To Kill a Mockingbird Chapter Notes!
Chapter 9 (pages 74-89)
-“Atticus
had promised me he would wear me out if he ever heard of me fighting any more;
I was far too old and too big for such childish things.”
-“Cecil
Jacobs made me forget.” –Scout p.75
-“...you
just hold your head high and keep those fists down...try fighting with your
head for a change.”-Atticus p.76
-“Simply
because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us
not to try to win.” Atticus p.76
-In the
school yard, Cecil Jacobs taunted Scout and insulted her father-she kept her
cool at school for three weeks...until the incident with Cousin Francis
Christmas at Finch’s Landing (Aunt
Alexandra’s):
·
Uncle
Jack comes to stay with the children and Atticus for a week and they all go to
Aunt Alexandra’s together for Christmas dinner
·
Scout
and Jem were both given air rifles for Christmas from Atticus, they were
delivered by Uncle Jack (Atticus wouldn’t teach them to shoot and said the gift
were just him “bowing to the inevitable,” meaning that they would have them eventually
so he might as well get them for them now
·
the
children enjoy Uncle Jack, but bargain and plead to not have to visit Aunt
Alexandra, Uncle Jimmy (who never spoke but to say something stern), and their
grandson, Cousin Francis Hancock who was dropped there for the Christmas
holidays
Aunt Alexandra Hancock (character
card):
-Atticus’s
sister
-cold
-a proper
lady, great hostess –kept Scout at the kiddie table alone, but “her cooking
made up for everything” p.82
-“fanatical
on the subject of Scout’s attire” –p.81 (wanted her in dresses and petticoats
-thought
that “[Scout] should be a ray of sunshine in [her] father’s lonely life.”
Atticus’s response to this was: “there were already enough sunbeams in the
family and to go on about my business, he didn’t mind me much the way I was.”
-p.81
Uncle Jack Finch (character card):
-doctor -head shorter than
Atticus
-sharp nose
and chin like Alexandra but didn’t use his face in such a harsh manner
-“...one of
the few men of science who never terrified me...” –p.78
-treated the
children, as their doctor, by explaining everything he was going to do before
doing it and by keeping them laughing/distracted
-had a cat
named Rose Alymer –“one of the few women he could stand permanently” –p.78
-did not
appreciate Scout’s use of course language
-smacked
Scout for fighting Francis before he knew exactly what had happened
-learned,
from Scout, how to treat kids more fairly
Read page 87-89: From “Later when I
was supposed to...”
Cousin Francis Hancock (character
card):
-8 years old -slicked back his hair
-asked for
“a pair of knee-pants, a red leather booksack, five shirts and an untied
bow-tie” for Christmas –p. 80
-enjoys all
things Scout “disapproved of, and disliked [her] ingenuous diversions.”-p.77
(opposites)
-begins to
upset Scout by speaking ill of Dill, her fiancé –says he’s homeless then calls
Scout “mighty dumb” then starts in on Atticus:
·
“Uncle
Atticus lets you run around with stray dogs...Uncle Atticus is a nigger-lover
besides, but I’m here to tell you it certainly does mortify the rest of the
family...”-p.83
·
“He’s
ruinin’ the family, that’s what he’s doin’.” –p.83
·
even
after being saved from Scout by the adults he taunts her further about Atticus
·
Scout
“split [her] knuckle to the bone on his front teeth” then “sailed in with [her]
right.” P.84
Chapter 10: Mad Dog Incident p.89-99
-the first
page is used to stress the children’s opinion of their father
-Scout says
“Atticus was feeble. He was nearly fifty.” P.89
-“Our father
didn’t do anything.”
