Analysis of Text Two The text under analysis is an extract from the novel To Kill a Mocking Bird written

by Harper ee! an "merican writer# $t was her only book! and when it was first published in%&'(! Harper ee became known all over the world# The critics called it another masterpiece of the Huckleberry )inn*s "dventures kind! as the readers were struck by the sincere ingenuousness of her style# The action takes place at Maycomb! a small town lost in the fields of "labama# Three children + ,ean ouise! her elder brother -em and their friend .ill + try to investigate a mystery of an old house! where a man who hasn*t turned up in the street for twenty years is still living! as rumours say# The background for their adventures! /okes and tricks is no funny narration about a case from lawyer practice of their father! "tticus )inch# 0otwo basic themes + adventures and the system of law + are combined in the book# "s the represented text combines extracts from some chapters devoted to the trial over Tom 1obinson! the law theme prevails# 2ne day at school the children noticed that the attitude to them had changed# They were teased and provoked! because their father had taken up the defence of Tom 1obinson! a 3egro who was charged with raping Mayella 4well# He wasn*t guilty! it was a slander made by the girl to put the evidence of her offence away from her# But everybody was pre/udiced against a 3egro*s word! and Tom 1obinson was convicted! and then died caught in an attempt to escape from prison# The historical background of the book is the year of grace + %&56# That period in "merica is often called The "ge of ,a77# $t was the time of comparative wealth and peace! and prosperity was claimed an official ideology# 48ual rights were established for all men! and women movement also achieved considerable results by that time# But in contrast to this! many public freedoms and human rights were proclaimed! but not executed# "nd Harper bear it# The extract for analysis represents an interlacement of the %st person narration! introduced by 0cout! which is a nickname of ,ean ouise! with "tticus )inch*s speech at the court room# $t constitutes the ma/or part of the text! and that is why $*d like to begin with it# 9hat is the most important function of an attorney for defence: " smart lawyer can persuade the court not to convict the accused beforehand# Though investigation usually provides enough facts for the verdict! it is in the courtroom where the fate of the defendant becomes determined# "nd the /ury is especially sensitive to a well;built speech# et*s have a look at the situation# The /udge knows the verdict already# The /ury is sure of the guilt of Tom 1obinson# This very public in the gallery have tried to lynch him the night before the trial# "tticus knows as well that his chances are absurd# But he is a man of extreme generousity and /ustice! and his conscience forbids him to leave poor 1obinson defenceless# That is why "tticus puts his reputation at stake# He doesn*t want to appeal to pity# He wants to create a precedent# Therefore he appeals to reason and uses a lot of methods elaborated by the art of rhetorics# ee places the action into that period! '( years after slavery prohibition# Though the black were considered e8ual by courts! publicity still couldn*t

He is extremely worried which is revealed both in his behaviour and his voice# "s 0cout describes it! at first he spoke with a kind of detachment he used when dictated letters <a simile=# He was walking up and down in front of the /ury! which is also a general sign of excitement# The scene is completed by the sentence which directly conveys his state with the help of gradation and morphological parallelism> "tticus unhitched his watch! unbuttoned his vest! unbuttoned his collar! loosened his tie and took off his coat# He even put his hands in his pockets! and $ suppose that mentioning hands may be an allusion to the phrase $ wash my hands off it# 0cout accentuates that such behaviour was not typical of "tticus! and her impression is conveyed through the litotes He never loosened a scrap of his clothing and the simile standing before us stark naked# 0cout also tells us about the reaction of the /ury! and Harper ee hides irony in her words> and the /ury seemed to be attentive> their heads were up! and they followed "tticus*s route with what seemed to be appreciation? lexical repetition of the word seem* combined with syntactical parallelism intensifies the irony# But when "tticus is half;way through his speech <a metaphor=! his manner changes# He is going to touch the most important part! and to attract the /ury*s attention he not only addresses them directly<-entlemen= and keeps this manner throughout his speech! but also changes his voice to a confidential tone# His voice lost its aridity <a metaphor=! its detachment# He is talking to the /ury as if they were folks on the post office corner <a simile=! thus making them feel comfortable# This sentence also contains a pun> the /ury really were simple villagers! and so the simile could be understood literally# ,ean ouise notes that he might have said @0cout! and so she gives the readers an impression that "tticus spoke in a habitual! homely manner# "tticus is eager to persuade the audience# )irst of all! he addresses the /ury in the beginning of every other paragraph to encourage their attention# "nother thing! he builds his speech on the well;known scheme> he gives his thesis The defendant is not guilty in the beginning of the speech! then furnishes it with facts! telling his version of the so;called crime and accentuating contradictories in the version of the chief witness for the state# Then he passes to establishing the conditions! on which the /ury should base their verdict! and speaks about the facts that are considered to be the general truth + "ll men are created e8ual# He finishes with the repetition of the thesis paraphrasing it> 1estore the defendant to his family# The general impression! on which the speech is calculated! is that the thesis formulated at first is developed! proved and flows out of the facts logically# 0hould not the audience be so pre/udiced against Tom 1obinson! "tticus would be sure to win the case# 2n a careful observation! he applies certain stylistic devices tounderline the most important points# )irst of all! "tticus assures the /ury that the case is very simple ; with the help ofgradation and antithesis> this case is not a difficult one! it re8uires no minute sifting of complicated facts! but it does re8uire you to be sure beyond all reasonable doubt as to the guilt of the defendant# This case should never have come to trial# He sums it up by a simile> this case is as simple as black and white*# Then "tticus points out the defects of the investigation applying a metaphor> the state has not produced one iota

