Post by Admin on Oct 4, 2016 18:47:44 GMT
Setting
In the 1950s, when Harper Lee was writing this novel, the state of Alabama was at the centre of racial tension. During this time, Martin Luther King began his civil rights work, giving a voice to African Americans living amongst white people.
The novel is set in 1930s American, where the Great Depression hit the poorest hardest.
Throughout the south, blacks and whites were segregated. African Americans used different drinking fountains, entrances to public places and rest room facilities. They also were expected to sit on the back of public buses and were expected to move if a white person needed a seat. In 1955, an African American woman refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery Alabama bus. Her brave and momentous decision sparked a new lease of life to the civil rights movement.
Harper Lee had many reasons to set her story in the 1930s. Scout, the narrator and protagonist of the story, is a semi-autobiographical character as Harper Lee was about the same age as Scout in the 1930s.
Harper Lee’s father, like Atticus was a lawyer who became a legal representative in cases against African Americans.
Maycomb, as created by Lee, is a “tired old town” where little happens, though dangerous prejudices and tensions are always there. Most of the characters are morally good according to their own standards, but these standards are narrow and rigid.
Maycomb’s population is static and newcomers, even from north Alabama are not accepted easily. People in Maycomb are quite suspicious of outsiders and can feel threatened by unfamiliarity.
Gossip is rife and so is prejudice. Not only are blacks subjected to racial prejudice, but those who in any way don’t conform are treated as odd, for example Dolphus Raymond and Boo Radley.
In her novel, Lee’s central character moves from a state of innocence to one of maturity as the result of suffering, questioning and surviving various incidents. One of Scout’s biggest concerns throughout the novel is trying to understand the expectations her society has for women and those who are African Americans.
In the 1930s women in the south were treated as delicate, fragile creatures and they were expected to act in accordance with that treatment. Scout is anything but delicate and fragile and much of the story focuses on how she tries to fit into a world that expects girls to wear frilly dresses and maintain a fragile and dainty disposition.
Role of Women
Expected to stay at home
Miss Maudie is seen as a non-conformist as she works outside in her garden. Very intelligent, not afraid to speak her mind.
Scout does not wish to be lady, she prefers to be a tomboy
Aunt Alexandra believes that Atticus is not raising Scout to be a proper lady, she wants her to wear frilly dresses and conform to the traditional view of women
Not allowed to sit on jury
Southern Womanhood = very ladylike, not allowed to show much emotion
Aunt Alexandra likes to fit in with the other ladies so she does not like to voice her opinion in front of them but rather privately
Missionary tea ladies conform. They are hypocritical = feel sorry for African Tribe but ignore what is happening in their own town
Look down on people who are inferior to them
Aunt Alexandra fits into the world of Maycomb like a hand in a glove (something that is meant to be there and fits perfectly)
Scout has to learn about the code of femininity
She shows ladylike behaviour by allowing Boo Radley to lead her across the road + down the street
Scout realised the code of femininity when Aunt Alexandra shows emotion at Tom Robinson’s death and then composing herself and carrying on with the tea party.
