How Does Lee Use Characterization In To Kill A Mockingbird

In To Kill a Mockingbird, a young girl named Scout endures some strong life lessons, helping her mature much faster. One of the strongest lessons Scout learns comes in a courtroom, while her father is doing his job. This courtroom scene includes a colored man being accused of something outrageously wrong in a bad time period, multiple lawyers and a packed courtroom, with some lies being hidden. Author Harper Lee uses imagery and characterization to develop the theme that you should try to gain a better understanding of someone before you start making assumptions. In particular, Lee’s use of imagery really shows you should always try to gain a better understanding of someone before you start making assumptions. For example, imagery is shown

For instance, conflict is shown here: “Mr. Jem, he said, you better take Miss Jean Louise home. Jem turned his head, Scout, go home. Dill, you’n’Scout go home. You gotta make me first, I said remembering Atticus’s dictum.” (197) It is shown from Scout that she has gained an interest in this court case. Her, as a character, has started to develop and it is shown here. She has a sense of maturity to her, showing she wants to stay, to not only see the end of the case, but to watch her father as well. This also ties into the theme by Scout, although she may be young, really understands what is happening and should not be perceived as not smart. Another sight of characterization is shown here: “I’ve heard that lawyer’s children, on seeing their parents in court in the heat of argument, get the wrong idea: they think opposing counsel to be the personal enemies of their parents, they suffer agonies, and are surprised to see them often go out arm-in-arm with their tormentors during the first recess. That was not true for Jem and me.” (195) Again, a level of maturity is shown from Scout. She grasps the idea of understanding how to take losses and how to not start unnecessary problems, with opposing counsel. Scout understands that by viewing opposing counsel in an inferior way could cause worse consequences that are simply not needed. To know that causing unreasonable and outright silly problems at a young age, shows the level of maturity that Scout obtains. Characterization is clearly portrayed, as Scout has become more engaged and more thoughtful then she has been in the past. She is shown here not making any assumptions about this lawyer, because she does not fully know who he