To Kill a Mockingbird
Pre-Reading Activity Next to each statement put a “ 1” if you strongly agree, a “ 2” if you somewhat agree, a “ 3” if you somewhat disagree, and a “ 4” if you strongly disagree. 1. All men are created equal. 2. Girls should act like girls. 3. It’s okay to be different. 4. Nobody is all good or all bad. 5. Some words are so offensive they should never be stated or written. 6. Under our justice system, all citizens are treated equal by the court system. 7. The old saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me, ” is true. 8. Speaking standards grammar proves that a person is smart. 9. No one is above the law. 10. Education is the great equalizer. 11. When the law should not succeed in punishing criminals, citizens should do so.
Pre-Reading Themes in To Kill a Mockingbird • • • Social Class Friendship Justice Race/Racism Childhood The Outcast
Homework: This afternoon stand on your front porch (or lawn) and look at your neighborhood. In a paragraph describe what you see. What sounds do you hear? What smell is in the air? What people are out in the neighborhood? Describe what you see.
Scout is a very accurate reporter, but she doesn't always understand what she is reporting. Don't assume she is right in her assumptions.
Chapter 1 • Told in flashback – “all started the summer Dill came” – mystery, events will unravel the story • Narrator as a child doesn’t seem to understand the implications, we see the development of child—each experience gives Scout a fuller understanding, innocence – Almost duel narration adult Scout telling the story through the eyes of a child – She doesn’t always grasp the entire story – The reader understands more than the child narrator – Dill wanting to see Boo shows the children’s search for truth • Background, emphasized that an event will happen to shatter everything, seriousness of the issues raised modified by child’s intelligence and wit
• Story really begins with meeting Dill – Imaginative boy visiting his Aunt Rachel for the summer – represents the outside world – Tells stories because his own reality is unpleasant – Develops a fascination towards Boo • The first chapter emphasis family history and stories within stories illustrate the rigid social ties that hold society together in the little town of Maycomb, the inescapable link that tie an individual to his or her family. • The Radleys separate themselves from town, the town in turn ostracizes them, and Boo becomes the scapegoat when things are amiss – foreshadows the treatment of Tom Robinson • Jem rushing into the Radley’s yard – A space fundamentally disowned by the entire group – Journey of one individual against the values of an entire group
Theme • Courage: The truest challenge to anyone's courage is the Radley place. Dill made a bet with Jem that challenged Jem's courage. Rather than look like a coward, Jem took the bet to touch the Radley house although he was really scared to do it. He couldn't allow Dill and Scout to think him a coward because his courage was a source of pride.
Characters we meet • • Scout - narrator Jem Dill (Charles Baker Harris) Calpurnia – servant, raises the kids Atticus – attorney, father to Jem & Scout Miss Rachel – Dill’s aunt Boo Radley
Questions • What is noticeable about the Radleys’ behavior? • Why are the town’s people afraid of the Radleys?
Chapter 2 • First day of school learns more outside school—treat Walter with courtesy because he is a human being, treat all guests with respect, learns Ewells are different because they don’t live like humans • Radley house central Scout runs past it 4 times a day (mysterious) • Scout is initially excited about school, but has a disappointing first day • Scout realizes how important reading is – “Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing. ” (18) Can’t fully understand freedom until we have to give them up – young people expect certain freedoms & have a natural sense of freedom
• Reveals Maycomb’s culture – Miss Caroline is foreign the ways of Maycomb – “looks like a peppermint” contrasts with the kids who “had chopped cotton and fed hogs from the time they were able to walk. ” – Certain amount of ignorance prevails in Maycomb – Miss Caroline powerless to change behavior patterns – Belong to familiar breeds which determine disposition or temperament • Jem gives Scout support , sometimes his advice is wrong • Scout more mature than other students – interacting with adults comfortably, serves as spokesperson for class
Theme • Innocence: Scout tries to explain to her teacher that she is embarrassing Walter Cunningham by offering him something that he won't be able to pay back. Scout realizes that because her teacher isn't a local, she won't know that about the Cunninghams, but Scout's explanation gets her into trouble. She wasn't trying to be insulting, but Miss Caroline mistook her frank and innocent explanation as condescension or rudeness and punished her for it. Scout's perception of the world and her classmates is not yet marred by the social divisions that adults see.
Chapter 3 • Walter comes for dinner – Scout hears Atticus & Walter talking and is amazed at the adult conversation – Atticus can relate to all kinds of people • Scout must judge people by their intentions rather than actions
• Ewells – the town looks past rules for them since they will never change their ways – Mr. Ewell hunting out of season – bend the law to protect Ewell children – Lowest rung on Maycomb social ladder • Cunninghams are not ignorant & illiterate because of lack of intelligence – System keeps them from getting an education – Self-perpetuating societal cycle holding farm families back
Theme • Innocence: Scout really does insult Walter this time as she questions the way he eats and makes him feel self-conscious. She's not doing it intentionally – she's just curious because she's never seen people who eat that way. She's too young to understand the social graces of Southern hospitality that dictate that you always make people feel at home and welcome no matter how unusual their habits may be.
Lessons that Scout learns: • Calpurnia's comments regarding the Walter Cunningham incident. • 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. " How does Scout show an understanding of this regarding Miss Caroline?
Questions • Explain theme “walking in someone else’s shoes. ” • Why is compromise important? • What lesson is Calpurnia trying to teach Scout about Walter? • How does Cal shows that she cares for Jem & Scout? • Why are the Ewells allowed to live outside the law?
