Mythology and Archetypes in Harper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird Essay

Mythology and Archetypes in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird      Ã‚  Ã‚   Of all the various approaches to criticism, the Mythological/Archetypal achieves the greatest 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 exploration of the canon for widespread and pervading symbols, plots, and characters. These are all greatly extant in Harper Lee's classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird, an extraordinary examination of the Depression-era South through the eyes of a young girl with rare intelligence and insight, living in a small town which is filled with these archetypal images. To Kill a Mockingbird, when approached from the Mythological/Archetypal viewpoint, is a prime example of the three primary elements that the method of criticism inspects: universality in character, symbol, and plot.      Ã‚  Ã‚   Universal characters in To Kill a Mockingbird are present, and well documented. For example, Jem and Scout embody the ideals of youth and the naivety of innocence, while Tom Robinson with his withered arm symbolizes the crippled powerlessness of the black community.      Ã‚  Ã‚   The scene where Tom is revealed to be physically handicapped is particularly strong:       Tom Robinson's powerful shoulders rippled under his thin shirt. He rose to his feet  Ã‚   and stood with his right hand on the back of his chair. He looked oddly off  Ã‚   balance, but it was not from the way he was standing. His left arm was fully twelve  Ã‚   inches shorter than his right, and hung dead at his side. It ended in a small shriveled  Ã‚   han... ...d proves to be a novel rich in allusions to other characters, symbols, and plots in the literature.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Work Cited Anglin, Laura. "Allusory Justice: Ramblings in a Mythogenic Zone." May 5, 2000.   http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Culture/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 Understanding To Kill A Mockingbird: A Student Casebook to Issues,   Sources and Historical Documents.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   Ã‚