The novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee and “Report on the Scottsboro Ala. Case,” by Hollace Randsell are two different selections that share a similar authors propose: to exploit social and racial injustice in the time period the works were created. Both pieces are told in first person point-of-view, and exhibit the event of African-American men being wrongly accused of rape. To Kill a Mockingbird best exemplifies the usage of POV more than “Report on the Scottsboro, Ala. Case” in the way that it helps the author convey her purpose of illustrating the views of social inequality, especially racism.
The age and how naive the narrator is gives the reader a whole new perspective on the authors purpose in To Kill a Mockingbird rather than “Report on the Scottsboro, Ala. Case.” The young narrator, Scout, lets the reader see a 1930’s small southern town through the eyes of a nine-year-old. “Maycomb was an old town, but it was a …show more content…
Case” is narrated by the author, Hollace Randsell, as she summarizes the case along with her interviews with the alleged ‘victims’ and townspeople. Although her POV is unbiased, she still shows the reader that the man accused of rape is innocent and is only being charged because he is black, and that the girls accusing him of raping them are lying on behalf of their racist views. “ The social service worker … said… Niggers used to live here before you, I can smell them. You can’t get rid of that Nigger smell… Mrs. Bates looked apologetic… I smelled nothing, but then again I have only a Northern nose.” (Randsell on the Bates’ home, line 374) Scout’s opinion however is geared more toward the innocence of Tom Robinson, and how he was wrongly accused. Scout and Jem have similar views on the subject. “ ‘Doesn’t make it right’ Jem said stolidly… “you can’t convict a man on evidence like that-you can’t.’” Scout’s bias helps define the authors purpose because of her viewpoint on Tom Robinson’s
The age and how naive the narrator is gives the reader a whole new perspective on the authors purpose in To Kill a Mockingbird rather than “Report on the Scottsboro, Ala. Case.” The young narrator, Scout, lets the reader see a 1930’s small southern town through the eyes of a nine-year-old. “Maycomb was an old town, but it was a …show more content…
Case” is narrated by the author, Hollace Randsell, as she summarizes the case along with her interviews with the alleged ‘victims’ and townspeople. Although her POV is unbiased, she still shows the reader that the man accused of rape is innocent and is only being charged because he is black, and that the girls accusing him of raping them are lying on behalf of their racist views. “ The social service worker … said… Niggers used to live here before you, I can smell them. You can’t get rid of that Nigger smell… Mrs. Bates looked apologetic… I smelled nothing, but then again I have only a Northern nose.” (Randsell on the Bates’ home, line 374) Scout’s opinion however is geared more toward the innocence of Tom Robinson, and how he was wrongly accused. Scout and Jem have similar views on the subject. “ ‘Doesn’t make it right’ Jem said stolidly… “you can’t convict a man on evidence like that-you can’t.’” Scout’s bias helps define the authors purpose because of her viewpoint on Tom Robinson’s