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Author Topic: To Kill a Mockingbird: Questions and Notes  (Read 10680 times)

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caffinatedloz

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To Kill a Mockingbird: Questions and Notes
« on: July 15, 2019, 06:20:56 pm »
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Hey guys!
I am studying To Kill a Mockingbird this term and I discovered that there aren't any notes on the AN forum. :( I figured that I might collate the notes I take on different themes aspects and characters here so that they can be useful for others. If anyone has studied TKAM, would love any advice, summaries, insight ect.

To begin... here are some websites I looked at for contextualising the novel, particularly in the case of Emmett Till.
http://100photos.time.com/photos/emmett-till-david-jackson
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmett_Till
https://nypost.com/2017/01/27/emmett-tills-accuser-admits-it-was-all-a-lie/
https://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/leonard-pitts-jr/article216255585.html

I also have a set of background research. I tried to upload it to the Notes section, but there is no category for stuff related to Year 9/10. I figured I may as well post them here. (see attachments)

caffinatedloz

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Re: To Kill a Mockingbird: Questions and Notes
« Reply #1 on: July 19, 2019, 06:20:51 am »
+2
Vocabulary for Chapter One:

Assuaged: To mitigate, satisfy or calm.
Apothecary: A person who prepared and sold medication and drugs.
Persecution: Affliction, torture or ill-treatment because of race, religion, politics or other beliefs.
Brethren: A fellow member of a close group.
Impotent: Powerless, weak or ineffective.
Taciturn: A person who is uncommunicative or says very little.
Unsullied: Has not been spoiled, tainted or ruined.
Alleged: To state a point without proof.
Imprudent: Not showing care about the consequences of an action. (Acting impulsively or irrationally.)
Profound: A great or intense feeling or having great and insightful knowledge about a subject.
Distaste: A slight dislike.
Ambled: A slow, relaxed pace
Courteous: Polite, respectful or considerate.
Detachment: Beeing cold, indifferent or aloof.
Tyrannical: Exercising lusted after power in a way that is cruel or arbitrary.
Entity: An unknown body or object.
Revelation: Disclosing a surprising or unknown fact.
Eccentric: Slightly unconventional, unorthodox or peculiar behaviour.
Quaint: Charming, sweet, old-fashioned.
Repertoire: A collection of skills, behaviours or items that a person has or can perform.
Malevolent: Having a wish or longing to do evil to others.
Stealthy: A cautious, surreptitious manner of behaviour so as not to draw attention to oneself.
Mutilated: Inflicting a violent or disfiguring injury.
Discard: To dispose of something useless.
Predilection: A liking, fondness or preference for something.
Profane: Secular.
Conceded: Eventually admitting to or agreeing to something, after initial denial.
Nebulous: A physical cloud or haze. A vague concept.
Ramrod Straight: In a very stiff manner.
Drooled: Salivated uncontrollably.
Gouges: To make a groove, hole or indentation.
Foray: A sudden attack.

kimokeeffe

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Re: To Kill a Mockingbird: Questions and Notes
« Reply #2 on: September 08, 2019, 06:12:01 pm »
+1
A couple of practice essay topics my class used:
- Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird is a story about fear. Discuss.
- Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird is a story about childhood. Discuss.

kimokeeffe

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Re: To Kill a Mockingbird: Questions and Notes
« Reply #3 on: September 08, 2019, 06:12:58 pm »
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Some notes about the theme 'childhood' if you were to write and essay on it:

Synonyms:
- Adolescence
- Growing up
- School/primary aged children
- Teenagers
- Innocence

Brainstorm:
- Scout: symbol of childhood within the novel
- Parental figure: Atticus: lessons: vise versa
- Small town southern life: impact on childhood
- Siblings: Jem: role model
- Fear: Boo Radley
- Knowledge: learning things that help you overcome fear of the unknown: Boo Radley
- Innocence: braking innocence
- Memories: reminiscing/creating: autobiographical of Harper Lee's childhood
- Narrative structure: voice: scout's young voice juxtaposing with Lee's adult voice