of medical evidence# He shows that the testimony of the witnesses is bare;worded# Then "tticus gives a highly emotive thesis built up as antithesis> The defendant is not guilty! but somebody in this court;room is# This periphrasis instead of the name heightens the suspension which is intensified by a long pause made by "tticus <which is shown by graphic means + a new paragraph=# $n the next paragraph it seems that "tticus has changed a topic! but this is done deliberately# He says $ have nothing but pity in my heart for the chief witness for the state! but my pity does not extend so far as to her putting a man*s life at stake? his irony and hidden negative attitude to the slander are revealed through antithesis! a metaphor at stake! a lexical repetition my pity and the emphatic construction nothing but*# The triple repetition of the word guilt helps to move this idea deep into the minds of the /ury# Then "tticus tells the public his own version of the events# He motivates Mayella 4well*s behaviour by her fear to be unmasked# His sentence 0he has committed no crime! she has merely broken a rigid and time;honoured code of our society! a code so severe that whoever breaks it is hounded from our midst as unfit to live with is a whole cluster of stylistic devices> there is antithesis! lexical repetition! epithets! detachment with emphatic word;order <a code so severe=! and assonance in it! and it reminds of a parable# $rony sounds in the ad/oining phrase $ cannot pity her> she is white# Then he applies achain repetition of the words breaking and persisted! and points out the essence of the case in a sustained metaphor of a child trying to avoid punishment and hiding the evidence# Here he uses gradation He must be removed from her presence! from this world and antithesis she did smth every child has done + but she was no child hiding stolen contraband# He also asks a rhetorical 8uestion 9hat was the evidence of her offence:! and then repeated the name of Tom 1obinson thrice! thus underlining her fear of him# "fter that "tticus tells the audience what took place in fact> there was no rape! Mayella /ust kissed the 3egro! and was caught by her father# "tticus underlines the absurdity of the case by lexical and syntactical repetition combined with antithesis 0he tempted a 3egro# 0he was white! and she tempted a 3egro! and also by an ironical epithet unspeakable# Then "tticus tries to prove that Mayella was beaten by her farther# $n the book he carries out an experiment! making him sign a paper# This episode is omitted in the text! but "tticus sums up the experiment he swore out a warrant! no doubt signing it with his left hand! and Tom 1obinson now sits before you! having taken the oath with A his right hand# Here antonyms combined with syntactical parallelism and lexical repetitions reveal the contrast# "tticus finishes the analysis of the case with a highly ironical statement "nd so a 8uiet! respectable! humble 3egro who had the unmitigated temerity to feel sorry for a white woman has had to put his word against two white people*s# The euphemism to feel sorry is used here not to hurt the feeling of the white# "tticus directly announces that the testimony of the witnesses is false! and based on the evil assumption that all 3egroes lie! that all 3egroes are basically immoral beings! that all 3egro men are not to be trusted around women# -radation and generali7ation are employed to show the absurdity of it! and play with people*s pre/udice against rough generali7ations# The next paragraph is built up in a contrast to the previous one! and "tticus uses the parallel