-the
children did not value his work and believed that his getting “started late” in
having a family “reflected upon his abilities and manliness.” –p.89
-“Atticus
did not drive a dump-truck for the county, he was not the sheriff, he did not
farm, work in a garage, or do anything that could possibly arouse the
admiration of anyone...besides that he wore glasses...he never went hunting, he
did not play poker, or fish or drink or smoke. He sat in the livingroom and
read.” –p.89
-despite
this, “he would not remain as inconspicuous as we wished him to: that year the
school buzzed with talk about him defending Tom Robinson, none of which was
complimentary.”–p.89
-“After my
bout with Cecil Jacobs, when I committed myself to a policy of cowardice, word
got around that Scout Finch wouldn’t fight any more, her daddy wouldn’t let
her.” –p.90 -notice how the use of the word “daddy” shows her tone to be
irritated by this, as if the school children were teasing her by saying her
daddy said so
Chapter 11
This chapter
focuses on the character of Mrs. Dubose. Her life –especially her racist views-
and her death symbolize the passing of an era as change, ever so slowly, creeps
its way across the South. However despite her ornery and mean spirited nature,
Lee makes a point of showing Another side of this woman to remind us that she
is not as simple and one dimensional as we may think her to be. She is a victim
of her own upbringing and the teachings of an even more racist ignorant society
than the one she now leaves behind with her death.
When Mrs.
Dubose insults Atticus in front of Jem about “lawing for niggers”, Jem cuts the
top off all of her camellia bushes. (103) Atticus makes Jem apologize to her
and then tells him he must read to her every day for a month-a request made by
Mrs. Dubose to Jem. (105) Scout and Jem are amazed at his tolerance for her,
considering her insulting manner. He would compliment her flowers and Scout
considers his forgiving manner as the actions of the `bravest man who ever
lived.’ (100) Atticus is teaching Jem two things here. Firstly, he is teaching
them tolerance and “walking in someone else`s skin”. We are all better than our
worst acts. Secondly, he wants to teach his children about a different kind of
courage. Part of the reason Mrs. Dubose is so awful is because she is fighting
a painful withdrawal from morphine. She is an addict who was prescribed the
drug to fight the pain of the illness that finally kills her. She
knows she will die soon but wants to go to her grave “beholden to nothing and
nobody.” She knows she is going to lose the battle with death but she is going
to lose on her own terms. (110-112)
This is the
same courage that Atticus is showing with the Tom Robinson case. He says, “I
couldn’t go to church and worship God if I didn’t try to help that man” (104)
and “...before I can live with other folks I’ve got to live with myself”. (105)
It is his dignity and his sense of being true to himself that makes him defend
Tom. He, like Mrs. Dubose, wants to live life on his own terms. This is what
allows him to empathize with Mrs. Dubose. He recognizes this type of courage in
her because it is abundant in himself. His empathy also allows him to see she
is the victim of both her morphine addiction and her racist upbringing. He even
goes so far as to call her “the bravest person [he] ever knew”. (112)
The gift of
the camellia to Jem also allows the reader to see her kindness. It also helps
to build the theme of redemption. (111-112) We can all be redeemed from our
worst act and the gift of the camellia symbolizes forgiveness. The end of the
chapter describes how society gradually changes for the better and how the old
ways eventually die out.
Chapter 12
-theme “loss
of innocence” is further developed as the lessons on life that Atticus tries to
impart upon his children begin to take hold on Jem
- Jem is
maturing so much that Scout feels “overnight, it seemed, Jem had acquired an
alien set of values (p.115).” She says, “the change had come about in a matter
of weeks.” When he tells Scout, “It’s time you started bein’ a girl and acting
right,” he is showing how he realizes the situation Atticus is in and how he
needs his children to behave maturely and courageously if they are going to get
through their difficult situation. Scout has been told this, too, but she is still
not quite aware of the magnitude of the circumstances surrounding Atticus.