Religion
Christian society
Do not show Christian morals e.g. love forgiveness, equality
Atticus is one of the few who do
Some of the black people are shocked that Calpurnia would bring Scout and Jem to their church
People in the black community were forced to give money in a church collection for Helen Robinson and her family
Lynch mob show no compassion as they are willing to kill Tom Robinson – inhumane towards a fellow human being – Walter Cunningham = decent hardworking man
Foot washing Baptists expect Miss Maudie to stay inside and read the bible
Missionary tea ladies are hypocritical in the way they feel sorry for African tribe but are not sorry of African Americans in their own community
Mr Merriweather speaks inhumanely to Sophie (her servant)
Harper Lee criticises the religion of the people
Stereotyping( Tom Robinson, Boo Radley, Dolphus Raymond) = label people (race, skin colour, age, gender, social status, family name) – stick through generations of the same family ( “streak” ) = opinions are narrow
Closing of Novel
Resolution of plots
· We finally meet Boo Radley
· We learn that he should not be prejudiced and that the gossip and rumours that we have heard about him are untrue
· The novel comes full circle as we learn how Jem broke his arm
· Scout realises that Boo Radley and Tom Robinson are both innocent men and compares them to mockingbirds who do no harm “but sing their hearts out for us”
· Scout sees that she herself, Jem and Dill were prejudiced towards Boo Radley in the same way that Maycomb were prejudiced towards Tom Robinson – she sees that they were both unfairly treated
Tension
· conversation between Scout, Atticus and Heck Tate
· Heck Tate feels that it would be unfair to put Boo Radley in the spotlight by saying that he killed Bob Ewell
· Heck Tate says that Bob Ewell fell on his knife and killed himself
· Scout agrees with the sheriff as she too feels that “it’d be sort of like shootin’ a mockingbird” and that “it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird”
· Thus is a lesson that Scout has learned from her father and now it is finally being repaid to him
· Scout teaches her father the lesson he once taught her
Scout’s Development
· Shows great maturity as she teaches Atticus his own lesson that accusing Boo Radley would “be sort of like shootin’ a mockingbird”
· She shows great maturity when she allows Boo Radley to lead her to his house instead of her leading him = she protects his pride and standing in the community
· She understands that she has to act within society’s expectations of her
· We see that she is still a little girl, even after all that she has been through = we see her climbing onto Atticus’ lap and being read to sleep by him
· She is able to put herself in Boo Radley’s shoes in order to understand the sheriff
· She realises that she can act in her own way and remain true to herself while inside her house but she can project a ladylike appearance on the outside – just as Alexandra did when told about Tom Robinson’s death
· She sees that white lies are acceptable in order to protect a certain person – at start Atticus tells her that they will keep reading if she stays in school, so she won’t embarrass Miss Caroline – white lie about Bob Ewell falling on his knife in order to protect Boo Radley.
In the 1950s, when Harper Lee was writing this novel, the state of Alabama was at the centre of racial tension. During this time, Martin Luther King began his civil rights work, giving a voice to African Americans living amongst white people.
The novel is set in 1930s American, where the Great Depression hit the poorest hardest.
Throughout the south, blacks and whites were segregated. African Americans used different drinking fountains, entrances to public places and rest room facilities. They also were expected to sit on the back of public buses and were expected to move if a white person needed a seat. In 1955, an African American woman refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery Alabama bus. Her brave and momentous decision sparked a new lease of life to the civil rights movement.
Harper Lee had many reasons to set her story in the 1930s. Scout, the narrator and protagonist of the story, is a semi-autobiographical character as Harper Lee was about the same age as Scout in the 1930s.
Harper Lee’s father, like Atticus was a lawyer who became a legal representative in cases against African Americans.
Maycomb, as created by Lee, is a “tired old town” where little happens, though dangerous prejudices and tensions are always there. Most of the characters are morally good according to their own standards, but these standards are narrow and rigid.
Maycomb’s population is static and newcomers, even from north Alabama are not accepted easily. People in Maycomb are quite suspicious of outsiders and can feel threatened by unfamiliarity.
Gossip is rife and so is prejudice. Not only are blacks subjected to racial prejudice, but those who in any way don’t conform are treated as odd, for example Dolphus Raymond and Boo Radley.
In her novel, Lee’s central character moves from a state of innocence to one of maturity as the result of suffering, questioning and surviving various incidents. One of Scout’s biggest concerns throughout the novel is trying to understand the expectations her society has for women and those who are African Americans.
In the 1930s women in the south were treated as delicate, fragile creatures and they were expected to act in accordance with that treatment. Scout is anything but delicate and fragile and much of the story focuses on how she tries to fit into a world that expects girls to wear frilly dresses and maintain a fragile and dainty disposition.
