How Does Harper Lee use Irony and Humour in TKAM?

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Ironic/Humorous Quotes from TKAM

  • ‘[Entailment is] a condition of having your tail in a crack.’

This is ironic, as Jem, trying to be the superior, more knowledgeable older sibling, has completely made this up. Entailment is really a legal term to describe what someone can do with his/her estate and property. The irony occurs when you see that Mr Cunningham can actually not do what he wants with his property because of entailment, in other words he is like an animal with his tail in a crack.

  • ‘Jem gave a reasonable description of Boo; … he dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch… there was a long jagged scar that ran across his face… his eyes popped… he drooled most of the time.’

This is humorous as it is a very childish description of something or someone, and terms like these are most commonly used to describe the evil characters in stories, or monsters, not innocent people. The fact that Scout thinks this description is ‘reasonable’ is also very funny as it shows how gullible she can be, how much she admires Jem and accepts almost everything he says, no matter how ridiculous, to be valid and true.

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  • ‘I told Atticus I didn’t feel very well and didn’t think I’d go to school anymore if that was all right with him.’

This is very funny as it is a very immature response to not liking school, yet expected of almost every 6 year old at some point. It is ironic though that Scout doesn’t like school because she is being told she isn’t allowed to read at home, and shouldn’t be able to read, when most children don’t like the fact they have to work at school, and cant wait to get home so they ...

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