Quotes:
- Page 18: Scouts affinity for literature and reading well beyond her age
- Page 63: Scouts respect for Atticus and maturity in utilising his advice
- Page 94: Demonstration of Scouts knowledge and wisdom well beyond her age instilled by Atticus
- Page 94: The idea that children cannot understand lies and how this compares to Atticus' parenting style
- Page 97: Scout not understanding/interpreting the full extent of Atticus' lessons
- Page 121: Atticus educates his children on the true meaning of heroism and allows them to think for themselves
- Page 141: The difference between Aunt Alexandra and Scout (Scout's wisdom and maturity in her ability to understand people)
- Page 153: Jem maturing and making more mature decisions that stray away from his friends trust
- Page 168: Scout diffuses a situation unknowingly with her immaturity
- Page 219: Mr Dolphus Raymond explains how as you grow up you become less sensitive to displays of injustice
- Page 233: Aunt Alexandra's unnatural idea of how children should behave
- Page 302: Scout understanding of life which even her father is impressed by

Paragraph one:
- Scout/Atticus
- Page 18, 63, 94, 97, 121, 141, 168, 302

Paragraph two:
- Maycomb/Aunt Alexandra
- Page 141, 153, 219, 233

Paragraph three:
- Harper Lee's autobiographical influence in the novel

kimokeeffe

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Re: To Kill a Mockingbird: Questions and Notes
« Reply #4 on: September 08, 2019, 06:14:40 pm »
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example essay paragraph i wrote:

Compassion is a key theme throughout the novel as Atticus Finch strives to instil this value in his children, Jem and Scout. Atticus teaches Scout that ‘you can 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.’ This passage exemplifies the mutual respect and special bond between Scout and her father, and his ability to teach her things about life she is unable to acquire from school. Although Scout does not fully comprehend or agree with her father taking the Tom Robinson case, Atticus hopes that ‘maybe [she’ll] look back on this with some compassion and some feeling that [he] didn’t let [her] down.’ Atticus educates his children by guidance and demonstration; he conducts these instructions with love and understanding. Thus, his lessons are well learned by Jem and Scout. This success is verbalised when Scout realises that ‘Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them’ but for Scout, ‘just standing on the Radley porch was enough.’ Here Scout finally sees the world from Boo Radley’s point of view and recalls many events from prior in the novel from his perspective. This encapsulates how Atticus’ lessons have impacted her and how Atticus’ lessons have impacted her and how she has absorbed so much from him. Atticus demonstrates compassion to a wide range of characters throughout the novel. When questioning Mayella Ewell about the Tom Robinson case, he displays empath by treating her with respect whilst she is under oath. She is very unfamiliar with being treated this way and therefore ‘did not hear the compassion in his invitation’. This further demonstrates just how lacking the town is of compassion and the significance of Atticus’ actions within the town. Later in the novel Bob Ewell threatens to kill Atticus, yet Atticus is steadfast in his morals and strives to act with empathy and forgiveness. He is teaching Jem to do the same by demonstrating and encouraging him to ‘stand in Bob Ewell’s shoes a minute.’ During To Kill a Mockingbird Atticus teaches his children and the townsfolk about the importance of compassion. He demonstrates and educates them on how by considering how the other person feels you can attain an understanding of the morals and intentions behind their actions.

kimokeeffe

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Re: To Kill a Mockingbird: Questions and Notes
« Reply #5 on: September 08, 2019, 06:16:12 pm »
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some background info about harper lee that might be helpful with understanding the novel and how her experiences shaped it:

Overview/history:
   - Harper Lee was born and raised in Monroeville, Alabama.
   - In 1959, she finished the manuscript for her Pulitzer Prize-winning bestseller To Kill a Mockingbird.
   - In July 2015, Lee published her second novel, Go Set a Watchman, which was written before To Kill a Mockingbird and portrays the later lives of the characters.
   - The youngest of four children, she grew up as a tomboy in a small town.
   - Her father was a lawyer, a member of the Alabama state legislature and also owned part of the local newspaper.
   - For most of Lee's life, her mother suffered from a mental illness thought to be bipolar disease, this meant that she was rarely able to leave the house.
   - In high school, Lee developed an interest in English literature. Unlike her fellow students, she focused on her studies and writing.
Facts:
   - Born on April 28, 1926
   - Died on February 19, 2016, at the age of 89
   - Published To Kill A Mockingbird on July 11, 1960
   - Published Go Set a Watchman on July 14, 2015
Graduating in 1944

kimokeeffe

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Re: To Kill a Mockingbird: Questions and Notes
« Reply #6 on: September 08, 2019, 06:20:43 pm »
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Atticus Finch:

