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Diction In To Kill A Mockingbird

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Correspondingly to figurative language, Lee also uses diction is to imply a message about racism and justice in Maycomb County. The "inflexible and time regarded code" of society was that, while, white individuals could utilize and even endeavor African-Americans, there could be no individual relationship between African-Americans and whites and no acknowledgment that African-Americans had the same responses and emotions as white individuals. Furthermore, there was an obnoxious assumption "that all Blacks lie, that all Blacks are essentially indecent creatures". “Despite the fact that Calpurnia is a female, Aunt Alexandra neglects her great work as a result of her race” (Lee p.129). The Court trial is described by Lee with strong diction in …show more content…

With the use of Lee’s strong diction, she is trying to make us understand the factor of how the jury at the Tom Robinson trial was, with Dolphus Raymond saying, “Cry about the simple hell people give other people---without even thinking. Cry about the hell white people give colored folks, without even stopping to think that they’re people, too” (Lee p.269). Lee used diction in this quote “cry about the hell” as a repeated diction to catch the reader’s attention of the interaction Mr. Raymond as a level-headed person who is able to see beyond the color of a person’s skin. Mr. Raymond thinks if he pretends to be drunk he will learn “self-worth” dignity from the Maycomb citizens. In this quote, Lee wants to show us more ideas of dignity, “...I had felt her tyrannical presence as long as I could remember”; Lee expresses the idea that human dignity can be taken from you, even from the people closest to your heart, by using the word choice, such as “tyrannical” to show that in the right situation a single based opinion can change the outcome of the situation completely (Lee p.

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Double Entry Journal “ ‘… the evil assumption- that all Negroes lie , that all Negroes are basically immoral beings, that all Negro men are not trusted around our women, an assumption that one associates with minds of their calibre.’ ” (Lee 232). What I think Harper Lee creates Aunt Alexandra’s prejudice towards other social groups, and Maycomb’s prejudice towards African-Americans to illustrate the bias opinions of others, and the impact that they have on the town’s southern society throughout the 1930’s.

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This represents that no matter his argument, Tom Robinson was already determined to be convicted of rape because he was black. Additionally, the man Dolphus Raymond was seen as a disgrace to the residents of Maycomb since he has children with a black women. He said that he must pretend to drink alcohol out of a brown paper bag because, “...they could never, never understand that I live like I do because that’s the way I want to live” (Lee 286). As stated above, Dolphus Raymond has to pretend to be out of his right mind since people can not accept that he associates with blacks on a daily basis. The separate but equal laws were demonstrated in To Kill a Mockingbird through the segregation of white and black facilities.

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Kaleb Fisher, Henlie Guy, Jason Harris, Rowan Scripps, Coleman Wright Ms. Brewer Honors English 9 28 February 2023 Excerpt 8 Analysis Essay In Harper Lee's fictional novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus argues that Tom Robinson is an innocent man. In the novel, we meet Tom an African-American man accused of raping Mayella, a young white women. Atticus is appointed as Tom’s lawyer and this is Atticus’s closing statement. Atticus claims that there is no real evidence to convict Tom and he has done nothing wrong.

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In the book “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Harper Lee uses negative connotation and vivid symbolism to persuade that being judged by an outward appearance or backstory can affect a person negatively and make the judgers feel superior. Lee uses an outstanding amount of characters to persuade this but some distinctive characters that she uses is Aunt Alexandra and the Cunningham’s. Lee also uses the Ewells and Tom Robinson to persuade her meaning. In chapter twenty-three Scout asks Aunt Alexandra if she can play with Walter Cunningham but Aunt Alexandra declines the request and does not give Scout permission to play with Walter. She explains why plus starts to judge Walter.

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Alliteration- the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words. “...Miss Rachel’s cook’s son" ( To Kill a Mockingbird 100). I think that Lee put this in, to show that Scout did not want to go to school at all. Personification- Giving human characteristics to nonhuman objects.

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“Maycomb was an old town, but it was a tired old town when I first knew it.” Harper Lee had used the tragic situation of Tom Robinsons trial to explore many themes including, racism and differences in privilege. “To kill a mockingbird” written by Harper Lee explores many situations linked to the broad idea of racism throughout the systems of Maycomb and differences in privilege in many different ways. The quote that Atticus argues with explains that in Maycomb, all men and things are equal.

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I believe people should always follow their dreams. After all, you just might come up with something new, like falling in love and such. See I found this dream to be with Scout and I intend to follow is one through ‘til the day I die. Heck, I would run away for her, and I did.

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“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”(Lee 30). These are the words of Atticus Finch, the wisest character in the famous novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. He is a fictional man that embodies human traits that all people should strive to emulate. In the novel; narrated by Atticus’ daughter Jean Louise Finch, more often referred to as Scout; Atticus defends a black man, Tom Robinson, who has been accused of raping a white female, Mayella Ewell. The main message of the text is the prominence of racial injustice, specifically in the 1930’s, the era the novel takes place in.

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Atticus fears that "There's something in our world that makes men lose their heads—they couldn't be fair if they tried. In our courts, when it's a white man's word against a black man's, the white man always wins” (Page 224) Atticus confirmed that Maycomb won’t have a just system due to white men’s words to black men. This would only make Maycomb welcoming to white people and unwelcoming for black people. Maycomb is unwelcoming and unjust for the prejudice view for black

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After watching her father fight hard for a case he was bound to loose, hearing all the mean names her family and Tom was called and hearing the news of Tom’s death she began to understand the reality of racism. “Just what I said. Grandma says it's bad enough he lets you all run wild, but now he's turned out a nigger-lover we'll never be able to walk the streets of Maycomb agin. He's ruinin' the family, that's what he's doin'.” (Lee, 110)

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