Analysis of Racism Theme (Many of these statements require no gloss – they speak for themselves.) Ch. example 1 Sheriff hadn't the heart to put him [Arthur] in jail alongside Negroes. comment 5 "three-fourths Coloured folks" i.e. imagination, lies etc. 6 "Mr Radley shot a Negro in his collard patch. … Scared him pale … a white nigger." Ironically, it was Jem in the garden; the assumption is that all crime is committed by Blacks. 9 Atticus "defends niggers..."; "...licked 100 years before we start" ; "Maycomb's usual disease" # family opposition to Atticus is expressed through Francis 10 Calpurnia knocks at the Radley door. "She's supposed to go around in back." Negroes are socially second-class – Scout does not question this, it is so ingrained. 11 Mrs Dubose: first adult opposition: "niggers and trash" Part 2: theme intensifies 12 Cal's church: children accepted by all Negroes except one - Lula is prejudiced against them some balance – racism on both sides Cal suits her language to the situation Negroes show dignity and community spirit attractive - a little idealised? Helen can't get work – result of white backlash guilt by association – not just a racist response 14 children hear comments against Atticus; Aunt Alexandra expresses her opposition to Atticus 15 lynch mob: Scout shames the men - parallels KKK support from Underwood who "despises Negroes" one of a few examples showing another side 16 Aunt Alexandra equates Negroes with children: "Don't talk like that in front of them [Cal]" cf. Atticus who treats children as rational beings 16 Trial: Negroes wait for the whites; segregated seating - children quite happy to sit with Negroes whites shocked at Tom's expressed sympathy for Mayella 20 Dolphus Raymond: community accepts his living with Negroes because he 'drinks' money can allow things not available to others "Cry about the hell white people give coloured folks, without even stopping to think that they're people too." 21 case lost but length of time till verdict = "a baby step" 23 "… you'll see white men cheat black men every day… – whenever a white man does that to a black man… that white man is trash." 24 Missionary circle's hypocrisy: charity to Mrunas but not to local Negroes. They "forgive" Helen – and ignore Mayella; Atticus is "misguided" only Miss Maudie and Aunt Alexandra not hypocrites Scout's naïve assumption that it is Mayella who needs forgiveness and guidance # Tom shot: he lost faith in white man's justice "The handful of people who say fair play is not marked White Only... who say fair trial is for everyone... the handful of people with background." (Miss Maudie) 25 'two day story... typical of a nigger to cut and run...' editorial: sin to kill cripples and songbirds explicit linking of Tom with title of novel '…in the secret courts of men's hearts, Atticus had no case. Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed.' 26 Hitler and Jews - Germans are prejudiced but we live in a democracy. Jews – "They're white, aren't they?" Miss Gates another hypocrite – had expressed a complaint earlier about Blacks "getting above themselves. Theme Notes The theme of racial prejudice dominates Part 2 but is not prominent in Part 1. Other significant issues include social status and the damage class does the inadequacy of the education system having sympathy for other's viewpoints family life "It's a sin to kill a mockingbird." childhood and growing up "the simple hell people give other people" what real courage is the need to respect others we fear what we don't know or understand the need to learn self-control and tolerance sex-defined roles and their limitations social stratification causes prejudice, family pride, hypocrisy, class Arthur Radley suffers from his father's pride stories in town; he is feared by children and Negroes (all a result of ignorance) missionary circle: Miss Stephanie, Mrs Merriweather Aunt Alexandra: good and bad of family pride childhood and growing up; the end of innocence children are innocent and good, and open-minded (though Francis and Cecil parrot adult ideas and attitudes) "seems that only children weep" "… maybe we need a police force of children" "If you'd been on the jury and eleven other boys like you, Tom would be a free man…" Importance of development and upbringing: loss of innocence is not shown to be negative (as in so much literature) but a positive development of tolerance and self-control. At the start, Scout's world is safe, secure, limited to the boundaries of her immediate neighbourhood; she is confident that the way things are done in her home is not just the right way, but the only way. Dill - from a broken home - gives a hint of a variety of experiences beyond these narrow horizons. at school she learns other people do things differently – and sometimes it is necessary to compromise in order to get along. the complexity of human motivation: Mayella Ewell is more pitiful than hateful possible to do the right thing for unexpected reasons - Mr