To Kill A Mockingbird 1

Seite 1

Education

Atticus teaches his children how to behave with respect, dignity and modesty, by teaching them how to read and write this shows that he has a big impact on their lives, as would be expected - 'you just hold your head high and be a gentlemen whatever she says to you'.

Scout finds school boring, she learns about maturity (avoiding a fight with Walter Cunningham, despite his taunts) and also learns about the class system and how it differs from other places - 'I rose graciously on Walter's behalf... He's a Cunningham', however Miss Caroline still does not understand what Scout means as she is not from Maycomb and is so yet to learn of the traditional ways.

Miss Maudie teaches the children not to be judgemental of a person's character as a result of their appearance, and she also teaches Scout that it is important to break away from tradition as it Is not always necessary to follow the crowd. Miss Maudie can see the positives rather than the negatives despite watching her own house burn down, Scout follows her example by reacting well in similar situations - 'she still looked lively and cordial interest in Jem's affairs'.

The missionary circle scene exposes Scout to the hypocrisy of the adult world, it teaches Scout that grownups are not always reliable and that they can be hypocritical by seeing faults in others rather than themselves.

Scout learns about the segregation in Maycomb during the church scene, this was something she had been aware of all her life but not yet witnessed first hand - she sees the differences between the white and black churches. She learns that even the most downtrodden people can be prejudiced, this shows that all people are essentially alike. 'You ain't got no business brin' white chillum here... it is our church.'

Calpurnia is a mother-like figure for the children, even though she is black, she is treated equally and as though she is part of the family, their family is different to all others, Calpurnia also teaches Scout how to be a lady such as when Walter comes round for lunch - 'she's (Calpurnia) a faithful member of this family'.

Mrs Dubose teaches the children what real courage is, although she does not teach the children directly, she sets an example for the children to follow, this changes Jem's outlook especially because he is more sensitive and aware of the adult world - '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'.

Seite 2

Morals and Traditions

Miss Maudie doesn't let religion cloud her judgement of the views and traditions of Maycomb, her character shows the importance of being true to yourself, you do not need to conform to the expectations of others and Lee presents Miss Maudie as happier in doing this - 'foot-washing Baptists believe anything that is pleasure is a sin'.

Atticus is able to recognise the traditions of Maycomb but does not necessarily base his morals on these, he does not conform to the traditional Maycomb qualities such as prejudices against the black community, in some ways he is very similar to Miss Maudie however he does not criticise others for their beliefs but instead celebrates the differences between individuals. He acts as a moral compass for the children, but also for others who may reject the traditions of the society they live in - 'I couldn't go to church and worship God if I didn't try to help that man'.

Bob Ewell is a stereotypical member of the Maycomb society, whereby he follows the traditions of his family and bases his morals on these, rather than follow anyone else. He claims that it is easier to follow the path of those who have gone before than create your own beliefs, and demonstrates how people are often influenced by their surroundings. Lee uses him to show how deeply engraved these attitudes are in Maycomb's society - the Ewell's had been the disgrace of Maycomb for three generations'.

Scout is very easily influenced by the people around her, although Atticus guides her into informing her own moral compass, Atticus' morals have a positive effect on the morals of Scout, it forces her to think before she acts, unlike Mayella or Bob Ewell.

Much like a mockingbird, even in the face of hardship such as being condemned to jail, Tom Robinson retains his position of innocence. Such that it would have been easier for him to point out the wrongdoing and avoid a trail, but Atticus' guidance gave him hope. He has higher moral virtues than the Ewell's who are supposed to be of a higher class though display a very prejudice outlook on the black community. Lee is trying to show the audience that we need to consider qualities beyond our external differences - 'simply because we were licked years before we started it no reason for us not to try to win'.

As a foreign member of Maycomb's society, Miss Caroline does not have the same morals and traditional views as the rest of the community, this highlights the hypocrisies within Maycomb's society and shows that it is not normal to have such a discriminate society - once a stranger comes in to the town, the idiosyncrasies of people are pointed out. It shows the extent of indoctrination within the town - 'it was clear enough to the rest of us'.

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Isolation

Boo Radley is ostracised by the community for an alleged violent attack on his father, Scout learns to see Boo as the man he really is rather than the monster formulated through the town's rumours - this is a moral lesson for those who choose to pay attention to it. Scout is also seen to learn about empathy as she begins building a friendship with Boo. 'They didn't know what he looked like... He was real nice'.

After her husband is accused of rape, Helen Robinson loses her job and is shunned from society, Lee recognises that by being branded as a criminal by false allegations, there are repercussions for your loved ones. Helen's ordeal echoes that of Jem and Scout who are marginalised by Maycomb because their father is insistent on defending Tom, hence the fight between Walter and Scout - 'folks aren't anxious... to have anything to do with any of his family'.

Tom is literally alone because of the false word of a white woman, this serves to show us the injustice of his situation, he seems more fragile and in a precarious situation because of his position - 'Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella opened her mouth and screamed'.

The children's reaction to being ostracised by the Maycomb society for the actions of their father and the differences between their moral compass and that of which the other children have been taught to follow serves to teach the audience a moral lesson, even though they are being shunned they have the higher moral ground - 'dropped my fists and walked away'.

Miss Maudie is opposed by the rest of the Maycomb community because she supports Atticus and not going to church, rather than dislike her separation from the rest of the town, Miss Maudie seems to revel in her differences. Her attitude is passed onto Scout and reinforced by Atticus, Miss Maudie sees people for who they are truly - 'who says that fair play is marked White Only; the handful of people who say a fair trial is for everybody, not just us'.

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