phrase about 3egroes! /ust changing the word all to some# The paragraph is based on the interplay of the words truth and lie> which we know is in itself a lie as black as Tom 1obinson*s skin <a simile and a pun! as the word black is used in its concrete and metaphorical meaning simultaneously=! a lie $ do not have to point you# Bou know the truth! and the truth is thisA But this is a truth that applies to the human race and to no particular race of man <antithesis=# The ad/oining sentence is based on parallel constructions united by gradation> There is not a person in this room who has never told a lie! who has never done an immoral thing! and there is no man who has never looked upon a woman without desire# This in itself may be an allusion to the language of sermons> 4verybody has a sin in the core of the heart! and is calculated for uniting all people in the court;room into one body of the so;called criminals# "t this point "tticus passes to the last part of his speech# He calls for /ustice! and makes use of an allusion to Thomas ,efferson! to remind people of the man the state is proud of! and of the danger of pre/udice# He knows that his phrase "ll men are created e8ual has become a trite one! and honestly points out the importance of its correct use# He uses metaphors distaff side and hurling at us with derogative meaning to arouse negative emotions and readdresses them to those who use the principle irrelevantly of the situation# He brings an example of schools where the stupid and idle are promoted with the industrious <substantivi7ed ad/ectives=! and then underlines that all men are not created e8ual! employing syntactical parallelism accompanied by anaphora> some people are smarter than others! some people have more opportunity! some man make more money than others! some ladies make better cakes than others + some people are born gifted beyond the normal scope of most men# There is also bathos in the sentence> some people are gifted + and some ladies make better cakes! and it makes the pathos milder# Then "tticus adds that in contrast to all this! the courts are the great levellers! as they make a pauper the e8ual of a 1ockefeller! the stupid man the e8ual of an 4instein! and the ignorant man the e8ual of any college president# $n this sentence lexical and syntactical parallelism is combined with antonomasia and hyperbole to make the /ury feel proud for their court and their country! and reali7e how responsible their duty is# He also resorts to rhyme 2ur courts have their faults and to parallely inverted word order There is one way + there is one human institution to make his speech more colourful# He concludes his speech emphasi7ing the moral responsibility of the /ury and making them no way for escape# Metaphorically he says that they are the court! and they will be responsible for 1obinson*s death if they convict him# He employs chain repetition to come to a logical conclusion> " court is only as sound as its /ury! and a /ury is only as sound as the men who make it up# His final words are an act of pastor; like convincing> 1estore this defendant to his family# $n the name of -od! do your duty# "s one can see! "tticus applies the stylistic devices that give more expressiveness to his ideas# He skilfully underlines the key points! proves them! and heightens the suspension when he needs to# $t should be also noted! that he makes use of rhetorical 8uestions <eg# 9hat was the evidence of her offence: 9hat did she do: 9hat did her

father do:= to add the importance to the answers on them! which he gives himself# He also resorts to emphatic word order <of necessity she must put him away? a code so severe that= and to certain emphatic constructions like it was 8uilt that motivated her# There are also examples of emphatic do in his speech <9e do know in part what Mr 4well did? it does re8uire you to be sure=# "tticus also uses the negative pronoun instead of the negative particle not <she was no child! she has committed no crime! $ am no idealist! no code mattered to her! to no particular race of men=# )rom the syntactical point of view! he speaks in long composite sentences! many of them are parallel# $t is interesting! that the graphic arrangement of the paragraphs also is symbolic> they are almost e8ual in length! they end in some conclusion! and very often are /oined to each other by lexical repetitions<eg# To get rid of her own guilt + $ say guilt! gentlemen? 0he must destroy the evidence of her offence + what was the evidence of her offence: 0he tempted a 3egro + 0he was white and she tempted a 3egro? etc=# "ll these helps "tticus*s speech be not only highly informative! but also very expressive! persuading! colourful and arresting attention# $t is abrilliant example of oratorical style# But it is represented within the narration made by a nine;year;old girl! and in the book this episode symboli7es her first counteraction with in/ustice# $t is a % st person narration! and her speech is very emotive and ingenuous# "s a child she notices small details> a tip of the pen! a gavel in the hand of the /udge! etc# 0he also uses contracted forms and collo8uialisms <to punch! to toy! to shut one*s eyes! to peek at sb! to snap=# But at the same time it is evident! that she is a daughter of a lawyer! as their individual styles bear some resemblance> she also uses parallelism and repetitions <could be expected to see! could be expected to watch for? The foreman handed the paper to Mr Tate who handed it to the clerk who handed it to the /udge? guilty! guilty! guilty! guilty=!simile <the /ury returned! moving like underwater swimmers? as if each guilty was a separate stab? his voice was as distant as ,udge Taylor*s=! a metaphor of "tticus in the role of a hunter! when it was like watching "tticus walk into the street! raise a rifle to his shoulder and pull the trigger! but watching all the time knowing that the gun was empty# 0he resorts to high;flown words and phrases! as they are in use in their house + a dreamlike 8uality! tiny voice! made his way! was reluctant! wasn*t a thunderer + and in combination with a childish interpretation of the events they sound a bit funny! but suggest that 0cout took after her father and imitates him subconsciously# To sum up! $*d like to say! that the extract gives a false impression of the book# $t is devoted to childhood first! and the story with Tom 1obinson is /ust an episode in it! though giving much for thinking# The idea of the fight between /ustice and in/ustice is given there unobtrusively! and the main advantage of the book is its adventure;like character! which distinguishes many books about children! written for the grown;ups# 9hen reading this book! most of all $ liked the epigraph! which says> 4ven lawyers used to be children# "nd $ think! that it is sometimes important for a child to see in/ustice to know! how valuable /ustice is#