Underwood does not like blacks and is a mean-spirited person in general, yet he alone helps Atticus during his vigil at the jail. by the final chapters, Scout has learned that good and justice do not necessarily triumph every time. The harmless can become victims through no fault of their own. families Several different relationships between parents and children are shown can cause loneliness, even mistreatment: Dill, Arthur, Mayella Atticus is criticised for the way he brings up his children yet his family is the most attractive and whole of all those shown. Even Alexandra expresses in the end her support for her brother. Atticus: "Sometimes I think I'm a total failure as a parent, but I'm all they've got". real courage Atticus, Mrs Dubose, Miss Maudie, Jem and Scout all show courage children learn that real courage is often quiet and private and not necessarily obvious and physical "I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you are licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what." respect for the sanctity of life sympathy for all living creatures - Atticus won't use a gun; faces his community for Tom It is a crime to destroy the innocent: Boo, Tom moral awareness need for conscience – shown through Atticus; Miss Maudie: "We trust him to do right." also through Mr Underwood, Jem goes with integrity: Atticus and his treatment of Mayella, Calpurnia, Walter Cunningham – he "is the same in his house as he is on the public streets." [5] need for tolerance of others, compassion and understanding: respect, tolerance, innate courtesy is exemplified by Atticus illustrated in his treatment of Walter Cunninghams, Mrs Dubose, Mayella, Arthur Radley, Dill is reinforced by Miss Maudie who shares the same qualities need of all humans for love There are several outcasts in Maycomb society, all lonely and tragic in their own way. Dill, Boo Radley, Mayella Ewell, Tom Robinson, Dolphus Raymond. sex-defined roles and their limitations Scout is haunted throughout by the looming shadow of having to become a 'lady' apart from Calpurnia and Miss Maudie, the other women are shown in a largely negative light as she sees them only seeing the courage and dignity of Aunt Alexandra and Miss Maudie at the missionary circle tea suggests to her that there may be some value in behaving like a lady 'pink penitentiary' compassion This is the key lesson the children learn from Atticus. "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." [3] Walter Cunningham, Miss Caroline, Mayella, Aunt Alexandra, Boo Radley "… you children last night made Walter Cunningham stand in my shoes for a minute. That was enough." [16] Themes are developed through parallels: the Tom and Boo plots + the mockingbird symbol Boo and Dill Tom and Jem both have damaged left arms Miss Maudie and the Black community both provide food for the Finches after the trial same language used for the shooting of the mad dog and the delivering of the verdict and contrasts: Mayella and Scout Scout and Francis Atticus and Alexandra and Jack Atticus and Bob Ewell irony: the missionary circle, Dolphus Raymond; the tragic irony of Ewell's threats against Atticus symbolism: the mockingbird, the mad dog, The Grey Ghost etc Mockingbirds do no harm; they simply sing. To kill them is senseless and represents the destruction of innocence. Themes: Three ideas developed Three main ideas run through the novel: education, courage and prejudice. The importance of education to Atticus and his children is made clear in the first chapter when Jem tells Dill that Scout has known how to read "since she was born". Atticus reads to the children from newspapers and magazines as if they are adults who can understand issues at his level. By the time Scout attends her first day of school she is highly literate, far surpassing the other children in the classroom and frustrating her teacher whose task it is to teach her students according to a predetermined plan. It soon becomes clear why Atticus thinks education is so important. During his closing arguments Atticus explicitly acknowledges the ignorance blinding people's minds and hearts: "the witnesses for the state… have presented themselves to you gentlemen… in the cynical confidence that their testimony would not be doubted, confident that you gentlemen would go along with them on the… evil assumption… that all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are basically immoral beings, that all Negro men are not to be trusted around our women, an assumption one associates with minds of their calibre." [20] Education is the key to unlocking the ignorance that causes such prejudice. Jem begins to understand this lesson when he wonders whether family status could be based more on education than on bloodlines. The children learn powerful lessons from Atticus regarding courage and cowardice. Early in the novel, we learn that Atticus does not approve of guns, that courage is not a man with a gun. He sends Jem to read for Mrs