To Kill a Mocking Bird- Thematic Approach (Outsiders)
Title: To Kill A Mockingbird
Author: Harper Lee
Year of Publication: 1960
Text Type: Novel
What makes the character in this text an outsider?
The character that’s made an outsider is Tom Robinson. Tom Robinson is an outsider because of his skin colour, and was accused of raping Mayella Ewell. But him being black was the main reason as to why he was the outsider.
Scout and her family were also outsiders. They were made outsiders by the neighbourhood because her father Atticus was Tom Robinson’s Lawyer.
What prior experiences have helped to make this person an outsider?
His skin colour for one was something he had no control over and this made him an outsider in America where racism is the norm. Another experience that helped make him an outsider was that he always helped Ewell’s kid, Mayella out all the time, for free because he “felt sorry for her” as he said when being trialled upon. His good deeds however wasn’t repaid as she falsely accused him of raping her because she was ashamed of having ever kissed a black man.
The Finch Family- just the mere fact that Atticus was representing Mr. Robinson in court made them outsiders. It was enough to have people calling them names, threatening them and having them fear their father’s life at one point when Atticus sat guard (not stood guard cos he had a chair a desk and a book out) in front of Tom’s cell when he was approached by a group of many telling him to move aside.
What kinds of attitudes, opinions or ideas does this person hold?
Tom Robinson was a very nice man with a wife and kids which I’m pretty sure he loved and adored. He was a very kind man as well as he always helped Mayella Ewell out whenever she needed help and he would always do the work for free as well because he felt sorry her. He knew that her siblings hardly ever helped her out, and that she didn’t have a dime to spare on him and also had hunch that her father wasn’t the nicest person to her as well, and that was enough for her
Author: Harper Lee
Year of Publication: 1960
Text Type: Novel
What makes the character in this text an outsider?
The character that’s made an outsider is Tom Robinson. Tom Robinson is an outsider because of his skin colour, and was accused of raping Mayella Ewell. But him being black was the main reason as to why he was the outsider.
Scout and her family were also outsiders. They were made outsiders by the neighbourhood because her father Atticus was Tom Robinson’s Lawyer.
What prior experiences have helped to make this person an outsider?
His skin colour for one was something he had no control over and this made him an outsider in America where racism is the norm. Another experience that helped make him an outsider was that he always helped Ewell’s kid, Mayella out all the time, for free because he “felt sorry for her” as he said when being trialled upon. His good deeds however wasn’t repaid as she falsely accused him of raping her because she was ashamed of having ever kissed a black man.
The Finch Family- just the mere fact that Atticus was representing Mr. Robinson in court made them outsiders. It was enough to have people calling them names, threatening them and having them fear their father’s life at one point when Atticus sat guard (not stood guard cos he had a chair a desk and a book out) in front of Tom’s cell when he was approached by a group of many telling him to move aside.
What kinds of attitudes, opinions or ideas does this person hold?
Tom Robinson was a very nice man with a wife and kids which I’m pretty sure he loved and adored. He was a very kind man as well as he always helped Mayella Ewell out whenever she needed help and he would always do the work for free as well because he felt sorry her. He knew that her siblings hardly ever helped her out, and that she didn’t have a dime to spare on him and also had hunch that her father wasn’t the nicest person to her as well, and that was enough for her