To Kill A Mockingbird Analysis Steven, Audrey, Daniel, Vishnu, Anika, Parker by Steven Gao https://padlet.com/21sg0225/9tudh3nshbbc A detailed analysis of the events within TKAM en-us 2017-04-24 18:23:30 UTC 2017-04-26 02:27:04 UTC hello@padlet.com Characterization 21ak0336_1 https://padlet.com/21sg0225/9tudh3nshbbc/wish/167934064 Scout Finch: Scout is a school-age girl who embodies the entire concept of a "tomboy." She is naive, is not concerned by other people's thoughts of her, and is quick to point out others' mistakes.
Scout is a victim of her brother's taunts regarding sexism. She is often deemed to be "too much of a girl," which includes being fussy, ignorant, and getting in the way. Scout is also a character that comes of age in TKAM. She is realizing how your social class and race is an important part of your identity, and how it defines how you are treated by others.

Jem Finch: Jem is Scout's older brother. He is bossy towards Scout, and often uses his age to impose dominance over her. He is also increasingly defiant in the text towards his father.
Jem perpetuates sexism by attempting to insult Scout by calling her a girl, which had an intentional negative connotation. One instance of this was when Jem, Scout, and their friend Dill were caught playing a game which imitated Boo Radley. Scout had pleaded Jem not to continue playing the game, and Jem had responded that she should stop "acting like a girl," and should find other girls to play with if she wanted to act like that.

Atticus Finch: Atticus is Jem and Scout's father. He is an educated lawyer in Maycomb County, and is a caring, emphatic, but somewhat distant father. In the book, he takes a case to defend a black man.
Atticus connects to the lens of education, because he has a very good one and has a very respected occupation. He also deconstructs sexism and racism in the novel so far-- he does not pressure Scout to wear "girl's clothes," like her Aunt Alexandra does: "Aunt Alexandra was fanatical on the subject of my attire. I could not possibly hope to be a lady if I wore breeches... when I asked Atticus about it, he said... to go on about my business, he didn't mind me much the way I was" (Lee 108). He deconstructs racism by making sure Calpurnia received an adequate education, even though she is an African-American.

Calpurnia: Calpurnia is the cook at the Finch household. She is an African-American, and has received a very complete education compared to other blacks in her community.
Calpurnia perpetuates racist stereotypes in the text. For example, in First Purchase Church, she starts talking like all the other blacks in the Church: with "erratic grammar" and generally improper English. She is perpetuating the stereotypes that blacks are uneducated and ignorant, though she is not doing this intentionally, but rather to fit in.

Dill: Dill is a young boy from Meridian, Mississippi, who spends every summer in Maycomb County. He is Miss Rachel's nephew, and is quirky, curious, and always looking for adventure.
Dill connects to the lenses of classism and "power and privilege" because he comes from a wealthy family. This is shown when he apparently won a Beautiful Child contest and used the money (five dollars- a lot at the time) to only go to see a movie. This shows how Dill did not feel it was necessary to save the five dollars for something more essential, and does not have to worry about cutting corners to make ends meet, as many people during this time period (Great Depression) had to.

Boo Radley: Arthur "Boo" Radley is an elusive man not seen at all in Part One (except when he reportedly covers Scout with a blanket during the fire at Miss Atkinson's house). He is rumored to be an uncivilized, carnivorous man who was mentally incapacitated.
He relates to the lens of "fear and ignorance." For example, Jem is so scared of Boo since he has never seen him, so he creates very unreasonable facts to describe him to Dill. Jem claims Boo "dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch," and had rotten teeth and his eyes popped.

