Harper Lee uses figurative language to intensify the mood of terror and suspense as Jem trespassed on the Radley property. One example of figurative language Lee uses is imagery. In the story, Scout says, “I moved faster when I saw Jem far ahead beckoning in the moonlight.”(69). This quote shows how anxious Scout was, or had to be when she saw Jem signaling her to catch up. The imagery she said about the beckoning moonlight sets an eerie mood because the moonlight is the only light that allows her to see her brother. Another example of figurative language found in the book is hyperbole. Dill says in the story, “Don’t get in a row of collards whatever you do, they’ll wake the dead.”(69). This quote used shows that Dill was
Figurative language is in most well written novels. It helps develop the overall theme the author is trying to portray. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, I noticed Harper Lee distinctively used two types of figurative language. The first is symbolism, Lee used this twice during the novel with the mockingbird representing beauty innocence and Boo Radley representing the good in people. The second is motifs, Lee used this to emphasize the small town life in Maycomb, Alabama and helps give a better understanding of the people in the town.
A symbol in literature is an object that stands for a word, cause, belief, or another object. A metaphor is a figure of speech where a word of phrase is applied to something but it should not be taken literally. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, the mockingbird symbolizes innocence. The mockingbird is innocent, singing for people to hear its music. In the book Atticus says to Scout, “Remember it is a sin to kill a mockingbird.” When Scout asked Miss Maudie about it, Miss Maudie tells her, “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy… but they sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” Killing something so innocent would be a sin because it had never done anything to hurt you.
One example is when Walter Dean Myers wrote this simile, “The voice high and brittle like dry twigs being broken.” This simile helps to show the reader that the person coming up to Greg wasn’t big or strong, he is not intimidating. Another example of a simile in The Treasure of Lemon Brown is, “Father's words like the distant thunder in the streets of Harlem still rumbled in his ears.” This simile helps the reader understand Greg's father, the way his tone is described makes the reader believe Greg's dad is a big, strict parent. Furthermore this simile also helps the reader understand Greg's feelings, the “thunder still rumbling” helps the reader understand that Greg’s father's words are loud and repeating in his head. Another example of figurative language in The Story of Lemon Brown is when the author writes in personification, “Gusts of wind made bits of paper dance between the parked cars.” In this case the personification is used to help describe the setting. The fact that bits of paper were flying around the place probably means that Greg does not live in the nicest of neighborhoods. In the story The Treasure of Lemon Brown, the author uses figurative language to develop settings and characters.
Throughout the novel Harper Lee explores the racism, prejudice, and the innocence that occurs throughout the book. She shows these topics through her strong use of symbolism throughout the story.
"I'd rather you shoot at tin cans in the backyard, but I know you'll go after birds. Shoot all the bluejays you want , if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." This is what Atticus Finch tells his children after they are given air-rifles for Christmas. Uniquely, the title of the classic novel by Harper Lee, To Kill A Mockingbird, was taken from this passage. At first glance, one may wonder why Harper Lee decided to name her book after what seems to be a rather insignificant excerpt. After careful study, however, one begins to see that this is just another example of symbolism in the novel. Harper Lee uses symbolism rather extensively throughout this story, and much of it refers to the problems of racism in the South during the early twentieth century. Harper Lee's effective use of racial symbolism can be seen by studying various examples from the book. This includes the actions of the children, the racist whites, and the actions of Atticus Finch.
The tone that was created by the author in paragraphs 10-12 was a sardonic tone. The lawyer informed the judge that he was late because he was planting bushels of corn in his field that he had just boiled. He was making fun of the innkeeper because he made the farmer aware, “ if those had hatched, I would have had ten chickens. They, too, would have laid eggs, and so on” (paragraph 3). The judge asks the lawyer if he really thinks that cooked corn will grow. He replied, “if scrambled eggs can turn into chicks, then why not” (paragraph 12). this shows how the author created the sardonic tone by the lawyer mocking the witless innkeeper.
The author also uses various types of figurative language like metaphors and hyperbole's. Ernest Thayer uses metaphors comparing Casey to many things. "But Flynn preceded Casey, as did also Jimmy Blake, And the former was a hoodoo, while the latter was a cake."
In 1960, a novel was written to outline injustices and racism against those who were innocent, though unfairly judged because of social expectations and prejudiced beliefs. This novel not only presented these issues, but is also considered a revolutionary piece of literature, still being read by many people today, more than 50 years later. The novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, has caused some controversy about the intents of the book and the way certain people or groups are presented. Whether To Kill a Mockingbird as a narrative outshines the issue it presents is a debatable argument. However, I believe that the narrative of the novel supports the concerns exhibited for numerous reasons. In what follows, some of these are presented: the historical
Writing 2 Aidyn Ogilvy: Writing Portfolio I am going to write about a scene from the movie The Shawshank Redemption. I will be using figurative language to put the audience in the shoes of the main lead character Andy Dufrense. My audience will be people who like Stephen King. The scene will be when he escapes the prison. The lights have been turned out.
Figurative language is when you use words or a phrase that do not have a regular, everyday literal meaning and is used by almost all authors in their writings. Authors use figurative language to make their works more interesting and more dramatic. Examples of figurative language include metaphors, similes, personification and hyperbole. Helena Maria Viramontes uses figurative language all throughout her novel Under the Feet of Jesus. In the opening paragraphs of the novel Viramontes uses imagery to set the scene for her readers, she really makes us feel as if we are riding along in the station wagon with Estrella and her 6 other family members. In this scene she describes to her readers reflects on the hardships that this family, and people
The author George Elliot once said “don’t judge a book by its cover.” Appearance can be very misleading, and you shouldn't prejudge the worth or value of something by its outward appearance alone. This philosophical idea has been included in many works of literature, including the timeless classic To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee. The novel takes place in the town of Maycomb, Alabama during the 1930s. Many citizens of Maycomb tend to make judgements based on outward appearances alone. In the novel, Lee uses minor characters such as Boo Radley, Mrs. Dubose, and Tom Robinson to convey the book’s theme of prejudice.
“Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit'em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (Lee 119). A sophisticated and wise lawyer named Atticus tells this to his two children, Scout and Jem Finch, just after he gives them both rifles. This happens in the book, To Kill A Mockingbird, written by Pulitzer Prize winning author Harper Lee, which has a couple of underlying themes. One of the major themes is conveyed through a metaphor about birds, which is the quote at the beginning of this paper. Atticus tells his children to not shoot any mockingbirds, but why? Well, the answer is simple, for mockingbirds do nothing but make music for others to enjoy, and along with that, they go out of their way to avoid
Taylor, the author uses both foreshadowing and figurative language to help convey a theme, sometimes people need to resort to resort to violence to keep themselves safe, by using these literary devices to help describe important events in the story. These Literary devices help improve the description, and can help convey a certain theme throughout the
Harper Lee uses symbolism extensively throughout To Kill a Mockingbird,, and much of it refers to the problems of racism in the South during the early twentieth century. Harper Lee's effective use of racial symbolism and allegory can be seen by studying various examples from the book, namely the actions of the children, of the racist whites, and of Atticus Finch.
Harper Lee utilised narrative voice and structure through the exploration of Scout’s perspectives and thoughts to portray the loss of innocence. Loss of innocence was explored throughout the novel ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee through the use of symbols and analogies. The main characters discussed and portrayed in the book were Tim Johnson, the Mockingbirds and Boo Radley. Tim Johnson was a neighbourhood dog who appeared down the Finch’s street one day, but looked very ill and was rabid. Calpurnia, the black maid working at the Finch’s, rang Atticus and he shot it.