Themes Prejudice Racism Loneliness Courage Responsibility Innocence Growing

Ø Ø Ø Ø Ø Themes Prejudice Racism Loneliness Courage Responsibility Innocence Growing Up Coexistence of Good and Evil Gaining Understanding Importance of Moral Education MK 2015

Chapter One and Two Ø The story is narrated by Scout. n The story is told from the perspective of an older Scout Finch looking back on the events of her childhood through the eyes of her younger self (Retrospective Naïve Narrator). The first-person narrative allows TKAM to explore themes of innocence and growing up. n MK 2015 Find the chapter questions for TKAM in the Google file, save them to your laptop and answer them for chapter 1.

Ø n n n Ø n Maycomb has a lot of history The opening chapters cover a lot of history of the Finch family and Maycomb. Generations of the Finch family made a living farming cotton on the family homestead, Finch’s Landing. But Atticus doesn’t do what’s expected of him – he becomes a lawyer. Maycomb county has been affected by the Great Depression. Scout says there’s “nothing to buy and no money to buy it with” – this suggests that families and businesses are struggling to get by financially. MK 2015

Ø n n There’s already a lot of prejudice in Maycomb gossips about the Radley family because they’re different – they don’t leave their house or involve themselves in Maycomb society. Even Scout, Jem and Dill are prejudiced against Boo Radley – they turn him into a monster with “rotten” teeth, “blood-stained” hands and eyes that “popped”. Watch the You Tube video about Jane Elliot and the blue-eyed and brown-eyed experiment? How does prejudice begin? MK 2015

n The children are also suspicious of Miss Caroline because she’s from Winston County – a part of Alabama that joined the Northern States in the Civil War. This shows how grudges and prejudices are being passed down to the children. The behaviour of the families in Maycomb is predictable of a small town – the Ewells are “trash” and all the Cunninghams don’t take anything “they can’t pay back”. There is nothing to suggest things are going to change. MK 2015

Chapters 3 to 5 Two of the novel’s themes are education and growing up and in these chapters Scout learns a lot of valuable life lessons from Atticus and Miss Maudie. ü After her disastrous first day at school, Atticus encourages Scout to see things from Miss Caroline’s point of view. “climb into [her] skin and walk around in it” Ø He’s trying to teach her to empathise with other people. MK 2015

n Scout learns a lot about life from Miss Maudie – she’s a level-headed mother figure and a good role model to Scout. ü Miss Maudie tells Scout that “one sprig of nut-grass can ruin a whole yard” – a metaphor to show the damage that prejudice can cause society. ü Although Miss Maudie doesn’t go around “doing good” like Miss Crawford, Scout has “faith” in her – this shows that she already understands the MK 2015 difference between appearances and reality.

Boo Radley becomes more human. 1. Boo starts leaving presents for the children in the tree – his actions are kind and friendly. 2. Miss Maudie tells Scout she knew Boo when he was younger and that he was a polite boy. She hints that his religious father keeps him locked up. This creates pathos for Scout and the reader. 3. The children’s initial view of Boo was wrong – Harper Lee is showing us the importance of forming our own opinions. n MK 2015

Theme of Growing Up: Throughout the book, how the children treat Boo reflects their maturity. At the start, they’re afraid of him, but they slowly begin to sympathise with him and by the end of the book they respect him. MK 2015

Chapter 6 - 8 Things go a bit crazy in these chapters – there’s snow in Maycomb and Miss Maudie’s house burns down. The events may seem a bit random but they tell us a lot about Maycomb society. On theme of growing up… 1) 2) 3) Jem is becoming more mature – he realises it was Boo who mended his trousers and doubts he’s a monster at all. He starts to get rid of his prejudices. The children get more gifts in the tree until Nathan Radley fills the knothole with cement claiming the tree is “dying”. Scout is sad because she knows there won’t be more presents (shows their different levels of maturity). MK 2015

n Maycomb has the coldest winter for a very long time. The characters’ reactions to the snowfall in chapter 8 tell the reader a lot about what Maycomb is like: • School’s cancelled even though there’s hardly any snow – this suggests Maycomb overreacts to unfamiliarity. • Eula May phones all the homes to pass this information on – this shows how small the community is. • Mr Avery thinks the snow is a result of the children misbehaving. What do you think of these reactions? Why do you think the author wants us to notice the way various people react? MK 2015

n o o o The fire brings out the best in people. Miss Maudie’s house burns down in the middle of the night but people are on hand to help her. Mr Avery almost gets stuck trying to help move her furniture. Miss Crawford lets Miss Maudie stay with her. Scout doesn’t notice when Boo Radley puts a blanket around her. When she finds out, she’s not grateful and it makes her feel a bit sick. zens i t i c b ycom a M w o de– h o s t i u p o e b ts a now n i s o e p h us? t s l l u n e i o t i v e d r e e i e pr se f udic j h u t e o r r h p e t e f e A d ar ut th n o a b t a c e a d overre s this episo MK 2015 oe d t a h w