Atticus Finch is one of the main characters in TKAM and his actions drive the plot. Throughout the book and through the character of Atticus, we learn about the themes of the book and the lessons and beliefs he believes and wats to instil in his children.
Atticus Finch, a prominent citizens in Maycomb during the Great Depression. He is relatively well of in a time of widespread poverty. His children Jem and Scout admires him because of his intelligence, fairness and calm wisdom behaviour. He agrees to defend Tom Robinson, unwilling to support the town's prejudice.

Single father to two children, Jem and Scout and his fatherhood methods are different to those around him

Atticus was one of the few who stood up for equality and stood up for what he believed in even when no one else had agreed with him

He teaches his children through life lessons with one important lesson about what true bravery is. Atticus tells Jem, "I 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 see it through no matter what."

Atticus saw Mrs. Dubose courage through her anger and insults to Atticus. She still remains to be the bravest women he ever knew because of her fight against morphine.

"There is nothing to fear but fear itself." Atticus is one of the few people in the town who shows true courage by helping others and doing what he believes in. Most of the other people in the town are fearful of standing out.

Atticus is a key character in tkam as he teaches the children lessons, helps the town out and defends people who have been served injustice

“I 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 see it through no matter what.

“There's a lot of ugly things in this world, son. I wish I could keep 'em all away from you. That's never possible.” 

kimokeeffe

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Re: To Kill a Mockingbird: Questions and Notes
« Reply #7 on: September 08, 2019, 06:21:35 pm »
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Prejudice & Race

Not knowing about different races causes the townsfolk to be ignorant and causes them to make rumours up about people of different races.
Scout and jems opinion on the 'coloured church' ' its like we were goin to a mardi gras'
Dolfus raymond: drinks cola out of a paper bag to compensate for his actions around coloured people. Due to people judging him for hanging out with coloured people he is outcast from the rest of the town. This situation is an indirect form of the relationship with prejudice and race.


Prejudice is a big theme that is displayed throughout 'TKAM'. During the time that this book was set, there was a lot of prejudice between different races. For example people with fair skin thought that they superior than people with darker skin. They also thought that they should have more rights and be more respected than people with darker skin.

QUOTES:
"Scout," said Atticus, "nigger-lover is just one of those terms that don't mean anythin—like snot-nose. It's hard to explain—ignorant, trashy people use it when they think somebody's favouring Negroes over and above themselves. It's slipped into usage with some people like ourselves, when they want a common, ugly term to label somebody."
   - People assuming the characteristics of  black people and their actions even though they know little about them
"He ain't company, Cal, he's just a Cunningham-"
   
" he doesn't look like trash" said dill
   - Assuming all black people don't take care of themselves
"Atticus are we going to win it?"
"No, honey"
   - As Atticus is aware of the prejudice that exists in the town and in America in this time he knows that he isn't going to win the trial with Tom Robinson because of teh colour of his skin. Mayella's explanation will come before Tom's.
   
" 'Who is "he"?' Mayella pointed to Tom Robinson."
-She offensively points to Tom Robinson without saying his name
This shows that she looks down on him

examples of prejudice and race in tkamb
" Lula stopped, but she said, 'You ain't got no business bringin' white chillun' here-they got their church, we got our'n. It is our church, ain't it, Miss. Cal.' "

"She was white, and she tempted a Negro. She did something that in our society is unspeakable: she kissed a black man. Not an old Uncle, but a strong young Negro man. No code mattered to her before she broke it, but it came crashing down on her afterwards."

Dolphus Raymond acts as a drunk so people will not judge him for having mixed children

Atticus Finch, Boo Radley and Tom Robinson are all victims of prejudice because they are examples of mockingbirds which don't do any harm. An example of prejudice in TKAM is the mistreatment of Tom Robinson

kimokeeffe

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Re: To Kill a Mockingbird: Questions and Notes
« Reply #8 on: September 08, 2019, 06:22:34 pm »
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Childhood & Growing up


Miss Alexandra wants to teach Scout how to become a proper lady

The children lose their sense of childhood and innocence because of everything that is going on in the town

Atticus treating his children more maturely

Atticus doesn’t tell his children off or punish them instead he teaches them lesson through the life experiences.

