Thursday, January 15, 2015

What techniques does Harper Lee use in To Kill A Mockingbird that represents the idea of "the outsider"?if you could provide evidence/quotes, that...

In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
uses gothic imagery to show that Boo Radley is an outsider, bird symbolism to show that
both mockingbirds (innocent characters like Boo, Tom, and Dolphous) and blue jays (the
Ewells) exist on the fringes of society, and she uses point of view to show that the
narrator (Scout), the reader, and all visitors to Maycomb (Miss Caroline Fisher, Aunt
Alexandra) are essentially alien to the small town political and social
mores.


Through Scout's narration, Harper Lee shows that
nearly all individuals who don't abide by conscience are outsiders in the
novel:



They're
certainly entitled to think that, and they're entitled to full respect for their
opinions... but before I can live with other folks I've got to live with myself.  The
one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's
conscience.



Here, Harper Lee
shows that anyone ruled by "group think," "mob rule," and stereotypes is an illegitimate
"insider" who make "outsiders" of those who are different: black (Tom), old (Mrs.
Dubose), young (Scout), handicapped (Tom), reclusive (Boo), or learned and compassionate
(Atticus).

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