Mythology and Archetypes in Harper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird Essay

Mythology and Archetypes in harpist Lees To massacre a Mockingbird Of all the various approaches to criticism, the Mythological/ archetypal achieves the majusculeest impact over the entire literary scope, because the themes and patterns unearthed apply universally to all works, yielding results that can be applied to a great many texts. This is because the very nature of the Mythological/Archetypal approach is the geographic expedition of the canon for widespread and pervading symbols, plots, and characters. These are all greatly extant in Harper Lees classic novel To fine-tune a Mockingbird, an extraordinary interrogation of the Depression-era South through the eyes of a young girl with rarified intelligence and insight, living in a small town which is make full with these archetypal images. To Kill a Mockingbird, when approached from the Mythological/Archetypal viewpoint, is a prime of life example of the three primary elements that the method of criticism in spects universality in character, symbol, and plot. Universal characters in To Kill a Mockingbird are present, and intumesce documented. For example, Jem and Scout embody the ideals of youth and the naivety of innocence, while Tom Robinson with his sere arm symbolizes the c frilled powerlessness of the black community. The scene where Tom is revealed to be physically handicapped is particularly strong Tom Robinsons powerful shoulders rippled under his thin shirt. He rose to his feet and stood with his right hand on the back of his chair. He looked oddly off balance, but it was not from the elan he was standing. His left arm was fully twelve inches shorter than his right, and hung dead at his side. It ended in a small shriveled han... ...d proves to be a novel rich in allusions to other characters, symbols, and plots in the literature. Work Cited Anglin, Laura. Allusory rightness Ramblings in a Mythogenic Zone. May 5, 2000. http//www.chebucto.ns.ca/Cu lture/HarperLee/laura.html Bruccoli, Matthew J., ed. The Short Stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald. New York Scribners, 1989. Johnson, Claudia Durst. To Kill A Mockingbird Threatening Boundaries. New York Twain, 1994. ---. Understanding To Kill A Mockingbird A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources and Historical Documents. Westport, CT Greenwood, 1994 Lee, Harper. To Kill A Mockingbird. Philadelphia Harper & Row, 1960. Margaritopoulou, Cleopatra. Symbolism and Allegory in To Kill A Mockingbird. May 5, 2000. http//www.chebucto.ns.ca/Culture/HarperLee/cleo.html