Final Impressions
This book was very different from other books that I read, even in this genre. The Harper Lee was extraordinarily blunt with the use of racism and how it affected society as well as very refined in how he described the different characters reactions to racist situations and their impacts on them. An example of this would be Jem’s rationalization of the court case by saying there are many types of folks, but after he realized he was mistaken he shut out all memory of the trial and yelled at Scout when she brought it up. I also liked how Harper Lee made the book as accurate as possible, shown when he made the verdict of the court case guilty and had Tom try to escape and die. It makes the idea the book conveys that much more impactful and adds weight to the story.
This book taught me that many, if not most people are very set in their ways. It would take a huge shift in their life to get people to change. This is shown by how hard Atticus pushed for the final stabbing to go to court, even though he thought it was his kid, but when he realized that it was Boo, someone who didn’t want attention, that stabbed Bob Ewell and saved his kids he made a huge moral shift and was willing to bend the rules this once. People are almost always willing to hide the truth if it would be for the greater good.
http://calcdosmockingbird.blogspot.com/2012/02/final-thoughts-on-to-kill-mockingbird.html
Scout
I feel like Scout was the best person to have as a character in this novel. You are able to see almost all of her thoughts and she is the main person we follow throughout the whole story. This allows for a unique glimpse at the impacts of observing racism on a daily basis as a child.
Some of the most important or standout quotes from Scout are “Jem was the one who was getting more like a girl, not I” and “Ladies in bunches always filled me with vague apprehension and a firm desire to be elsewhere, but this feeling was what Aunt Alexandra called being “spoiled.” The first quote shows how different she is from others of her gender and age. It is yet another example of how Scout has wisdom beyond her years and that the knowledge she has sets her apart. The second quote shows how she feels in social situations. She is very timid and doesn’t fit in with the normal behavior for high-society.
https://www.shmoop.com/to-kill-a-mockingbird/scout-jean-louise-finch-quotes-7.html
Literature Circles
During our literature circles and socratic seminar we dove into Scout’s character development and some potential metaphors dealing with Atticus being the sacrifice of the town so they can act normally, his straight shot reflecting his moral compass and it’s near immovable stance, and the reasons for why Tom Robinson tried to escape. I found the first and last of these to be the most intriguing because having Atticus as a sacrifice makes us wonder if all the good he is doing is actually benefitting the society in the long run, especially if the racism he opposes stops him from making progress. The second was important because it shows how little faith Tom had in the judicial system and how he was willing to take his own chances at life over it.
https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-was-judicial-system-like-south-1930s-184159
Connections To Other Texts
On A Certain Blindness:
This text is related to TKAM because of Scout, Dill, and Jem’s behavior towards Boo Radley. In the beginning they thought of him as some terrible person who had gone insane and wanted to hurt people. Later in the story, it is actually Boo who saves Jem and Scout from Bob Ewell, proving them wrong. This initial belief shows how quick people are to judge others, even if they have very little information. This judgement without sufficient information was also the focal point of On A Certain Blindness.
Black Men and Public Space:
This text relates to the story because in TKAM a large part of the story is devoted to Boo and his father. They both were avoided and treated with extreme caution while in the town, as you can see from Scout’s encounters with Boo’s father. Their seclusion could well have been due to their social treatment and a desire to avoid it. This is similar to the Black Men and Public Space article which showed how people are more wary of black people in public spaces and how some choose to take certain precautions to avoid discrimination (whistling/humming classical tunes).
Self-Segregation: Why It’s so Hard For White People to Understand Ferguson:
This text relates to the story because back in that time most people were surrounded by people sharing the same ideals with them (according to the author the reason why white people couldn’t understand ferguson), including racism. This would have made people more set in discriminatory ways, prolonging and amplifying the racism and inequality present in the American South.
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