To Kill a Mockingbird Timothy Johnson Samarah Pagan
General Information: Author: Harper Lee (April 28, 1926 February 19, 2016) Genre: Coming-of-age Story, Social Drama Published: 1960 Narrator: Scout- narrated by an older Scout from the perspective of her as a child. Setting (Time): Early 1930s Setting (Place): Maycomb, Alabama [Fictional Southern Town] Protagonist: Scout Finch Major Conflict: Scout has to come to terms with the adult world, losing her innocence
Background Information (Author) Harper Lee Her father was a lawyer:born in Monroeville, Alabama: Based the setting of the novel off of her experiences in her hometown. Atticus (Protagonist s Father) is a lawyer as well and is the most morally sound character. During her childhood, nine African-American men were accused of raping two white women in a nearby city, most of whom were sentenced to jail: The climax of the story deals with a similar case.
Background Information (Historical Context) To Kill A Mockingbird was published in 1960, just before the height of the Civil Rights Movement: Heavily controversial at the time of its release Racial tension and the issue of racism started to become a mainstream discussion As a result of such controversy, the novel became an enormous success and inspired an Oscar-winning film adaptation.
Synopsis The novel takes place in a small, southern town comprised of three main communities: the white upper class, the white lower class, and the black community. It centers around the character of Scout during 3 pivotal years in her childhood. Early in the novel, Scout, Jem (Scout s older brother), and Dill (Scout s childhood friend) live blissfully ignorant to the circumstances of the adult world or society. They pay games, create fantasies, and even dare each other to approach the local haunted house, the Radley Place. Rumors say that Boo Radley (the house s occupant) is a lunatic, therefore he is outcast from town. Scout also begins school and is frustrated by the flaws in the education system. An attachment towards and sympathy for Boo also develops in Scout as she learns more of his past.
Synopsis Cont. Soon, however, the story shifts its main plot focus, which revolves around a controversial, racially charged court case. Tom Robinson, an honest black man, is accused of sexually assaulting a local white girl by her father, Bob Ewell. Atticus (Scout s father) agrees to represent Tom in court despite the fact that the racism of the jury makes the ultimate decision inevitable. While Tom is innocent, the prejudice of the southern jury sentences him to prison. He is later killed trying to escape. The results of the trial greatly affect the children. After being humiliated by Atticus in court (despite his victory), Bob Ewell decides to lash out against Scout and Jem while they walk from home from a school event. Boo saves the two children from Ewell s viciousness, killing him in the process. It is at this point when Boo s humanity is restored and Scout sees him for the first time.
Characters
Jean Louise (Scout) Finch Protagonist and Narrator 9-12 years old in the story: Childish. Innocent outlook on life Intelligent for her age (can read and write before entering into formal education). Tomboy (often plays with brother and neighbor) In the end, she is still hopeful
Atticus Finch Father of Jem and Scout Lawyer (Defending Tom) Role Model for both children Possesses strong morals (often teaches the kids lessons on morality) Seen as hero for the story Represents the good in humanity: used to show the children how to act both morally sound and ethical.
Jeremy Atticus (Jem) Finch Scout s older brother (four years older) Like father, like son Perception of the world changes significantly after the trial: Enters into adulthood Now sees the world for all of its cruelty and prejudice: loses childhood innocence
Alexandra Hancock Atticus sister, Scout s and Jem s aunt Elitist Traditional Believes in the importance of family and loyalty Provides the reader with the roles and expectations of women during the time period: Attempts to teach Scout to be more ladylike One of Scout s maternal figures (Mrs. Finch died when she was 2)
Arthur (Boo) Radley Socially Reclusive (seen as outsider) Mysterious (has many stories regarding his background and considered as a monster) Youngest of the Radley family Left presents for the Finch children by leaving them in the tree by the house Aids Jem and Scout at the end of the story when they are in a troubling situation.
Calpurnia Cook for the Finches Seen as mother figure for Jem and Scout Double life (balances her behavior between the white and color folks) Offers moral guidance for Scout
Tom Robinson Atticus client Accused of raping Mayella Ewells Good natured, helped the Ewell family with small repairs Found guilty of crime because he is black Got shot trying to escape prison
Robert E. Lee (Bob) Ewell Head of the Ewell family in the community: Seen as the disgrace of Maycomb for three generations. Poor, lacks ambition Racist & Sexist Allusion to Robert E. Lee, a general on the Confederacy during the Civil War Falsely accuses Tom of raping his daughter when he is the true abuser. Represents the evil within humanity: used to teach the children the darker side of the adult world.
Themes
Loss of Innocence/Transition into Adulthood "If there's just one kind of folks, why can't they get along with each other? If they're all alike, why do they go out of their way to despise each other? Scout, I think I'm beginning to understand something. I think I'm beginning to understand why Boo Radley's stayed shut up in the house all this time. It's because he wants to stay inside."~ Jem (Chapter 23) Jem realizes the harsh reality of the adult world, thus losing his childhood innocence. He no longer views his surroundings with such an optimistic perspective. Instead, he sees people as hateful and mean-spirited. This revelation comes at the heels of discerning that Boo chooses to stay inside in order to keep such optimism. This idea of transitioning into adulthood, thereby losing your childhood innocence is a common theme throughout the novel. By focusing on the children s point of view, Harper Lee is able to show their maturity over time. For example, both Scout and Jem begin to experience real world scenarios, such as racism and inequality despite being so young. Jem also solidifies his place as a man by growing chest hair and discussing complex social issues with his father. Another example is the motif of the mockingbird.
