To Kill A Mockingbird
Set in the Deep South in Maycomb, Alabama
Set in the 1930s
The Wall Street stock-market crashed in 1922 resulting in the Great Depression worldwide in the 1930s (pre world war 2 (1939) – thus the mention of Hitler, near the end of the novel
The Deep South states lost the American Civil War in 1886 and so lost out economically to the banks and big business in the North (e.g. New York, Washington). This divide between North and South is like England (but in reverse in terms of wealth) and the Deep South still has great poverty and racism to this day in 2006 (witness the black Americans trapped without cars in New Orleans, victims of the hurricane)
The South had wanted to retain black slaves to pick cotton and tobacco. Their army was mainly made up of farmers. These 13 states formed the Confederate army and tried to break from the Union (i.e. the United States of America) and set up their own government in the South.
The North were richer, better equipped and known as the Union army. They called the Confederates “rebs” (rebels).
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The Confederates called the Northerners “Yankees” as an insult. The president
leading the fight to abolish slavery was Abraham Lincoln.
So, after the Civil War, the losers, the South, were left in a poverty-stricken condition with small towns surrounded by large, rural expanses; there was a large, freed, poor and uneducated black slave population and racism was very strong. Remember that the slaves had only been freed for just over forty years when the novel opens (1933). Also, remember that the South still had segregation laws for schools, churches (!), restaurants, buses, marriage, etc. up until Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights movement into the 1960s!
The South has also had a strong religious tradition – as well as (ironically) being the base for white racist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan. There are also stereotypical ideas of Southerners being backward farming types (like the Cunninghams) or “white trash” like Bob Ewell engaging in heavy drinking of hard liquor (think where “Southern Comfort” comes from!!). There is also the idea of some mental backwardness coming from the offspring of inter-marriage of close cousins or even incest… “Atticus was related by blood or marriage to nearly every family in the town” (ch.1) and “she might as well kiss a nigger. She says what her papa do to her don’t count” (ch.19) (suggestive? ambiguous?)
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As well as being a story about childhood/maturity, the novel can be seen as a satire on small town America: the racism, sexism, snobbery, gossiping, self-importance and general conservativism of the small town mentality are satirised throughout the novel - although the satire is often softened by the gentle sense of humour used by Harper Lee.
SATIRE=mocking and criticising particular establishments, professions, beliefs, ways of life.
“TKAM” satirises the education system of the time.
“TKAM” satirises the so-called “devout” Christian, “aristocratic” women of the time (e.g. Mrs. Merriweather) and their racist attitudes
“TKAM” satirises the typical “redneck” of the time (Bob Ewell)
“TKAM” satirises the extreme religious sects of the time (Miss Maudie and the “foot washers”)
“TKAM” satirises the legal system of the day (e.g. the treatment of Boo and the juvenile vandals and, more seriously, the whole jury system in the rape trial)
“TKAM” satirises conventional sexist ideas of being a “girl”(through Scout, Jem, Dill, Uncle Jack and Aunt Alexandra) and a “lady” (Aunt Alexandra, Miss Maudie, Calpurnia, Mrs Grace Merriweather and her
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missionary circle, Miss. Caroline Fisher, Miss Gates,
Misses Tutti and Frutti)
Sometimes the satire is more gently poking fun but at other times it is seriously criticising the prejudices and shortcomings of society e.g. the small town pageant with the children dressed as vegetables and meat mocks the pretentiousness of many small places such as Maycomb. It is mocked by Scout appearing late and the whole idea dreamt up by Mrs. Merriweather is a ludicrous one. The hyperbole of the Latin motto “Ad Astra Per Aspera” (to the stars through ambition) shows her pretentiousness as we are talking about “Pork” here!! But the snobbery of Mrs. Merriweather is hardly a serious issue, in this instance.
Contrast this with her racism within the missionary circle, which is a serious issue. Also, Miss Gates condemns Hitler because she favours democracy but Scout hears her leaving the trial: “it’s time somebody taught ’em a lesson, they were getting way above themselves, an’ the next thing they think they can do is marry us” (ch.26) – this IS serious – especially from a teacher of young people.
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“TKAM” Welcome to the characters
(Harper Lee (the author is a WOMAN!))
