"To Kill a Mocking Bird" GCSE Level

Write About the ways in which Harper Lee creates tension, drama and humour in chapter 15 of To Kill A Mockingbird.

The atmosphere created in chapter 15 is tense and dramatic from the first paragraph. The introductory paragraph to chapter 15 ends with “A nightmare was upon us.” This obviously tells us that an event of an unpleasant nature is yet to occur. The second paragraph starts with “It began one evening.” This tells us that the nightmare is beginning, and builds us up for the chapter. Harper Lee uses various methods to create drama, tension and humour in chapter 15, many of which are discussed below.

The chapter begins by setting a normal scene. Harper Lee perhaps does this to contrast the abnormalities of the days following. Harper Lee has knows that the week may have been normal to Scout, but to the reader it is not, so the setting is described in much detail in order to bring the scene alive and present a vivid contrast. This builds us up for the drama to come, a...