The Southern Gothic Motif of Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird Essay

dissertation In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by harpist Lee, the various types of outsiders and the tenuous town of Maycomb contri exclusivelye to the novels southern gothic motif. All throughout the book Lee introduces us to antithetical kinds of outsiders willing to make a change. During the Tom Robinson trial, Link Deas tells Bob Ewell, if I hear one more peep outa my girl Helen about not bein able to walk this road Ill keep back you in lock in before sundown (334). By saying this, Mr. Deas is going against the typical southerly air of Maycomb by standing up to a white domain in defense of a black muliebrity.Also piquet says, aunt Alexandra was fanatical on the subject of my attire. I could not possibly entrust to be a lady if I wore breeches (108). Scout shows her renewal by refusing to wear dresses like all the other young, southern ladies. other example is how Mr. Dolphus Raymond was said to be a sinful man who had complex children and didnt care who knew it (2 68). The town of Maycomb thinks that the way Mr. Raymond lives is against the way of society but he pays no mind and lives a happy life. Mayombs multitude are quite judgmental, but thither are several inhabitants there that are 5not afraid to be outsiders.Maycomb is portrayed as a typical, diminished, Southern town where everyone knew each other and everyone had their place. Maycomb was an old old town, but it was a tired old town when I knew it. The courthouse sagged in the square. Somehow, it was hotter then (1). Scout describes her hometown as being very dull, hot, and boring the way she remembers it, which exemplifies some of the small town and southern characteristics of Maycomb.At school one day, Scouts thoughts are that strike down Caroline seemed unaware that the ragged denim-shirted and flour-sacked first grade, close to of whom had chopped cotton and fed hogs, were immune to imaginative literature (22). Miss Caroline is from other county so she is not accustomed to Ma ycombs small town ways as Scout here describes. At another point during the book, Scout explains that There was indeed a caste constitution in Maycomb (175).We learn throughout the book that inhabitants of Maycomb County classify everyone into their own groups, unremarkably by the amount of money they have or by their race because thats just the way their Southern town is. Lee illustrates how Maycomb is asmall, Southern town through caste systems and exclusion of outsiders. Appearance Vs. realnessIn the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses the theme of look vs. reality to illustrate that people arent always the same on the inside as they are on the outside. For example. Mr. Dolphus Raymond admits to Scout, Secretly, Miss Finch, Im not much of a drinker, but you see they could never, never comprehend that I live like I do because thats the way I want to live (268). Even though the town may think Mr. Raymond is married to a black woman because hes a drunk, hes actually genuinely happy and chose his life style himself.One time Scout said, It occurred to me that in their own way, Tom Robinsons manners were as good as Atticuss (260). wad in Maycomb believed Tom Robinson was just a nigger that raped a white girl, but if they looked deeper they would see that hes just as courteous as the town-known lawyer, Atticus Finch. Another great example of way vs. reality is when Scout states, Neighborhood opinion was unanimous that Mrs. Dubose was the meanest old woman who ever lived (46). Everyone though Mrs. Dubose was hateful because she chose to be, but in actuality she was battling her drug addiction. multitudes appearances dont always show exactly who they are, you have to search deeper to understand a persons true personality.