How Does Harper Lee Create Tension In Chapter XV Of "To Kill A Mocking Bird "?

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How Does Harper Lee Create Tension In Chapter XV Of

“To Kill A Mocking Bird “?

There is plenty of tension in this chapter and Harper Lee expresses this very well through the setting, the discomforting and yet calm dialogue between the characters and how scout reminds us of her concern for the safety of her father.

        Chapter XV is split into two parts really and both of these parts are set both in the evening and very late at night. This is very effective in any novel or film as darkness shows suspense. It also gives the reader an eerie sense of the environment surrounding and how characters’ moods differ from their usual daily attitudes. “The south side of the square was deserted. Giant monkey-puzzle bushes bristled on each corner…” Alliteration was clearly used during this sentence which also proves very effective when creating tension. For example: “He swept silently across the floor.”

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        As previously mentioned, the eerie darkness does change people’s moods and in this chapter especially, proving successful when maintaining the suspense so in order to keep the reader glued to the page. This chapter is basically just about the transferring of black defendant Tom Robinson to the county jail to which nobody agrees is the right course of action to take. The dialogue to express their concern for the safely guarded whereabouts’ of Tom Robinson is all but aggressive. It’s night time in the quiet town, so the occupants involved in the attempt to get Tom Robinson find it In ...

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