However, she does recognize that Jem “had acquired a maddening air of wisdom”
(116)
-Calpurnia
takes Jem and Scout to her church while Atticus is out of town because the
state legislature is in session. It is there that they meet Lula, who is
offended that Calpurnia would bring white children to their church. However,
Zeebo, Reverend Sykes and most of the other black members of the congregation
welcome them with open arms. This incident highlights the fact that all
cultures and societies have racist people and that white society does not have
a monopoly on prejudice (119)
-the lines,
“That Calpurnia led a modest double life never dawned on me. The idea that she
had a separate existence outside our house was a novel one...” show the
children are being given a glimpse into the life of Calpurnia. They are being
allowed, for the first time, to walk in her skin and see into black society’s
daily existence. This is something that most white people never get a chance or
never bother to do (125)
Chapter 13
-Atticus is
enlisted by his sister Aunt Alexandra to teach the children they are not “from
run-of-the-mill- people” and that they “are the product of several generations
of gentle breeding” (133)
-the
children are confused by Atticus’s sudden preoccupation with name and position
and Scout says “This was not my father” (134)
-Alexandra,
who is helping Atticus with the children during the trial, has a “preoccupation
with heredity” and believes “the longer a family [has] been squatting on one
patch of land the finer it [is]” (130). Scout destroys this argument when she
points out that the Ewells have “lived on the same plot of earth behind the
Maycomb dump...for three generations” (130)
-after Scout
cries when Atticus gets mad at her for not paying attention to his talk, he
recants all he has said to the children and tells them to “forget it” (134). He
realizes that these are Alexandra’s beliefs and not his own. He feels that a
person should be judged by his/her own merits and not on his/her name. His
sister believes otherwise
Chapter 14
-Aunt
Alexandra is upset that Calpurnia took the children to her church and thinks
Atticus should fire her
-Atticus
stands up to Alexandra and says that “Calpurnia’s not leaving this house until
she wants to” (137)
-Scout
fights with Jem after he tells her not to argue with their Aunt. Both children
are sent to their room. This scene does show Jem’s maturity though as he
understands his father’s situation. (138)
-this
maturity is also evident when Jem wants to tell his father about Dill’s
unexpected arrival (Dill is found hiding under Scout’s bed). Jem also says “you
oughta’ let your mother know where you are” (141) Scout observes that Jem
“[breaks] the remaining code of our childhood” when he goes to tell Atticus
that Dill is there (141)
-Dill’s “new
father who disliked him” and his perception that his guardians “just [weren’t]
interested in [him]” shows how Dill, like Boo Radley and Tom Robinson, is on
the fringe of society. He’s one of those ‘mockingbirds’ that people (in case
those who are supposed to love and care for him) seem to want to hurt (140-143)
-all of this
shows how Jem understands the difficult position his father is placed in
because of the Tom Robinson’s case. He just wants to make life easier for
Atticus
Chapter 15
-tension
begins to rise in this scene as Atticus is warned that an attempt may be made
of Tom Robinson’s life from the local jail
-Atticus
naively says this idea is “foolish” because “this is Maycomb.” This naiveté is
also the cause of his children’s near death at the hands of Bob Ewell later in
the novel. (145)
-Link Deas
Tells Atticus, ironically, that he believes he has everything to lose by not
taking it-at least the things which are most important to him such as dignity
and self-respect.(146)
-the mob
scene shows not only the courage of Atticus who refuses to step aside and let
the men take Tom Robinson, but also the maturity and courage of Jem who refuses
his father’s orders to go home
-end of the
chapter when they walk side by side on the way home with Dill and Scout
trailing far behind-highlights how much like his father he has become and how
well Atticus’ teachings have taken a hold on him. (151-155)
-Mr.
Cunningham’s presence in the mob and Scout’s ability to remind him of his
humanity makes a clear statement about how mindless a mob is
-people in a
mob lose their identity as individuals when they form a group
-when Scout
reminds Mr. Cunningham that Atticus has a daughter and son, she gives him back
his identity and his ability to think for himself-something a mob can’t do. The
scary thing is that mobs are often made up of “people we [see]
everyday” who otherwise might be very decent human beings. Sometimes the
majority can be a very dangerous group. (153-154)
Chapter 16
Scout is
traumatized by the night’s events but Jem comforts her by letting her sleep
with him and by telling her it may all be over soon. This section of the book
is again making a point about Jem’s maturity and his accompanying loss of
innocence. (156)
The actions
of Mr. Underwood to protect Atticus in chapter 15 contrast greatly with the
comment made about him early in chapter 16 when “he despises Negroes.” It is
just another reminder that people are seldom totally what they seem to be
“until you can walk inside their skin.” (155-156)
Atticus
reinforces the above idea with the way he defends Walter Cunningham for being a
part of the mob by saying “he has his blind spots just like the rest of us.”