Compare - Contrast Burris Ewell and Family Walter Cunningham and Family Similar Different
Writing: Scout says that she looked forward to going to school more than she had looked forward to anything in her life, yet her first day at school is not very enjoyable. Her experience might be seen as an example of the old saying, “Be careful what you wish for – you just might get it. ” In a paragraph explain what you believe this statement means.
Chapter 4 • School trying to teach “Good Citizenship” – Atticus & Jem have learned this without the school’s help • Scout’s Moral Education comes from home • Begin to find gifts in the tree – making contact with Boo • Invent a new game about the Radleys – Atticus warns them to stop – Scout relieved – she heard someone laughing inside the Radley house
Theme • Benevolence: Boo is leaving gifts for Scout & Jem in the knothole of a tree that leans over the sidewalk. He leaves gum and Indianhead pennies because he's extending his friendship to them whether they realize it or not. Jem is the first to figure out who is leaving the gifts for them, but doesn't tell Scout. He's not sure whether or not to trust Boo • Courage: When Scout popped out of the tire, there was no time for courage. She realized she was in the Radley yard and Jem was screaming at her to get out of there. Although she was afraid, the most disconcerting aspect of the event was that someone inside the Radley house was laughing. When Jem accused her of turning into a girl because she ran so fast that she forgot the tire, she didn't tell him what she'd heard' although that would have more than made up for her forgetful and hasty escape from the Radley yard. She didn't even explain to Jem and Dill that was the reason she didn't want to play the morbid Boo Radley game any more. She just let them go on thinking she was a chicken.
Questions • Do you think education helps raise people to a higher level of living? Explain your answer.
Chapter 5 • As Jem & Dill become inseparable, Scout feels left out • Miss Maudie- older woman, open-minded & fair, keeps their secrets, after the fire & realization about Boo the focus turns to Tom Robinson, Atticus—calm & steady rational • Atticus thinks Boo deserves his privacy – wants the kids to leave him alone • Miss Maudie’s helps them see Boo as a victim of his upbringing
Theme • Innocence: Dill asked Scout to marry her because she was one of the only girls he knew not because he loved her. They are too young to understand what marriage means or why people marry, they pretend as a way to feel grown up • Innocence: Jem didn’t realize that without actually saying that they were playing the Boo Radley game he still admitted to his father that’s what they were doing. His father used a courtroom technique to make his son confess, and it bothered Jem because he hadn’t expected that from Atticus.
Chapter 6 • Scout wants to fit in – doesn’t like being treated like a scared little girl • Jem loses his pants – sees Dill’s creativity in making up the story of strip poker • The children are able to see Boo with more decency and compassion than the town folk
Questions • Courage: Curiosity finally got the better of Dill and Jem, and it created in them the courage to sneak up to the Radley house to peer in the windows until they got caught and had to run away. • Courage: Curiosity wasn't the only thing that bred courage. Because Jem didn't want to disappoint Atticus, he was forced to go back to the Radley place to retrieve his pants so that he wouldn't have to explain where he'd lost them. Although he knew it was dangerous and he was scared to go, Jem went to the Radley place because the courage to go there was easier to summon than the courage to face Atticus and tell him that Jem had flat-out disobeyed him. • Innocence: Although Atticus made threats to his children all the time, he'd never whipped them. Jem didn't want to have to disappoint Atticus by explaining that he'd deliberately disobeyed him, so he went back for his pants despite the danger of it. He didn't want to change the nature of his relationship with Atticus by making him punish Jem.
Chapter 7 • Boo trying to make friends leaves gifts, pants Jem recognizes the overtures but Scout doesn’t • Jem excited about school, Scout still bored • Boo a presence even though he is never seen – childlike nature • Jem cries when the hole is filled – mourning his own passage from childhood – Stands on the porch – transition into the house – Not just the loss of a friend (Boo)
Theme • Innocence: Jem realized that it was Boo leaving little gifts for them in the knothole of the oak tree, and he was crushed when Nathan Radley cemented up their only line of communication. Nathan said he did it because the tree was dying, but it was obvious to Jem that he did it just to keep them from communicating with Boo, it made him sad. • Benevolence: Boo Radley found Jem's pants all tangled in the fence and mended them for him and left them folded across the fence. This act of kindness frightened Jem because he felt that anyone who would know to leave his pants there for him like that must actually know him pretty well, and he was scared of what that might mean. He worried about this incident for a week before he told Scout about it and even she was spooked by it. • Benevolence: Boo kept leaving little trinkets and surprises in the knothole for Jem & Scout to find. Just when they were going to thank him, Nathan took away their line of communication. The things that Boo left for the children won them over, and Jem, more than Scout, was pretty certain who their benefactor was.
Writing: Instead of showing Scout his emotions, Jem remains on the porch lost in thought. When he comes in the house, Scout can see he has been crying. Fear, disappointment, anger, and sadness are feelings everyone experiences. Write a paragraph explaining how to deal with these strong emotions.
Chapter 8 • Mr. Avery says that the seasons change when children are disobedient • Mrs. Radley dies, Atticus does not see Boo at the house • Conclusion of the search for Boo Radley • Blanket foreshadows rescue later in the book
Theme • Innocence: When Atticus suggested they return the blanket to the Radley house, Jem poured out all the secrets they'd been keeping about their contact with Boo Radley and how Nathan found ways to prevent it. Jem didn't want to return the blanket because he didn't want to get Boo into trouble since he'd never done anything but help them out although he'd had plenty of opportunity to hurt them. Jem realizes that Boo is a friend in a way and he wants to protect him, so he was willing to expose all his secrets to Atticus in order to protect Boo. • Benevolence: While Scout and Jem stood watching Miss Maudie's house burn down, they were shivering in the cold air. What Scout didn't notice, until Atticus called it to her attention, was that someone had given her a brown blanket without her realizing it. Boo Radley had sneaked up behind her and covered her shoulders with the blanket while she and Jem were so absorbed in watching the fire.
