To Kill a Mockingbird
Harper Lee
Contributed by Sharon Fleming
Motifs
Motifs are devices or structures that are used by artists or authors to help in the development of a theme.
Gothic Detail
Lee darkens the setting and adds drama and atmosphere to her story by including a number of Gothic details in the setting and the plot. The Gothic elements in To Kill a Mockingbird are the unnatural snowfall, the fire that destroys Miss Maudie’s house, the mad dog that Atticus shoots, and the ominous night of the Halloween party on which Bob Ewell attacks the children. These elements, out of place in the normally quiet, predictable Maycomb, create tension in the novel and foreshadows the troublesome events of the trial and its aftermath.
Quiet Smalltown Life
The overarching setting of the story is the motif of old-fashioned, small-town values, which comes up throughout the novel. As if to contrast with all of the suspense and moral grandeur of the book, Lee emphasizes the slow-paced, good-natured feel of life in Maycomb. She deliberately juxtaposes small-town values and Gothic images in order to examine more closely the forces of good and evil. For example, the horror of the fire is mitigated by the comforting scene of the people of Maycomb banding together to save Miss Maudie’s possessions. In contrast, Bob Ewell’s cowardly attack on the defenseless Scout, who is dressed like a giant ham for the school pageant, shows him to be unredeemably evil.
info_outline
Have study documents to share about To Kill a Mockingbird? Upload them to earn free Studypool credits!