he grew up in a family where the moral principles were dominating. Moreover, his studies have probably continued his appropriate education of a justice supporter. The author underlines his absolutely immaculate reputation by naming him Atticus-a Greek term reffering to learning, culture and heroism. Thus, from the point of view of the intellectual level, the character deserves to be placed on a high level in the social hierarchy. Generally speaking, Atticus is a static character, as he doesn’t change much throughout the story. The metaphor Atticus wasn’t a thunderer is employed in order to show his calm behavior in stressful situations, his self-control. He is definitely round, experiencing different sorts of feelings and ways of reacting. He is an individual character, easy to be identified in the text, an active character that intensifies the subject as a whole. His speech denotes his devotion towards his job and towards his moral principles. As to his relationships to other characters, Atticus Finch is presented as a respectable lawyer. He is a role model for his children, and he cares for their proper education, for he allows them to come to the trial in order to witness and get used to the social injustice.
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There is an external conflict between the protagonist, guided by morality, and the rest of the white society, led by stereotypes and the feeling of superiority. Nevertheless, the protagonist receives the deserved appreciation. The profound respect of the black people towards Atticus is revealed to the end of the text, when they rise up, after the trial, as a sign of respect and appreciation for all his efforts. Thus, one may realize that, through this character, the author intended to underline the corrupted power of the law, the useless sacrifice of one wise man in the attempt to change the mentality of the indifferent, ignorant people. As far as Tom Robinson is concerned, he is a poor victim of a cruel society, fated to suffer because of the racial discrimination. The main characteristics of his personality are rendered by Atticus Finch when referring to him as to a quiet, respectable, humble Negro. This example of gradation provides an emotional force that suggests Tom Robinson’s innocence, modesty and obedience. The title of the text is very significant and it has the function of a metaphor. One should take into consideration the whole novel in order to decode its full meaning. First of all, its structure is similar to a sentence, as it contains a verb and a direct object, without specifying the doer of the action. The title offers a great deal of information on the plot of the story, suggesting an act of offense towards an innocent creature, insignificant from a social point of view. Thus, both the orientative and the expressive functions are being achieved. The title is also informative and pragmatic, as the key information is being transmitted through a very enigmatic and challenging way of expression. Analyzing the data from an after-reading perspective, one may visualize the mockingbird as the symbol of the good people destroyed by evil. The novel To Kill a Mockingbird has a special literary value. The author intended to emphasize the serious social issue caused by racial discrimination and social injustice. She encoded between the lines a safe remedy against injustice, formed by compassion, love, acceptance and the spirit of justice. The writer suggests that each person’s moral code should allow him\her to protect the vulnerable and to fight in order to make the society a better place.

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