Use Of Situational Irony In To Kill A Mockingbird

Through the utilization of situational irony in To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee conveys how false Christians manipulate their religion to rationalize the heinous acts of racism and bigotry they commit while overshadowing how authentic Christians practice faith to commit themselves to an honest moral code even when it defies the normalized ideals of counterfeit Christianity.
During Aunt Alexandra’s Missionary Society meeting, which is composed of pharisaic white women, Lee introduces the character Mrs. Merriweather. Lee implements her as a vessel to exhibit the irony of the holier-than-thou formula. This formula is illustrated when Scout is depicting Mrs. Merriweather: “For certainly Mrs. Merriweather was the most devout lady in Maycomb”

Lee intentionally characterizes Merriweather as such to furthermore highlight how self-righteous the society of flawed Christians is. The racist beliefs of Merriweather are unveiled as she criticizes her black maid, Sophy, after the injustice of Tom Robinson stating: “‘I said, ‘Sophy’, I said, ‘you simply are not being a Christian today. Jesus Christ never went around grumbling and complaining’” (Lee 266). Merriweather insists that she is compassionate towards all, regardless of race, when she is speaking about the “poor” people in Africa. Nevertheless, she still invalidates the black community of Maycomb after the tragedy of Tom Robinson. Moreover, Christianity at its core is based on the values of displaying love and selflessness towards all children under God. Regardless, Merriweather denounces Sophy’s practice of Christianity even though she is grieving a loss in her community. Mrs. Merriweather's bigoted views of race contradict the religion that she supposedly is strongly loyal to. Through Merriweather’s clashing morals, Lee exemplifies how fake Christians morph their religion to condone demeaning others. Furthermore, in the New Living Translation of the Bible, John voices the faith: “If anyone claims, ‘I

When Scout is concerned about the fact that his image might become tarnished due to Maycomb’s racist ideology, Atticus assures her he is doing the morally right thing by supporting the case: “‘This case, Tom Robinson’s case, is something that goes to the essence of a man’s conscience – Scout, I couldn’t go to church and worship God if I didn’t try to help that man’” (Lee …). Atticus Finch, a man of strong moral values and principles, risks his reputation to take on the challenge of defending Tom Robinson. He does this not out of pity or obligation, but from a true sense of Christian duty and righteousness. Even despite the devastating odds, he advocates for justice in a case that is heavily tainted by racism and prejudice. Through Atticus’ unwavering faith, Lee provides an example of how a devoted Christian is supposed to provide for society. While observing the unfortunate truth about self-righteousness regarding Maycomb, she states: "but sometimes the Bible in the hand of one man is worse than a whiskey bottle in the hand of—oh, of your father” (Lee 50). Too often, the Bible is used as an excuse to do terrible acts, such as denying basic human rights, practicing hatred, and fostering bigotry. In the hands of one man, the Bible can be a tool of oppression and violence.