To Kill a Mocking Bird essay

Bianca Garcia
Summer Reading Assignment
English 1 MYP
Period 2

To Kill a Mockingbird
By: Harper Lee

1. The novel is set in a neighborhood in Maycomb County, about twenty miles east of Finch’s Landing; a homestead on the banks of the Alabama River during the 1930’s.The author used this particular location because of the jurisdictional customs that the county comes with, which plays an important role in outcome of the Tom Robinson case. Atticus mentions in the book that rape is a capital offense in the state of Alabama, which is why Tom Robinson would be sent to the electric chair if he lost his appeal. If the author had chosen a different state for the novel to take place, this may have changed Tom Robinson’s punishment for the crime he was accused of.
This is also part of the reason that this story could not have been written in a different setting, along with the fact that the time period in which this story takes place cannot be altered either. This was a time of racial segregation and if the author claimed that these events occurred in modern day, it wouldn’t send the same message to readers. The author chose this particular neighborhood because of the Radley House, which was necessary to the plot of this story.
This particular setting made the book more exciting in the scene where Jem and Scout rolled the tire into the Radley house. If the Finches didn’t live in a location near the Radley house and Boo Radley wasn’t part of the story, then this scene would become insignificant and boring to the reader. However, because this was the particular setting, the scene was given intensity and suspense.

2. One of the major conflicts in the novel is the controversy over Tom Robinson’s innocence. Tom Robinson was determined guilty by the court jury, which Atticus described to consist of average Maycomb County citizens. Even though nearly all the men that made up the jury were fair and average people, several others still believed Tom was innocent. The jury convicting Tom resolved this conflict publicly, however, other members of the county still believed Tom was an innocent man.
Another major conflict of this story is the neighborhood’s impression of Boo Radley. For the main reason that Boo never went outside of his house, and was never seen by anyone, the neighborhood was given the impression that he was a deranged man. This conflict was resolved at the end of the story when Mr. Radley saves Scout’s brother, and she witnesses for herself that he is in deed a sane man.
A minor conflict between Jem and Mrs. Dubose occurs when Jem decided he had enough of Mrs. Dubose’s rude comments towards him and his family, and ruins Mrs. Dubose’s flower beds. Jem then has to read to Mrs. Dubose for an hour each day, and little did he know that by reading to her, he helped her escape her drug addiction.
This conflict was resolved in the death of Mrs. Dubose because she was able to die a “free woman”.

3. The parts of the novel concerning the mystery of the Radley House, as well as the part focusing on the Tom Robinson case, come together to play an important role in the outcome of the plot. In the final event of this story, Bob Ewell attempts to come at Jem and Scout with a knife, but is unsuccessful. Boo Radley saves the kids, but not before Jem managed a broken arm, and Mr. Ewell’s death. Later the sheriff tries to assure Atticus that Bob Ewell fell backwards on his own knife, but Atticus is not convinced.
This ties the two parts of the story together because Bob Ewell’s motivation to harm innocent children was revenge on Atticus for accusing Bob of beating his daughter. Atticus made this accusation in the courtroom in defense of Tom. This shows that the Tom Robinson case gave Mr. Ewell motivation to cause this final event, and Boo coming out of his house and saving the kids brings it together with the mystery of Boo Radley, because he finally leaves his house to come to the rescue of Scout and her brother.

4. Character Sketch-Scout
Scout is the youngest character of this book as well as the narrator. Scout’s personality is very unique compared to other girls her age, and so is her home situation. She grew up with her father and her brother. Her mother died when she was very young, and as a result, Scout doesn’t have much of a female role model in her life other than the family cook, Calpurina.
This is why Scout gives off such a tomboy impression. She wore overalls and was always playing with her older brother Jem, and their friend Dill. Her personality matched her style of clothing as well. She climbed trees and played games and joined in with the boys when they tried to get Boo Radley to leave his house. Scout is introduced as an innocent, and honest kid who rarely gave her father trouble.
In addition to this, Scout is also very intelligent; she knew how to read and write before she even began school. In fact, when she began attending school and realized that is was wrong to be caught reading or writing until she was in the third grade, she lost interest in school completely. She went from looking forward to class and walking with Jem, to not wanting to go at all, and even dreading it. She then regained interest when her father made her a deal.
Throughout the story, however, she experiences many things that contribute to her change of personality. When Atticus accepts the Tom Robinson case, she has to tolerate other children at school, and even adults in the neighborhood insulting her family. In which case, a lot of times she simple doesn’t tolerate it, and gets very physical with the other children at school.
Eventually, Scout’s aunt comes to live with Atticus and the kids. Then Scout had new expectations to uphold. For example, Scout was expected to change her clothing from boy’s overalls to pretty pink dresses. Scout had to chat with the ladies from the neighborhood if she came inside for a drink on a hot summer day, and even had to participate in a lady’s tea and make conversation with the guests. All these things contribute to Scout’s change in personality and appearance.

