IGCSE English literature: To Kill a Mockingbird Theme

IGCSE English literature: To Kill a Mockingbird Themes

Racism

The majority of the white population of Maycomb are racist

Black people were not seen as fully-rounded people

Harper Lee was aware of these attitudes and decided to focus on the good traits of black

characters in this novel

Racist ideas

Mrs. Dubose

"Your father's no better than the niggers and trash he works for

→Mrs. Dubose thinks coloured people are "trash

→ nobody respects them and puts them down instead

Mr. Gilmer

"You felt sorry for her, you felt sorry for her?

→ parallel structure and repetition of "sorry" and "her" conveys a

mocking tarie

-Tom overstepped society's boundaries by feeling sorry for a white person – he embarrassed the Ewells and Dis was unacceptable

"To Maycomb, Tom's death was typical Typical of a nigger to

cut and run.

Scout

-Repetition of "typical" shows the prejudice in the society and

how Maycomb views coloured people as unrespectable.

unworthy people

→ There were "typical" things that coloured people did-

stereotyping
Anti-racist ideas

Some people are more open-minded and recognise racism in the society

Dolphus Raymond

"Cry about the hell white people give coloured folks, without even stopping to think they're people too"

biblical reference to "The

constant persecution and prejudice towards them

Atticus

"This case is as simple as black and white"

This case is very simple

OR

2. This case was only brought up because of the racial Inequality in society (black and white skin colours)

"The evil assumption that all negroes le, that all negroes are basically immoral beings.

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"

-Parallel structure: emphasis on "all"

Atticus is morally aware of the the severe racism in society

-trying to teach the people a lesson that they should not stereotype all negroes as a group of people

"It ain't right, Atticus"

Jen

-Minor sentence places emphasis on "ain't right

A bildunguruman-Jem is growing up and can comprehend the racisin and howev

Scout

think there's just one type of folks. Folks"

-Minor sentence

-Scout is simple-minded and innocent, does not understand the prejudice in society yet

"It's not right to persecute anybody, is ?

-Beginning to form her own ideas about prejudice

However, she still asks Attious for advice

Compassion/empathy

One of the most important moral lessons Atticus tries to teach Scout and Jem is to have empathy for people-to try to see things from their perspectives

Atticus

"You never realy understand a person until you consider things from his point of view…until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."

-Metaphor-Atticus teaches his children Indirectly so they still have the capacity to come to their own judgements

This is the crucial piece of moral advice Atticus gives Scout

So it took an eight-year-old child to bring em to their senses that proves something-that a gang of wild animals can be stopped, simply because they're still human

Metaphor in "to their senses" and "gang of wild

asimal-relates more to the reader and lows us to understant now they were uncontrolled

Atticus has empathy for people and understands that Maycomb's prejudiced views affected everyone in the society

Scout

"Atticus was right. One time he said you never realy know a man unt you stand in his shoes and walk around in them Just standing on the Radley porch was enough"

Short sentence-emphasis on "right"

-Repeat of the metaphor Ames used-Set is king from his teachings

"When they finally saw him, why he hadn't done any of those things… Atticus, he was real nice Most people are, Scout, when you finally see them-Scout/ADO

-This sentence concludes the nove

– one lives with kympathy and understanding it is possible to remain faithful in humanity despite its capacity for ev

suggests that it it only a matter of time before the barriers of prejudice are broken down

Education

Moral Education

Harper Lee explores many of the flaws in the education system in Mayoun- and how

restricts the naming of children For example Miss Caroline's teaching is ineffective and constricting

Moral education stage at one ty Atton, Caluma and Mas Made

Atious wants to buld a social consolence in Scout and Jem Most important moral lessons are sympathy and understanding

Scout learns a variety of things from the different characters in the novel

Calpurnia to be polite and tolerant towards everyone

Amicus to be able to appreciate courage and empathise with people

Aunt Alexandra: the value of being a "lady"

-One of the most important moral teachings Atticus teaches Scout and Jem is on empathy

"You never reaty understand a person until your consider things from his point of view…unt you climb into his skin and walk around in " Atticus

Metaphor-Atticus teaches his children indirectly so they still have the capacity to come to their own judgements

His language is easy for Scout to understand and relate to, shows his understanding of

children

Education system in Maycomb

Jem that dam lady says Atticus's been teaching me to read, and for him to stop"

Scout

-There is a problem with the education in Maycomb, they follow very strict rules and do not allow the children space to learn and come to their own viewpoints

Use of profanity "dam at such a young age shows that school can also have a negative anpact on children

She said you taught me all wrong.

Scout

-Miss Caroline doesn't understand that choren can learn at home as wel

-She firmly believes is the school education system, and thinks it is the only "right" way to lear