The children in the town have grown up in the environment that their elders had lived in.

The children were ignorant to what the society around them was and were just left to enjoy their childhood

Jem's childhood was based on his educati34on, family life and learning but as the novel progressed he began having     
different interests and grew up to be more mature       

"Jem also told me that if I breathed a word to Atticus, if in any way I let Atticus know I knew, Jem would personally never speak to me again." Atticus didn’t want Scout to know certain things because he thought that she was too young and didn’t want to spoil her childhood innocence but she already knew about it and understood it.

It shows how they grow a larger understanding

Quote:
"Jem was twelve. He was difficult to live with, inconsistent, moody. His appetite was appalling, and he told me so many times to stop pestering him I consulted Atticus: 'Reckon he's got a tapeworm?' Atticus said no, Jem was growing. I must be patient with him and disturb him as little as possible.
This change in Jem had come about in a matter of weeks. Mrs Dubose was not cold in her grave - Jem had seemed grateful enough for my company when he went to read to her. Overnight, it seemed, Jem had acquired an alien set of values and was trying to impose them on me: several times he went so far as to tell me what to do" p125

"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view-" "Sir?" "-until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."
This conversation between Atticus and Scout taught her that she must consider their individual perspective and it sets up a theme of empathy and guides Scout's efforts to imagine other character's interpretations of important events, such as the Tom Robinson trial.

Entirety of chapter 31

Grew up in maturity because of the exposure to racism and prejudice and many other things in the novel
Dill and jem are shocked by the racism if the trial= Loss of innocence

kimokeeffe

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Re: To Kill a Mockingbird: Questions and Notes
« Reply #9 on: September 08, 2019, 06:24:53 pm »
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Bravery

Bravery:
Possessing or exhibiting courage or courageous endurance.

Bravery is shown in many different forms.  Lee demonstrates that courage comes in all different forms and it will always prevail .The events of Mrs Dubose’s death symbolises how trepidation can be overcome with embodying courage. Atticus’s definition of true courage is when you know that you’re already beaten but you still do it till the end. Mrs Dubose overcame her addiction of morphine even through she knew she was towards the end of her life. She faced the terrors of death with determination to overcome it. Atticus without realising uses Mrs Dubose to describe himself and the courage he shows during the trial. He knows that he will not win the Tom’s case but despite this, he still endeavoured to do his best.

Atticus had a lot of bravery when he shot the dog Tim Johnson - "I haven't shot a gun in thirty years -' Mr Tate almost threw the rifle at Atticus." - "in a fog Jem and I watched our father take the gun and walk into the middle of the street" - "Atticus yanked a ball-tipped lever as he brought the gun to his shoulder. The rifle cracked".

Atticus is a man of integrity, and he shows courage through his strong values. He is brave enough to live up to the principles in which he believes, and he insists that his children also follow his ethical standards, no matter the risk or cost. One of Atticus's most courageous acts was  his defence of Tom Robinson. Even though defending a black man is dangerous due to racism and prejudice in Maycomb.
He knows this move will cause problems for his family as well as make many enemies in the town but he does so because he believes in equality in Maycomb. 
“Courage is when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what.” - Atticus
“Courage is not a man with a gun in his hand. It's knowing you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do.” - Atticus

kimokeeffe

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Re: To Kill a Mockingbird: Questions and Notes
« Reply #10 on: September 08, 2019, 06:25:42 pm »
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Bravery practice essay:

Throughout Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird. Bravery is shown in many different characters. The main characters that display courage are Mrs Dubose and Atticus Finch. Mrs Dubose is a morphine addict who wanted to be free of the addiction before she died. For this to happen everyday she had to go longer and longer without the drug until she could go forever, however this wasn't easy as she had fits because her body craved the drug. Atticus shows bravery by defending a nigger, which was looked down upon in those days. Many people in the town judge him for doing this, but Atticus still holds his head high because he knows that he is doing the right thing. Atticus wants his children to learn that “Courage is not a man with a gun in his hand. It's knowing you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do.” he is saying that many people have and Idea or bravery that is false, because courage is knowing that you might not win but you have to try no matter what. This quote is said to his children but in a way relates to the Tom Robinson case, because Atticus is helping Tom but deep down he already knows that he will lose but he sstill tries.