Questions • Why doesn’t anyone help Boo? • Maycomb is a small, isolated town. Scout’s world is even smaller – limited to her neighborhood. In what other ways is Scout’s world isolated?
Chapter 9 • Beginning of the trial plotline – Atticus will defend Tom Robinson • If he didn’t take the case, he wouldn’t be able to “hold up my head in town, ” represent the town in the state legislature or tell the kids what to do • Atticus knows he will not win the case – “simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win. ” • The town will still be their friends • Aunt Alexandra is a constant reminder that everything Scout does is “wrong” • Uncle Jack never listens to her side of the story
Theme • Innocence: Scout hears her classmates saying terrible things about Atticus because he's defending a black man, but she doesn't see the wrong in what her father is doing. Atticus explains to her that it's not really a bad thing, but some people see it that way. Scout is too young to understand prejudice/injustice. Atticus tries to preserve this innocence by raising her to believe that there is nothing wrong with defending a black man. It's his duty, so it should be hers as well
Questions • Evaluate Atticus’s reasons for defending Tom Robinson. What does it tell you about his character? • What things has Scout learned about life by chapter 9? • How does Francis’s being truthful effect Scout in her thinking of Dill? • What things has Scout learned about life by chapter 9?
Writing: Atticus tells Uncle Jack that adults should answer children’s questions honestly. Honesty is usually thought to be a positive characteristic. Write a paragraph explaining the role of honesty in relationships between people.
Chapter 10 • Given air rifles—“sin to kill a mockingbird” • Scout thinks Atticus can’t “do” anything – physical activities • Scout dealing with the negative attitudes at school • Atticus tells them it is a sin to kill a mockingbird – Miss Maudie tells them that mockingbirds don’t hurt anything, only sing for pleasure
• Rabid dog – Unifies the neighborhood against common enemy – Atticus reluctant to kill dog – unfair advantage – Scout & Jem surprised at father’s skill – Atticus protecting the town • Man shouldn’t take advantage of knowledge & weapons – those with power must be careful not to abuse it • Gun places man above animal – racism puts one group ahead of another
Theme • Courage: Atticus showed his children that he was a courageous man when he stepped into the street to face down a rabid dog. Although he didn't consider the act particularly courageous and was completely uninterested in proving anything to his children, Jem and Scout were proud of, and impressed by, his courage in such a precarious situation. But shooting something wasn't really Atticus' idea of courage. He viewed courage on a more intellectual level, as a moral thing, not as something that can be proved with a weapon. • Innocence: It's a sin to kill a mockingbird because they are innocent birds who only live to make music for us to enjoy. That's what Atticus and Miss Maudie told Scout after she and Jem got their air rifles for Christmas. It's a sin to willfully destroy innocence, and a mockingbird embodies innocence.
Questions • What does Jem learn about Atticus other than he is a “good shot. ” How does this change his opinion of Atticus? • What is Atticus’s relationship to the rest of Maycomb? What is his role in the community?
Writing: Atticus tries to show his children what is right and what is wrong, all parents have the responsibility of guiding their children. Craft a paragraph explaining ways a parent can guide a child.
Chapter 11 • Courage- doing something when you know you’ll lose, courage in facing the rabid dog • Mrs. Dubose- courage “know you’re licked before you begin and see it through” • Jem loses his temper and destroys Mrs. Dubose camellias – out of character for Jem • Atticus says that an old woman can’t be held responsible for what she says • Each day the children read a little longer – until she tells them not to come back
• Mrs. Dubose manages to end her morphine addiction – true courage – Fought her addiction even though she was going to die – Atticus – “the bravest woman I ever knew. ” – Died beholden to no one – Courage is more than men with guns – Courage is the fight for one’s personal goals – Heroism is in the fight itself • Atticus knows he will lose the court case • He still fights until the end
• Scout must learn to calm her responses • Jem needs to learn to find useful ways to express his feelings rather than suppressing them • The towns people are ignorant & racist, but they have personal strengths that give hope that they will be better
Themes • Courage: Scout wasn't really sure what got into Jem to make him so bold as to destroy Mrs. Dubose's camellias when it was a well-known rumor that she was armed with a Confederate pistol at all times. Although Jem was familiar with the rumor, his rage pushed him beyond caring that he might be hurt or get into trouble because Mrs. Dubose had badmouthed Atticus, and Jem just couldn't take it. His fury made him bold enough to wreak havoc in her yard with little regard for the consequences.
Themes • Courage: Atticus uses Mrs. Dubose as an example of true courage to show Jem that courage isn't a man with a gun, but someone who fights for what's right whether he or she wins or not. • Benevolence: Atticus goes out of his way to be polite and kind to Mr. Dubose because he knows that she is suffering. Although she is mean to his children and says horrible things about him, he chooses to be kind to her and tells them to do the same because he knows she's in pain. He teaches them acceptance and compassion rather than vengeance.
Questions • What is Atticus’s idea of courage? • How is Mrs. Dubose a winner? • Atticus tells Jem that courage is “when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what. ” How is Atticus also referring to his own situation?
