Question

How does Harper lee create dramatic tension in the court room

Answer 1

The mood and atmosphere to the trial is really built up over many chapters. Before the trial every begins we see the bigotry of the town as well as the humanity in a small handful of characters. So, when the trail finally takes place the mood and atmosphere is tense with a touch of somber resignation. I say this because deep down the reader, like Atticus, knows that the trial will not go well. The jury is made up of a bunch of older white men who cannot see past their set ways. The court is full of people, “We knew there was a crowd, but we had not bargained for the multitudes in the first floor hallway”. The blacks and the whites are segregated and Scout and Jem get to sit in the black section. Lee sets the symbolism and the tone for the trial perfectly.