Additionally through the characters of Atticus and Mrs  Dubose , lee demonstrates that you can indeed overcome fear with bravery. The pressure and push placed upon both Atticus and Mrs Dubose caused them to battle through their fears and lead them to become braver and more courageous.  Mrs Dubose wanted to ' leave this world beholden to nothing and nobody' she attempted to conquer her fear of dying as an addict to morphine. The distress caused by this thought panicked Mrs Dubose and drove her to fight through the despair to become some one who Atticus thought was ' the bravest person I ever knew.'  The fear aroused in the story of TKAM is a key part of the development of characters hardy and stronger personalities. Atticus has a large notion of angst towards the safety of his children that is fed by the erratic nature of the town. He fears for his children's lives when he is approached by the town in an aggressive manor in front of the town jail. His children's lives are in danger and he steps up. Pushing his fear aside he stands up for his beliefs and trusts the people around him will side with him. This action is one of bravery and took a lot of courage to stand up against people with guns, and the power to hurt the most important things in his life, his children

Through Atticus's lessons and examples TKAM demonstrates how bravery doesn't mean a man with a gun and is someone wit courage such as Mrs. Dubose who fought her morphine addiction.

kimokeeffe

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Re: To Kill a Mockingbird: Questions and Notes
« Reply #11 on: September 08, 2019, 06:26:56 pm »
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Atticus' lessons:

“First of all,” Atticus says, “if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view —   Seeing through the eyes of others
‘Sir?’
‘ — until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.’ (p. 50)
“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.”
‘There are ways of keeping them in school by force, but it’s silly to force people like the Ewells into a new Environment.’ (p. 52)   Forcing people into new environments is a bad idea
Scout, you aren’t old enough to understand some things yet, but there’s been some high talk around town to the effect that I shouldn’t do much about defending this man. It’s a peculiar case — it won’t come to trial until summer session. …   Holding your head high, thinking with your head and keeping your cool
   (Context) Atticus takes a case that he knows will put his children in harm because of who he’s defending.
   
‘For a number of reasons,’ said Atticus. ‘The main one is, if I didn’t I couldn’t hold my head up high in town, I couldn’t represent this county in the legislature, I couldn’t even tell you or Jem not to do something again.’   Not lowering yourself to other people's standards and keeping composure in difficult times.
‘If you shouldn’t be defendin’ him, then why are you doing it?
'You mean if you didn’t defend that man, Jem and me wouldn’t have to mind you any more?’
‘That’s about right.’
‘Why?’
‘Because I could never ask you to mind me again. Scout, simply by the nature of the work, every lawyer gets at least one case in his lifetime that affects him personally. This one’s mine, I guess. You might hear some ugly talk about it at school, but do one thing for me if you will: you just hold your head high and keep those fists down. No matter what anybody says to you, don’t you let ’em get your goat. Try fighting with your head for a change . . . It’s a good one, even if it does resist learning.’
‘Atticus, are we going to win it?’
‘No, honey.’
‘Then why — ‘
‘Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win.’ (p. 129)
Somehow, if I fought … I would let Atticus down. Atticus so rarely asked Jem and me to do something for him, I could take being called a coward for him. (p. 131)   Rarely ask people for things
Quote   Meaning
“I simply want to tell you that there are some men in this world who were born to do our unpleasant jobs for us. Your father’s one of them.”   A man does the job no one else wants to do.
“Oh,” said Jem. “Well.”    
“Don’t you oh well me, sir,” Miss Maudie replied, recognizing Jem’s fatalistic noises, “you are not old enough to appreciate what I said.”
 
“This case, Tom Robinson’s case, is something that goes to the essence of a man’s conscience-Scout, I couldn’t go to church and worship God if I didn’t try to help that man.”   A man lives with integrity every day.
“Atticus, you must be wrong…”    
“How’s that?”
“Well, most folks seem to think they’re right and you’re wrong…”
“They’re certainly entitled to think that, and they’re entitled to full respect for their opinions,” said Atticus, “but before I can live with other folks I’ve got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.”
 
“Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win.”   The most important form of courage is moral courage.
     
“Son, I told you that if you hadn’t lost your head I’d have made you go read to her. I wanted you to see something about her-I 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. You rarely win, but sometimes you do. Mrs. Dubose won, all ninety-eight pounds of her. According to her views, she died beholden to nothing and nobody. She was the bravest person I ever knew.”
“Too proud to fight, you nigger-lovin’ bastard?”   Live with quiet dignity.
“No, too old,” Atticus replied before putting his hands in his pockets and walking away.    
 
“Atticus is real old, but I wouldn’t care if he couldn’t do anything-I wouldn’t care if he couldn’t do a blessed thing.”
Jem picked up a rock and threw it jubilantly at the carhouse. Running after it, he called back: “Atticus is a gentleman, just like me!”
 
 
“Do you defend niggers Atticus?” I asked him that evening.   Teach your children by example.
“Of course I do. Don’t say nigger, Scout. That’s common.”    
“’s what everybody else at school says.”
“From now on it’ll be everybody less one.”
 
 
He teaches his kids:
   - Charity
   - Social justice
   - Fortitude
   - Empathy
   - Bravery
   " you never really understand a person until you consider things from their point of view"
   Throughout the entire book Atticus is teaching his kids lessons that the town as a whole should have learnt many years ago. The lessons that Atticus teach are often learning experiences off of situations that involved fear or something uncomfortable. His lessons were hands on and always had a key outcome.
   
   
   
   
Quotes
"Atticus had said it was the polite thing to talk to people about what they were interested in, not about what you were interested in." - scout
"One time Atticus said you never really knew a man until you stood in his shoes and walked around in them."- scout


Instead of Atticus punishing his children when they do the wrong thing, he uses it as an opportunity to teach them life lessons with real life examples. When Mrs Dubose is sick, Atticus makes Jem go and read to her to give her a distraction from her Morphine Addiction.

“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.”- teaches them valuable life lessons

kimokeeffe

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Re: To Kill a Mockingbird: Questions and Notes
« Reply #12 on: September 08, 2019, 06:27:42 pm »
+2
Scout

Scout is young girl learning life lessons from her dad atticus.

Scout is a tom - boy who has constantly been told act like a proper lady

Scout is a confident individual who fights and deals with her own problems

She looks up to Jem particularly because of her mother's death, she takes on a lot of influence from him and his style

Scout education is ahead of many of her classmates as she is able to read by the age of 6. When she goes to school her teacher tells her that she needs to stop reading at home with her father as he is teaching her wrong.

Her innocence had been taken once she began to learn about the racial prejudice that the town had.

At the beginning of the novel, Scout is a sweet, young, innocent five year old with not a care in the world and was kept away from any evil among her but as the novel progresses, this changes and she is given insight to what is really going on and she is unable to stop it.


Scout breaks the stereotype of girls her age in that era.
She represents the expectations of young girls and how she stood against them.

She asks intrusive questions that demand a response from the adult she is talking to- she makes truthful observations that often make people uncomfortable.

Scout displays her newly found maturity during Tom's case. She is no longer as protected from childhood innocence as she is able to understand the flaws of the justice system. She doesn't trust blindly (like Jem) that the case will end in a success for Atticus but rather tries to see all the possible suspects and outcomes. Scout is also a really interesting character in the sense that she's not like the other girls. The novel 'TKAM' is written from Scout's perspective and it is clear that as the novel progresses Scout becomes more and more mature. 

Scout doesn't have a motherly figure in her life so she grows up like a young boy would. She hates dresses and prefers sling shots over toys. She is Jem's shadow and learns about racism and sexism through the town and their stories. Aunt alexander does not approve of her ways and attempts to make scout in younger version of herself

Scout is almost "boyish" having grown uo without a mother

Scout behaves more like a boy because she is under the influence of her father and her brother with little female influence.

kimokeeffe

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Re: To Kill a Mockingbird: Questions and Notes
« Reply #13 on: September 08, 2019, 06:29:01 pm »
+2
The Ewells

The Ewells were a poor, lower class family

Mayella Ewell feared her father so in order to hide evidence of what her father did she had to accuse Tom Robinson of rape

Bob Ewell was known as the antagonist of the story who physically abuses his own daughter, Mayella

Bob Ewell attacked Jem and Scout after their father defended Tom Robinson who was against his daughter

The entire family including Burris, Mayella and Bob are depicted as conniving and selfish who continually aim to take advantage of others

Boo Radley stopped Bob Ewell before he could harm / kill Atticus's children Jem and Scout

'The Ewells had been the disgrace of Maycomb for three generations' Atticus had never judged others for whom they were but the Ewells were an exception to this as of how he had described them.

