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

about things and are easily influenced by others. She uses Francis to show what Atticus’s family thinks about him. She also uses it to show how even Francis who is still young is already learning to judge people. Not only is Atticus being judged but so are his kids. Lee shows how we must learn to ignore judgement, or at least learn to deal with it, by having Atticus teach his children how to do it. Atticus tells Jem and Scout “I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what.” (pg.149). Atticus was talking about why he sent the kids to read to Mrs. Dubose. She was addicted to a drug and she knew she wasn’t going to be able to live for long without the drug, but she still battled her addiction. Lee compares Ms. Dubose’s battle to Atticus defending Tom. Atticus knows that he’s not going to win the case, but he still wants to go through with what he thinks it’s right. Atticus also wants to teach his kids to do what they believe is right.
Lee tells this story through a kid’s point of view.

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

anymore.

Lee shows Scout, and Jem growing up and learning new things about judgement and they realize how unfair life can be. They also learn that if they want things to be fair they’re going to have to do something about it. They learn that fighting for what you believe in is better than going against what you believe in to fit in with the majority. Lee wants us to learn all this along with them.