According to Benjamin Disraeli, "Circumstances are beyond the control of man, but his conduct is in his own power." In stating this, Benjamin means that no one has the ability to be in charge of what occurs in life. However, one does have the power to manage how he/she handles the different situations. I find this statement to be accurate because people continuously face various types of obstacles. However, it is how these incidents are manipulated that determines the outcome of them. Both the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and the tragic drama Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare prove that the critical lens is valid through the uses of characterization and conflict. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee the author uses characterization to prove that people are unable to control what happens but they can make their own decisions regarding the results of these events. Characterization is best defined as the method used by a writer to develop a character. This idea can be exemplified in the story when Atticus uses his mortality to teach his children to always do what is right even if others may disagree. Atticus is very genuine, wise and truthful. He is devoted to equality and believes that every person in Maycomb deserves a fair trial regardless of the racist and prejudiced people. Despite the insults Atticus and his family endured in the town, Atticus continued to defend the black man because he was wrongly convicted. This example of characterization supports the interpretation of the critical lens because Atticus is a just person who went out of the ordinary lifestyle in Maycomb to prove that blacks can be innocent. Therefore, it is clear in To Kill a Mockingbird that man is unable to regulate what occurs, but he can however determine the procedures of dealing with the scenarios. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee the author also uses conflict to prove that no one has the ability to control what prevails but he