Chapters 9 - 11 The events in these chapters – Scout standing up to Cecil, Atticus shooting the dog and Mrs Dubose kicking her morphine habit – are all about courage. They help to build up to the big moment at the end – Tom Robinson’s courage. Scout has her first brush with racial prejudice n n n Cecil taunts Scout by saying her father “defended niggers” – she’s not sure what it means but she knows it’s offensive. Scout walks away from a fight with him – she’s beginning to learn that violence doesn’t solve problems. She doesn’t last long though – she later beats up Francis for insulting Atticus! Atticus tells the children he’s going to defend Tom Robinson – he knows he’s going to lose but he has to try in the name of MK 2015 justice.

Atticus is a deadly shot n n n Jem and Scout think Atticus is feeble because he doesn’t shoot, smoke or play football. When he shoots the rabid dog the children respect him, but Atticus doesn’t want the children to respect him for something so deadly. The rabid dog can be seen as a symbol – what do you think it symbolises? MK 2015

Jem chops down Mrs Dubose’s flowers n n Although she’s grumpy and racist, Atticus admires her wish to die free of her morphine addiction. Atticus says that it does not matter if she dies free or not – she’s brave to have tried. Tom Robinson’s trial is the same – he can’t win but trying shows true courage. Mrs Dubose gives Jem a camellia flower – he thinks she’s taunting him but it’s a sign of her goodness, forgiveness and thanks. The theme of courage – courage is more than just a man with a gun. MK 2015

Chapters 12 - 14 Welcome to part two – these chapters deal with the idea of identity. Cal leads a double life, Aunt Alexandra is obsessed with family status and Dill feels like he doesn’t belong. The children visit the Black Community’s church n n n The black people worship in the church on Sundays but white people gamble in it on weekdays – shows a lack of respect. Lee represents the black community positively – most welcome Scout and Jem and they raise money for the Robinsons. Black people have their faults too – Lula is prejudiced against Scout and Jem. Some are reluctant to give money. MK 2015

Aunt Alexandra turns up n Aunt Alexandra represents another kind of prejudice – social snobbery. She thinks family identity is important – she wants Scout and Jem to live up to the family name. n Aunt Alexandra thinks that “the longer a family had been squatting on one patch of land the finer it was”, but Scout thinks that “fine folks” are people who “did the best they could with the sense that they had. ” MK 2015

Dill hides under the bed. n Dill runs away from home and Scout and Jem find him under Scout’s bed. Jem breaks the “remaining code of… childhood” by telling Atticus – this shows Jem’s maturity and the widening gap between him and Scout. n Dill explains that he ran away because his parents weren’t “interested” in him. He runs to the Finches – a place where he feels loved and wanted. MK 2015

Chapters 15 to 17 – The Trial Begins. Things start to get a bit nasty and the Maycomb residents start to show their true colours. Some people think Atticus shouldn’t be defending a black man, and they aren’t afraid to speak their minds… Atticus is threatened by a lynch mob Atticus sits outside the jail because he knows a lynch mob is coming to get Tom – he wants to protect him. n MK 2015

Look at who is in the lynch mob… n The mob are a bunch of drunkards and cowards – they smell of “whisky” and threaten 12 -year-old Jem. Lee is portraying them in a way that makes them look pathetic. n Scout spots Mr Cunningham in the mob and asks about his entailment and his son. This reminds Mr Cunningham that he owes a lot to Atticus and that he’s a father, just like Atticus. MK 2015

There are some complex people in Maycomb A lot of the characters aren’t completely good or bad. n n n Mr Cunningham appeared honest and hard-working but we see him differently when he joins the lynch mob. Judge Taylor appears incompetent – he falls asleep (but he really has a strong grip on the trial). Bob Ewell is less complicated – he’s a dirty drunkard who lives behind a dump. But he’s also a horrible person – he lies to destroy an innocent man. MK 2015

There’s prejudice in the court before the trial even begins What did you notice about the courtroom and the jury? 1) 2) The courthouse is segregated. It’s also symbolic that Scout and Jem sit with the black people – seeing things from their perspective. The jury is made up of “dressed-up Cunninghams” – farmers who are dressed up for the trial. We know Mr Cunningham joined the lynch mob. This jury could be prejudiced. MK 2015

Chapter 18 – 20 Tom Testifies Mayella is a victim too n n Mayella is lonely and unhappy – she has to look after seven children and her father is abusive. Tom recognises that she has a tough life and says that he feels sorry for her – the court is shocked that he’d dare to pity a white person. MK 2015

Only racist white people attend the trial n n n Scout and Dill run into Dolphus Raymond outside the courtroom. They discover he only pretends to be drunk so that Maycomb can use his drunkenness as an excuse for the fact he is not like other people in town. Link Deas tries to vouch for Tom’s character – but this gets him thrown out of the court. Perhaps some of the non-racist characters like Miss Maudie and Dolphus Raymond don’t attend because they don’t want to see a black man condemned to death. MK 2015