Dubose who struggles to beat her morphine addiction before she dies. He wants to show that true courage is "when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what" [11]. Atticus refuses to carry a gun to protect Tom Robinson from angry farmers and refuses to carry a gun to protect himself from Bob Ewell. But bravery runs deeper than the decision to not carry a gun. Atticus shows great courage when he takes Tom's case knowing that the town would turn against him and his children. Jem shows bravery when he refuses to leave his father's side during the showdown with the lynch mob at the jail. And Scout learns that it takes more courage to turn away and not fight when people antagonise her. The most important theme is that of prejudice in all of its forms. Three types of prejudice - race, class, and sex are integrated into both the novel and into the society of Maycomb. Together, they create a graphic picture of a restrictive society that prefers to cling blindly to what has always been, rather than to change its ways and accept change and progress. With the Tom Robinson case, Lee's characters deal with racial prejudice head on. The novel abounds with references to black men as "niggers" and "boys"; black people occupy the lowest class level of Maycomb's rigid caste structure. The fact that Atticus knows he has no chance of winning his case because Tom is black is the most explicit indicator of deeprooted racism. His closing argument [20] clearly articulates his – and Harper Lee's - views on racism. Although the entire town subscribes to traditional gender roles and class distinctions, Aunt Alexandra is central in reinforcing these notions. She believes that because the Finch family comes from a long line of landowners who have been in the county for generations, they deserve greater respect than others and they must comport themselves according to their status. She does not mix with those not of the same social class, and refuses permission for Scout to visit Cal's home and to invite Walter Cunningham to lunch. Atticus, by contrast, urges his children to sympathise with others and to "walk in their skin" before they judge or criticise. The expected behaviour of Southern womanhood is illustrated by the gossiping and hypocritical missionary circle, and by the Miss Stephanies and the Miss Rachels, the latter a secret drinker. The commonsense Miss Maudie is the exception, but she often keeps silent rather than contradict or condemn her own sex. Scout suffers acutely from the stereotypes imposed upon her because of the rigid gender rules that govern southern life. She hates wearing dresses and finds any accusation that she is "acting like a girl" highly objectionable. She sees little to look forward to in the expected behaviour of an adult woman, though Miss Maudie is presented as an ideal worth aspiring to. However, there is little suggestion that there is any real alternative for her. Both Jem and Scout go on an odyssey that entails a loss of innocence but rewards them with experience, knowledge and a level of maturity on their journey towards adulthood; their rite of passage is completed by their survival of the attempt on their lives by Bob Ewell. By the end, they have survived Ewell, have confronted the moral evil of the town successfully, and Scout, like Jem earlier, has come to the mature realisation that Arthur Radley is a bashful human being and not a monster or a 'malevolent phantom' as she had supposed him to be. The rite of passage is complete. Loss of innocence is an archetypal theme in literature and art – but one which Lee turns on its head: here, loss of innocence is positive, because the two children gain a positive moral outlook, a tolerance for all races, a humanistic attitude, and a general faith in the underlying benevolence of humanity. Structure and Point of View Point of View is the term used for who tells the story. Novels and short stories scan be told in the third person (he, she) or in the first (autobiographical, using 'I'). They can be told from the POV of a central character or that one on the edge of the story, not involved but reporting what is happening. What is the POV of this novel? What is significant about the way it is used? What are the advantages and disadvantages of using this POV? The autobiographical POV of this novel is particularly interesting. Scout is the narrator, but she tells the story from a dual perspective: mostly she is the naïve child, reporting more than she understands; but sometimes she is the adult looking back on events she now understands better than she did at the time. Her vocabulary is a mixture of the child's and the adult's. For much of the story, especially the Tom Robinson plot, she is on the edge, more observer than participant, and only marginally affected by it, until she is rudely pulled into the centre by Ewell. The author's decision to use a child to tell the story is a very important element in the novel. On the one hand, Scout is