Scout (Jean Louise Finch)
Jem Finch
Atticus Finch
Calpurnia (her son, Zeebo)
Uncle Jack (Finch)
Aunt Alexandra
Uncle Jimmy
Francis Hancock
Cousin Ike Finch -last Confederate alive in Maycomb
(Simon Finch and his daughters, past history)
Arthur (Boo) Radley
Old Mr. Radley
Mr. Nathan Radley (Boo’s brother)
Dill (Charles Baker Harris)
Aunt Rachel
Miss Maudie Atkinson
Miss Stephanie Crawford
Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose Cecil Jacobs
Mr. Dolphus Raymond Lula
Heck Tate Mr. X Billups
Mr. Braxton Bragg Underwood Little Chuck Little
Judge Taylor Miss Caroline Fisher
Reverend Sykes Miss Gates
Walter Cunningham Mrs. Grace Merriweather
Mr. Cunningham J. Grimes Everett (missionary)
Burris Ewell Mrs.GertrudeFarrow
Mr. Bob Ewell Tom Robinson
Mayella Ewell Helen Robinson
Mr. Gilmer Tim Johnson (the dog)
The Barber ladies – Misses Tutti and Frutti
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“TKAM” The Main Interest of Each Chapter
PART ONE
Ch1
§ Maycomb history
§ Boo Radley/Dill/childhood dares
Ch2.
§ Miss Caroline/education system/Walter
Cunningham
Ch3.
§ Walter for lunch/Cal+dignity
§ Miss Caroline/Burris Ewell
§ Atticus + Scout/Ewells/empathy
Ch4.
§ Boo/the tree/childhood games
Ch5.
§ Miss Maudie/religious bigotry/truth about Boo
§ Atticus+Jem/empathy for Boo
Ch6.
§ Jem/Scout/Dill- the dare/Jem’s trousers
§ Miss Stephanie/racism (“be it nigger, dog…”)
Ch7.
§ Jem’s repaired trousers/gifts in the tree
§ The cemented tree/Mr.Radley’s lie to Jem
§ Jem’s tears – a cathartic moment for Jem
Ch8.
§ First snow/the Mr. Avery snowman
§ Miss Maudie’s house fire/stoicism
§ Boo’s blanket for Scout
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Ch9.
§ Scout’s fight/Cecil Jacobs/Tom Robinson
§ Atticus integrity/fairness; cousin Ike Finch
§ Christmas/Aunt Alexandra/Uncle Jimmy/past history of Simon Finch and his daughters’ upbringing
§ fight with Francis
§ racism/lady stereotype/fairness
§ punishment of Scout by Uncle Jack
§ Atticus/honesty + listening/rearing children
Ch10.
§ “it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird”
§ Atticus shoots Tim Johnson/modesty
§ Miss Maudie/civilised/fairness
§ Jem/Scout discovery about own father
§ Jem: what it is to be a “gentleman” (compare Pip, “Great Expectations”)
Ch11.
§ Scout/guns/fighting vs. real bravery
§ Mrs. Dubose/racism
§ Atticus/Scout – the morality in defending T.R.
§ Jem’s reading to Mrs. Dubose
§ Mrs.Dubose’s death.
§ Atticus: “she was a great lady” and “the bravest person I ever knew”
END OF PART ONE – a cathartic moment to end Jem’s childhood – “I saw him fingering the wild petals” (of the camellia gifted to him by Mrs. Dubose) – symbolising his thinking of her and the start of adult empathy.
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PART TWO
Ch12.
§ Jem aged 12/superior attitude to Scout
§ Jem/Scout/black church/poverty but community/Lula’s racism
§ another side to Calpurnia’s life/empathy from Scout
Ch13.
§ Aunt Alexandra arrives to stay
§ History of Maycomb social class
§ Social status/snobbery/good breeding
§ Humour – Jem- Cousin Joshua jailed
Ch14.
§ Aunt A. tries to get rid of Calpurnia
§ Jem/Scout fight – Jem’s superior airs
§ Dill the runaway/loneliness/empathy with Boo
Ch15.
§ The Maycomb jail/small town mentality and racism
§ Atticus faces the lynch mob
§ Scout and Mr. Cunningham (link to Walter in Ch.2)
§ Mr. Underwood ready to defend Atticus
Ch16.
§ Mr. Underwood “despises Negroes”
§ Atticus/Aunt A. honesty with children
§ Aunt A. racism/conflict Atticus
§ Miss Maudie’s flowers and religious puritans
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§ Outside the courthouse/Dolphus Raymond/mixed race offspring
§ The courthouse history and small town pretensions
§ Judge Taylor and petty dispute of the past due to Cunningham name misspelt
Ch.17.