Atticus is teaching again that we are all better than our worst acts, just as
Mrs. Dubose was. (157)
Miss
Maudie’s decency is once again highlighted in this chapter as she refuses to go
to the Tom Robinson trial because it is too much like a “carnival” (159). The
trial is entertainment for many people and nothing more. She knows Tom Robinson
will be found guilty and sees it as morbid and sad to watch a man on the road
to certain death. She wants no part of it.
The
children’s innocence again teaches a valuable lesson to the reader. Upon not
being able to find a seat in the white section of the courtroom, Reverend Sykes
invites them to sit in the black section. They think nothing of sitting there,
reminding us that racism is taught; it is not a natural occurrence. Atticus has
taught them that all humans have dignity and deserve respect regardless of
their colour. This lesson, like many others, has been learned quite well by the
children. (164)
Chapter 17
Atticus
shows his skill as an attorney by first proving that Mayella, with a bruised
right eye, was most likely beaten by a left-handed man. (168-169) He goes on to
show how Bob Ewell was left-handed and that this, in conjunction with his
failure to call a doctor for his supposedly raped and beaten daughter, should
make him a suspect in the crime. (175-177) Atticus is doing his lawyering the
same way he does everything else in life. He is logical, calm and methodical,
and in doing so is leading the jury and the public down the road he wants them
to go. This road, he hopes, will be a road of education that helps then get rid
of some of the ignorant and dangerous stereotypes they currently hold.
Lee also
makes a point of contrasting the living conditions of the Ewells (“behind the
town garbage dump”; “roof shingled with tin cans”; “windows...covered with
greasy strips of cheese cloth”) and the Negro community (“their cabins looked
neat and snug”; “doorways glowing amber from the fires inside”; “delicious
smells about; chicken, bacon frying crisp in the twilight air”) to show, as she
did with Walter Cunningham Jr. And Burris Ewell earlier in the novel, that
poverty is no excuse for a lack of dignity, self-respect and personal
cleanliness. (170-171)
Chapter 18
The reality
of Mayella’s life becomes evident here as the reader sees what kind of
existence she is forced to lead. She is beaten by her father and her
self-esteem is in such tatters that she thinks Atticus is making fun of her
when he calls her “Miss Mayella” and “ma’am” She is not accustomed to being
treated with respect. (181-182)
At the same
time, the way Atticus treats her is indeed in keeping with Atticus’ character
as he believes all humans are worthy of respect. He is able to “walk in
[Mayella’s] skin” and see that she is a victim of her father and her
poverty-ridden, ignorant environment.
Chapter 19
Tom
Robinson’s fatal mistake of admitting that he helped Miss Mayella because he
“felt sorry for her” (197) shows the reader how deep-rooted racism and
prejudice can go. The jury will never acquit a black man who has the nerve to
feel sorry for a white person. They can’t see how a black man can possibly ever
view his life as being less pitiful than a white person’s. They view his words
as arrogant and to accept his sympathy for Mayella Ewell, is to accept that
black people can be of the same social status as white people.
We begin to
see Mayella’s motive for lying come through in this chapter as well. Atticus
reveals through his questioning of Tom that Mayella tempted Tom sexually. This
is yet another reason why Tom cannot be believed. The jury, made up of all
white males, would not be able to believe that a black man could been seen as
attractive; this would be a blow to the white man’s ego and is offensive.
Again, they will never afford Tom the status of being equal in the eyes of
white society. (194)
Chapter 20
Dolphus
Raymond feels free to tell the children why he puts on a disguise, so he can be
with blacks. He knows they are still too young and innocent to have become
tarnished by the prejudiced beliefs of the townspeople. He pretends to drink
Coca-cola from a bottle in a brown paper bag to make everyone believe is a
drunk and the alcohol leads him to befriend the black community.