particularly advanced for her age, and is very sensitive to most aspects of life. At the same time she is too young to be aware of all the complexities of the adult world, so that many of the things she reports have meaning for the reader even though Scout herself does not understand them. She has no comprehension of the complex web of sexual fears and racial prejudice that made so many white Southerners recoil in horror at the very idea of sexual contact between a white woman and a black man. It is not even clear that Scout ever understands what rape is, even though she claims to. The injustice of the trial and conviction take on an added degree of incongruity simply because it is presented through the innocent eyes of a young girl. As narrator, she offers no overt social criticism, though it is implied in the manner in which the story is told, and through the questions she asks Jem and Atticus. Scout's sense of justice is basic and fundamental; her view of right and wrong is not modified by social prejudice. So by choosing Scout as the narrator, Lee is able to add an extra ironic level to her narration by having an innocent person report a terrible social injustice in simple and naive terminology. The inability of the narrator to understand the injustice of Tom's conviction reflects the enlightened outsider's perception of justice being destroyed by prejudice. And by choosing to present the events of Tom Robinson's trial through Scout's eyes, Harper Lee also seems to be saying that analysis of the roots of racism and sexual fears and insecurity would be a waste of time, since they are not the main issue. The main issue is one of simple justice, which Scout, in her innocence, can see. Structure Harper Lee originally set out to write a collection of short stories, and the novel could be criticised for seeming at times to be more like a collection of episodes loosely strung together than a cohesive novel. Some chapters and parts of chapters in the first part could be lifted out of the pages of the book and read as stories in their own right - for example, the story of Atticus and the mad dog, or the chapter dealing with the death of Mrs Dubose – though this can also be done with many other novels. On the other hand, she has skilfully woven together the tales of Boo Radley and Tom Robinson, so that the two plots parallel and complement each other, and are linked by a web of motifs and symbols, as well as by setting and character. The novel is divided into two parts. In the shorter Part One, Scout, Jem, and Dill are absorbed in childish games and fantasies. In Part Two, they are forced to face more serious situations. Many events in the early part of the novel, which at the time seemed merely amusing, foreshadow something that occurs later on. For example, Scout's meeting with the Cunningham and Ewell boys in the first grade prepares for the later encounter with the adult members of these families During the first part, Lee constructs a sweet and affectionate portrait of growing up in the vanished world of small town Alabama. Then she undermines her portrayal of small town gentility, dismantling the sweet façade to reveal a rotten, rural underside filled with social lies, prejudice, and ignorance. No one in the novel is completely good or evil; every character is human, with human flaws and weaknesses. Lee even renders Atticus, the paragon of morality, symbolically weak by making him an older and widowed man, with poor eyesight, rather than young and virile. And even Atticus makes mistakes. Symbols and Motifs Motifs tend to be related to themes: that it is a 'sin to kill a mockingbird'. This motif gives the novel its name, and is also the device by which the two plot elements are unified – both Boo Radley and Tom Robinson can be seen as the mockingbirds of the title. the idea of standing in another person's shoes and trying to see things from that person's viewpoint. The Grey Ghost Significant Symbols Mockingbird - represents innocence. Like hunters who kill mockingbirds for sport, people kill innocence and the innocent without thought. The mockingbird motif is mentioned five times: when Atticus gives Jem and Scout air guns for Christmas, he tells them not to kill mockingbirds. Miss Maudie confirms this. when B.B. Underwood writes about Tom Robinson's death in his column. a mockingbird sings before Bob Ewell attacks Jem and Scout. Scout agrees with Atticus that publicising Boo's rescue of them would be like killing a mockingbird. Boo Radley - represents fear of the unknown. Small town folks fear that if they act eccentric and fail to adhere to social rules they too will end up like Boo, isolated and remembered as a grotesque monster. This fear supports the social status quo and keeps individuals from standing up for that which they believe. Until people can understand and accept Boo, as Scout does at the end of the book, they will always be stuck in a world filled with fear, lies, and ignorance. Tom Robinson - with