To Kill a Mockingbird Essay

To Kill a Mockingbird Essay- Question 1- Examine the effectiveness of Harper Lee’s use of minor characters in To Kill a Mockingbird to explore some of the main concerns in the novel

The focus of this essay is to examine the effectiveness of Harper Lee’s use of minor characters in To Kill a Mockingbird to enable her to explore some of the main concerns in the novel. In the novel Harper Lee uses most of the minor characters to display the concerns in this text, for example courage, racism and prejudice. These matters are the main points of this essay. For each of these concerns there are a number of characters and events that show them. When Boo Radley came out of hiding after fifteen years of being locked up is an example which illustrates courage. He did not just only come out of hiding he came to rescue and protect Jem and Scout when they were attacked by Mr. Bob Ewell. Harper Lee grew up in Monroeville, a town similar to Maycomb which is the setting of the novel. During her childhood, when she was about the same age as Scout, there was trial similar to the one in the novel. Harper Lee used this as her inspiration for her novel To Kill Mockingbird.

This novel is told by a young girl called Jean Louise Finch, more commonly known as Scout. She explains what she sees from her point of view and how she learns form Atticus, Calpurnia and other people in the neighbourhood. Jem (Jeremy Finch) is Scout’s older brother and they both live with their father, Mr Atticus Finch. During the novel Jem and Scout along with their friend Dill (Charles Baker Harris), attempt to get Boo Radley out of hiding. Many dramatic events happen in the novel for example when Miss Maudie Atkinson’s house burnt down and Tom Robinson’s court case on raping Mayella Ewell. In the text Atticus tells the children about the lives of mockingbirds and how all they do is sing beautiful songs but they are still shot down. Throughout the novel we see many ‘mockingbirds’ in people. This is called symbolism. It is used frequently throughout the novel.

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One of the neighbours mentioned in the novel is Mrs. Dubose. She is an old lady who lives with her housekeeper, Jessie. Mrs Dubose acts in a rude manner towards Atticus and his children, however the way they approach Mrs Dubose’s insults, is very different. Atticus takes her abuse well and does not say anything back apart from a friendly greeting. Whereas the children, Jem and Scout, get angry at how their father is being insulted and believe they have to get revenge. This is especially relevant for Jem as we see in the text. At the time when Mrs Dubose calls Atticus a ‘nigger-lover’ Jem cuts the heads off Mrs Dubose’s camellias. Jem does not understand why his father is not getting angry about the insults. There is a reason behind this. Atticus believes that Mrs Dubose is an extremely courageous woman as she is trying to overcome her morphine addiction. For most of her life she has been taking morphine to relieve pain. She was told that she does not have a long time to live so she decides to forget the morphine and die peacefully. Atticus makes Jem read to her everyday to show him what real courage is. As Scout is always with her brother she goes with him and watches how much Mrs Dubose is suffering.

As we know from the text Boo Radley was locked up by his father for over fifteen years. He watches Jem, Scout and Dill play in the streets and offers them small gifts in the tree. He does not come out because he has been locked up for so long, so he is frightened and if he does it is only during the night. Nobody in Maycomb has seen him for a long period of time. Boo (his proper name is Arthur) comes out of his house. This is a courageous thing to do on its own but not only does he come out of hiding, he comes out to save Jem and Scout on several occasions. The first was when the three children went to investigate the Radley house and Jem lost his trousers. When he returned to the Radley house for is trousers he found them stitched up and neatly on the fence. The second time was when Mrs Maudie Atkinson’s house burnt down and Boo secretly came behind Scout and put a blanket over her. The third time, and probably the most memorable, is when Boo came to rescue Jem and Scout when they were attacked by Bob Ewell. Also, he knows that there are rumours about him in the town saying he is a bad person and he is some sort of monster, but nevertheless he comes out to show he is just a normal human being. Both Mrs. Dubose and Boo (Arthur) Radley show how minor characters have been used to display courage.

When Aunt Alexandra is introduced into the novel Harper Lee gives a clear idea of what she is like. We get the point that Aunt Alexandra likes boys to act like boys and girls to act like girls. We can tell this because she does not approve of Scout’s overalls. She thinks that that is not how girls should dress like and as a lady Scout should be wearing dresses. During the course of the novel we see Aunt Alexandra’s views change especially after the children were attacked by Bob Ewell. When they come home, Aunt Alexandra allows Scout to put on her overalls, and even helps her to put them on, so she feels more comfortable. She has grown to understand the children and understand what they need.

When Scout goes to school, everything is new to her, but it’s not only her who is new in joining school, the teacher Miss Caroline is also new to the school. Calpurnia, the housekeeper in the Finch home has been teaching Scout at home so she already knows quite a lot for her age. Miss Caroline assumes that all the children that she is going to teach are not very bright but she is mistaken as she is surprised by Scout’s intelligence. Miss Caroline doesn’t like to be outsmarted by someone a lot younger than her.

One of the other members of the Maycomb mentioned in the novel is Miss Stephanie Crawford. She has earned the name of “town-gossip”. This is because she is the person who spreads news about anyone whether it be true or not. She does not check whether what she is saying is right or wrong but nevertheless she still spreads anything she hears around Maycomb. When she is telling Miss Maudie Atkinson about how Boo Radley is a monster and how she has apparently seen him at her window. When Miss Maudie gives her a smart answer she does not know what to say back. Aunt Alexandra, Miss Caroline and Miss Stephanie Crawford all show how minor characters have been used to show prejudice.

Mr. Dolphus Raymond is a white man who is engaged to a white woman. PON the day of his wedding his fiancé shot herself. He was then in a long-term relationship with a black woman. Although he is white, people in the neighbourhood still treat him the same as a black person because he is in a relationship with a black woman. This shows that there is a clear division between black and white or in this case between white and anyone who has anything to do with black people.

On page 166, lines 21-23 it says: “In the far corner of the square. The Negros sat quietly in the sun dining on sardines and crackers and the more vivid flavours of Nehi cola. Mr. Dolphus Raymond sat with them”. This quotation shows that black people were treated badly compared to the black people. The difference in the quality of food and drink shows that white people were more privileged than black people. You would expect the black people to rebel and fight with the white people so that they are treated in the same way. Instead they have gotten used to the fact that white people will always be more advantaged than them. This can also be seen in the novel at Tom Robinson’s trial. The seating arrangement is as such that the white people do not have to look at the black people. The white people sit near the front and are the majority of the courtroom. The black people sit on a balcony situated at the back of the courtroom. None of the black people complain about where they have to sit.

I think that Harper Lee has used minor characters to explore some of the main concerns in the novel very well. You are able to see what the main concerns are by making links from symbolism and other things. In this essay I have mentioned prejudice, courage and racism. After reading the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, we watched the film. After watching the film I would have to say that the book gives a more detailed account of the story than the film. The film misses out important parts of the story and sometimes does not mention some of the characters like Aunt Alexandra who was a main character in the novel.

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