Chapter 12 • New insight into Calpurnia – lives in two worlds • Jem is growing up – lives in two worlds • Church sacrifices to help the Robinsons – Poor in material riches, displays a richness in human dignity – Give the Finch children a warm reception in spite of racism of town
• Similarity in church services – socially segregated, but with common faith • Reverend points out the moral failings of members – the black community is judged by the actions of a few, important to have a good image
Characters • Jem: because his attitude is changing • Calpurnia: she lives two different lives • Tom: we learn what he did. The church is giving him money • Aunt Alexandra: she moves in with the family. She wants the kids to mature and become proper • Atticus: he hasn't been around lately
Setting • Calpurnia's church: brick hard clay, cemetery, broken bottles, southern town limits, advertisements, poor (no hymn books), friendly, uneducated (can't read)
Theme • Race: Lula was mad at Cal for bringing white kids to the black church
Chapter 13 • Aunt Alexandra contrasts with Atticus, Alexandra – family; Atticus – individual • Family blood more important than ideas, under cold exterior is strong sense of propriety & justice • Aunt Alexandra old-fashioned & proper – refers to people by their family history – Character traits are passed from one generation to another – Town is so closely related that behavior is predictable & repetitive – People not judged as individuals – stereotype of the entire clan
• Aunt Alexandra has an idea of how Finch women should behave, based on family tradition, she tries to impose that on Scout, who will be held up to a stereotype & not allowed to be herself – “live up to your name”
Themes • Social Class: They talk about the Ewells being poor and their manners • Family: Aunt Alexandra comes to visit and Scout doesn't want her there because they do not get along.
Questions • What reasons does Aunt Alexandra have for coming to Maycomb? • Why is Aunt Alexandria disappointed with Scout? • What is Aunt Alexandra preoccupied with? • Is there a caste system in Maycomb? • Why don’t the children hate blacks, like others in the community? Why does Atticus defend Tom Robinson?
Chapter 14 • Dill runs away from home & hides under Scout’s bed – Jem tells Atticus – “broke the remaining code of our childhood” – movement into adulthood – Scout realizes how lucky she is to have a family that loves her – she has much to be grateful for – Maycomb feels like home to him • Scout wonders why Boo doesn’t run away • Dill doesn’t think Boo has anywhere to run to
Theme • Innocence: Scout, in all her youthful naïveté, believes that Atticus and Cal need her around to run the house and make decisions. In her mind her role is greatly exaggerated, and Dill has experienced the painful realization that he's not needed as much as he thought he was. He's reached a point of awakening that Scout has yet to reach, but he's no happier for the knowledge he's gained.
Chapter 15 • Atticus goes to the jail to prevent Tom from being lynched • “Old Sarum bunch” comes to lynch Tom – Scout humanizes the situation – Mentions Walter to his father – “he’s a good boy” – Her innocence to the situation contrasts with the intended violence – Reminds them of the human bonds that the town has
• Atticus reveals his flaw: he tends to be overly optimistic or unrealistically hopeful at times – He assures Jem that the men won’t hurt him – He doesn’t take a gun to defend himself – Atticus has high morals – will not lower himself to violent means, even in self-defense • Kids sense change-tension in Atticus, man against mob—noble & courageous • Mob mentality – Lose the feeling of responsibility for their actions – Don’t act like separate individuals – forget they are human beings
Themes • Courage: Atticus went to the jailhouse to protect Tom Robinson from the mob he knew was coming for him. Although he was alone against several men, Atticus held his ground until his children showed up. Only then did Atticus seem truly afraid because they were in danger. He'd expected to get roughed up a little in the struggle to protect Tom Robinson, but he never imagined that his children would be in the way. That's when his courage failed him, but Scout's complete innocence saved them all.
• Innocence: Scout had no idea that the men gathered around her father were intending to harm him. She disarmed them with her youth and innocence in the way that she talked to Mr. Cunningham as a friend because she knew he'd done business with her father and she knew his son from school. The way she tried to strike up a friendly conversation with him must have reminded him that they were neighbors and friends, and that protected Atticus and Tom Robinson from being harmed by the mob of men from Old Sarum that night. • Benevolence: Atticus stayed at the jailhouse to protect Tom Robinson from the mob from Old Sarum. Although he wasn't really obligated by law to do that for his client, he put himself in harm's way. Atticus knew that there was a danger that something would happen to Tom, and he planned to do everything he could to make sure that Tom had a chance to tell the truth in court.
Questions • How and why do Scout’s remarks deflate the emerging conflict?
Chapter 16 • Happy with seat in “colored’ section— prejudice taught • Finch children are welcomed, even honored, among the black community
Theme • One of themes running throughout the book has to do with the world of children opposing the world of the adult. How do we see the two clash-particularly from a sense of understanding/not understanding what is going on
Questions • How do the town’s people treat the town? • What is significant about where Jem, Scout and Dill sit during the trial? • What attitudes toward “colored” people are shown in the chapters? • Author Lee exhibits a real concern for the life of even the minor characters in the story. Who are some of the characters that stand out in these chapters?
Chapter 17 • Heck Tate’s Testimony – Ewell claimed Tom raped Mayella – No doctor was called – Beaten on the right side of her face • Bob Ewell’s testimony – The only thing that separates him form black is skin color – Arrogant & crude – ridiculous behavior – Claims he saw Tom Raping Mayella – Shows he is high class by writing his name – shows he is left-handed – Confident that he will get away with perjury
Chapter 18 • Mayella Ewell’s testimony – Afraid of Atticus – no one has ever been polite to her • Mayella is unaccustomed to people treating her with respect • Life is full of misery & deprivation • Thinks Atticus is mocking her with “Miss Mayella” – Asked Tom to chop the chiffarobe – Mayella is 19 & very lonely – She went to school a few years, but now has to take care of her siblings – Bob drinks too much – Atticus questions her • Why didn’t the kids hear you screaming? • Where were they? • Why didn’t they come & help? • Didn’t her father beat her? – Mayella has some good in her – plants flowers – Motivated by cowardice – accuses Tom rather than take her own guilt
Questions • Why is Mayella afraid?