5. Throughout the novel, Scout changes in many ways. All the changes in this young character show her increase of maturity throughout the story. In the beginning of the book, her thoughts are easy going and childlike, such as her false engagement with Dill and their decision to have a baby.
Scout also changes in the sense that she learns it is not always acceptable to so bluntly state the truth. For example, Scout already knew how to read and write when she started the first grade, but her teacher told her it was wrong. Scout then began to lose interest in school entirely. She and Atticus reached a compromise allowing her to both continue going to school, and to read when she got home. By doing this, Atticus taught her what it meant to compromise, and that it was important to her father that Scout continued her schooling.
Scout also learns to control herself when her father accepts the Tom Robinson case and she is constantly hearing rude comments and insults about her father from others around town, even her own cousin Francis. Although Scout is still only a child at the end of the novel, all these events cause her personality and way of thinking to change and mature.

6. Stereotyping is a big part of this novel. Tom Robinson was one of the characters stereotyped due to his race. He was convicted of raping a white woman, not because he was guilty of the crime, but because it was a white man’s word against a black’s. This shows that during this time, black men were stereotyped as liars and also, perhaps, as promiscuous. I believe that one of the blacks in this novel to brake through this stereotype is Calpurina, because throughout the story, she has only good intentions for herself and the kids.
The women in this novel were also stereotyped due to their gender. When the white women of the neighborhood were in Scout’s home, they lived up to the stereotype of being immoderately delicate by wearing hats, and sipping tea. In this specific scene, they also come off as superficial and self-centered. None of the characters broke this stereotype.
The Cunnighams were stereotyped because of their social status: they were poor. In one scene at school, Walter Cunningham couldn’t afford his lunch, and Scout has to explain to the teacher that “They [the Cunninghams] never took anything off of nobody, they get along on what they have.” None of the characters broke this stereotype either.

7. Journal Entry
Today was the day that my client, Tom Robinson was convicted. I knew I shouldn’t have let myself hope that this would turn out any different. I hope Tom knows that I did everything I could, everything in my power to make the jury realize that he is innocent. I suppose I knew deep down that it would never be enough, I knew that no matter what I said, and no matter how obvious his innocence, is race would always get the better of the jury.
I sincerely hope Tom’s family the best, because now without Tom, Helen will have to work with no one to take care of the children. This is the last situation a Negro would want to find himself in, and an innocent Negro at that. I only feel ashamed that I couldn’t do more to help Tom with this trial today. There is nothing I dread more than to say goodbye to Tom for the final time before he will die of the electric chair. No man deserves to die that way.
I pity Mayella Ewell, only because of her excuse of a father. I firmly believe it was him that gave her those bruises, and to blame an innocent Negro for your wrongdoings is one of the worst things a white man can do. Mayella broke an unspoken code, and Tom should not be blamed for that. The poor girl isn’t given any respect. I know this because when I called her “Miss” she accused me of mocking her. I was only trying to show respect and courtesy toward a witness in court, because I knew there would be no other way for her to offer honest answers.
Scout is far too young to understand, but I know Jem was heartbroken by the conviction and I hope that I can teach him that life is not always fair.
-Atticus

8. The author’s major theme in the novel is good vs. evil. Atticus, the father of Jem and Scout is represented as the good. He accepts a case knowing there is a very slim chance of winning it. Atticus is always displayed as being calm and fair, and is seen as a role model by Scout. Atticus also serves as a teacher because of all the things Scout and the town learns from him such as compromise, justice, education, maturity and respect.
Bob Ewell is represented as the evil and is in direct opposition with Atticus. During the scene in the courtroom, Atticus accuses Bob Ewell of being the one to beat Mayella Ewell. Bob denying this on the witness stand is what causes the opposition between the two men. Bob then continues to do indecent things because of this accusation, such as following a woman through town, spitting in Atticus’s face, making threats to the Finch family, and attempting to harm Jem and Scout.
This is when it is realized that Boo Radley is also the good that opposes the evil that is Bob Ewell, because he was the one to rescue the children. This event with Boo also helps the reader to realize that, in the author’s eyes, good usually prevails.

9. I did enjoy this book because I enjoy mysteries and even though this story was not a straightforward mystery, it was suspenseful and interesting. The ending especially, was very different than the ending I was expecting.
I did not expect Boo Radley to ever come out of his home; I thought he would always be labeled as crazy in Scout’s eyes. Even in the scene in the courtroom, it was made very clear that a black man’s word is no comparison to that of a white man’s, however, I found myself hoping just as much as Jem, that the jury would see that Tom was innocent.
This novel also had multiple subplot’s, such as the mad dog and Mrs. Dubose’s death, which kept the story interesting and meaningful.