《杀死一只知更鸟》ESSAY
To Kill a Mockingbird – Metaphor Essay A tall and sturdy tree stands strong on an isolated hill, shrugging off the pounding rain and snow as if the rain were merely a pat on a shoulder.This description relies on figurative language, and authors often compare strong willed and determined characters, using metaphors in order to reveal their important traits.In her novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee vividly presents Atticus Finch, one of the novel’s protagonists, as a man of wisdom and integrity.Readers can also employ metaphors to analyze a character more fully.If Atticus Finch were an object in nature, he would be a tree because of his calmness, willingness to give, and strength of identity. One important characteristic that Atticus and trees both share is their calmness.Trees are calm because they are motionless.No matter what the circumstance is, whether it is a flock of birds resting on a branch or an incoming storm, trees can always maintain their straight and calm “posture”.Similar to a tree, Atticus is also calm and he demonstrates it through the novel.One example is the Tom Robinson case.Atticus knew from the start of taking the case, it was not likely to succeed.He even told uncle Jack: “’It couldn’t be much worse, Jack.The only thing we’ve got is a black man’s word against the Ewells’.The evidence boils down to you did – I didn’t.The jury couldn’t possibly be expected to take Tom Robinson’s word against the Ewells’’” (Lee 88).Yet Atticus was able to keep his straight face in such an underwhelming situation, and tried his best to prove Tom Robinson’s innocence.Furthermore, during the trial of Tom Robinson, while facing hundreds of critics and angry citizens, Atticus did not show a hint of nervousness or fear.At a situation where many people would crumble down with nervousness, Atticus was able to keep his cool and continue the trial as if he had it all under control: “Slowly but surely, I began to see the pattern of Atticus’s questions: from questions that Mr. Gilmer did not dream sufficiently irrelevant or immaterial to object to, Atticus was quietly building up before the jury a picture of the Ewells home life” (Lee 182).Atticus was able to stay calm throughout the trial and use his intelligence to bring out the Ewell’s false story.Another example of Atticus’s calmness is how he dealt with Bob Ewell’s threats.After the trial, Bob Ewell acted immaturely and spat on Atticus for defending Tom Robinson.However, Atticus did not show any signs of anger and humorously remarked: “‘I wish Bob Ewell wouldn’t chew tobacco’” (Lee 217).Atticus even explained to Jem and Scout the reasoning behind Bob Ewell’s actions.In conclusion, Atticus and a tree both showed their calmness by being able to face difficulties and challenges. Another characteristic that Atticus and a tree both share is their willingness to give.Trees are one of the main sources of oxygen.Without trees, humans would not be able to inhabit this planet.Yet, not only do we humans not appreciate what trees have provided for us, we cut down 3 billion – 6 billion trees every year (Ram).Just like a tree, Atticus’s justice and well mannered acts are also not appreciated. Atticus accepted the Tom Robinson case with intentions of justice and equality. However the citizens of Maycomb only saw the part of Atticus defending a colored man and criticized him throughout the novel. Even Walter Cunningham, a client of Atticus’s, who received Atticus’s help and generosity, decided to back stab him for defending Tom Robinson. In fact, many citizens also called Atticus a “niger lover” for accomplishing something they are too afraid to do. Francais Hanlock – Atticus’s nephew said to Scout: “‘If Uncle Atticus lets you run around with stray dogs, that’s his own business, like Grandma says, so it ain’t your fault.I guess it aint your fault if Atticus is a nigger lover...’” (Lee 83).However, Atticus never said a word of regret or anger because he believes what he is doing is right.This is exactly what Miss. Maudie stated: “‘there are some men in this world who were born to do our unpleasant jobs for us.Your father's one of them’“(Lee 215).Atticus was the man who did the unpleasant job for Maycomb County, yet he was willing to make sacrifices for the benefits of the Maycomb citizens.In brief, Atticus and a tree both are both willing to give, because they make self sacrifices for the good of people around them. Finally, apart from being calm and willing to give, Atticus and a tree also share a strong identity.Trees have roots that go up to 10 meters (Urban) and they can stay rooted to the ground during violent windstorms and rain.Trees can also survive harsh weather and climate changes.Similar to a tree, Atticus is also strong.First of all, Atticus showed his strong will by taking on the Tom Robinson case in a society where racism and discrimination is everywhere.Furthermore, during the period where Atticus took the case, Atticus revieved many threats and criticism, Maycomb farmers surprisingly formed a mob against him. Yet Atticus ignored them and continued to do what he believes is right, even if it means standing up to society.In addition to being strong minded, Atticus is also strong on the outside.In the scene of the mad dog, Atticus surprised everyone by showing how great a shooter he is.No one expected Atticus to be a man with such a hidden talent, they thought of him as just a book smart person.Yet Atticus’s precision and skillfulness with a rifle: “With movements so swift they seemed simultaneous…” (Lee 96), Proved the Maycomb citizens wrong.Overall Atticus’s strong mind and talents show that he is strong like a tree. To conclude, Atticus is like a tree because of his calmness, willingness to give and his strong will.By comparing Atticus to a tree, readers now have a deeper understanding of his character traits and roles in the story.Harper Lee portrayed Atticus the man to do the unpleasant job in To Kill a Mockingbird, yet while “soaking up” all the “rain and snow” for the citizens of Maycomb, Atticus did not forget his role of a loving and caring father to Jem and Scout.Through the character of Atticus, Harper Lee showed readers an example of an honourable man.Lee also showed us that being courageous and standing up to your beliefs will earn the respect of other people in the end.In this modern society where many man are too afraid to stand up to the rules of society, Lee presented Atticus Finch, a role model to this modern world. 我儿子（十年级）的一篇作文，老师还没有评语，就是有，也是寥寥几个字。 太长，语言不够简练。
写得真好，仰望一下！ 写作是儿子的弱项，一直没有给儿子请过老师特别补习过，我也在考虑是不是要请一个老师，我们这里每小时40加元，相当于国内200人民币一小时。 把儿子的这篇作文给我们这里搞英语培训的一个中国朋友看看，她原先在国内是大学的英语教研组组长，大学英语老师，我对儿子的作文看不出水平高低。
她说，找老师是景上添花，不找也不会差。 真好 谢谢整理
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