An Analysis Of To Kill A Mockingbird From The Perspective Of The Rhetoric Of Fiction

Based on the rhetoric of fiction as the theoretical foundation, this thesis aims at analyzing the rhetoric features of an American novel To Kill a Mockingbird which is the masterpiece of an American woman writer Harper Lee. To Kill a Mockingbird, an only novel in Harper Lee’s life, was published in 1960. It provoked a sensation in American society and among the readers as soon as it was first published. Although Harper is reluctant to admit that To Kill a Mockingbird is an autobiographical novel, people who know her growing environment claim that it is the reappearance of her bitter childhood. The course of creating the novel is the process of uncovering the old scar. It attracts a large number of readers by the application of the first person narration from the view of children, and the simple but humorous style of writing. It received the 1961 Pulitzer Prize. In 1962, it was shown on TV. It is a piece of work reflecting some ideological blights under the old traditional imprisonment, like racial discrimination and class inequalities. The story took place in a small town called Maycomb in Alabama of southern America. It is just the place where the writer grew up. As the moral backbone and the hero image, Atticus, a lawyer, has influenced his two kids Scout and Jem. After its publication, academia has different judgments on it, but more praise than criticism. Chinese and foreign scholars have studied it one after another, though small in quantities, short in length. As time goes on, the research on it is ever- expanding and gradually improving. This thesis is based on Professor Li Jianjun’s the Study of the Rhetoric of Fiction, which is published in 2003, aiming at comprehensively analyzing the work, highlighting the themes of the work and providing objective basis for excavating the aesthetic value of the novel.The rhetoric of fiction is not rhetoric in general. It is a kind of theory of fiction. In 1961, the publication of Wayne C. Booth’s the Rhetoric of Fiction, was regarded as the milestone of the theory of fiction by academia. Forty years later, Li Jianjun’s the Study of the Rhetoric of Fiction was published, based on the theory of fiction of Booth, Li Jianjun puts forward many original views, unique and creative through a large number of examples. Meanwhile, he bluntly points out the limitation of Booth’s theory. Li Jianjun divides the rhetoric skill into two parts: macro rhetoric skill and micro rhetoric skill. Macro rhetoric skill refers to studying rhetoric skill of fiction from narrative level, such as the narrative perspective, novel structure, language characteristics and so on. While micro rhetoric features refers to the application of all kinds of figures of speech in the novel. This thesis follows suit, combining the theory of fiction of Li Jianjun with To Kill a Mockingbird, analyzing its rhetoric features.This thesis consists of three parts. The first part is an introduction, briefly introducing Harper Lee and her literary achievements, abstracting the plot summary of To Kill a Mockingbird, generalizing the previous studies on To Kill a Mockingbird at home and abroad, finally proposing the purpose, and theoretical and practical significance of this thesis.The second part is the body of the thesis, which is divided into three chapters. The first chapter is literature review. Firstly, this chapter traces the historical development of rhetoric. Secondly, it gives an introduction of the rhetoric of fiction, and further explains the previous studies on the rhetoric of fiction. In the end, on the basis of a preliminary understanding of the novel rhetoric, it presents the theoretical support of this thesis, that is, related theory of Li Jianjun’s the Study of the Rhetoric of Fiction.Chapter Two analyzes To Kill a Mockingbird from macro rhetoric skill.First of all, double line ring structure of the novel has been elaborated. Then it clarifies the first person narration from the view of children. Due to a child as a narrator, it is necessary to stand out the necessary intervention of the adult author. At last, it lists the language characteristics of the novel through concrete examples, the appropriate, plain, but humorous language features make the readers feel refreshing.Chapter Three probes into the use of figures of speech which belong to micro rhetoric features in To Kill a Mockingbird. Firstly, since rich symbolic meanings exist in the novel, symbolism is given a strong narration. In the novel, a mockingbird, fire, guns, flowers, doors, and snow, each respectively has its symbolic meanings. Then, it appears the technique of irony. Lastly, the technique of contrast is presented.The third part of this thesis draws a conclusion for the whole. This part summarizes the research results of the thesis, points out innovative significance, proposes the limitation and the problems which are still further studied, and comes up with the expectations to the readers.To analyze To Kill a Mockingbird from the perspective of the rhetoric of fiction is a new try, but it can provide a new basis for interpreting other works of Harper Lee. It is reported that Go Set a Watchman, the sequel of To Kill a Mockingbird, will be published this summer. The news gives a big surprise to the literary circles. Through the research of this thesis, the readers can have a clear clue about how to study a work from the perspective of the rhetoric of fiction. This thesis is expected to provide reference and help understand the work for the later scholars or literature lovers, and then play a role of improving English learning ability.