To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Essay Example

Due to the universality of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, many academics have analyzed this text to prove valuable points that continue to be relevant decades after the book’s initial publication. Two of these articles “The Long Life of a Mockingbird” by Chelsey Philpot and “The Female Voice in To Kill a Mockingbird: Narrative Strategies in Film and Novel” by Dean Shackelford discuss the context of the book in the modern world. Shackelford writes primarily to demonstrate that the feminist undertones of the novel have been suppressed by modern media and Philpot writes to demonstrate that there is a continuous presence of the novel in modern culture despite its popularity.

Both Philpot and Shackelford write for different audiences, which is apparent based on their style of writing and tone. It is clear that Philpot writes for the general public, since she cites celebrities and politicians to gain a connection with the audience. Furthermore, she uses simplistic wording that a majority of readers can understand. On the other hand, Shackelford’s article appears to have been published in a peer-reviewed journal, indicating that he is primarily writing for other experts in his field. Therefore, it is likely that only individuals who wish to analyze To Kill a Mockingbird or are women studies experts will read this article. As a consequence, the vocabulary is a little more challenging and sources are cited in order to demonstrate the accuracy of the information presented. As such, Shackelford makes a greater use of logos to connect to the audience by taking advantage of the academic setting, while Philpot utilizes ethos by mentioning individuals that the audience should have heard of.

Both articles are available online, but it appears that Shackelford’s article was published in print as well. Philpot’s article is primarily available online, which is evident by the advertisements that disrupt the writing. This impacts the efficacy of the later article because it is difficult to read the body content as a consequence. Furthermore, Shackelford’s essay was meant to be informative, while Philpot’s was meant to entertain. As a consequence, there is a greater degree of factual information contained within Shackelford’s essay and more opinions contained within Philpot’s. In both situations, these elements were meant to reach the unique audience for which the article was written.

While both articles are based on elements of To Kill a Mockingbird, these articles have completely different content. Philpot’s article is completely informal and meant to invoke thought and personal reflection from the reader. Meanwhile, Shackelford’s essay was written formally in order to confine with academic writing standards and meant to provoke thought that will result in either a citation in an additional academic work or an academic discussion. This reflects the design of these works as well, as Shackelford’s essay is very plain because this is the standard of academic writing, as individuals who wish to read these pieces wish to learn in an efficient manner. Philpot’s article design has more attractive font, which is used to attract the audience and keep their interest.

In conclusion, “The Long Life of a Mockingbird” by Chelsey Philpot and “The Female Voice in To Kill a Mockingbird: Narrative Strategies in Film and Novel” by Dean Shackelford have many similarities and differences. While both essays are a reflection of To Kill a Mockingbird, they have been written for diverse purposes and audiences. As a consequence, they have different content in terms of the information provided, the tone, and the design. This demonstrates that although many pieces can be written on the same topic, many diverse works can be produced.

References

Philpot, C. (2011). The long life of a mockingbird. The Horn Book Magazine, 51. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA255839739&v=2.1&u=durham_tccl&it =r&p=LitRC&sw=w&asid=b86b4198c3bdaf27ab8cbdbc85966bfc

Shackelford, D. (2005). The Female Voice in To Kill a Mockingbird: Narrative Strategies in Film and Novel. (J. W. Hunter, Ed.) Contemporary Literacy Criticism, 194, 101-113.