To Kill a Mocking Bird - Power and Authority Speech

Power and Authority Speech
To Kill a Mocking Bird

Good Morning/Afternoon everyone today I am here to tell you about the first area of study for preliminary English, this is Power and Authority. The novel we are studying is To Kill A Mocking Bird by Harper Lee as well as this I have studied an article ‘The Outsider’ by Nikki Barrowclough and the song Black and Blue by The Herd.

I have learnt that while parents have authority over their children some of them use this power over their children in a positive way that benefits the children, for example Atticus Finch, while others abuse their power like Bob Ewell. Harper Lee uses contrast to show the difference between the parenting styles of both these men. The Ewell’s reputation is put to practice and shown to the community when Bob Ewell’s son Burris Ewell comes to the very first day of school. We are then told that the Ewell’s only go to school on the first day of school. We are then old this is the only day they ever come. After this Miss Caroline gets into an argument with Burris Ewell. When Burris Ewell is told to leave he replies “Ain’t no snot-nosed slut of a school teacher ever born c’n make me do nothin’! You ain’t makin’ me go no where, missus.” His use of abusive and offensive language clearly shows his lack of respect for women and the power and authority she holds over him. It is assumed that this lack of respect stems from his father, Bob Ewell, abusive and negative roll modelling.

This is in great contrast to Atticus Finch as in Mocking Bird who shoes his children true values of life about courage and the problems it may throw at them. Atticus teaches Scout and Jem about true moral courage by telling them that “I wanted you to see wheat real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s When you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what” this is what he teaches them as courage as he is trying to teach his children that real courage is from strength of character not something you hold in you hand.

The social inequality of the negroes is represented by the segregated settings of their communities. Harper Lee uses contrast of settings to show the social and educational inequality of the negroes compared to the whites. Away she creates this contrast is in the description of the twp different churches; The First Purchase – the negroes church and the church that Scout and Jem would have normally attended. The First Purchase is described as “ nhnn “ this use of dialogue is used to give us the picture that it is very poor and run down, this Negroe church does not have hymn books although this church is very poor and through all this hardship they show their true sense of courage and generosity when told that all money taken in the collection plate in the next couple of weeks will be given to Tom Robinson’s wife and told they are not leaving till ten dollars is collected for her and her children. Another aspect of this social inequality is when we find out through Calpurnia that only four members of The First Purchase church can read and two of these members are her and her son Zeebo. This is because negroes have never had the right or opportunity to learn this skill.

This is in great comparison to the white church were they have enough money to purchase hymn books and keep their church in good condition, they also have the right to learn to read, write and attend school, this church was also not purchased by it’s attendants. They have proven too much of the outer community their true selves by not allowing negroes to participate in their church where as The First Purchase allows Jem and Scout to attend with Calpurnia.

The Outsider article is about Melbourne QC Peter Farris and the way that he presents himself to the public and fellow colleagues, this title creates the imagery that he is not in line with his colleagues. Nikki Barrowclough uses dialogue and imagery to describe Peter Farris and the he uses his power and freedom of speech to control and manipulate the media. He has been described as “just a publicity hound” after his comments of Peter Hayes death from drug over-dose, this could be suggested to be truthful after his comments on other lawyers and cocaine taking stating that “is almost the preferred drug over alcohol in a social setting”. Peter Farris is a well known provocateur of the media and general legal community. When Nikki requests an interview with Peter he says “I’m free at the end of the day and I suggest you get on a plane” the following fact that she does exactly what he said to do shows us really how much power he does have over and what she represents, someone who writes out what he has to say,

In the visual that accompany this picture Peter Farris is standing