English Essay : To Kill A Mockingbird.
As life goes on, a child gains a great deal of experience through her own doings and those of others around her. With each new situation, this child is able to better carry his or her way through life. Harper Lee has written her powerful novel, To Kill a Mockinbird, through the eyes of a six year old girl named Scout. Growing up in a southern town burdened with gossip, tradition and racism, Scout is brought to deal with a range of issues regarding prejudice, descrimination and social class. Her innocent perspective allows these ideas to be explored and portrayed to the reader without previous bias or judgement.
The character of Scout, on her own, already represents an issue in society. In the novel, Scout on one hand faces Jem's remarks- "I declare to the Lord, you're gettin' more like a girl everyday," and on the other, typical female adults of the novel are descriminating her. " 'And you,' - she pointed an arthritic finger at me- 'what are you doing in those overalls? You should be in a dress and camisole, young lady!'" Harper Lee has crafted her "tomoyish" personality along with her masculine label, Scout, in order to break the barriers of tradition and to imply that women do not have to act in a stereotypical way.
Scout is also made to explore issues of social status and class. In the earlier parts of the novel, Scout encounters the Cunninghams and their values. As imformed by Atticus she realises that there were people in Maycomb worst off than the Finches. She also learns to distinguish the differences between the Ewells, and also the status of the blacks in society. When learning about her family history, she discovers the reasons for this being so. Harper Lee uses the small town of Maycomb to represent the classification of people due to their colour, background and wealth in all of society.
Harper Lee reveals to her audience that prejudice is a destructive force in any society.
