Style in To Kill a Mockingbird

Narrative Elements in To Kill a Mockingbird: Style To Kill a Mockingbird is written in modern American English, and the style is basically informal, since the narrator is a child. The author, however, does not try to keep within the limits of a child's vocabulary or powers of expression. A wide range of language is used in the novel, and in studying it the first step should be to identify the various levels of style used. This is easy, since the variations in language correspond to the divisions in social class. The African-American dialect differs from the white; the rich whites speak more grammatically than the poor whites; highly educated characters like Atticus and his brother Jack speak more elegantly than town officials like Heck Tate. After listing the varieties of language to be found in the novel you should analyse the author's purpose in using them. First, differences in social class and educational status are revealed by differing use of language. Secondly, individual character is often revealed by distinctive style of speech (as in the cases of Atticus and Bob Ewell). Thirdly, attitudes to moral issues can often be detected by analysis of language, even when the characters speaking belong to the same social class and might therefore be expected to use identical words. You could, for instance, check the terms used by different rich white individuals to refer to the African-American - some say "nigger", some say "darky", some say "Negro", some say "coloured persons" - and take the word they choose as an indication of their racial attitude. A minor example of the same type of variation in usage is to be found in the name used by various characters for the narrator. Friends call her Scout; enemies call her Jean Louise. One further function of the language used in this novel is the creation of atmosphere. All the characters, even the highly educated Atticus, use distinctive Southern dialect expressions such as "You all". Many names used for local fruits and vegetables are also distinctively Southern. It is hard for foreign students to appreciate this technique, but its effect is to create a vivid sense of the Southern environment. Another aspect of the novel is the humour which abounds in many forms. There is the warm, tender humour of Dill and Scout discussing the origin of babies; there is the satire which mocks ignorance and prejudice; there is the irony of much of the trial scene. In the end, the humorous tone lessens the final horror of the Tom Robinson incident and we tend to remember the novel for its masterful strokes of humour. Activities Tasks 1 Most of Harper Lee's language is coloured by Southern colloquialisms. Find examples and explain how they contribute to the realism of the novel. 2 Various characters exhibit styles of speech appropriate to their character. Find examples to illustrate each of the following:(a) Atticus uses abstract legal terms, as well as familiar colloquialisms when speaking to his children (b) Scout uses a racy slang which is sharply different from the chatter of Miss Merriweather or the slow slur of Burris Ewell. 3 Another stylistic talent which Lee possesses is that of creating atmosphere. For example, the Radley house soon becomes a mysterious place. Any of the episodes in which the children are involved at night become mysterious and effective by the use of highly evocative language. Find examples and explain how Lee evokes atmosphere and mood through her use of language. 4 (a) Cite examples of humour - through Lee's descriptions, characterisations and dialogue. Why did you find these humorous?(b) In what ways does the use of humour provide a contrast to the serious issues explored in the novel? 5 Read pages 224 - 227 where Atticus speaks to the jury during Tom Robinson's court case.(a) Write down examples of emotive words Atticus uses in his speech.(b) Why does he use these emotive words? 6 We often use persuasive language to convince others to behave in certain ways.(a) Find an example when Atticus persuades the children to behave in a certain way. Explain why you think it is persuasive.(b) Find an example when the children try to persuade Atticus or Calpurnia to do something. Explain why you think it is persuasive.(c) Of the two examples, who is the most persuasive and why? 7 Skim through the novel to find ten similes and ten metaphors. Create a table with two columns; write all the similes and metaphors in one and in the other list the effect they have on the reader. 8 Choose five characters from the novel and write a simile and a metaphor describing each of them (for example - simile: Atticus is as noble as a lion. Metaphor: Atticus is a rock). 9 Show how language is used to indicate character in the novel. 10 How are varieties of social status indicated by speech in To Kill a Mockingbird? An aphorism is a short pithy statement or saying, which expresses an opinion or something generally believed to be true. Examples from To Kill a Mockingbird include Aunt Alexandrds aphorisms: "No Crawford minds his own business" and "All the Bufords walk like that" (p. 145). Atticus tells Scout that "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view ... until you climb into his skin and walk around in it" (p. 33). Aphorisms are used in dialogue when people want to give advice, point out a mistake or explain something about human nature. Lee uses a lot of aphorisms in To Kill a Mockingbird to convey ideas about character, setting and relationships within dialogue. We quickly figure out what kind of person Aunt Alexandra is through her frequent use of aphorisms! 11 Create a database of aphorisms from To Kill a Mockingbird. Create a table of four columns and in the first column, write out all the aphorisms you can find; in the second column, write the page number on which you find each one; in the third column, the character who speaks each aphorism and in the fourth column, the situation in which it is spoken.Aphorisms Page Speaker Situation 12 In a 1964 interview, Harper Lee said about the craft of writing that "There's no substitute for the love of language, for the beauty of an English sentence. There's no substitute for struggling, if a struggle is needed, to make an English sentence as beautiful as it should be." Pick out paragraphs or passages in To Kill a Mockingbird that seem especially beautiful. Write a paper exploring what it is that makes these passages so appealing. How would you describe Lee's style? Why is it so well-suited to the story she is telling?