JP 5

 

Theme:  Women Depicted in Literature

 

Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird.  New York Publishing Co. New York. 1984.

 

Subject:  The novel is about a family that learns many lessons about not judging people through defying the stereotypes and crossing the lines of segregation within their society.

 

Defining Passage:

“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.”

 

Paraphrased Passage:

You must not judge people until you understand how they feel and where they are coming from.

 

Three Subsidiary Ideas:

 

1. Everybody in the town of Maycomb judged Tom Robinson because he was African-American and accused him of raping a white woman. Yet he was found innocent and it turned out to be Bob Ewell, the white women’s father, that was really beating her and abusing her.
2. Jem, Scout and Dill judge Boo Radley and think that he is a crazy mean old man.  Boo Radley ends up being a hero to these children as he saves them from the vengeful Bob Ewell.  (Boo does other nice things for the children, such as mending Jem’s pants and leaving them presents in the tree.)
3. People in the town of Maycomb judge Atticus Finch because he is defending a black man, Tom Robinson, instead of supporting the white society in town.  His children are also judged because they socialize with black children ad spend a lot of their time integrating into the black communities (when they are accepted there).

 

Quotes:

 

1. “Mr. Finch, there is just some kind of men you have to shoot before you can say hidy to ‘em.  Even then, they ain’t worth the bullet it takes to shoot ‘em.  Ewell is one of ‘em.”  This quote is said by Tom Robinson and it shows how he is a scapegoat of the societies prejudice and violence.  It also shows his fiery attitude and determination and how he feels about Bob Ewell and the position that Bob has put him in.
2. “What Mr. Radley did was his own business.  If he wanted to come out, he would.  If he wanted to stay inside his own house, he had the right to.”  Atticus says this to his children.  He does not believe in judging other people and prying into their personal lives so he teaches this lesson to his children hoping that they will carry this knowledge with them throughout their lives.
3. “It was times like theses when I thought my father, who hated guns and has never been to any wars, was the bravest man who ever lived.”  Scout says this quote and it shows how much she truly admires her father and sees him as a role model.  It also tells the readers a lot about Atticus as it portrays him as a non-violent rational and reasonable man.
4. “You got it backwards Dill.  Clowns are sad…It’s folks that laugh at them.  Well I’m gonna be a new kind of clown.  I’m gonna stand in the middle of the ring and laugh at the folks.”  Jem says this and it shows how he is an imaginative thinkers who really wants to grow up and be somebody in the world and make a difference, very much like his father.

 

Summary:

 

Scout, Jem, and Atticus Finch are a family that live in the town of Maycomb.  Jem and Scout make a new friend during the summer named Dill, at the beginning of the book.  They all take pleasure in spying on the crazy man of the town, Boo Radley, who never leaves his house and is full of surprises.  Atticus tells his children not to intrude on this mans private life, but they do anyways and come very close to getting in to trouble one night when Boo begins to shoot at them.  Boo leaves the children presents in the tree on the street and the children are fascinated with him.

Meanwhile, Atticus has been working on a case where, as a lawyer, he must defend Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a white woman, Ms. Ewell. The town is very segregated the people become angry with Atticus as he is helping the “guilty” black man and “disregarding the white community.”  Atticus will not let Tom’s race become an issue for him and he continues to support him in the case, as he believes that he is truly innocent.  It turns out that it was Bob Ewell, the white woman’s father, who had been abusing her all along. Tom was still found guilty even though many knew that it was her father who was the assaulter, and Tom was sent to jail.  While trying to escape from prison Tom was killed by gunshot. 

Bob Ewell was still very angry with Atticus even though Tom was dead already so he tried to attack his children, Jem and Scout in their neighborhood.  Boo Radley came to the rescue and ended up killing Ewell.  The policeman decides to let Boo go as he realizes that Tom was innocent and Bob Ewell was not.

 

I agree strongly with the issues raised in this novel.  One should not judge people because of the way they look or the way they act.  And race should never been an issue in determining a person’s worth.  One should get to know the individual and see where they stand by acknowledging their point of view.  I love Atticus’ character as he is his own person and does not let society make decisions for him.  He knows what he believes and he sticks by it no matter what without caring about what others think.  He is a great role model for his children and the readers of the book.  Prejudging someone can really send one down the wrong path and it can push one to make faulty decisions.

 

Connections with Women Depicted in Literature:

 

Scout  is very much of a tom-boy.  She hates to wear dresses and doesn’t understand why girls must work in the household and not have interesting jobs like her fathers.  Without growing up with a mother most of her life she has really mirrored the life of her father and has grown up with him as her role model.  She is very tough and gets into fights at school, which is nothing close to how a little girl would act at this time.  This is an example of a female stepping out of the mold society has told her that she must be in.  She refuses to stay in the home and cook and wear frilly dresses as she has grown up with men as her role models.

 

Ms. Ewell, the white woman who is the victim of rape and abuse in the novel is an extremely complex character.  Though she blames Tom Robinson for her cuts and bruises it is really her father who beats her.  This was very common in this time, especially in rural areas such as Macomb.  Women all throughout history who have been abused by their fathers and men in their family have often times blamed it on other males in their life.  It is too difficult for them to admit that someone who is supposed to love them and treat them as family actually abuses them and treats them with no respect.

 

Calpernia is the cook in the Finch family and she fits perfectly into the role of woman at the time.  She stays home with the Finch family and cooks and cleans for them as a woman is expected to.  However, she is not recessive.  She is strong even as she fulfils these household duties.  She does not let anybody treat her disrespectfully and she stands up for herself.  This is a good example of how a women can do things that society tells women to do without giving into societies position as treating women as inferior.

3-15-02 CD