In To Kill a Mockingbird, why is Dill referred to as a "pocket Merlin"?

In Chapter 1, Scout refers to Dill as a "pocket Merlin" for his creativity, eccentric plans, and various talents. Merlin was the talented wizard in the legendary tales of King Arthur. Merlin was not only a wizard, but he was also a prophet and King Arthur's advisor. Similar to the character of Merlin, Dill is a "Jack-of-all-trades," and fulfills the roles of various characters when the children are acting out plays for fun. Throughout the novel, Dill is always planning ways to view Scout's reclusive neighbor, Boo Radley. Scout mentions that Dill's plans are rather eccentric, and his fantasies were abnormally imaginative. Dill is constantly making up crazy stories to impress Jem and Scout throughout the novel. Much like Merlin, Dill believes in magic and superstition. Dill even claims to have supernatural powers such as the ability to "smell death." Scout uses the term "pocket" to describe Dill's small stature. Dill's variety of talents and unique personality earn him the name "pocket Merlin" in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird.

Who is Dill in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Charles Baker "Dill" Harris is the pint-sized member of the child threesome that also includes Jem and Scout. Dill hails from Meridian, Mississippi but comes to spend each summer in Maycomb with his Aunt Rachel, the Finches' neighbor. It is Dill who spurs the children's interest in Boo Radley, and he quickly becomes Jem's best friend--and, later, Scout's "permanent fiance." Dill is involved in most of the children's summertime adventures, boldly following Jem's lead; and, when Jem is not looking, he sneaks kisses from Scout, who clearly has fallen for her little friend.

With him, life was routine; without him, life was unbearable.  (Scout, Chapter 12)

Dill is based on author Harper Lee's own summertime neighbor and lifelong friend--the late writer Truman Capote. 

What legend is alluded to when Scout calls Dill a "pocket Merlin" in To Kill a Mockingbird?

The legend in question is that of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. One of the most memorable characters in that epic tale is Merlin the wizard.

It is summertime in Maycomb and that means playtime for the kids, with lots of opportunities for getting into all kinds of scrapes and crazy adventures. Scout and Jem are pretty imaginative when it comes to thinking up new ways to occupy themselves during those long, hot summer months, but Dill is in a different class all of his own:

Thus we came to know Dill as a pocket Merlin, whose head teemed with eccentric plans, strange longings and quaint fancies.

So says Scout. The boy clearly has a rich, imaginative fantasy world, the kind of thing that most children would find themselves being drawn to immediately. Scout's reference to "pocket Merlin" also highlights Dill's somewhat diminutive stature. He is one year older than Scout, yet she still towers over him. But what little Dill lacks in height, he more than makes up for in personality and imagination.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, who is Dill and why is he in Maycomb?

Dill Harris, who is modeled after Harper Lee's childhood friend and suspected co-author,Truman Capote, is diminutive and rather "a curiosity"as Scout remarks when she introduces him in the first chapter,

He wore blue linen shorts that buttoned to his shirt, his hair was snow white and stuck to his head like duckfluff; he was a year my senior but I towered over him....his blue eyes would lighten and darken; his laugh was sudden and happy; he habitually pulled at a cowlick in the center of his forehead. 

Dill is a sensitive boy without his father; his mother sends him on the train from Meridian, Mississippi, to stay with the Finches' neighbor, Miss Rachel, who is his aunt. With Scout and Jem, he loves to role play, and he enjoys speculating about Boo Radley. One time, he dares Jem to go on the Radley porch and leave a note for Boo, but Mr. Radley hears Jem and appears n the porch with his rifle.

In Chapter 14, Dill runs away from home and sneaks into the Finch home where he hides under the bed of Scout. He explains to the Finch children how he arrived by saying that he was first bound in chains and left in the basement by his new father, who dislikes him. Then, Dill freed himself from the chains, and he went to work for a passing animal show.

Obviously imaginative, Dill is also a very sensitive boy. When Mr. Gilmer drills Tom, accusing him of lying. As Dill begins to cry, Scout walks him out of the courtroom. Mr. Dolphus Raymond comes over and comments, "Things haven't caught up to that one's instinct yet." He notes that things will not seem right, but Dill will not cry."

"Cry about what , Mr. Raymond?" Dill asks.

