Use of Minor Characters in To Kill a Mockingbird - 1274 Words

Minor characters are often more important than they initially seem, and can be just as engaging and complicated as major characters. Furthermore, protagonists are isolated without the people that surround and influence them subliminally. This applies to the intriguing minor characters one has the privilege of discovering in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. Specifically, Lee uses minor characters to effectively disprove stereotypes and establishing setting. Not only do they influence the direction of the plot, but also Scout and her development as a character. Lee carefully selects minor characters to send important messages and reinforce themes by using characters as symbols. Fundamentally, the minor characters in â€Å"To Kill a†¦show more content†¦Another stereotype in Maycomb that African Americans, specifically, might be placed under is that they are uneducated and inferior to the white community. Calpurnia disproves this easily. In fact, when Scout is descri bing her and the arguments they had, she states that â€Å"Calpurnia always won, mainly because Atticus always took her side† (Lee 6). This clearly shows that Calpurnia has Atticus’ approval, something she could only gain by showing intelligence and capability. It proves that she is not only correct and just in her ways, but that she is respected and has some authority in the Finch household. This is neither common nor stereotypical in Maycomb, and neither is Boo Radley. Though he is at the center of the most notorious story in all of Maycomb, and is rumored to be a haunted psychopath, he is not the typical recluse. His true nature is revealed in â€Å"Summer, and he watched his children’s heart break. Autumn again, and Boo’s children needed him† (Lee 279). Clearly, Boo is much more benevolent than anyone could perceive, as he chooses to be kind despite his hardship. He disproves the stereotype that would lead Maycomb citizens to see him as spitefu l or self-pitying, by coming to the aid of Jem and Scout. He goes so far as to call Scout and Jem â€Å"his children†, proving his love and sense of responsibility towards them. Moreover, his empathy proves that the existence of racism is not the only thing Maycomb County does not fully comprehend. InShow MoreRelatedEssay about Use of Minor Characters in To Kill a Mockingbird669 Words   |  3 PagesIn the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, a range of both major and minor characters which are portrayed with varying personalities. These characters interactions help to explain the issues that this text is concerned with. In the novel, the protagonist, Atticus Finch, is a defence lawyer who is appointed to represent a black man, Tom Robinson, who is charged with raping a white woman. The novel is set during the 1930s in America, which was when segregation of blacks and whites was wellRead MoreThe Setting Of Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1354 Words   |  6 PagesLi terary Analysis Name: Amy Lyons Title: To Kill a Mockingbird Author: Harper Lee Setting: The setting of To Kill a Mockingbird is a small town in south Alabama called Maycomb County in the early 1930s. Point of View: Harper Lee s first, only novel is written in first person due to the fact we see the whole story through Scout s perspective. Theme: One of the crucial themes that Lee based the novel on was racism, which was an extremely controversial topic at the time the book was publishedRead MoreTo Kill a Mockingbird Justice1545 Words   |  7 Pagesin To Kill a Mockingbird. Ideally, justice would be blind to race, gender or other differences yet, as shown in To Kill a Mockingbird, it isnt and for the most part, justice is not served. 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Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird presents the ideas of coming of age and the loss of innocence while the Great Depression was occurring in the 1930s. Racism and gender inequality were widespread issues during this time period which gave rise to the Civil Rights Movement. To Kill a Mockingbird teaches its readers that the coexistence of tragedy and the loss of innocence affect personal growth through the way in which several innocent characters suffer the wrath of prejudices, resultingRead MoreMovie Analysis : Kill A Mockingbird1571 Words   |  7 Pages If a book is retold in film format then it seems to follow logically that it now deviates from the original book, yet the same story is still being told and with To Kill a Mockingbird we see that through scene additions (or subtractions), details, and technique the film manages to preserve core points of the story for the audience. Translating the elements of the book that are solely for literature can prove tricky for screenwriters and though some manage to pull it off artistic liberty is a dangerRead MoreTo Kill A Mockingbird : Character Analysis986 Words   |  4 Pagestraits is between 14-20. The process of growing up and becoming an adult may be difficult, but it is also a very important part of life. Many authors use this concept as a main idea in their novels. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the author expresses the responsibilities of maturing and becoming an adult by how the main characters develop throughout the story. Many kids today deal with the same problems that Scout and Jem do. The responsibilities of an adult are very hard to transitionRead MoreCharacter Analysis Of Scout In To Kill A Mockingbird1497 Words   |  6 PagesIn Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout is one of the main characters and the narrator. During the time the book begins, she is a little 6 year-old girl who is mature for her age, and she continues to mature as the book progresses. Over the course of the novel, Scout develops an exceptional character which is constantly changing from the effects of different events and characters. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee uses the minor characters Boo Radley, Miss Maudie, and Aunt Alexandra to help developRead MoreCritical Analysis Of To Kill A Mockingbird1761 Words   |  8 PagesTo Kill A Mockingbird is an acclaimed novel that provides a meritorious exploration on the subject of human nature and distinctively regards several themes with great importance. Discussed thro ugh recollections from a child’s perspective, the novel provides a variety of portrayals and wholehearted messages, creating an illustration with a consequential meaning once the indications are interpreted. It is also worthwhile to acknowledge the themes that coexist within the book that are introduced throughRead MoreThe Crucible and To Kill a Mockingbird: Compare the ways in which the two authors express THEMES of Power, Authority, Justice and Oppression.1912 Words   |  8 Pageswhat people were like in the seventeenth century. However, To Kill a Mockingbird is a prose, written by Harper Lee in the nineteen-sixties in which she illustrates, how racism was acceptable, and injustice was a problem in which everyone faced in the nineteen-thirties. Both of these literally acclaimed works are based on real life events, whether that is the Salem which trials in The Crucible or childhood events in To Kill a Mockingbird. Looking at both of these works the first thing we see is