To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon, use a variety of techniques to explore life through the eyes of a child. It is from this point of view that readers come to understand how Scout and Christopher respectively see life from very different point of views. Irony, narrative point of view, symbolism, and metaphor are used to assist the reader to understand life and its challenges from a child's point of view. Lee and Haddon use these literary devices to enrich the meaning of the text and to explain some of the events, circumstances and people in a manner which creates a visual picture in the reader's mind.
The importance of life through the eyes of a child is shown throughout each novel, in association with such commodities portrayed as symbols. This importance is demonstrated in the mockingbird motif in To Kill a Mockingbird, which highlights the innocent resolve of a child. "Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it is a sin to kill a mockingbird." The mockingbird in the novel has a far deeper meaning than Scout initially understands, but she
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In both texts, the authors use irony, narrative points of view, symbolism, and metaphors in ways to help readers understand the predicaments Scout and Christopher both have to overcome. In overcoming these challenges, many life lessons are learnt by both protagonists. The effective use of various techniques allows Lee and Haddon to create a visual picture in the reader's mind successfully. This allows them to engage with the characters and view their respective worlds from the innocence of a girl and from that of Christopher, whose disability makes his life unique and challenging on a daily basis as he struggles to understand human