"Cry about the simple hell people give other people--without even thinking. Cry about the hell white people give colored folks, without ever stopping to think that they're people, too."

Dill and Scout, then, return to the courtroom only to see Calpurnia coming after them.

What is the significance of Dill in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Dill serves several purposes in To Kill a Mockingbird. He becomes the closest friend of Jem and Scout, participating in their neighborhood antics; it is Dill's curiosity about Boo Radley that instigates the children's own interests in trying to "make Boo come out." Dill originates the idea of the Radley game, and he first dares Jem to run up and touch the Radley house. Dill also serves as Scout's love interest, becoming her "permanent fiance" and sharing secret kisses with her. It is this puppy love that stirs Scout's first feelings of burgeoning womanhood. But Dill's most important function is to illustrate the differences between how children are raised in the story. Dill comes from a dysfunctional family not unlike many of the others in the story, and his unhappiness with his parents in Meridian contrasts greatly with the Finch family: Jem and Scout have lost their mother, but Atticus's single-parenting skills creates a happy family atmosphere unequalled by any other in Maycomb. Additionally, author Harper Lee based the story on her own childhood, and Dill's character is meant to represent her own summertime neighbor, future writer Truman Capote.

What is the significance of Dill in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Dill’s broken family is significant in To Kill a Mockingbird because his lack of a father contrasts sharply with Scout and Jem’s experiences with their father Atticus. 

The Finch children are highly interested in Dill, but they do not probe the whoppers he tells.  They realize that he makes up stories because he is saddened that his father has abandoned him and his mother seems disinterested.  There are few times when the children actually push him about his father.

I asked Dill where his father was: "You ain't said anything about him."

"I haven't got one."

"Is he dead?"

"No..."

"Then if he's not dead you've got one, haven't you?" (ch 1)

Scout is confused, but Jem tells her to change the subject.  Dill’s fantastic stories about his father being an important man, like a train engineer, come out repeatedly, but the children usually don’t challenge them.

The Finch family is not an intact family either.  The children’s mother is dead.  Yet their father raises them with a curious combination of detachment and affection.  When Dill’s father never materializes, the children realize that he is a little lost.  They accept him into their family.

One of the key themes in the story is accepting people for who they are.  Dill has not yet come to terms with his lack of a father, but the Finch children support him and do not make an issue of it.

In "To Kill a Mockingbird", in what ways is Dill considered a "mockingbird"?

In To Kill a Mockingbird, the mockingbird is a symbol of innocence. Because Dill doesn’t really mature through the story as Jem and Scout do, he is, in a way, the essence of innocence.  He plays childish games such as daring Jem to touch the Radley house and creating the “Boo Radley” game. He runs away from home because he feels that he is unloved and unwanted. In chapter 19 Dill’s innocence is made apparent when he cries during Tom Robinson’s cross examination by Mr. Gilmer and has to leave the courtroom. While he and Scout are sitting outside, the reader learns that Dill is still untainted by the world of adults. He doesn’t understand why Mr. Gilmer the prosecuting attorney speaks to Tom Robinson in such a derogatory way and calls him “‘boy’ all the time and sneer[s] at him” (Lee, Chapter 19). His innocence allows him to see that what is happening to Tom Robinson isn’t right.

Other characters you could use are Scout and Jem because they are forced to grow up before they are ready. They see the side of humanity that is malevolent and unjust. Their innocent world is shattered by the verdict that the jury declares against Tom Robinson. They are forced to realize that the world is not always fair. They are forced to see that sometimes good does not win.

In "To Kill a Mockingbird", in what ways is Dill considered a "mockingbird"?

Dill is a mockingbird in a very literal sense. Mockingbirds repeat what they hear from other birds. Dill repeats what he has heard from adults in his life on a regular basis. He is always commenting with things such as "so and so says." Even though the ideas may not be his originally, Dill is essential to the plot because he introduces ideas and concepts to the core group of children.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, why are Scout and Jem intrigued by Dill?

As if dropped down from the sky, Dill (Charles Baker Harris) is from elsewhere (Meridian), that is outside the framework of Maycomb, the only source of experience Scout and Jem have ever known. Dill  knows city life, has even been to the movies and seen "Dracula," and seems very worldy-wise in comparison to the small town life Scout and Jem have always known.