Role of Women
Expected to stay at home
Miss Maudie is seen as a non-conformist as she works outside in her garden. Very intelligent, not afraid to speak her mind.
Scout does not wish to be lady, she prefers to be a tomboy
Aunt Alexandra believes that Atticus is not raising Scout to be a proper lady, she wants her to wear frilly dresses and conform to the traditional view of women
Not allowed to sit on jury
Southern Womanhood = very ladylike, not allowed to show much emotion
Aunt Alexandra likes to fit in with the other ladies so she does not like to voice her opinion in front of them but rather privately
Missionary tea ladies conform. They are hypocritical = feel sorry for African Tribe but ignore what is happening in their own town
Look down on people who are inferior to them
Aunt Alexandra fits into the world of Maycomb like a hand in a glove (something that is meant to be there and fits perfectly)
Scout has to learn about the code of femininity
She shows ladylike behaviour by allowing Boo Radley to lead her across the road + down the street
Scout realised the code of femininity when Aunt Alexandra shows emotion at Tom Robinson’s death and then composing herself and carrying on with the tea party.
Religion
Christian society
Do not show Christian morals e.g. love forgiveness, equality
Atticus is one of the few who do
Some of the black people are shocked that Calpurnia would bring Scout and Jem to their church
People in the black community were forced to give money in a church collection for Helen Robinson and her family
Lynch mob show no compassion as they are willing to kill Tom Robinson – inhumane towards a fellow human being – Walter Cunningham = decent hardworking man
Foot washing Baptists expect Miss Maudie to stay inside and read the bible
Missionary tea ladies are hypocritical in the way they feel sorry for African tribe but are not sorry of African Americans in their own community
Mr Merriweather speaks inhumanely to Sophie (her servant)
Harper Lee criticises the religion of the people
Stereotyping( Tom Robinson, Boo Radley, Dolphus Raymond) = label people (race, skin colour, age, gender, social status, family name) – stick through generations of the same family ( “streak” ) = opinions are narrow
Closing of Novel
Resolution of plots
· We finally meet Boo Radley
· We learn that he should not be prejudiced and that the gossip and rumours that we have heard about him are untrue
· The novel comes full circle as we learn how Jem broke his arm
· Scout realises that Boo Radley and Tom Robinson are both innocent men and compares them to mockingbirds who do no harm “but sing their hearts out for us”
· Scout sees that she herself, Jem and Dill were prejudiced towards Boo Radley in the same way that Maycomb were prejudiced towards Tom Robinson – she sees that they were both unfairly treated
Tension
· conversation between Scout, Atticus and Heck Tate
· Heck Tate feels that it would be unfair to put Boo Radley in the spotlight by saying that he killed Bob Ewell
· Heck Tate says that Bob Ewell fell on his knife and killed himself
· Scout agrees with the sheriff as she too feels that “it’d be sort of like shootin’ a mockingbird” and that “it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird”
· Thus is a lesson that Scout has learned from her father and now it is finally being repaid to him
· Scout teaches her father the lesson he once taught her
Scout’s Development
· Shows great maturity as she teaches Atticus his own lesson that accusing Boo Radley would “be sort of like shootin’ a mockingbird”
· She shows great maturity when she allows Boo Radley to lead her to his house instead of her leading him = she protects his pride and standing in the community
· She understands that she has to act within society’s expectations of her
· We see that she is still a little girl, even after all that she has been through = we see her climbing onto Atticus’ lap and being read to sleep by him
· She is able to put herself in Boo Radley’s shoes in order to understand the sheriff
· She realises that she can act in her own way and remain true to herself while inside her house but she can project a ladylike appearance on the outside – just as Alexandra did when told about Tom Robinson’s death
· She sees that white lies are acceptable in order to protect a certain person – at start Atticus tells her that they will keep reading if she stays in school, so she won’t embarrass Miss Caroline – white lie about Bob Ewell falling on his knife in order to protect Boo Radley.