Even though
he treats the black community as his equal, he is not to be admired like
Atticus. Atticus is willing to let the whole community know how he feels. Mr.
Raymond does not have the moral courage to stand up and be counted for his true
beliefs. (200-201)
Atticus’s
speech to the jury (204) basically recites the central theme of the novel-all
men should be treated equally and both the black and white races have members
of high and low moral character. An individual should be judged as an
individual and nothing else. Atticus says all our prejudicial beliefs are based
upon our own ignorance. In reality, moral and immoral characters are a “truth
that applies to the human race and to no particular race of men”. (204)
Chapter 21
The children
show themselves to be naive when Jem says “we’ve won, haven’t we?” He thinks
that Atticus’ passion and logic can overpower decades and decades of prejudice
and ignorance. They think Atticus has proven Tom’s innocence so he will be
acquitted. Atticus has done this but Jem, despite his growing maturity and
wisdom, fails to realize this is not enough. Reverend Sykes realizes the truth
and he tells Jem “I ain’t ever seen any jury decide in favour of a coloured man
over a white man.” (208)
Tom is found
guilty but the Negro community pays tribute to Atticus by standing up as he
passes through the court room. They know Atticus made the jury rethink their
values as the jury was out for a long time. Even though Tom Robinson was found
guilty, a strong blow for civil rights was struck in Maycomb and Atticus,
however, unwittingly, is a civil rights leader. (211)
Chapter 22
The children
are shocked at the outcome of the case and Jem tells his father, “it’s not
right” as he cries. It shows just how naive the children are and just how great
a toll the trial takes on their innocence, particularly Jem’s. (212) He thought
“Maycomb folks were the best...in the world.”
Miss Maudie
comforts the children by reassuring them that Atticus is not alone. She tells
them Judge Taylor gave the case to Atticus because he knew that Atticus would do
the right thing and put up a good defence. (215) She also reminds Jem that
despite the loss in court keeping the jury out so long was “a step” even if
“it’s just a baby step” in the right direction. (216)
The chapter
ends ominously with Bob Ewell spitting in Atticus’ face and threatening to “get
him if it took the rest of his life.” (217)
Chapter 23
Atticus,
just as he was naive about the threat to Tom Robinson in the local jail, is
also naive about the personal threat toward him and his family. He says “we
don’t have anything to fear from Bob Ewell he got it all out of his system that
morning.” (218) Aunt Alexandra knows “his kind’d do anything to pay off a
grudge” (218) Atticus is able to walk inside other people’s skin but at times
he looks too much for the good in others when it is not present. He doesn’t
allow for true and total evil. This is what Bob Ewell is.
Jem tells
Atticus that the jury system should be abolished because it doesn’t work, but
Atticus reminds him that it is human beings that corrupt the system. The system
itself is fine. He tells them, “If you had been on that jury, son and eleven
other boys like you Tom would be a free man...but people have a way of carrying
their resentments right into a jury box.”(220)
Lee further
reminds us of the many prejudices the people hold by revealing to the reader
that “Miss Maudie can’t serve on a jury because she is a woman-“. To Kill a
Mockingbird is a novel about blind prejudice of all kinds, not just racism.
Humans in the novel misjudge more than just blacks. They misjudge women in
general, Boo Radley, Mrs. Dubose, and Dolphus Raymond for the same reason they
misjudge Tom Robinson. They don’t know him and they don’t bother to look beyond
their superficial or surface differences to see what is beneath.
Atticus
reveals that one of the Cunningham relatives wanted to acquit Tom Robinson but
like Dolphus Raymond, and so many others, lacked the courage to stand up for
what was right. Only Atticus, it seems, is willing to do this in a way that
puts him and his loved ones at risk. (Miss Maudie agrees with him but hasn’t
the status, as she is female, to make change).