Dill is also unconventional in that his mother has only recently married and that he was born out of wedlock.  He no longer feels he has his rightful place in her life and later even runs away from home, only to appear under Jem's bed back in Maycomb (where he spends his summer vacation with his Aunt Rachael). Dill is insecure and often lonely as an only child growing up in a recomposed family unit, but Jem and Scout see only the advantages of a child "enjoying" less parental control than themselves.(Remember, they've not only got Atticus but Capurnia and Aunt Alexandra as well.) In a way they covet his freedom, in a Huckleberry Finn kind of way.

Dill also has the gift of gab - since he has a ready audience with Jem and Scout, he spruces up his story with whoppers, especially to dissimulate the fact that he is fatherless (and also an illegitimate child). The children soon realize that Dill's bombastic tales are just his way of getting the attention he needs, and they come to value more the paternal care of Atticus, a stable man and a loving father.

Who is the author of To Kill a Mockingbird described as Dill?

Last year Oprah Magazine ran an interview with Harper Lee.  It was interesting in all the details she spoke of and she somewhat admitted that Dill was truely based on a childhood friend of heres.  Dill was a character who was from Mississippi.  He spent his summers in Maycomb.  He became friends with Jem and Scout.  Because Harper Lee and Truman Capote grew up together and were close friends, many critics seem to think that Dill was patterned after Truman Capote.

What is Dill's goal in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird?

Dill from To Kill a Mockingbird is mentioned right at the beginning of chapter one when Scout, the narrator, remembers the events of the summer that she and Jem became friends with Dill.  Dill is from out of town and is just visiting his aunt, the Finches' neighbor, Rachel Haverford.  He tries to find a way to impress his new friends, and even Jem is moved to a certain level of respect for this "right puny" boy when Dill mentions having watched Dracula. His friends soon recognize his "eccentric plans, strange longings, and quaint fancies." 

The three children are fascinated by the stories of Boo Radley, but it is Dill who dares Jem to knock on the Radleys front door. Dill says that he has "never seen such scary folks as the ones in Maycomb." Although Jem is older, there is a friendly rivalry between the boys, and Jem feels duty-bound to prove Dill wrong. Dill does not set out to get the better of Jem, and the reader sees this because Dill even makes a concession, telling Jem simply to touch the house instead of knocking on the door.

This is one example of Dill's good nature and spirited curiosity. Although he lies and stretches the truth, his main aim is to be accepted for who he is. Although there are times when he exaggerate and takes risks, there is no malice. He may fear rejection, but his lies reveal his innocence, and his intentions are pure. As mentioned above, when Dill sees Jem's reluctance to knock on the Radleys' door, he adjusts his dare to a more acceptable challenge. 

This is very different from Bob Ewell's need to lie to save a reputation he does not have in the first place. The Ewells have always lived on the periphery of Maycomb society, and they contrast sharply with Dill when it comes to the means they use to secure a place in that society. Initially, Mayella's needs are also based on her desire for acceptance, even from an abusive father. However, unlike Dill, she is prepared to allow her lies to cause harm to others, something Dill doesn't do.

What is Dill's role in "To Kill a Mockingbird"?

In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, Dill serves as the close friend and part-time neighbor of the protagonist, Scout Finch, and her brother, Jem. Dill offers much needed outside perspective on the town of Maycomb since he spends only summers there. His innocence brings to light the town's racism and the flawed nature of the judicial system (particularly in the actions and words of the prosecutor) during the trial of Tom Robinson. Dill is also a potential romantic interest, albeit a naive one, for Scout, with whom he discusses having a future with and even proposes to. 

Additionally, Dill gets both Jem and Scout interested in the mysterious Boo Radley, who they wish to see emerge from his house and shed his reclusive nature. It is Dill who first gives the children the idea of making Boo "come out."

In To Kill a Mockingbird, what does the character Dill bring to the book?