Empathy You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it. ~Atticus (Chapter 3) Atticus encourages his children to understand the world from the perspective of others throughout the novel. He recognises that good and bad qualities found in everybody and tries to understand the reasons behind the actions of others. Many cases of this is found including when Walter Cunningham is invited to Dinner with the Finches. Later Atticus tells Jem and Scout not to fight back when others ridicule Atticus for defending Tom. When Bob disrespects Atticus by spitting on him, Atticus takes no action against Bob. At the end of the novel Scout show her understanding of this when she agrees not to inform the public about Boo taking down Bob, and tries to understand how Boo felt reserved in his house.
Prejudice There s four kinds of folks in the world. There s the ordinary kind like us and the neighbors, there s the kind like the Cunninghams out in the woods, the kind like the Ewells down at the dump, and the Negroes. ~ Jem (Chapter 23) The novel displays the inequality that exist between different Social classes, Race, and Gender. Racial prejudice is first revealed as Scout observes the taunting Atticus faces for defending Tom. The true colors of Maycomb is revealed as many look down on Atticus, as they believe that he should not be willing to defend a black man. When Tom transfers to the Jail in Maycomb a mob attempts to kill Tom, but disperses when Scout convinces Mr.Cunningham to leave. Ultimately Tom is declared guilty despite the obvious evidence that he is innocent unlike Bob Ewell. The jury was unable to declare that a Black man was innocent when his word was against that of a white man's.
Prejudice (Cont.) Social inequality is first shown at the beginning of the novel when background of the Cunningham and Ewell family is revealed. This is later reinforced when Alexandria moves in with the finches The novel shows feminist qualities as Scout often behaves differently than other girls and her behaviour is even encouraged by her father. This behavior is looked down upon by other member of the family and the other Ladies in her neighborhood. When Scout disagrees with her brother he claims that she is acting like a girl implying that her opinions are unimportant and gives them a negative connotation. Later in the novel Scout learns that women can not become members of the jury. Since Miss Maudie supports Tom being innocent it suggest that he would have had a better chance of getting set free if she were part of the jury.
Courage 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 know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what. ~ Atticus (Chapter 11) One of the many lessons that Atticus teaches Jem and Scout involves courage. To Atticus real courage is knowing the chance of success is low but to still preserve until the end. An example of this comes from Atticus dedication to Tom s case. While he knows that the jury will not declare Tom innocent he still provides a strong argument for Tom s defence. Another example shown involves Mrs. Dubose, a women who treated the Finches very rudely and often insulted Atticus. After she died Atticus revealed that Mrs. Dubose struggled with addiction, and was going through withdraw during the time the children spent with her. To Atticus Mrs. Dubose showed real courage because she was able to fight her addiction and dies free of drugs.
Motifs / Symbols
Gothic Gothic style refers to having supernatural occurrences and haunting settings. There are a number of scence in To Kill a Mockingbird that fit this description. The Radley house is referred to being a creepy gloomy place with myths around the residences. During the winter the town receives snow as well as fire breaking loose. A rabid dog enters the neighborhood and is killed by Atticus. The night Jem and Scout get attacked it is extremely dark out. These unordinary scenes are spreaded throughout the plot and add contrast to the normal nature of the town of Maycomb
Mockingbird It is said that killing a mockingbird is considered to be a sin, in the novel the mockingbird represents innocence and it is wrong to kill something that causes no harm. Who is the Mockingbird? Several characters could represent the mockingbird including Tom, Jem, and Boo. Tom was innocent of his accusations, he did no wrong and even help Mayella for no profit. Killing Tom was like killing a mockingbird, this comparison was stated in the book in the by Mr.Underwood. Jem also represents a mockingbird because of the innocence he possesses as a child. As the story progresses Jem loses his child like naivety and thus his innocence. The harsh reality that Jem has to face as he assimilates to adulthood is like killing a mockingbird.
Mockingbird (Cont.) Boo is also considered to be a mockingbird, while the kids regarded him as a monster Boo turned out to be a sweet person who helped Jem and Scout. The first signs of his innocence is shown when he leaves the kids gifts and later shows different gestures of kindness. Boo is directly referred to as a mockingbird by Scout when she agrees that it would be better let Boos heroics go unnoticed.
Article 1 Anachronism: an act of attributing a custom, event, or object to a period to which it does not belong. One article examines the historical accuracy of the novel, revealing that while the book takes place in the 1930 s, many of its events were influenced by things going on during its production in the 1950 s. For example: Emmett Till Trial (1955)- inspiration for the main court drama aspect of the plot with Emmett Till being a model for the character Tom. Chura, Patrick. "Prolepsis and Anachronism: Emmet Till and the Historicity of To Kill a Mockingbird." The Southern Literary Journal 32.2 (2000): 1. Student Resources in Context. Web. 7 Apr. 2016.
Article 2 Female Voice and Gender Roles: This article has a feminist perspective. It emphasizes that the novel is told from a young girl s perspective who does not fit the social norm. Scout is tomboyish and very well-read despite her femininity and age. However, gender roles still play a role in her life due to the various maternal figures in her life. For example, Aunt Alexandra scolds Scout for her behavior and asks her to be more ladylike. The article also contrasts the novel from the film adaptation. In the movie variant, the first-person narration is lost, meaning the audience does experience the full, equally powerful message of transitioning into womanhood as in the novel. Shackelford, Dean. "The Female Voice in To Kill a Mockingbird: narrative strategies in film and novel."the Mississippi Quarterly 50.1 (1996): 101+. Student Resources in Context. Web. 7 Apr. 2016.
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