To Kill A Mockingbird Literary Analysis

1. To Kill A Mockingbird Literary Analysis By: Brianna Lavagnino

2. Symbolism • What is the effect of this element on the reader or the plot?: • You can understand better why the sheriff and Atticus didn’t tell everyone Boo saved his kids using the symbolism of the mockingbird. And you can relate to Boo himself better. It also paints a sort of picture when they talk about the innocence of the mockingbird and Boo and what it would be like if you shot the bird and bothered Boo after they did something so great. • An example of symbolism in “To Kill A Mockingbird”: • The main example of symbolism in this book is the Mockingbird. It represents innocence and to kill a mockingbird is considered a sin, just as Atticus said, “Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit’em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” This is because all mockingbirds do is sing their heart out for people to enjoy and they never do anyone harm. In the story, Boo Radly is our mockingbird. He saved the life of Scout and Jem and had never done anyone any harm. So it would’ve been a sin to tell the whole town and rid him of his privacy.

3. Imagery • The effect this element has on the reader or the plot: • Imagery, especially the example to the left, helps you see what the writer wants you to visualize. It uses such descriptive words that you can paint a picture in your head while you’re reading. • An example of Imagery in “To Kill A Mockingbird”: • "Her face was the color of a dirty pillowcase, and the corners of her mouth glistened with wet, which inched like a glacier down the deep grooves enclosing her chin. Old-age liver spots dotted her cheeks, and her pale eyes had black pinpoint pupils. Her hands were knobby, and the cuticles were grown up over her fingernails"

4. Setting • The effect this element had on the reader or plot: • Well quite a few things in the setting has a huge effect on the plot; • It’s a small town so obviously anything that happens is going to spread to everyone. • It’s during the great depression so everyone is going to be having financial troubles and farmers will be losing their jobs and people will be struggling. • Segregation will have a ginormous role, whites and black will be mortal enemies and laws separating the two will play in. • Example of setting in “To Kill A Mockingbird”: • The fictional setting in this story takes place in a small southern town called Maycomb in the 1930s during the great depression. Segregation thrived as well.

5. Theme • Effect that this has on the reader or plot? • As a reader, the racial controversy in this book helped me understand what it was really like for a black person in those times. It helped me understand not only the book more, but history without the censoration. • An example of the theme of “To Kill A Mockingbird”: • Racial controversy.

6. Foreshadowing • Effect that this has on the reader or plot: • Well when Bob Ewll starts acting like he did, he makes you want to keep reading to see what he does out of his anger. And it keeps you guessing what he’ll do next. • Example of foreshadowing in “To Kill A Mockingbird”: • Bob Ewell’s threats and suspicious behavior after Tom Robinson’s trial indicate his attack on Atticus’s children.

7. Characterization • Effect that this element has on the reader or plot: • Scout’s life story and development effects the reader tremendously. We understand her and see what she’s going through first hand. As she changes, we see it through the words on the book. And we learn who she is and was. • Example of characterization in “To Kill A Mockingbird”: • Scout- • At the beginning of “To Kill A Mockingbird”, Scout is an unusual little girl. She’s extremely intelligent, confident, thoughtful, and good natured. But overall, she’s innocent to the world of evil. But throughout this book, she faces evil first hand. And with her striking traits and tom boyish nature, she lives through it without it breaking her down. In the end, she’s more of a grown-up than a child.