Use Of Point Of View In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses characterization and point of view to show how people are judged unfairly, based on the way they look, their ideas, and their beliefs. Reminding us that to accomplish your goals and do what you believe is right you must ignore the judgement of others, even though it’s easier to go along with the popular opinion. Through Atticus, Lee shows that doing the right thing often involves ignoring the judgement of people who believe something different than you. For example when Lee writes, “I guess it ain’t your fault if uncle Atticus is a nigger- lover besides, but i’m here to tell you it certainly does mortify the rest of the family”(pg.110) Lee writes this through a kid’s point of view. Kids tend to be honest

This helps the reader view things as though it was the first time he was experiencing them. It helps show how truly unfair and shocking the things that a lot of adults are used to really are. For example when Dill and scout are talking about the trial and Dill says “It ain’t right, somehow it ain’t right to do ‘em that way. Hasn’t anybody got any business talking like that, it just makes me sick.” (pg.266) Lee shows how since Dill is young and hasn’t experienced seeing people being treated unfairly as much as other older people. Dill is still seeing a lot of things for the first time. Because it’s the first time that Dill is experiencing this he is affected by it a lot more than someone older would be. Lee wants us to share the same disgust in seeing Tom treated so unfairly just because of his skin color. Jem also has a similar reaction to Dill even though Jem is older and throughout the book is shown to have more knowledge of what is happening. However when Lee writes “His face was streaked with angry tears as we made our way through the cheerful crowd. “it ain’t right”, he muttered.”(pg.284) she shows how Jem thought it was unfair. During the trial Jem was sure Tom would win because he was looking at the evidence that was being presented instead of looking at the case as black against white. Therefore when Tom was ruled guilty, Jem was disgusted and angered. However if Lee had written Atticus’s reaction to this it would’ve been very different to Jem’s because Atticus is so used to seeing these things happen that he’s not shocked by it