The language reveals a lot about respect When Atticus speaks politely to Mayella she thinks he’s teasing her – she’s not used to courtesy. 2. Tom speaks politely in court too – he calls Atticus “Mr Finch” and “suh” which contrasts with Bob Ewell’s disrespectful language. 3. Mr Gilmer (the prosecuting lawyer) calls Tom “boy” – in doing so, he shows prejudice as well. This has a strong effect on Dill who is innocent. 1. MK 2015

You don’t need to be Sherlock Holmes to work out who’s lying… The truth is that Bob Ewell beat his daughter up because he saw her trying to kiss a black man. And it’s not just their word against Tom’s – Bob Ewell is left-handed, while Tom’s left arm is useless! Case closed, right? MK 2015

Chapter 21 – 23 – The Verdict The trial disillusions the children Jem’s convinced that the jury will find Tom innocent – but they return a guilty verdict. Jem’s naivety shows he has a lot to learn about prejudice. n Jem’s idealistic view of the world has been shattered. He thinks people “go out of their way to despise each other”, and this makes him realise that Boo might not want to come outside. n MK 2015

But there’s hope for the future n n n The black community stand up when Atticus leaves the courtroom – they respect him and appreciate what he’s tried to do. Atticus says that the reason the jury took so long is because a juror wanted to acquit Tom. The fact that someone on the jury thought he was innocent gives hope that this may change in future. Judge Taylor chose Atticus because he thought it’d give Tom the best chance at justice. MK 2015

n Atticus warns that white people will one day “pay the bill” for their treatment of black people. Fact: When the book was published America was finally starting to change – black people had begun campaigning for equality. Aunt Alexandra is still harping on about the family § It turns out that the jury member who wanted to acquit Tom was a Cunningham. Now Aunt Alexandra doesn’t want Scout hanging out with Walter because “he – is – trash”. The trial hasn’t taught Aunt Alexandra anything about her own prejudices. MK 2015

Chapter 24 – 26 – Tom’s Death Scout learns to be considerate n n She wears a dress to the missionary’s talk because she knows it’ll please Aunt Alexandra. She’s not afraid of the Radley place any more and she feels “remorse” for tormenting Boo. There are mixed reactions to Tom’s Death n When Helen Robinson hears the news about Tom’s death she falls to the ground as if “a big foot just came along and stepped on her”. MK 2015

n n Maycomb is only be interested in Tom’s death for about “two days” – this shows how unimportant it is to them. They think that attempting to run is “typical” of a black man. Mr Underwood compares Tom’s death to the “senseless slaughter of songbirds”. This reminds the reader of Chapter 10 when Atticus tells Scout and Jem they must never kill a mockingbird. Mrs Merriweather thinks she’s being a good Christian forgiving Helen Robinson – but Helen and Tom never did anything wrong. MK 2015

Chapter 27 – 29 – The Attack n Things settle down for a while and the town goes back to the “familiar routine of school, play, study”. Foreshadowing the tension n n Bob Ewell starts to threaten people connected with the trial. His actions are cowardly – he follows Helen because he knows she’s defenceless and he breaks into Judge Taylor’s house when he thinks he’s out. The setting of Ch. 28 is during Halloween and it’s “pitch black”. MK 2015

Bob Ewell attacks the children Bob attacks Scout and Jem as they’re walking home from the pageant – this shows his true cowardice because they are defenceless children. n Scout can’t see what’s happening in her costume – this adds to the tension. n Ewell tries to stab Scout but she’s protected by the costume. n The reader underestimates how evil Bob is. n MK 2015

Chapter 30 - 31 Boo is revealed n n When we finally meet Boo he has “the voice of a child” and is pale with “feathery” hair – this makes us think of a bird. He’s not a monster at all but a brave and shy man. Justice is finally served n Heck Tate tries to investigate Bob’s death – Atticus thinks Jem killed Bob in self-defence but Heck thinks Jem couldn’t have done it with a broken arm. MK 2015

n n Heck claims Bob fell on his knife. However Harper Lee hints that Heck thinks Boo killed Bob – he says “I never heard tell that it’s against the law for a citizen to do his utmost to prevent a crime from being committed, which is exactly what he did. ” He convinces Atticus to let it go. He thinks it’d be a sin to drag Boo “with his shy ways into the limelight. ” He doesn’t want Boo to suffer at the hands of local prejudice like Tom did. MK 2015

Scout’s come a long way n n She’s learnt to be sensitive – she walks Boo home but makes it look like he’s the one escorting her. She’s learnt the importance of empathy. She says “there wasn’t much else left for us to learn, except possibly algebra” and falls asleep on Atticus’s lap – the reader knows she’s still innocent. This peaceful ending gives the reader hope that society will be more equal in future. MK 2015

MK 2015