Chapter 19 • Tom Robinson’s testimony – Tom’s left arm is 12 inches shorter – hurt in a cotton gin accident – Tom cannot use his left arm – Tom passes by the Ewell house & often helps with odd jobs – helps her because no one else will – Everything seemed quiet – too quiet – Mayella grabbed him & kissed him – Tom tries to escape – runs away in fear when Mr. Ewell arrives • Tom’s worst fault is feeling sorry for a white woman
• Scout thinks how lonely Mayella must be – she is so poor that whites won’t associate with her & blacks avoid her because she is white • Dill’s physical illness – sensitivity to injustice (Dill has felt prejudice) – Extremely sensitive to the ugliness of prejudice & evil – Exit from courthouse mirrors his tendency toward escapism
Tom’s Truthfulness • Tom’s left arm is crippled. He could not possibly have tried to choke Mayella with two hands, or beaten her on the right side of her face. • You have learned earlier from Heck Tate that Bob Ewell never called a doctor for his daughter. There is no proof that she was ever raped at all. • Bob Ewell and Mayella’s stories contradict each other about what was going on at the moment Bob arrived. Bob says he saw the rape. Mayella says her father had to ask, “Who did this? ” • Both of the Ewells acted as if they weren’t telling the truth. Bob Ewell was surly and aggressive; Mayella was frightened of Atticus because she knew he could see through her lies.
Themes • Innocence: Dill cries after seeing the condescension with which Mr. Gilmer questioned Tom because he was a Negro. Dill believed that it was unfair to treat anyone that way, Negro or not. Dill was still too young to realize that it was commonplace for Negroes to be treated so disrespectfully. Mr. Raymond predicted that in a few years he might notice the injustice, but he would be so accustomed to it that he wouldn’t cry over it any more. • Benevolence: Tom Robinson helped Mayella Ewell with odd chores because he felt bad that no one in her family would help her. He thought that she seemed to try harder than the other members of her family, and so he didn’t mind going out of his way to lend a hand when she needed it. He was just being kind and polite.
Questions • Why does the crowd become angry during Tom’s testimony? • Readers must often “read between the lines” of literature and find what is really being implied. What important implications do you find in Tom’s testimony in what really happened? • What does it add to our understanding of Bob and Mayella Ewell? • What do you think actually happened viewing all the testimony?
Chapter 20 • Dolphus Raymond – High enough social standing to act in unorthodox ways – Married a black woman – Has mixed children – Jem says they are the saddest, neither whites nor blacks will have anything to do with them (ch 16) – Town thinks he drinks liquor out of a paper bag – really Coke – People need an excuse for his behavior – easier to handle if they have a reason for it
• Atticus’s summation – No medical evidence against Tom – Mayella “broke the time-honored code of our society” by attempting to seduce a black man – Mayella trying to rid herself of her own guilt – The case is based on the assumption that “all black men lie” – Appeals to the jury’s sense of dignity – “In the name of God believe it. ” • Mayella a victim of cruelty, but brings cruelty upon Tom – a way of protecting herself
Understanding the Facts Name of person testifying Heck Tate Bob Ewell Mayella Ewell Tom Robinson What they said (list facts here): Facts that this person has in common with others: Facts that this person does not have in common with others: What we think the truth is:
Writing: Atticus references Thomas Jefferson in his closing arguments telling the jury that “all men are created equal. ” At times, though, equality may appear to be a complex issue. Write a paragraph exploring Jefferson’s belief that all humans are equal.
Chapter 21 • Aunt Alexandra is concerned that the children, especially Scout, heard the testimony – not proper for children • The jury convicts Tom – Scout knows when they walk in – they won’t look at Tom – The jury is polled – At each “guilty” Jem flinches • Jem’s trust in the people of Maycomb has been betrayed • All the blacks in the balcony stand to honor Atticus • Atticus is not only teaching the children moral lessons, but the town as well
Questions • In the first section we saw Jem growing up. How is the trial an important awakening on Jem's part to what the world is really like? • Here we see how Atticus tries to protect his children from the ugly realities of adult life. Atticus did not want his children to be in court, but they manage to see most of the trial. Do you think that it was good or bad for them to be there? Discuss whether you think it right for young people to be able to witness criminal trials. • Scout is beginning to understand he father’s advice of “getting inside their skin. ” But understanding the motives of others does not make things less confusing. If the prosecutting attorney is not entirely to blame
Trial Point of View • Very often, different people view the same event in different ways. If your team had just won a state championship, you would probably describe the game differently than someone would from the losing team. Two drivers involved in an auto accident would have different perspectives about what had caused the accident. • How people see an event and what they think about it is called point of view. • Writing Topic: Select the role of someone who was involved with or someone who observed Tom Robinson's trial. Write an account of the trial from that person's point of view. • - - - a member of the black community sitting in the balcony - - - a member of the jury who believed that Tom was innocent but was afraid to go against the other members of the jury - - - a newspaper reporter from New York who was covering the trial - - - Judge Taylor in his later years writing his memoirs - - - Atticus writing in his journal - - - Other Characters: Miss Maudie Atkinson, Reverend Sykes, Aunt Alexandra Make sure that what you write is consistent with the character whose point of view you have assumed.
