How Does Harper Lee Change In To Kill A Mockingbird

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To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee is one of the most fascinating pieces of literature written in the 19th century. The complex characters and wholesome plot contribute to the author’s ability to connect with a wide range of audiences. Lee’s use of a racially segregated and southern influenced town, showcases her ability to allocate controversial literature to make a change in a racially biased community. This, along with the complexity of the characters tell a vivid story of a small town court case. Lee chose to use a young girl named Scout as her narrator. Scout is a courageous and immature young tom-boy whose father is a lawyer in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama. Through her eyes the readers witness the wrongs of racism and the biased views of society during this time period. Scout’s immaturities are shown through her interactions with the other character’s. Due to her age, she does not always grasp the reality of situations. The scene in Chapter 15 describes this perfectly. Scout jumps in front of a lynch mob and when she recognizes Mr. Cunningham in the crowd, she delves into a discussion about “entailments” (129). Her immaturity and innocence relieves the tension and disperses the mob for the night. Harper Lee did a fantastic job…show more content…
In a society where women should dress properly and be “powdered heavily” (195), Scout shows her defiance of stereotypes by dressing in overalls and plain shirts. Lee depicts several characters who defy stereotypes, Scout being the main individualist. She uses the setting of a small town in Alabama where conformity is not unusual to further exacerbate the situation. Scout enumerates her feelings of society closing in on her like “the starched walls of a pink cotton penitentiary” (115). Her rebellious defiance to these stereotypes is what contrasts so blazingly and allows the reader to understand the biased views of the other
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