Important events foreshadow changes in the natural order of things. Discuss in detail at least three ways that the natural order of things is...

Harper Lee does several things to foreshadow the change Maycomb is going to experience through the dominant events, the trial of Tom Robinson and the attack of Jem and Scout.  Some of the devices Harper uses to foreshadow are more literary, while other events are more focused on the building of the story to a climactic end.

Here are a few literary examples and major events that foreshadow the upheaval that suspends the normal life...

Harper Lee does several things to foreshadow the change Maycomb is going to experience through the dominant events, the trial of Tom Robinson and the attack of Jem and Scout.  Some of the devices Harper uses to foreshadow are more literary, while other events are more focused on the building of the story to a climactic end.

Here are a few literary examples and major events that foreshadow the upheaval that suspends the normal life and times of Maycomb.

• The rabid dog.  The rabid dog, Tom Johnson, is a symbol of the disease that is infecting Maycomb.  He represents racism.  By having the event of the rabid dog come into town and by having Atticus shoot the dog, Lee is showing the possible change that will occur in Maycomb through the values associated with Atticus.


• The change in weather.  When the temperature plummets and snow falls in Maycomb, it signals and foreshadows a darker tone to the story.  No longer is To Kill a Mockingbird a story about children playing and wondering about the recluse, Boo Radley.  The novel becomes more serious with the arrest and trial of Tom Robinson.


• The fire at Miss Maudie’s.  Miss Maudie’s elegant, southern Victorian house symbolizes the Old South and the institutions of racism that dominate Maycomb.  Although Miss Maude is not a symbol of racism, the fire that destroys her home demonstrates the dying of the old ways of prejudice and racism.  Miss Maudie is happy that her house burns down, for she can live happier in a smaller home surrounded by her garden.  She can symbolically start a new life.


• The lynch mob.  The lynch mob represents the extent to which racism rules the citizens of Maycomb.  It also foreshadows the possible outcome of Tom Robinson’s trial.  Because racism is so embedded in Maycomb, the chance of Tom’s acquittal is pretty low.  The lynch mob foreshadows the tragic end of Tom Robinson and shows how the sleepy, dusty town of Maycomb will be changed forever. 

All of these events could also foreshadow the attack of Jem and Scout by Bob Ewell because as a result of Atticus’ stance to defend Tom Robinson, Ewell feels that he and Mayella have been disrespected causing him to seek revenge. 

The devices and events that unravel in the book show Harper Lee’s attempt to foreshadow the change in Maycomb to come.