his withered arm symbolises the crippled powerlessness of the black community. His injury is much more than just one man's disfigurement; it is not just Tom on trial, but an entire system of injustice. Through Tom, the legal and social rights of the entire community are called into question. Tom's injury, therefore, represents the injury of all the people he epitomises. Guns - represent false strength. Atticus points out that guns do not prove manhood or bravery, which come from a person's ability to persevere and fight using wits, heart, and character. Neighbours use and venerate guns to the detriment of developing their own personal strength. The Grey Ghost - echoes Boo Radley. In this book, the character of Stoner's Boy is blamed for things he did not do, and is eventually exonerated. the snowman Jem and Scout use dirt and snow to build a snowman. The dark soil symbolises black people; snow symbolises whites. Without soil, they cannot build the snowman because there isn't enough snow; by using both soil and snow, they were able to accomplish their goal. The suggestion is clear - the more we work together, the more we'll accomplish. the house fire that burns down Miss Maudie's house and melts the snowman represents the moral outrage and fear of racial mixing, and also stands for the community's fiery stance on such a thing existing the mad dog - the madness of racism that exists Maycomb, made explicit in the language used to describe the shooting and the trial verdict. When the mad dog appears, it confines the entire (white) neighbourhood to their homes, just as bigotry confines people. Atticus is relied on to shoot it, just as he is relied on to try to 'shoot' the madness of racism – except, and the imagery confirms this, they send him out without ammunition the second time. trees - traditionally symbolise safety and sanctuary, and do so here. The tree in the Radley's yard allows the children a harmless and secure means of communicating with Arthur Radley, and their rescue from the murderous hands of Bob Ewell comes under the same oak tree. the red geraniums in Mayella Ewell's yard symbolise her attempts to escape the confines of her 'white trash' situation. The Ewell yard is a junkyard, but she tries to make it look better. The red geraniums are a symbol of hope, of trying to improve. They can also be taken to represent the basic goodness of humanity, even when surrounded by corruption and evil. the white camellia - white as purity is a traditional symbol. Mrs Dubose's white camellias are her pride and joy. When it is revealed that she has been addicted to morphine, her pride in one of the only pure things in her life falls neatly into place: the flowers represent the purity she herself cannot achieve until later, by which time Jem has already cut them down. Another interpretation is that the whiteness of the flowers represents the racism on the behalf of the whites; this Jem is not attacking flowers, but racism. The scenes where Jem must work to rebuild the destroyed plants show that racism is deeply seated and insidious, and will require more than rash actions to remove. As Mrs Dubose says, Thought you could kill my Snow-on-the-Mountain, did you? Well Jessie says the top's growing back out. Next time you'll know how to do it right, won't you? You'll pull it up by the roots, won't you? The message applying to racism is clear; Jem and Scout, however, are the effective ‘roots' of the society they will eventually inherit, and so by simply becoming tolerant and open-minded Jem and Scout will ‘uproot' the problem of racism. Names The names of some of the characters are profoundly symbolic, with interesting Greek origins: - Atticus most likely refers to Attica (or that area of Greece ruled directly by Athens), associated (not always accurately) with democracy, rationality and civilisation. - Heck Tate refers directly to Hector from The Iliad, bringer of justice - Dolphus recalls the dolphin mythology of Dionysus (who also connects to Dolphus through the parallel of alcohol) - the word Ewell visually evokes the word evil These mythological aspects of the novel transform the characters from mere residents of the small Southern town of Maycomb, Alabama, into archetypal figures whose roles become significant through the invocation of their namesakes. The Novel as a Whole Characters What is the function in the novel of Jem His character is able to extend the impact of the very young and naïve narrator, by showing via Scout how a slightly older, pre-adolescent reacts to the same events that Scout reports so objectively. As well, his maturing from boyhood to young manhood subtly parallels the changes taking place in the South. His progress reflects the developing Southern attitudes toward the central issue of racial prejudice. At the beginning of the novel, he is spirited and carefree; during the second p[art, both Jem and the story undergo a profound change. As the Tom Robinson plot is developed, Jem becomes a