Miss Maudie Atkinson: Miss Maudie Atkinson is an elderly widow and dedicated gardener who lives alone across the street from Scout. 
Miss Maudie connects to the lens of sexism, and works to deconstruct this social construct. She lives alone, which is uncommon for a woman in the 1930s, as the common notion in this time period was that a woman could not survive without a man. Miss Maudie overcomes this stereotype by being a generally happy woman who is in no way being supported by a man.
]]> 2017-04-24 18:29:57 UTC https://padlet.com/21sg0225/9tudh3nshbbc/wish/167934064 Sexism in TKAM anandrajvishnu https://padlet.com/21sg0225/9tudh3nshbbc/wish/167934217 There are several characters that are either perpetrators or victims of sexism in TKAM. For instance, Scout is a victim of sexism, as seen in a confrontation with her brother. While they were playing a game, Scout gets hurt and doesn't get up. Jem makes fun her, saying that she acts like such a girl, implying that that is a bad thing. He acts superior to her because he is a man, and that mindset was common during the 1930's. In society,  it was thought that women were completely dependent on men. A character that breaks this mold is Ms. Maudie. She is an elderly woman living without a husband in the 1930's, which was an extremely rare way to live for a woman in America. She often faces scrutiny for her unique lifestyle, shedding light of the resentment for independent women. Ms. Maudie shows the reader how during the 1930's, breaking the societal norm of a married woman was not seen as acceptable. The book was published during the 1960's, a time where sexism was still a large problem in America. Therefore, the character of Ms. Maudie holds immense relevance in the time period that the book was published. However, in the 21st century, it is not too rare for a woman to live unmarried and alone. ]]> 2017-04-24 18:30:23 UTC https://padlet.com/21sg0225/9tudh3nshbbc/wish/167934217 Maslows Hierarchy of needs 21pn05031 https://padlet.com/21sg0225/9tudh3nshbbc/wish/167934367 TKAM involves a Black girl named Calpurnia. Instead of being a scholar she is a servant. This would belong to the category of love and belonging because she is not getting a normal support system with education but having to serve others. In Maslows hierarchy of needs this would effect 4/5 of the needs. The four ones that are being affected are esteem, Love and belonging, safety and physiological. These four aspects can hurt an individual in so many different ways. This definitely takes a toll on many characters including Calpurnia. ]]> 2017-04-24 18:30:47 UTC https://padlet.com/21sg0225/9tudh3nshbbc/wish/167934367 The Existence of Classism within TKAM 21db00561 https://padlet.com/21sg0225/9tudh3nshbbc/wish/167934395 Many themes are prevalent in the famous novel, To Kill A Mockingbird (TKAM). One theme that exists is classism. Classism is the discrimination, or prejudice against a person, based solely on their position in society. An example in TKAM is demonstrated with the lack of sympathy/empathy towards Walter Cunningham. In TKAM, Scout claimed Walter was not a guest, as a result of his family's social status. This is showing that although Walter is well-behaved, and is clearly considered a guest by Atticus, Scout did not acknowledge Walter being a visitor. Scout's failure to identify Walter's visit to be legitimate proves that she allows classism to exist. Walter visiting the Finch's house only continues to prove that classism is occurring, as Scout takes residence in the house.]]> 2017-04-24 18:30:53 UTC https://padlet.com/21sg0225/9tudh3nshbbc/wish/167934395 The Presence of Racism within TKAM 21sg0225 https://padlet.com/21sg0225/9tudh3nshbbc/wish/167934487 TKAM is probably most interpreted for its distinct representation of racism against black people in the south during the 1930's. Racism is constantly present within the text, as the 1930's was a time, in which black people were still segregated against and did not have the same rights as white civilians. In TKAM a statement from which Calpurnia says, in a rather irksome fashion, "There are only 4 people in First Purchase Church that can read, and I'm one of them" is an indication of how racism has affected Calpurnia, due to how Calpurnia is a simple servant, though her education could have brought her elsewhere and to a much higher standing, however, since Calpurnia is a colored person, racism caused her to sink to the job of a servant rather than an honorable scholar. Other instances of racism that also group with classism, like being offended, or appalled to associate with a so called, "nigger lover" due to how black people were not respected, nor understood as people in the 1930's.]]> 2017-04-24 18:31:10 UTC https://padlet.com/21sg0225/9tudh3nshbbc/wish/167934487 Connection between TKAM and historical front loading 21al0924 https://padlet.com/21sg0225/9tudh3nshbbc/wish/167934984 As TKAM is a historical novel, there are many relations to the past especially on the topic of discrimination, classism and racism on black people and how such normalities affected the daily lives of people in the 1930's.
During the Great Depression, southern rural towns were hit hard because they depend on agriculture. Problems with the economy had a flow-on effects on all parts of the society. People lost jobs, bank failed, people were homeless, birth rates fell. For examples like in the TKAM, farmers like Cunninghams have no money to pay, instead they pay with produce like food. As Atticus said:"The Cunninghams are country folks, farmers, and the crash hit them hardest"(27). 
Racism has a big connection on to the past and TKAM. Most black people lost their jobs. In some cities, whites fired blacks as long as there were still whites out of jobs. Racial violence became more common, like lynching. ]]> 2017-04-24 18:32:49 UTC https://padlet.com/21sg0225/9tudh3nshbbc/wish/167934984 Authorial Craft anandrajvishnu https://padlet.com/21sg0225/9tudh3nshbbc/wish/167983215 There are many examples of authors craft used by Harper Lee in TKAM. One is the first person narration, as the story is told from Scout's point of view. This allows the reader to understand the character's though process and helps us better understand the character. It also gives us a different perspective on the events that take place in the story. In addition, Calpurnia is a very important character that Lee used brilliantly in the text. Calpurnia is a direct way to show the reader the issues of sexism and racism during the 1930's. Lee used Calpurnia to show the hardships women and African Americans faced during this time. Even if they were well educated, people like Calpurnia could only get so far in life. The reality of being unable to achieve your dreams simply because of things you cannot control is exemplified in Calpurnia. She is a very powerful character in the text and is vital to the understanding of the novel as a whole. ]]> 2017-04-24 23:01:32 UTC https://padlet.com/21sg0225/9tudh3nshbbc/wish/167983215