To kill a Mockingbird

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 6

To Kill a Mockingbird

Today

- What did you think?

- Discussion questions

- Assignment

- Check together

What did you think of this book?

Would you recommend this book?

Yes

No

What is the perspective/point of view for this story?

Where and when does to Kill a Mockingbird take place?

Now you! 

- Try and complete your assignment 

- We will discuss this together in 30 min.

- You can use the internet! 

Jean “Scout” Finch

Atticus Finch

Jem Finch

Arthur “Boo” Radley

What did you know about?

- Background?

- Characters? 

What genre is to kill a mockingbird

Southern Gothic

To Kill a Mockingbird is primarily an example of Southern Gothic fiction in that it takes place in the South, contains both dark and comedic elements, uses Southern vernacular, features exaggerated characters, and references the supernatural. Southern Gothic is a genre that became popular in the first half of the twentieth century, as a sub-genre of the American Gothic.

Courtroom Drama

To Kill a Mockingbird centers around the trial of Tom Robinson, a black man who has been unfairly accused of rape. Implicitly, the racist prejudices of the entire South are put on trial. However, unlike many examples of the genre in which the innocent party is vindicated and prejudices are overturned, Tom is found guilty, and is killed soon after the verdict. In this more ambiguous, less triumphant conclusion, the novel deviates from conventions of the genre.

Bildungsroman / Coming-of-age story

Finally, To Kill a Mockingbird is a bildungsroman, in that it traces Scout’s development from innocent child to aware member of her community through the experience of witnessing Tom’s trial and being rescued by Boo Radley. A bildungsroman, which means “novel of education” in German, describes one character’s (often the narrator) passage from youth into adulthood. In a bildungsroman, this character begins the book with little understanding of the adult world. 

Themes

Chapter 12 – Skeeter – 

"Hilly raises her voice about three octaves when talking to black people. Elizabeth smiles like she's talking to a child, although certainly not her own. I'm starting to notice things"

The Coexistence of Good and Evil

The Coexistence of Good and Evil

Chapter 11 -  "Atticus, you must be wrong...." "How's that?"

"Well, most folks seem to think they're right and you're wrong.... "    

Which character represents 'good'

Which character represents 'evil'

Prejudice + Injustice

Prejudice: forming judgement before knowing the facts

Injustice: lack of justice, wrong

Chapter 3 - "First of all," he said, "if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you'll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view […] until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."

Social Inequality / social status 

Social status

Chapter 3-  "Hush your mouth! Don't matter who they are, anybody sets foot in this house's yo' comp'ny, and don't you let me catch you remarkin' on their ways like you was so high and mighty! Yo' folks might be better'n the Cunninghams but it don't count for nothin' the way you're disgracin' 'em—if you can't act fit to eat at the table you can just set here and eat in the kitchen!"

Any other examples?

How would you interpret the title?

Tom's Innocence 

"Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." (10.7)

Boo's innocence

Also when Scout is telling Atticus she understands about not dragging Boo into court. Atticus looked like he needed cheering up. I ran to him and hugged him and kissed him with all my might. "Yes sir, I understand," I reassured him. "Mr. Tate was right." Atticus disengaged himself and looked at me. "What do you mean?" "Well, it'd be sort of like shootin' a mockingbird, wouldn't it?" - Chapter 30

Symbolism