Chapter 22 • Jem is angry with the verdict • The black community brings food to the Finches • Miss Maudie points out that others also helped – Atticus does the unpleasant jobs because no one else will – “We’re making a step, it’s just a baby step, but it’s a step. ”
• Dill wants to be a clown – wants to make people laugh – Escapism – get away from reality – Wants to define himself in a separate reality • Bob Ewell threatens Atticus
Themes • Benevolence: Miss Maudie tried to explain to Jem that the people of Maycomb weren't as heartless and cruel as he thought although they'd let him down by convicting Tom Robinson despite the evidence in his favor. Maudie pointed out to him all the subtle ways that people had helped Tom out, one of them being that Judge Taylor had appointed Atticus to defend him because no one else could do it as well. Although many of the townspeople were ignorant, prejudiced people, there were some like herself & Atticus who believed in kindness and Christian principles. Despite her explanation, Jem is heartbroken over the case & wary of the townspeople he once considered the best in the world
Questions • What is Atticus’s reply when Jem asks, “how could they do it? ” • What does Atticus mean when he says, “…seems only the children weep. ” • How does his talk with Miss Maudie change how he feels about the people of Maycomb? • How does Miss Maudie explain what has happened and how one's Christianity is shown?
Chapter 23 • Atticus too good to understand how far Ewell will go to get revenge – Ewell has been discredited & needs to lash out at someone – Atticus would rather have him insult Atticus rather than the Ewell children – Lacks the understanding of evil in some people • Atticus tells Jem that any white man that would cheat a black man is trash • Jury took hours instead of minutes to convict – Cunningham held out that long • Jem – Boo stays inside because he wants to
• Four kinds of “folks” in Maycomb – Each group looks down on the group below them – “Ordinary” people like the Finches – Farmers like the Cunninghams – The people by the dump like the Ewells – Black people • Aunt Alexandra doesn’t think Scout should socialize with Walter Cunningham – Scout doesn’t understand what makes to Finches better
Theme • Courage: Atticus was unaffected by Bob Ewell's threat because he didn't believe the man would make good on it. He refused to fight or arm himself against Ewell although Jem and Scout requested it. He believed that once Ewell had threatened him in public, he'd satisfied his vengeance. Unfortunately Atticus was wrong.
Questions • Chapter 23 is important in defining Jem's new perception of the legal system and the class system of his world. Note how Scout perceives the same worlds. What changes are evident in the children's views? • Discuss the author’s descriptions of Maycomb. What is the town’s role in the novel?
Characterization Conclusion Supporting Details Atticus believes in using words, not violence , to solve problems. Jem loves Scout is kindhearted Tom Robinson was an innocent man.
Chapter 24 • Miss Maudie a comforting presence • Ladies club—talk of saving African tribes while criticizing American blacks – Miss Maudie disagrees with the other ladies – only one with a conscience – Aunt Alexandra plays peacemaker – Raise money for Africans, but ignore blacks suffering in their own community – Refuse to believe they are Christians
• Scout appreciates effort in being a lady, Aunt Alexandra conceals feelings – Retains composure after hearing about Tom Robinson – Element of challenge involved with being a lady – Starts to see the benefits of being a lady while interacting with others • Tom Robinson shot while trying to escape
Questions • Look at the topic of the Missionary Circle's meeting. How is the hypocrisy of the women illustrated? One thing which angered people of Monroeville the most was this chapter. What about this chapter would get this reaction? • Scout is an accurate reporter for us, but she doesn't understand the subtext of what she is seeing. What battle is going on between Mrs. Grace Merriweather and Miss Maudie?
Chapter 25 • Maycomb reacts to the news as “typical” behavior – Not surprised Tom ran away – seen as dishonorable – Used to justify feelings of superiority • Black community devastated by Tom’s death • Scout sees that the individual must choose to be moral – cannot be forced • Tom lost courage & determination to live – He did not have hope that he would be released – Did not think an appeal would be successful – had experienced too many injustices in life
Questions • Why was Tom’s demise regarded as “typical” • What does this tell you about racism, prejudice and social class in Maycomb at the time? • Why do you think that children, such as Jem and Scout, could see so clearly the errors of the town, but the adults overlooked all the racism, prejudice, and injustice?
Chapter 26 • Scout has lost her fear of the Radley house – Boo has been transformed into a potential friend – Scout wants to show him that not all people are bad • In class, Scout doesn’t understand condemning Germans for the persecution of the Jews – Blacks are being persecuted in the south – Implication that blacks don’t contribute to society – unlike the Jews – Jews deserve sympathy because they are white – blacks treated like second class citizens – US a democracy, but not all inclusive
• Influenced by family – Scout & Jem have no prejudice – Other kids are taught hatred – treat Scout & Jem with cool distance
Theme • Innocence: Scout doesn't understand the hypocrisy her teacher displays in hating Hitler for his prejudice against Jews, yet she hates blacks just as much. The inconsistency bothers Scout and her realization of this double standard among people is the beginning of her awakening to the hypocrisy of most people.
Questions • What hypocrisy does Miss Gates exhibit? How could the plight of the Jews be compared to the plight of the blacks of the 1930's South? • What is Calpurnia’s role in the Finch family?
Writing: Scout and Jem grow up among the situations described in the novel. In a paragraph, explain how Jem and Scout have grown up and how their attitudes have been effected by the trial of Tom Robinson and the events surrounding it.