more serious and moody character who carefully observes the trial. His confidence that Tom will be acquitted and his bitter disappointment at the unfair conviction, show the extent of his involvement in the issue. When Jem is attacked by Bob Ewell, he suffers a broken am from which he will never completely recover. This can be seen to be symbolic of what happens to the South in its dawning awareness of inhumanity and injustice. Jem represents the Southerner who develops a social conscience, who learns to disapprove of the actions and attitudes of his fellows, and who is permanently scarred in his attempt to overcome existing prejudices. Like Tom, he has a damaged arm; he and Tom are both victims of Ewell. Dill Dill represents the point of view of the outsider. Not from Maycomb, he is an observer rather than participant in the events that occur. His distress at the outcome of the trial reflects what outsiders would feel at the treatment of Tom. He also provides a useful catalyst – Scout and Jem take the Radleys for granted, but Dill has neither their fear nor their familiarity with Boo's existence, so he devises the game to get him to come out. His story-telling and his imagination encourage Jem and Scout to develop their abilities. Miss Maudie In a novel where adult women are generally shown to be hypocritical gossips, and not someone that any young girl would aspire to emulate or become, Miss Maudie offers a role-model of a sensible, intelligent and highly civilised person, second only to Atticus in that respect. Lee also uses her to express ideas about the events that reinforce and support her themes – that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird, that Atticus is civilised in his heart, that the town trusts him to do right. Scout's Changing Attitudes Character and theme: One of the major themes of the novel is the growth and development of the two central children, as they learn tolerance, and a greater understanding of their society. The following table briefly outlines the way Scout's attitudes and values have altered by the end of the story. For each change, identify the main reason – person or incident – for her change. Attitude to at beginning by the end reason for change Atticus takes him for granted; has no respect for his talents or character. has realised that he is unusual; admires him for standing up for his convictions. Sees him defend Tom Robinson; absorbs her father's lessons and examples. Calpurnia resents her interference; sees her as a housekeeper. realises she cares for Cal and Cal cares for her. Learns Cal has a life outside the Finch household. going to church with her is the most important single event Aunt Alexandra Dislikes Alexandra and is uncomfortable in her presence; feels her aunt dislikes her. appreciates her aunt's strength of character; realises that her aunt loves her. At the missionary society tea, Scout sees her aunt's concern for Atticus and her gallant coping with tragedy. After Ewell's attack, receives her aunt's loving concern and care Jem he is her playmate, companion, and equal. recognises that Jem is growing up and developing attitudes and interests different from hers. When Jem tells Atticus that Dill ran away; the bitterness with which he reacts to Tom's trial. Arthur Radley she is frightened, thinks he is a monster and a 'haint' learns he is gentle, caring, looking after her the blanket in the snow is the turning point her ability to control her temper hot-tempered and quick to fight. becomes more gentle and mature; learns to control herself must back down from fights because Atticus asks her to; absorbs the lesson of Atticus's gentle calm behaviour. ~ to deal with hypocrisy reacts with anger and bewilderment that life is not always logical, consistent, or fair. watches the trial; attends the missionary circle ~ to see the world thru other's eyes sees things only from her own viewpoint can see things as others might. the lynch mob; stands on Boo's porch and looks at the neighbourhood her sense of compassion self-centred; doesn't consider others at all shows compassion for Boo + Jem, Atticus etc sees Atticus's compassion for Tom and his family; meets Boo and sees how kind and gentle he is. her attitude to the concept of being a lady loathes and fears the very idea of becoming one learns from Maudie and Alexandra that there are positives Maudie's fire; the missionary circle Themes 1. The real meaning of courage is fighting for what is right, no matter what the cost. Atticus tries, in the face of threats and insults, to defend Tom and get him acquitted. 2. Sometimes courage is shown by walking away from conflict and not giving in to the temptation to fight. Scout walks away from Cecil Jacobs because she doesn't want to let Atticus down. 3. Most people are likable once you get to know them. Scout fears Boo Radley until she meets him and finds out how brave and gentle he really is. 4. It is a sin to kill a mockingbird. Scout, Atticus and Heck Tate agree that exposing quiet, reclusive Boo to the community would be cruel. 