Deconstruction Of Binary Oppositions In To Kill A Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird has been a huge success and a popular bestseller since it was first published in 1960 s. The novel won the Pulitzer Prize in 1961, later was made into a classic film which won the Academy Award of that year. It makes a deep exploration of human morality, and presents a constant concern about legitimate justice, racial equality and pure humanity.In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee deconstructs the binary oppositions which legitimize western power structures favoring “civilized white men”. Deconstruction of the binary opposition between justice and evil warns us that justice may sometime lose its noble place and evil triumphs with all reasonable proud. In southern America, there should build up equal legitimate system for everyone. Deconstruction of the binary opposition between white people and black people subverts the convention that white people are all civilized, reasonable, and morally good, on the contrary they own the nasty quality like hypocrisy, indifference and viciousness. Likewise, the blacks are not all disgusted creatures; they show one another sympathy and are always prepared to help people with sincere willingness. Deconstruction of the binary opposition between adult’s worldly-wisdom and children’s naive ignorance also changes our old thoughts that grown-ups are way too sagacious than children. Adults’ judgments always mix with personal interests, in consequences their valuation or choice cannot be justified as fair and square. Children’s naive ignorance enables them to see things from the simplest way, making objective and reasonable verdicts without impurities.This paper analyzes the deconstruction of the binary oppositions in To Kill a Mockingbird. It throws new light on the themes of this novel and enables us to comprehend Lee’s valuable ideas about all equality and kindness.