Introduction
Through words and actions, a character ‘can come to life’ for the reader. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses figurative language and various literary devices to draw a vivid picture of Atticus's character in a manner that reveals her ideas about social justice. This paper aims how such figurative languages and literary devices have been employed to communicate the idea of social justice through the character Atticus.
Based on the primary voice in the novel, Harper develops a dramatic irony which significantly drives the novel. Through the integrity of Atticus and his children's understanding of moral behavior and decency. From her viewpoint, the South was marred with cruel injustice and racism, which trickled passed through generations and social classes.
Through metaphor, Harper Lee uses Atticus also to communicate her ideas about social justice. For instance, Atticus believes that everyone deserves to be treated well and understood when he tells his children,’ You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view- until you climb into his skin and walk around in it ( Lee 230).’ In this statement, the phrase ‘climb into his skin’ is considered metaphoric as it denotes some inner understanding and empathy.
Again, Harper uses humor to communicate her idea of social justice through Atticus. It is observed when Atticus treats Mrs. Dubose with a lot of courteousness to the amazement of Scout. Atticus then says, ‘It was times like these when I thought my father, who hated guns and had never been to wars, was the bravest man that ever lived (Lee 234).' Even though this statement may sound satirical, it implies that Atticus did not believe in using guns to solve challenges but rather social justice.
The metaphor has also been used by Harper to portray her ideas of social justice through Atticus. For example, when Jem and Scout are ridiculed at school, he tells them, ‘You just hold your head high and keep those fists down. No matter what anybody says to you, don’t you let ‘em get your goat (Lee 200).’ The ‘get your goat’ in this case simply implies that anybody else should not let them act crazily. As such, it demonstrates that Atticus believes in social justice and is faithful to his teachings.
Furthermore, Atticus says, 'Sometimes I think I'm a total failure as a parent, but I'm all they've got. Before Jem looks at anyone else, he looks at me, and I've tried to live so that I can look squarely back at him.’ This statement is much paradoxical since it is evident that he has not failed as a parent. However, the paradox is introduced by Harper to demonstrate that a person ought to be just even to the very loose people, such as family members.
The social injustice aspect in the book is also portrayed through the juxtaposition between people's attitudes towards blacks. Evidence for this is in the court case involving Tom Robinson. The trial of Tom Robinson is based on the accusation of having raped Mayella Ewell. For instance, Mr. Ewell, a white man, is in defense of his daughter against Robinson, who is a black man (Lee 242). Even though Tom is innocent, he loses the trial.
However, when Jem complains about the trial outcomes, Atticus responds by saying, 'In our court, when it's a white man's word against a black man's, the white man always wins. They're ugly, but those are the facts of life" (Lee 220).
Conclusion
In conclusion, Harper Lee has employed various figurative languages and literary devices to communicate her social justice ideas. Such literary devices have been adopted to build the character of Atticus; thus, his perception of social justice.
