Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

Harper Lee uses the tone of the specific phrases that Miss Maudie says in the passage to present Maudie’s views of Maycomb County. “We’re the safest folks in the world,” I think that Miss Maudie means that the people of Maycomb County are not exposed to the rest of the world’s views and opinions as…

Sky right word (1st) from Joel North on Vimeo.

Hypocrisy is shown in Chapter 24 through manner in which Mrs Merriweather speaks about the Mrunas and then the black people in Maycomb County. ‘Oh child, those poor Mrunas,’. Mrs Merriweather says this when Scout asks her what they’d been studying about. The Mrunas were an African tribe who were being subjugated by a white…

Harper Lee has shown the children’s change in character by making them lose their innocence. ‘His face was streaked with angry tears as we made our way through the cheerful crowd’ This quotation is descibing Jem as he is leaving the court-house. The fact that he’s crying suggests that he is unhappy about the outcome…

Harper Lee uses Miss Maudie (a character known to help move the story along) to describe the courthouse as a ‘Roman Carnival’. This description of the courthouse makes it seem much more primitive and barbaric as the Romans used to have gladiator fights where the Emperor would decide the fate of the losing warrior. This…

Calpurnia’s identity is shown as quite unknown and lost in Chapter 12 in To Kill A Mockingbird. ‘That Calpurnia led a modest double life never dawned on me.’ This shows that Calpurnia was living a double life which she didn’t feel belonged to more. By living with the Finches, she was disrespected by the white…

I think that Harper Lee presents courage in Chapter 11 by introducing Mrs Dubose and making Atticus tell Jem to read to her despite his fear of her. “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.” The quotation…

I think that Atticus keeps his marksmanship a secret from his children because he does not want them to grow up knowing that his achievement was being a ‘dead shot’. I think this because Atticus realised that this was a skill which he could possibly abuse. ‘down at the Landing when he was coming up,…

We learn that Atticus is a very intelligent man who is well aware and is a good role model for his children. ‘But I never figured out how Atticus knew I was listening, and it was not until many years later that I realised he wanted me to heat every word he said’ I think…

Boo intrigues the children because he hasn’t been seen in Maycomb County for many years so the children are curious to find out what he is like. Furthermore, the rumours which have been created by other members of Maycomb society makes him seem like a ‘malevolent phantom’ which makes his story sound like some form…