Patrick Chura

Patrick Chura on the Historical Conditions of the Novel
Summary
In Patrick Chura’s “Historical Conditions of the Novel,” Chura discusses how the events occurring when Lee wrote “To Kill a Mockingbird” influenced the events in the text, creating a sort of distorted history. As Chura wrote for his thesis, “The mid 1950s/early civil rights era is therefore the context from which the novel is best understood as the intersection of cultural and literary ideology,” (Chura 48-49). Chura brings to attention some minor discrepancies between the text and actual history; for instance, the WPA is mentioned in the text two years before it was actually founded. As Chura wrote, “The WPA, for example, did not exist until 1935, but it is mentioned in the novel’s
Champion discusses how whenever mentioned, right is morally right, it is good, and left is bad. For instance, when the trial occurs, emphasis is put on Mayella’s right eye, which was injured during the alleged rape. This contrasts Atticus’s eyes, as he is nearly blind in the left eye, but has excellent vision in the right. This reflects the two character’s respective levels of virtue; Mayella’s tends to make rather poor moral choices, whereas Atticus tends to be the model for morality in the text. Mayella is supporting a terrible, damaging lie, campaigning in favor of immorality, whereas Atticus is the defender of truth, fighting for moral justice. Champion showed this when she stated, “Where as Mayella’s right eye is bruised, Atticus is nearly blind in his left eye both literally and figuratively,” (Champion 55). The eyes clearly represent more than just vision. Another instance of the right and left symbolizing morality and immorality respectively is in the arms of Tom and Bob: “Bob is “led”by the immoral left, but Tom tells the truth, swearing with his “good” right hand,” (Champion 56). Tom’s
Champion reveals a truth that the reader would have a difficult time discovering on their own, as the evidence for it is spread out through the entire text. Granted, some of the more important points appear during the court scene, but even then, it is still subtle and difficult for the reader to see. In pointing it out, Champion allows the reader to see the true genius of Lee, constructing a narrative in which nearly every action has a definitive moral value, represented symbolically by something as simple as a direction. This creates an absolute binary system of sorts, ensuring that Lee’s views are not loss; she sees some actions as either strictly morally right or morally wrong, and reveals this moral value in a rights and lefts. Champion does not seem to be drawing this conclusion from thin air either; her claim is backed up by numerous pieces of support, known of which contradict the idea she presents. Champion is able to present a seemingly far fetched theory for the reader in a believable way that expands his or her understanding of the text as one with absolute, uncompromising truths that Lee was able to show the reader with plot and reinforce with