Which Characters Stand Out In Harper Lee Novels?

The fictional character Scout Finch is a memorable heroine. As Scout is growing up in the complex 1930s world of her father, she learns a lot of different moral lessons. Yet the young heroine retains the childlike honesty and sense of justice that is typical for children. In the novel Scout’s fight for justice is represented from her perspective. The bond with her brother Jem as well as her encounters with the recluse Boo Radley are incredibly exciting and lead to many newfound discoveries. As a result this novel is not only a heartwarming coming-of-age-story, but also very thought-provoking. Scout is a great heroine as she keeps her sense of fairness.

Harper Lee created some amazing characters in her novels. One of the largest amounts of respect that I can give to a character is to be considered one of the most moral people alive, and that’s how readers still view Atticus Finch. As the father of Scout Finch, Atticus is barely more than a father figure to many readers. However, he embodies the best kind of human being in the story and fights for justice against norms of society in order to defend the victim of a rape in a town where such things don’t happen much. His courage to stand up to prejudice in Maycomb during the 1930s makes him a very unique character. On the opposite side of moral behavior is Scout Finch. As the young narrator of the story, Scout brings a fresh and unique perspective to the complicated interactions of adult characters in the story. Her innocence makes her comments so powerful as she helps to drive home her impressions of people and events in the story and their effects on her life. As Scout grows up throughout the novel, she changes dramatically and sometimes challenges the views of the characters around her.

Another character that fascinates me is Boo Radley. Lee does an amazing job of portraying the misunderstandings of a town’s rumors. Most people view Boo as the ‘monster’ in the cellar, but ultimately he embodies the main theme of the novel. Lee brings to life the life of a recluse in such vivid detail, making it hard not to visualize him as if he were real. This is also true for the rest of the characters and how they interact with each other. Each character brings something to the story, and they all help reveal the moral lessons of the novel. That’s what makes this story so special, because it really makes you think about the importance of being kind and trying to understand others in darker times.

And in addition to these outstanding characters, Maycomb also serves as a major character in the novel. The old town with its old traditions portrays a contrast to the characters within the story. As you can read, Harper Lee’s work is just outstanding. I would like to read her other novels as well.

In my opinion Atticus Finch is the central figure of Harper Lee’s work. Not only is Atticus the father of Scout and her older brother Jem in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’, he is also their moral guide. Every time I read a scene where Atticus is in the courtroom trying to defend Tom Robinson against murder charges by a white jury, I feel as though I am sitting in the courtroom right next to Atticus and feel his emotions, as well as the feelings of white people in the courtroom who are blinded by their prejudice. These scenes challenge one to reflect on their own beliefs about justice.

Boo Radley, for another, is far more than the Phantom of the Short Lane which Scout and Jem first imagine him to be. Rather, the long reclusive resident of their house is a complex figure, misunderstood by many, yet his kind acts are witnessed by several neighbors and eventually by Scout and Jem themselves. He is often contrasted with the deeply ugly yet also feared Tom Robinson in the eyes of many whites in Lee’s fictional culture, much as issues that hers portray today still exist today in our own society. Through the journeys of Scout, Jem and Boo Radley, Hope is fulfilled and much that we learn about the incredibly and powerfully positive subject of Empathy is reflected. The To Kill a Mockingbird book is another of those few volumes which remains with me long after I closed its covers.

Dill Harris is one of the most unique characters in the story, bringing much curiosity and play to it. His very imaginative nature makes him very memorable against the background of other serious themes in the book. The friendship of Scout, Jem and Dill is so pure and embodies the innocence of childhood and how they can face “real life” situations. Their make believe adventures, both good and horror, of Boo Radley are many and bring to life the untainted view of the world that children have. We readers can remember our own adventures long ago and get caught up in Dill’s.