To Kill a Mockingbird

Most readers find Dill interesting but feel sorry for him.

a) What are your feelings about him? Explain.

b) What is Dill's function as a character in this novel?

Chapters 12-15

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Dill is a good kid. He is extroverted in a nice way and quickly fits in with the Finch kids. I think that Dill functions as sort of a bridge between the oppressive outer world and the secure enlightened world that the Finch kids live in with Atticus. Dill's background has already given him experience in being let down. His mother and Stepfather give him things but seldom spend time with him. Thus we see Dill helping Scout and Jem manoeuvre through the darker side of human nature that pops up during the trial. He is a cushion against the realities of ignorance and hatred. Scout and Jem are able to bounce ideas off him that are foreign to them. In turn, the Finch kids offer Dill the friendship and stability which he so longs for.