Bob stalks the people he most despises like Tom's widow, Helen and Judge Taylor to who he also shot and also Atticus's children who he tried to harm.



I maintain that the Ewells started it all. Atticus said the Ewells had been the disgrace of Maycomb for three generations."

Mayella Ewell was too ashamed to admit she had a n attempted affair with a black man, causing his life because of the shame it would have brought upon her in the town.

From <http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english_literature/prosemockingbird/2prose_mockingbird_charrev8.shtml>


The Ewell's are important in the book as they are a larger picture of the towns' rasicism, sexism and in. The ewells live by very old standards compared to those in the town, they have a very old way of living and expect their children to carry on that tradition. Bob represents the racist and uneducated sector of the Southern population. Lee uses Bob as a symbol. Bob is indisputably one of the worst people in the novel in terms of his morals and personality, however because he has white skin, he is still more respected and more important than Tom Robinson.
Don't attend school
Unhygienic
Lots of kids

Bob

kimokeeffe

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Re: To Kill a Mockingbird: Questions and Notes
« Reply #14 on: September 08, 2019, 06:29:54 pm »
+1
Justice:

Justice in TKAM is not about winners or losers as nobody in the town really ends up as a winner. Justice in a way gets served to all. Although the Ewell's won their court case, their own insecurities and cowardice led them to attack young children in dark. The racist town is left drowning in their own fear and hatred.

The title of the book identifies one of the major themes in this book, justice. An example of justice is when Atticus defends Tom Robinson even though his skin colour is different and he knows he is going to lose. Even though he didn't win the case and Tom Robinson died Atticus did as much as he could.

Atticus tries to bring justice to Tom and the black community however the previous injustice from others has left a bad taste in the towns mouth, creating more injustice. Not only does Atticus want to being justice to Tom but Scout also learns a great deal about justice while being in the courtroom during Tom's trial. By being in the courtroom Scout is able to observe the bias and the racism that exists in her town. She also learns that the courtroom may not always return the morally right verdict.
QUOTES:
Dill's injustice
It was just him I couldn't stand," Dill said. […] "That old Mr. Gilmer doin' him thataway, talking so hateful to him—[…] It was the way he said it made me sick, plain sick. […] The way that man called him 'boy' all the time an' sneered at him, an' looked around at the jury every time he answered-[…] It ain't right, somehow it ain't right to do 'em that way. Hasn't anybody got any business talkin' like that—it just makes me sick." (19.155-165)

"She has committed no crime, she has merely broken a rigid and time-honored code of our society, a code so severe that whoever breaks it is hounded from our midst as unfit to live with. She is the victim of cruel poverty and ignorance, but I cannot pity her: she is white. She knew full well the enormity of her offense, but because her desires were stronger than the code she was breaking, she persisted in breaking it." (20.43)

Injustice for tom

   Justice:
   1. the quality of being just; righteousness, equitableness, or moral rightness: to uphold the justice of a cause.
   2. rightfulness or lawfulness, as of a claim or title; justness of ground or reason: to complain with justice.
   3. the moral principle determining just conduct.
   https://www.dictionary.com/browse/justice?s=t

"She has committed no crime, she has merely broken a rigid and time-honoured code of our society, a code so severe that whoever breaks it is hounded from our midst as unfit to live with." there is also injustice within the society of Maycomb not just the law and court in the book. Mayella was an example of how there is injustice for her as she had no companionship from anyone,  she was dirt poor and lived a hard life. no justice was brought upon that. Atticus was the only one who saw that.

'I ain't ever seen any jury decide in favour of a coloured man over a white man' this shows no matter how large the crime is they would always favour the white side over the coloured.