Scout now
wants to find Walter Cunningham Jr. And play with him because of her respect
for what one of his relatives at least attempted to do. Aunt Alexandra,
however, due to her prejudicial and judgemental views, disallows it. She says
“you can scrub Walter Cunningham till he shines, you can put him in shoes and a
new suit, but he’ll never be like Jem...because he is trash.” (220-225)
Jem shows
his loss of innocence by saying “there’s four kinds of folks in the world.
There’s the ordinary kind like us and the neighbours, there’s the kind like the
Cunningham’s out in the woods, the kind like the Ewells down at the dump, and
the Negroes.” (226) He is not naive enough to believe we are all alike. He is
also mature enough to look beyond those differences to realize we are –or
should be- equal.
Scout shows
her remaining innocence by saying “Now Jem and I think there’s just one kind of
folks. Folks.” (227) Jem ends the chapter by saying he can “understand why Boo
Radley stayed shut up in the house all this time...it’s because he wants to
stay inside.” (227) He now realizes that Boo and Tom and those who are
different or are on the fringe of mainstream society endure.
Chapter 24
Aunt
Alexandra’s “missionary circle” meet to discuss the plight of “the squalid
lives of the Mrunas...living in that jungle.” (228, 230) They have a cause they
can latch onto and they feel they are making a difference in helping these
people. In reality it is arrogant and hypocritical. They assume they live in
squalor and also do nothing to make a difference for those in their own towns.
They speak compassionately about the Mrunas because they don’t have to witness
or live with them. If these people were to stand up for what they say they
believe in, the county of Maycomb would quickly fall apart. We see this
ignorance and arrogance even more clearly when one member of the “missionary
circle,” Mrs. Merriweather, says about the Tom Robinson case and blacks in
general, “if we just let them know we forgive’em that we’ve forgotten it, then
this whole thing will blow over.” (231)
How could
they ever think blacks are the ones who need forgiveness? The irony and
arrogance of this statement would incite anger in any just human being-black or
white.
Tom Robinson
is shot and the guards put “seventeen bullet holes in him” as he is trying to
escape. Aunt Alexandra’s reaction to the shooting shows a different side to her
and again allows the reader and Scout and Jem to “walk in her skin.” She says,
“This is the last straw” (235) and condemns her town by adding, “They’re
perfectly willing to let him do what they’re too afraid to do themselves.”
(236) She shows great remorse over Ton’s death and despite her arrogance and
her ignorance, she, like so many in the novel, have another side we seldom see.
When Scout sees this new side to her Aunt, a
side she has seen for so long in her father, she begins to understand her Aunt
and some of the qualities she wants to instil in Scout. This newly found
respect is evident in Scout’s closing remark in the chapter, “if Aunty could be
a lady at a time like this so could I.” (237) She sees part of the reason Aunt
Alexandra is upset by Atticus’ defence of Tom Robinson, which is the toll it is
taking on him, and the personal danger to her brother and his family, whom she
loves.
Chapter 25
Jem and
Scout’s debate over crushing an insect (238) serves an important purpose in the
novel. Jem tells Scout not to crush the insect “because they don’t bother you”
thus showing his maturity and developing the theme of walking in another’s
shoes. He is becoming more and more like is father. This scene also sets the
reader up for the scene later in the chapter where Helen Robinson faints upon
hearing of the death of Tom. She falls in the dirt “like a giant big foot just
came along and stepped on her...like you’d step on an ant (240).” She now is
the innocent creature and the giant foot is the racism and prejudice of white
society. These references again allude to the title of the book and the
innocent mockingbird that brings nothing but pleasure. Some people seem to have the need to destroy
for no other reason than the fact that they can.
Mr.
Underwood, who supposedly hates Negroes, writes an article decrying the death
of Tom Robinson and how society should be ashamed of its actions. He is a minor
character who shows us that, even though Atticus lost the case, he is changing
the thinking of individual members of society and is helping society take baby
steps in the right direction. Again, Mr. Underwood makes the mockingbird
reference (241).
Chapter 26
Atticus is
re-elected to the state legislature despite having defended Tom Robinson. This
suggests that there were many more people on his side than those who openly
defended him. They want him to do the work that needs to be done in society
that they lack the moral courage to do themselves. This is what Aunt Alexandra
said; she knows her brother is the moral conscience of Maycomb.