Chapter 27 • Bob Ewell causing problems for others – Has a WPA job for brief time – Judge Taylor sees a prowler at his house – Helen Robinson walks out of her way to avoid the Ewells – Shown to be cowardly & evil • “Thus began our longest journey together” – not just a physical journey, a journey to understanding
Chapter 28 • The story comes full circle • Scout & Jem walk home after the Halloween pageant & hear footsteps behind them • The kids are attacked by Bob • First appearance of Boo – becomes the children’s savior against the real evil
Chapter 29 • Boo – “feathery” hair, pale • Boo has become a real person – progression from monster to human
Theme • Benevolence: Boo Radley came out of his house for the first time in many years because Jem and Scout were in danger. He rescued them from Bob Ewell and put himself in danger not only of being harmed, but also of being exposed to the townspeople. He left his refuge to save the children without a thought to his own personal safety, because after watching the children for years he had grown fond of them.
Chapter 30 • Atticus assumes Jem killed Ewell – there must be an investigation, Jem treated like everyone else • Sheriff Tate assures him that Ewell fell on his knife – Trying to protect Boo – Wants Atticus to accept the situation, even if it’s not perfectly just according to the law – “let the dead bury the dead. ” – It would be a sin to make a shy man like Boo the object of public adoration – Ewell is punished for Tom Robinson’s death • Scout – “It would be like killing a mockingbird. ”
Theme • Courage: Heck Tate finally stepped out of the shadows and did the right thing. He hadn't been able to do it in the Tom Robinson case, but this time he refused to lay down and let an injustice occur. Although he had to lie to protect Boo Radley, he knew that keeping his role in Bob Ewell's death a secret was the right thing to do, and he did it. • Benevolence: Heck Tate and Scout both realize the importance of keeping Boo's part in Bob Ewell's death a secret because they want to protect him. Boo did a courageous and kind thing for the children. The sheriff and Scout return the favor by doctoring the story of Ewell's death to protect Boo from being exposed to the neighborhood. To them, dragging Boo into the limelight would be just as great a sin as killing a mockingbird.
Questions • Why does the sheriff want to cover up Boo Radley's part in the fight?
Chapter 31 • Scout matures where Radley house is not important • Boo Radley been this mysterious person, finally makes an appearance as hero—Boo as the Mockingbird • Scout never sees Boo again, but imagines him watching over “his” children • Has seen the evil in the world but upholds her faith in humankind & can face the world with courage
• Scout’s development as a Southern Lady – leads Boo home – Interacts in a grownup fashion – Resists the childish urges when she sees Boo – Able to act as a guide for others • On the Radley porch Scout can now see from a different perspective – Sees things from Boo’s perspective – protects his privacy – Sees herself, Jem & Dill through new eyes
Questions • While standing on the Radley front porch, what does Scout realize? • From Atticus’s last line in the book, what can you determine to be his attitude toward people in general?
Plot Chart Plot #1 - The Mystery of Plot #2 - Jem Grows Up Plot #3 - The Trial Boo Radley Emerging Themes
Writing: It has been said that all that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men (and women) to do nothing. Write a paragraph reflecting on this idea.
Homework: This afternoon stand somewhere in your neighborhood other than your front porch (or lawn) and look at your neighborhood. In a paragraph describe what you see. What sounds do you hear? What smell is in the air? What people are out in the neighborhood? Describe what you see. Look at your neighborhood from a different perspective.
Follow-Up How did your neighborhood seem different when viewing it from a different perspective?
Place The Finches’ Home The Radley’s House The School Finches Landing Downtown The Robinson’s House Setting Physical Setting Historical Setting Social Setting
Metaphor Analysis
• Mockingbird: The mockingbird represents innocence. Like hunters who kill mockingbirds for sport, people kill innocence, or other people who are innocent, without thinking about what they are doing. Atticus stands firm in his defense of innocence and urges his children not to shoot mockingbirds both literally and figuratively. The mockingbird motif arises four times during To Kill a Mockingbird. First, when Atticus gives Jem and Scout air guns for Christmas and instructs them not to kill mockingbirds. Second, when B. B. Underwood writes about Tom Robinson's death in his column. Third, a mockingbird sings right before Bob Ewell attacks Jem and Scout. Finally, Scout agrees with Atticus that prosecuting Boo for Ewell's murder would be like killing a mockingbird.
• Boo Radley: Boo Radley represents fear. 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. It is this fear that supports the social status quo and keeps individuals from standing up for that which they believe. Until people can understand accept Boo, as Scout eventually does, they will always be stuck in a world filled with fear, lies, & ignorance • Guns : Guns represent false strength. According to Atticus, guns do not prove manhood or bravery. Manhood and bravery come from a man's ability to persevere and fight using his wits, his heart, and his character. Neighbors use and venerate guns to the detriment of developing their own personal strength.
Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, or literary devices that can help to develop and inform the text’s major themes.
• Gothic Details – The forces of good and evil in To Kill a Mockingbird seem larger than the small Southern town in which the story takes place. Lee adds drama and atmosphere to her story by including a number of Gothic details in the setting and the plot. In literature, the term Gothic refers to a style of fiction first popularized in eighteenth-century England, featuring supernatural occurrences, gloomy and haunted settings, full moons, and so on. Among the Gothic elements in To Kill a Mockingbird are the unnatural snowfall, the fire that destroys Miss Maudie’s house, the children’s superstitions about Boo Radley, the mad dog that Atticus shoots, and the ominous night of the Halloween party on which Bob Ewell attacks the children. These elements, out of place in the normally quiet, predictable Maycomb, create tension in the novel and serve to foreshadow the troublesome events of the trial and its aftermath.