As you may already know, Harper Lee based the character of Dill on her old childhood friend, Truman Persons, who later became known in the literary world as Truman Capote. Capote, like Dill, stayed summers next door to Lee in her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama (the town that Maycomb is based upon). There are many parallels between the two characters. Both Capote and Dill are small and come from broken homes--loners with vivid imaginations. Capote began writing at an early age, and Dill comes to Maycomb armed with many wild tales that thrill both Jem and Scout. Dill serves as Scout's first love, and his curiosity about Boo Radley spurs the other children's interest in getting a peek at the mysterious phantom. Dill also serves as one of the book's human mockingbirds, an innocent child who is neglected by his parents and is forced to endure emotional distress at an early age. Dill is clearly more upset at some of the events he witnesses than the Finch children. He decides that Boo must stay inside his house because it is a safer haven than the outside world. He leaves the courthouse in tears because of Tom Robinson's treatment at the hands of the prosecutor. Dill, like Dolphus Raymond, has seen his share of hell in the world, so he decides that he will become a clown one day,

"... a new kind of clown. I'm gonna stand in the middle of the ring and laugh at the folks."

In To Kill a Mockingbird, what does the character Dill bring to the book?

The children first come to know Dill as the character who lives next door sometimes, and is worth learning about. In this regard, Dill helps represent the microcosm of society that groups of young children can be. In all societies, those who are lesser in some way, try to work up to being something more. Dill portrays this as he is significantly shorter than Jem and is trying to prove that he is something more. In my opinion, this is why he feels the need to lie. It is the way he compensates for being shipped around from relative to relative.

This same effort comes from Mayella Ewell in her effort to grow flowers, it comes from Bob Ewell in his effort to sue a Negro just to clear his own name from possible suspicion regarding his daughter's injuries, and we see it in the woman at Calpurnia's church who tries to push her weight around when some white children attend her church. People compensate for their perceived weaknesses.

Another contribution Dill brings to the story is the innocence of a child. His illness in the courtroom helps us see beyond the Finch children who are somewhat immune to courtroom banter that can be hurtful to a human of another race. Dill's innocence will not allow him to yet see color like an adult. Jem and Scout are not racist, but they understand Mr. Glimer's ways. Without Dill, readers would have had no need for Mr. Dolphus Raymond's explanation of the way he lives in chapter 20.

In the first chapter of To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee described Dill as a "pocket merlin." What is the meaning and significance of this description?

In the referenced line in To Kill a Mockingbird, by calling Dill “a pocket merlin,” Scout means that he is so imaginative that he seems almost magical. She states that “we came to know Dill as a pocket Merlin,” with “we” referring to her and her brother Jem. She says that Dill’s head was over-filled “with eccentric plans, strange longings and quaint fancies.” The word “pocket” refers to Dill’s small stature as well as his closeness to the Finch children. Dill is readily available to provide fantastic stories. Beyond dreaming up his own plans, he is always read to help both Scout and Jem carry out their plans.

Merlin was not only the most accomplished magician of King Arthur’s time, he was a trusted advisor to the king. Referring to Dill as a merlin also indicates his loyalty to the Finch children.

Using this allusion also indicates that the young Scout was familiar with the Arthurian legends. As a child in the 1930s, she would probably have read about Merlin in Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur, perhaps in the J. M. Dent version edition illustrated by Aubrey Beardsley, which was published in 1893 and re-released in 1927. Arthurian tales were also popularized in the late 19th century through Alfred Lord Tennyson's Idylls of the King.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, why is Dill considered a mockingbird?

As is made clear throughout the book, mockingbirds are characterized by innocence and purity. That is why, in the words of Miss Maudie, it is considered such a sin to kill them. Dill definitely falls into the category of a mockingbird as he doesn't really mature, remaining in his original state of innocence throughout the story. There are a number of examples in the book to illustrate this point. As well as running away from home because he doesn't feel loved and appreciated by his parents Dill also likes playing childish games such as the Boo Radley game, which he invented.

Dill's status as one of life's mockingbirds is also much in evidence during the trail of Tom Robinson, who, like Boo Radley, is himself one of Maycomb's resident mockingbirds. Dill cannot understand why the prosecuting attorney Mr. Gilmer uses such derogatory language towards Tom and sneers at him during his ruthless cross-examination. Dill is so upset by such blatantly unfair treatment that he actually bursts into tears.

Unlike Scout and Jem, who are gradually becoming more and more mature due to their deepening acquaintance with the adult world, Dill remains in a state of mockingbird-like innocence, hopelessly confused and unable to make sense of a world that seems so terribly unfair.