To Kill a Mockingbird

Final Notes

Plot (two plots intertwined) Tom Robinson: excellent account of

hysteria caused by accusation of black man raping white woman in Deep South prior to Civil Rights movement

Boo Radley: explores attitudes toward mentally ill and how children learn important life lessons

Themes Goodness: Atticus, Calpurnia, Sheriff Heck

Tate Innocence: children, Tom, Boo Evil: Mr. Ewell, Mr. Radley, Maycomb’s

prejudice Harm caused by racial prejudice Tragedy of injustice and benefits of rule of

law

Themes (continued) Importance of standing up to evil/ injustice Poverty of physical violence as solution to

conflict Coming of Age*: recognizing existence of

individual’s evil and good nature once irrational fear has been overcome

Themes (continued) Attributes of masculinity (Atticus): nurturing,

caring, tolerant, forgiving, respectful, considerate; non-violent while defending one’s beliefs, wise, respecting law, professionally competent

Exemplary parent: leads by example; children learn to be moral and to think for themselves

Symbols Mockingbird: innocent/ good people who

need protection; injured/ destroyed through contact with evil. Maycomb treats fragile innocence of childhood harshly

Character Names Jem: jewel Scout: narrator; *explorer for understanding Atticus: grandeur, classical virtues

Symbols (continued) Bird Imagery: Finch, Robinson Calpurnia: fiercely loyal wife of Caesar;

beyond reproach Robert E. Lee Ewell: shows how best of

South degenerated into a cruel, drunken, child-abusing criminal

Boo: spook who is painfully shy (unless protecting children)

Symbols (continued) Guns: dangerous power of limited use;

novel critical of owning a gun making a manI 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 you see it through no matter what. (Atticus)

Characterization Tom and Boo (parallels)

Both try to help Both imprisoned Both persecuted (race/ infraction of law) Both at risk in justice system of Maycomb Both mockingbirds Wise men try to protect them

Tom by Atticus Boo by Sheriff Tate

Characterization (continued) Importance of Rule of Law

Tom Robinson: law is straightforward Boo Radley: shows limits of properly applied justice and

its imperfections acknowledged

Foils of Atticus (contrasting characters) Bob Ewell Lynch mob Jury Mr. Radley

Black people are gentle and forbearing/racism and violence of Maycomb community

Characterization (continued) Bob Ewell

Still angry despite guilty verdict In cross-examination, Atticus established truth

that Mayella is aggressor toward Tom Destroys Mayella’s reputation Ewell is embarrassed that town realizes Mayella

tried to seduce Tom Sought to solve problems with violence

Characterization (continued) Tom Robinson

Sealed fate when he said he pitied a white woman

Racist society could not tolerate a black man pitying a white woman

Especially infuriating to Ewell because Tom’s testimony was reasonable given facts of case

Characterization (continued) Dynamic Characterization (changed)

Jem and Scout are only dynamic characters Realization of good and evil in world Increased appreciation of Atticus’s qualities Growing acceptance of Boo as a human being

Irony Lynch mob takes justice into its own hands;

portrayed as evil Sheriff Tate takes justice into his own

hands (obstructing justice) in lying about how Ewell died; portrayed as humane

Although Jem and Scout fear Boo, he rescues them

Irony (continued) Ewell dies trying to attack vulnerable children,

never expecting to face Boo Sheriff Tate (not very intelligent) rather than

brilliant Atticus devises a strategy to protect Boo Atticus, known as best shot in town, does not own

gun Ewell calls Atticus a ___lover when only white

person in town who has loved a black man is his daughter, Mayella

Racism in the South and novel Accusation of Tom Robinson’s raping Mayella

violates community’s code of ethics by arousing basic fears about relationship between whites and blacks

Believing black men were chomping at the bit to get at a white woman, jury could not resist opportunity to let black men believe they could escape consequences even when it was transparent white woman was lying

Coexistence of Good and Evil Exploration of moral nature of humans; are we

essentially good or bad? Scout and Jem transition from children who have

never experienced evil and believe all people are good to confronting evil and incorporating it into their understanding of the world

Tom Robinson and Boo Radley not prepared for evil they encounter and are destroyed

Coexistence of Good and Evil (cont.)

Jem victimized by discovery of evil of racism during and after trial; Jem’s faith in humanity is badly damaged; thus, he becomes disillusioned

Scout maintains basic faith in human nature despite Tom’s conviction

Coexistence of Good and Evil (cont.) Atticus unique because he has experienced and

understood evil without losing faith in human capacity for goodness

We must appreciate good qualities and understand bad qualities by treating others with sympathy and seeing life from their perspective

Possible to live w/ conscience w/out losing hope or becoming cynical

Atticus can admire Mrs. Dubose’s courage even while deploring her racism

Coexistence of Good and Evil (cont.)

Scout’s progress as a character defined by her gradual understanding of Atticus’s lessons when she finally sees Boo as a human being

Her newfound ability to view world from Atticus’s perspective ensures she will not become jaded as she loses her innocence

Social Inequality Complicated social hierarchy of Maycomb

baffles children Rigid social divisions of adult world

revealed as destructive and irrational Lee uses children’s perplexity at unpleasant

layering of Maycomb society to critique role of class status and prejudice in human interaction