5. Hypocrisy and prejudice can be hard to detect in oneself. Mrs Merriweather calls the northerners hypocrites and says. "At least we don't have that sin on our shoulders . . ." 6. The best way to understand a person is to stand in their shoes. By standing on Boo's porch, Scout realises how he has watched over her and Jem. 7. All people deserve to be treated with dignity and compassion. Atticus is polite and respectful to young Walter Cunningham though Scout considers him odd and Aunt Alexandra thinks he is trash ~ Courage takes many forms. 8. Despite great suffering, Mrs Dubose breaks her morphine habit before she dies. ~ People need to depend on others and to be 9. Scout realises how lucky she is after she hears Dill say that his mother and stepfather pay no attention to him. depended on by others. ~ Sensitivity to others can lead to sorrow. 10. Dill cries and is sick because of Mr Gilmer's cross-examination of Tom. ~ We often don't appreciate fully those we 11. Jem and Scout are stunned to learn that their father is a deadly shot. are closest to; people do not boast about their talents. ~ People are more comfortable with a 12. Dolphus Raymond pretends to be a drunk to avoid criticism of his lifestyle. ~ Basic human decency exists in most 13. Scout's conversation with Walter Cunningham breaks up lynch mob. ~ People can respect each other even if 14. Atticus respects Mrs Dubose in spite of her vicious criticism of him. stereotype than the truth. people. they have differing viewpoints. Symbolism 1. Each of the following objects or characters has symbolic meaning. Some symbols may have several meanings; some symbols may have the same meaning as another. symbol meaning explanation Boo's blanket friendship, kindness, protection Boo protects Scout with the blanket from the cold while she is watching Miss Maudie's house burn. Miss Maudie's big cakes adulthood Miss Maudie serves Jem from the big cake instead of giving him a little one because she feels he is becoming an adult. Boo Radley gentleness, innocence, friendship Like the mockingbird, Boo is a gentle, harmless individual who watches over and protects Scout and Jem. knot-hole in oak tree friendship Boo leaves things for the children as gestures of friendship. Mrs Dubose's camellias forgiveness; strength Mrs Dubose sends Jem a cut camellia after her death as a sign that she forgives and actually appreciates the boy; strength in that they regrow after being destroyed. Scout's overalls childhood; independence, innocence Aunt Alexandra thinks Scout is too old to be wearing overalls and should wear dresses – but she brings them to her after Ewell's attack. Tom Robinson innocence; gentleness Tom's naive gestures of kindness to Mayella lead to his death. Like the harmless, innocent mockingbird, he is killed for no good reason. missionary circle hypocrisy; adulthood The ladies discuss the plight of the Mrunas (a black tribe in Africa) with concern but crudely criticise Maycomb's blacks. The Grey Ghost innocence, mystery Like Boo and Tom, Stoner's Boy proves to be innocent of the things for which he was blamed. Finch's Landing heritage, hypocrisy Finch's Landing has been the family home for generations. Radley house mystery, boundaries, isolation The children avoid the house with its dreadful reputation and yet they are also fascinated by its mysterious inhabitants. the red geraniums hope, attempt at something better Mayella plants and tends her geraniums in the tip that is her home. Humour in TKAM 1. Scout explains that Southerners value family history. Since the Finches cannot trace their lineage back to the Battle of Hastings (1066), some members of the family feel shame. [1] irony, hyperbole 2. Jem's 'reasonable' description of Boo includes unusual height, bloodstained hands, and a diet of raw animals. [1] irony, hyperbole 3. Jem joins a group of adults, forgetting that he is wearing no pants. [6] sight gag 4. Scout swears fluently without knowing the meaning of the words she uses. [9] irony; naivety 5. After being abused by Mrs Dubose, Scout remarks that she 'took umbrage at Mrs Dubose's assessment of the family's mental hygiene.' [11] formal language understatement 6. Scout doesn't understand how Atticus can calmly read while 'his only son stood an excellent chance of being murdered with a Confederate Army relic.' [11] irony; naivety, formal language 7. Scout guesses that the changes in Jem's behaviour as he grows up are signs of a tapeworm. [12] naivety 8. When Aunt Alexandra brags about Cousin Joshua, Jem asks if she means the Joshua who was locked up for a long time. [13] irony; naivety 9. While Atticus lectures about the Finch aristocratic background, Scout searches for a redbug on her leg. [13] irony juxtaposition 10. Atticus says of Mr Cunningham's participation in lynch mob, "He has his blind spots." [16] understatement 11. Judge Taylor's habit of chewing and spitting up a cigar during