§ Heck Tate testimony
§ Bob Ewell testimony/racism/humour/language
§ Contrast Ewell shack/Negro settlement
§ Jem’s confidence in the verdict
Ch18.
§ Mayella Ewell’s testimony
§ Flowers to symbolise her “good” side
§ Racism/language
§ Victim as well as “white trash”
Ch19.
§ Tom Robinson’s testimony
§ Scout compares Mayella to Boo
§ Mr.Gilmer racist language and questioning
§ Dill cries over Tom’s treatment
Ch20.
§ Dolphus Raymond/Scout and Dill outside.
§ He only pretends to be the town drunk
§ D.R. – the cruelty of people/racism/the purity of children
§ Atticus’ closing speech – the equality of men under the law
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Ch21.
§ Jem’s confidence in the outcome
§ The verdict is “guilty”
§ Reference to “mockingbirds” and detailed parallels with the killing of the dog, Tim Johnson, as the verdict is given
CH22.
§ Jem’s tears
§ Gifts from the black community
§ Miss Maudie/Jem: the value of fighting the case
§ Bob Ewell spits in the face of Atticus
Ch23.
§ Atticus empathises with Bob Ewell
§ Atticus/Jem the jury system
§ Atticus/Scout no women jurors
§ Scout/Jem class divides
§ Jem empathises with Boo
Ch24.
§ The missionary circle tea party
§ Racism/religion/hypocrisy –Mrs. Grace Merriweather
§ Helen Robinson needs forgiveness!!
§ Tom Robinson shot dead by his prison guards
§ Miss Maudie/Aunt Alex. Atticus’ importance in the fight for equality
§ Scout acts the “lady” to be supportive of her aunt
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Ch25.
§ Jem spares an insect!!
§ Racism/Mr.Underwood speaks out
§ Comparison to slaughter of songbirds
§ threat from Bob Ewell
Ch26.
§ not afraid of the Radley place anymore
§ Miss Gates/Hitler/Democracy and her racism about Tom
Ch27.
§ “Tom Robinson was as forgotten as Boo Radley”
§ Bob Ewell’s harassment of Helen Robinson and her employer’s(Link Deas) support
§ The Hallowe’en prank on Misses Tutti and Frutti and their suspicion of “Syrians”!!
Ch.28
§ Miss Merriweather’s pageant. Small town with inflated ideas of itself.
§ “a solitary mocker..the sad lament of Poor Will, Poor Will,PoorWill”(symbolic)
§ the humour of the shambolic and ludicrous pageant
§ the attack on Scout and Jem
§ Jem carried to safety by mysterious stranger
§ Bob Ewell found stabbed to death with a kitchen knife
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Ch29.
§ Scout re-tells the attack to Heck Tate listened to by her mystery saviour…Boo Radley
Ch30.
§ Heck Tate protects Boo by saying Ewell fell on his own knife
§ Scout: “it’d be sort of like shootin’ a mocking-bird, wouldn’t it?”
Ch31.
§ Scout/Jem/Boo – Boo caresses Jem’s head
§ Boo: “in the voice of a child afraid of the dark” (ironic)
§ Scout escorts Boo home (ironic)
§ “I never saw him again”
§ evocative and poignant flashback across the emotional events of the novel
§ Scout stands on the Radley porch – seeing life from their perspective (both physically and emotionally) for the first time = empathy
§ Stoner’s Boy from “The Grey Ghost” - supposed to have messed up the clubhouse, but no-one knew what he looked like. When they finally saw him he was innocent and “he was real nice” = symbolic parallel with Boo. “Most people are (nice) when you finally see them” (Atticus) = when you see inside them.Jem and Scout can now do this.
§
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“TKAM” Examination notes (Page 1)
1. You have to choose one question from two.
2. You only have 45 minutes to write the essay.
3. Depending on the question, try to base your answer on about 4/5 key extracts.
4. Circle any key words in your chosen question.
5. Quickly (5 minutes) jot a paragraph/section plan/sequence for your essay in the answer booklet. Use one or two words to describe the focus for each paragraph/section.
6. Keep a close eye on the plan and your watch!
7. Your essay should have about seven to ten paragraphs; keep them fairly short – about 4/5 sentences in each, then a new point.
8. Mention a key word from the question in every paragraph to remind the examiner (and you!) which bit of the question you are answering.
9. Everything you say needs textual evidence. This could be an actual quote, or your description of an action or paraphrasing of something said by a character.