• Small-Town Life – Counterbalancing the Gothic motif of the story is the motif of old-fashioned, small-town values, which manifest themselves throughout the novel. As if to contrast with all of the suspense and moral grandeur of the book, Lee emphasizes the slow-paced, good-natured feel of life in Maycomb. She often deliberately juxtaposes small-town values and Gothic images in order to examine more closely the forces of good and evil. The horror of the fire, for instance, is mitigated by the comforting scene of the people of Maycomb banding together to save Miss Maudie’s possessions. In contrast, Bob Ewell’s cowardly attack on the defenseless Scout, who is dressed like a giant ham for the school pageant, shows him to be unredeemably evil.
Symbols are objects, characters, figures, or colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts.
• Mockingbirds - The title of To Kill a Mockingbird has very little literal connection to the plot, but it carries a great deal of symbolic weight in the book. In this story of innocents destroyed by evil, the “mockingbird” comes to represent the idea of innocence. Thus, to kill a mockingbird is to destroy innocence. Throughout the book, a number of characters (Jem, Tom Robinson, Dill, Boo Radley, Mr. Raymond) can be identified as mockingbirds —innocents who have been injured or destroyed through contact with evil. This connection between the novel’s title and its main theme is made explicit several times in the novel: after Tom Robinson is shot, Mr. Underwood compares his death to “the senseless slaughter of songbirds, ” and at the end of the book Scout thinks that hurting Boo Radley would be like “shootin’ a mockingbird. ” Most important, Miss Maudie explains to Scout: “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but. . . sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird. ” That Jem and Scout’s last name is Finch (another type of small bird) indicates that they are particularly vulnerable in the racist world of Maycomb, which often treats the fragile innocence of childhood harshly.
• Boo Radley -As the novel progresses, the children’s changing attitude toward Boo Radley is an important measurement of their development from innocence toward a grown-up moral perspective. At the beginning of the book, Boo is merely a source of childhood superstition. As he leaves Jem and Scout presents and mends Jem’s pants, he gradually becomes increasingly and intriguingly real to them. At the end of the novel, he becomes fully human to Scout, illustrating that she has developed into a sympathetic and understanding individual. Boo, an intelligent child ruined by a cruel father, is one of the book’s most important mockingbirds; he is also an important symbol of the good that exists within people. Despite the pain that Boo has suffered, the purity of his heart rules his interaction with the children. In saving Jem and Scout from Bob Ewell, Boo proves the ultimate symbol of good.
• Homes -Throughout the book, the location of people and events inside or outside of houses speaks toward themes of the book. In general, those who are usually seen and described as being willfully inside the house: Mrs. Dubose and Aunt Alexandra in particular, are often more corrupted by the prejudices of society. The children run outside constantly, and Dill in particular has no house of his own, except one far away which is never described in detail within the book, making him extremely free. Miss Maudie stays outside a great deal, as does the sheriff, Heck Tate; both are on the side of all that is good. Those who are forced to stay inside are victims of society's influence, especially Boo Radley and Tom, who both live within their respective forms of jail for much of the book. Atticus is an exception: the presence of his office gives him a different kind of house to live in, one that is tied into the fabric of society and yet is also outside of it. His daily outside walks back and forth show him to be part of the "outside" world of free thinkers, and also link his professional "home" to his real home, which is emphasized especially by the fact that his morals are the same whether at work or at home.
Final Questions
• In Scout's account of her childhood, her father Atticus reigns supreme. How would you characterize his abilities as a single parent? How would you describe his treatment of Calpurnia and Tom Robinson vis a vis his treatment of his white neighbors and colleagues? How would you typify his views on race and class in the larger context of his community and his peers? • The title of Lee's book is alluded to when Atticus gives his children air rifles and tells them that they can shoot all the bluejays they want, but "it's a sin to kill a mockingbird. " At the end of the novel, Scout likens the "sin" of naming Boo as Bob Ewell's killer to "shootin' a mockingbird. " Do you think that Boo is the only innocent, or mockingbird, in this novel?
• Scout ages two years-from six to eight-over the course of Lee's novel, which is narrated from her perspective as an adult. Did you find the account her narrator provides believable? Were there incidents or observations in the book that seemed unusually "knowing" for such a young child? What event or episode in Scout's story do you feel truly captures her personality? • One of the chief criticisms of To Kill a Mockingbird is that the two central storylines -- Scout, Jem, and Dill's fascination with Boo Radley and the trial between Mayella Ewell and Tom Robinson -- are not sufficiently connected in the novel. Do you think that Lee is successful in incorporating these different stories? Were you surprised at the way in which these story lines were resolved? Why or why not?
• By the end of To Kill a Mockingbird, the book's first sentence: "When he was thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow, " has been explained and resolved. What did you think of the events that followed the Halloween pageant? Did you think that Bob Ewell was capable of injuring Scout or Jem? How did you feel about Boo Radley's last-minute intervention? • What elements of this book did you find especially memorable, humorous, or inspiring? Are there individual characters whose beliefs, acts, or motives especially impressed or surprised you? Did any events in this book cause you to reconsider your childhood memories or experiences in a new light?
• What did Jem, Scout, and Dill learn over the course of the story? Would you consider Atticus Finch a hero? Why or why not? In what way did Boo Radley defy stereotyped expectations? How likely is a repeat of the events of this novel in our modern social and legislative climate? Has a similar injustice happened in recent history? How may average citizens work to prevent further incidents of judicial injustice?
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