court proceedings is 'interesting'. [16] understatement 12. After Jem scolds Scout for trying to squash a roly-poly (a slater), she comments that she'd "never known his charity to embrace the insect world." [25] formal language 13. Jem petitioned God again… [14] formal language 14. Scout misses her cue and arrives late on stage. [28] sight gag 15. Scout decides that she and Jem have little left to learn in life, with the possible exception of algebra. [31] irony; hyperbole naivety 16. Having developed my talent to where I could throw up a stick and almost catch it coming down… [11] anticlimax 17. "I don't think anyone in Maycomb'll begrudge me a client, with times this hard." irony, understatement hyperbole 18. "…we held off a hundred folks with our bare hands." Features of Lee's Style appropriate dialogue Atticus I'm afraid our activities would be received with considerable disapprobation by the more learned authorities. [3] We'll consider it sealed without the usual formality. [3] Scout What you reckon we oughta do, Jem? I don't mean to sass you… Francis provocated me enough… [9] Bob Ewell I heard Mayella screamin' like a stuck hog... Miss Maudie Gracious child, I was ravelling a thread... [5] Calpurnia That boy's yo' comp'ny... [3] Burris Ewell Ain't no snot-nosed slut of a schoolteacher ever born c'n make me do nothin'. [3] Reckon I have. I ... et them pecans - folks say he pizened 'em... Southern colloquialisms imagery jim-dandy; get grown; scuppernongs; catawba worms; yappy [23]; 'nigger'; chillun, Hot Steams, varmints, fussing (fighting) metaphor the starched walls of a pink cotton penitentiary… [13] Inside the house lived a malevolent phantom. [1] [Mr Radley] was a thin leathery man [1] my feathers rose again [14] Atticus … pinned me to the wall with his good eye. [14] similes Miss Caroline ... looked and smelled like a peppermint drop. [2] ... the class was wriggling like a bucketful of catawba worms [2] [Dill's] hair stuck to his head like duck fluff [1] shivered like a rabbit [1] personification The remains of a picket drunkenly guarded the front yard. [1] The old house was... droopy and sick. Other language devices hyperbole Atticus was feeble; he was nearly fifty. [95] her hand was wide as a bed slat and twice as hard.. [12] Dill arrived in a blaze of glory [41] Scout's ... been readin' ever since she was born. [13] drew her bosom to giddy heights [134] understatement "Ain't scared, just respectful." irony Miss Gate and Jews/ local Negroes and her expressed prejudice "How can you hate Hitler so bad, an' turn round and be ugly about folks right at home?" Boo Radley a monster and 'haint' yet saves their lives symbolism mockingbird, Grey Ghost, camellias, mad dog, geraniums etc allusion General Jackson chasing the Creeks up the creek [1] nothing to fear but fear itself [11] a pocket Merlin [14] second Battle of the Marne [48] Robert E. Lee Ewell the Rosetta stone [69] Narrative Style Scout as child narration We leapt over the low wall that separated Miss Rachel's yard from our driveway. ~ as adult using hindsight When enough years had gone by… [1] We spat ourselves dry. 'morphodite' In later years, I sometimes wondered exactly what made Jem do it… [11] It was then, I suppose, that Jem and I first began to part company. [6] disliked my ingenuous diversions We acquired no traumas from watching our father win or lose. [17] innocent narration giving an ironic slant "How can you hate Hitler so bad, an' turn round and be ugly about folks right at home?" juxtaposition lecture on being ladylike with Scout scratching a redbug - asking the missionary circle if it is Mayella they are forgiving (it is Helen) We'll consider it sealed without the usual formality. / Scout prepares to spit on her hand [2] 'a tenet I absorbed with my baby food' [17] contrast/parallel the two mobs, one friendly, one hostile Miss Maudie's azaleas with Mayella's geraniums description of Ewell house / Negro settlement anecdotal the snowman, the fire, the mad dog + stories of Miss Tutti and Frutti, of Arthur Radley as a boy etc episodic most of the first part is a series of episodes linked by character and motif climaxes the guilty verdict is the climax of the trial; within it, minor climaxes include the revelation of Tom's crippled arm; Ewell's attack is the climax of the combined plots foreshadowing Jem's broken elbow; Walter and Burris in chapters 2 and 3; Aunt Alexandra's premonition re Ewell; Ch 16: 'Jem heard me.' and explained later; 'our longest walk together' Creation of atmosphere: ~ fear before the attack by Ewell; escaping the Radley yard; Mrs Dubose house ~ mystery descriptions of the Radley house ~ tensions build up to the mad dog; Ewell's threats; the build-up to his attack ~ drama mad dog; in court ~ pathos the account of Mayella's life ~ humour dry wit runs through: Atticus's "No, too old," when challenged to fight by Ewell ~ sordidness description of the Ewell home
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