Scout shows
her growing maturity and loss of innocence when she says “The Radley Place has
ceased to terrify me (242).” She has seen bigger monsters than the myth of Boo
Radley, and these monsters walk around in broad daylight accusing innocent
people of crimes they didn’t commit and some of these monsters sit back and let
injustices like this go unpunished.
The role of
the education system in fostering hatred and bigotry is evident in the
discussion on Hitler and democracy in Miss Gates current events class. Miss
Gates Proudly writes on her board “WE
ARE A DEMOCRACY” because she believes the United States has “equal rights for
all and special privileges for none” while Hitler in Germany is persecuting
Jews. Scout is confused by this, and rightly so because she knows that not all
citizens in the US are treated as equals. Whites have all the privileges and
blacks have none. This scene highlights the hypocrisy of society in general and
the institutions, like the system of education, which should be bettering
society (244-245). This hypocrisy is even more evident when the teacher, Miss
Gates, shows her racism by saying “...its time somebody taught’em a lesson”
(247) when speaking about the Tom Robinson case. How can individuals in society
be expected to be humane and open-minded when the system-and those in it-that
is responsible for educating our young is so backward-thinking. Scout and Jem
are only like they are because they have been influenced by Atticus. How can
any other child without an open-minded role model learn to consider and
question?
Chapter 27
Link Deas
picks up for Helen when she is harassed by Bob Ewell. He is another minor
character who reminds us that there are many others in society who are, like
Atticus, willing to stand up and do the right thing.
Atticus is a
shining example for others in Maycomb and his efforts have not been in vain as
many others may follow the example he has set.
Chapter 28 & 29
These two
chapters serve only one purpose in the novel: When Boo saves the children from
Bob Ewell, he proves once and for all that he is none of the things people
think he is. He and his actions in chapter 29 are essential to the thematic
development of the novel. We see how all our myths and fears and stereotypes
are based on our own ignorance, and this ignorance is paralyzing. It makes us
act irrationally when it comes to the treatment of anyone who is different from
us or anyone who holds views contrary to the views of the majority.
Chapter
30
Heck Tate’s
insistence that Boo not be dragged out in public again alludes to the title as
Scout tells her father “it’d be sort of like shootin’ a mockingbird” (276). He
would be harmed if his saving actions got out because being in public is not
where Boo wants to or should be. He is an innocent mockingbird who brings
pleasure to those he’s in contact with and his hermit like existence is the way
he should be left to live. Society is much too cruel for people like him and
Tom Robinson. He would only end up like Tom if he was forced out in public.
Arthur (Boo)
is finally introduced to the reader and Atticus insists on Scout giving him his
true identity by calling him by his real name. He is no longer a mythological
beast or ghost, but is instead a living, breathing human being.
Chapter 31
Scout
escorts Arthur home and surveys her neighbourhood from a totally new and different
perspective-his front porch. Scout says, “I had never seen the neighbourhood
from this angle” (278) and admits about her father, “Atticus was right. One time
he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk
around in them. Just standing on the Radley front porch was enough (279).” She
now literally sees the world from the perspective of where he saw it and
symbolically, this simple act shows how she now can walk in Boo’s shoes and
realize what he is (a saviour) and what he is not (a monster).
Scout’s
recounting of events from days (and seasons) gone by as she stands on Boo’s
porch shows the passing of time in the novel and the passing of her innocence.
(279)
Not
coincidentally, the novel ends with a reference to its hero, Atticus and the
most important role that he fulfilled in this story. It was not as an expert
marksman, or a lawyer, or a civil rights
activist, but as a father. Above all else, this is a novel about teaching our
children and in doing so, teaching our society. It is the most important role
we can ever have –to create and mould another decent, kind and compassionate
human being. The novel ends with Atticus doing just that as he watches over his
injured son Jem.
“He turned
out the light and went into Jem’s room. He would be there all night, and he
would be there when Jem waked in the morning.” (281)
