To Kill a Mockingbird Themes

To Kill a Mockingbird Themes

1. Courage

   • 'She said she was going to leave this world beholden to noting and nobody', Mrs. Dubose is a character of courage. Wants to die independent of morphine
   • 'it was times like these hen i thought my father, who hated guns and had never been to any wars, was the bravest man who ever lived'. Atticus thinks that courage is a moral virture
   • 'The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience'- stand up for what is right
   • 'you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what'- how atticus describes ccourage
   • Atticsu is courageous as he defends tom robinson even though eh knows he can't win

2. Racism

   • 'nigger' - reflects the casual racism of the period. Scout says that's 'what everybody at school says'
   • The people of maycomb are ignorant about black people- missionary ladies believe that Africa is full of 'sin and squalor'
   • White commuity have little respect for blacks. the white men gamble in the black church during the weekend.
   • Racism is described as Maycomb's 'usual disease'. Shows how common racism is and how fixed people's opinions are.
   • Atticus proves Tom is innocent because of his arm but he still is found guilty.
   • Atticus is described as a 'nigger lover'. Shows how white people are very opinionated.
   • 'There goes the meanest man ever God blew breath into'- Racist Mr .Radley, sympathy for Boo
   • People who do not follow the law are animals.
   • 'misdemeanour at law'- Scout knows what these laws are but not racial laws

3. Family + Childhood

   • 'Atticus kept us in fits'- loving and fun father
   • 'I crawled into his lap'- Atticus loving
   • 'Jem was a born hero'- Scouts is full of admiration for Jem
   • 'By the time we reached our front steps Walter had forgotten he was a cunnigham'- Finch's help walter llose his label and identity
   • the families in the town have lived together for so long they have become 'utterly predictable to one another- people are expected to behave in a specific way
   • Dill is sent away to Miss Rachel's every summer and he doesn't have a father. He says his family arent interested in him and don't need him,. That is why Dill lies so much, 'entered into a beautiful child contest... went to the picture show 10 times on it'
   • 'Boo is kept in his home for years because his family disapproved of his friends as a teenager
   • End of the novel Scout and Jem are proud that they are Finches. Jem wants to be a lawyer and Scout seese the 'skill' in being a lady. They want to be fair and respectful as Atticus was

4. Prejudice

   • Ewells are described as 'white trash'
   • 'until you climb into his skin and walk around in it'. Atticus teaches the children empathy and that the colour of your skin doesn't matter
   • 'predilection unforgiveable in Maycomb'- Boo does not confrom to Maycomb's ideals
   • Prejudice is blind in Maycomb. Anyone will be discriminated against if they are different.
   • 'immune to imaginative literature'- do not like change and are blinded by there own prejudices
   • 'a hain't lives here'- normal, casual conversation. prejudice normalised
   • 'He was the filthiest human i had ever seen'- buildins up image of the ewells
   • No one is viewed as an individual, and is viewed as a part of a family. When town discovers Atticus will be defending Tom, They take it out on Jem and Scout too.

5. Integrity/ Compassion

   • ''Atticus is a gentleman just like me'- Atticus values internal virtues rather than physical attributes
   • 'i strongly advise you to go down and have a talk with Mrs. Dubose,'- atticus is noble and teaching his children
   • 'instead of getting the idea that courage was a man with a gun in his hand'- tells us not to judge a book by its cover and
   • 'come on home to dinner with us, Walter'- jem and socut learning compassion

6. Education

   • 'Do you know what a compromise is?' Atticus speaks to his children in an adult way to educate them
   • 'other ways of making people into ghosts'- Atticus speaks sophisticatedly to children. there are other ways of making people disappear.
   • 'Dewey Decimal System'- learn by experience, ironic as Maycomb not like that
   • 'Hush your mouth! Don't matter who they are'- Cal teaches scout not to condemnd difference. Finch's value equality, not like Maycomb.
   • ''you just go back to your desk and teach us some more'- ironic that the kids taught Miss Caroline something about Maycomb
   • 'Jean Louise, i've had enough of you' - Lee satirises classroom learning, Miss Caroline punishes Scout because she can read
   • Although Lee makes fun of school, she makes it clear that education is important. Uneducated characters, such as Ewells as being ignorant
   • Most of Scout and Jem's learning happens outside school. As their geographical boundaries expand, so do their perspecitves
   • At the start Scout says that Atticus 'hasn't taught me anything', as novel progresses he gives scout a moral education
   • Calpurnia teaches Manners, Miss MAudie teaches children to respect Atticus
   • Well educated characters like Jack and Atticus are portrayed as powerfull and respected.
   • Atticus teaches Scout to see things from Miss Caroline's point of view ' until you climb into his skin and walk around in it'

7. Social Inequality

   • 'I had become almost accustomed to hearing insults aimed at Atticus. But this one was coming from an adult'- its not just children who are unkind
   • Sexism
     • 'Scout sometimes you act so much like a girl its mortifyin'- Prejudice towards women
     • 'i reluctantly played assorted ladies'- being a girl is like dressing up and playing a character
     • 'You should be in a dress and camisole young lady'- aunt alexandra has a stereotypical view of women
     • 'just hold your head high and be a gentleman'. no concept of female nobility. Jem internalises atticus
   • Boo Radley
     • 'When i did not die'- Shows severity of mayomb prejudice towards Boo
     • 'Come on,Scout, dont just lie there'- severity of boo prejudice
     • 'drooped','darkened', 'Rain-rotted' used to describe boo's house. He doesn't care about the appearance of his home, unlike rest of Maycomb
     • ''judging from his tracks'- Boo spoken about like hes an animal
     • Gossiped about as they worship at home
   • Stereotypes
     • 'I Have a ewell here'- people are given labels based on their family name
     • 'They were people but they lived like animals'. compares Ewells to the animals. People who do not follow law are animals.
     • Generations of families are all the same, eg Burris Ewell is very filthy, and his family are the same
   • Raymond pretends to be drunk in order to justify the reason why he prefers company of blacks

8. Justice and Equality

   • 'last-will-and-testament diction'- Atticus applies the law with compassion
   • 'Atticus was right'- Adult scout looking back. Foreshadowes atticus being right about tom and him being the moral compass of the book

9. Growing up

   • 'I would have felt sorry for her. She was a pretty little thing'- Scout learning compassion and empathy
   • Book is told thorugh a child's eyes, allows reader to see the simplicity of child relationships eg Scout beating up walter, then inviting him to lunch. Children do not hold grudges, Adults hold grudges
   • Start of the book, lots of descriptions of childhood friendships, games and dares- represents how innocent the children
   • As the book progresses, there is less focus on playtime and games and more on things that happen that force them to grow up, such as the trial
   • Both Scout and Jem mature. Jem matures most. SCout frequenlty says 'me and jem began to part company'
   • Miss Maudie and Cal recognise Jem's growth, giving him 'adult cake' and calling him 'mister'
   • Innocence is key. Scout's chatter with Mr Cunnigham stops lynch mob from attacking. Book ends Scout falls asleep on Aticcus' lap. this reminds reader she is still a child

10. Innocence

    • Tom's innocence and good nature are what caused him to be accused
    • Mockingbirds are a symbol of innocence