Theme Of Archetypes In To Kill A Mockingbird

While reading To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, I found that all the characters fit into different archetypes. Characters whose archetypes stood out the most is Atticus, who is the warrior or protector. Miss Maudie stood out as the earth mother and Bob Ewell is the sadist. Atticus is the warrior or protector. In the book Atticus always did the right thing. For example, he wanted Jem to learn what real courage was when Jem thought having courage had to do with having a gun. “I just wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand.” (Lee, Harper, page 149) He also did the right thing by doing his best defending Tom even though he was black. He didn’t care about Tom’s skin color. He just wanted to help this man who was misunderstood. “I’m no idealist to believe in the integrity of our courts and jury

Earth mothers are female characters who love nature, which fits in with Miss Maudie because she loves plants and flowers. "She loved everything that grew on God's earth, even the weeds." (Lee, Harper. Page 56) She is known for her yard being filled with flowers and plants. "She was a widow, a chameleon lady who worked in her flower beds in an old straw hat and men's coveralls, but after her five o'clock bath she would appear on the porch and reign over the street in magisterial beauty." (Lee, Harper Page 56) Maudie is also like a second parent to Jem and Scout. When they don’t understand something they’ve been told or that they’ve heard, they go to Miss Maudie for help. “I simply wanted to tell you that there are some men in this world who were born to do our unpleasant jobs for us. Your father's one of them.” (Lee, Harper. Page 215) IN this quote she is trying to explain to the children what is going on in the Tom Robinson case so they could have a better understanding. She is also helping them understand why their father, Atticus does what he does for a