As I was reading the last half of To Kill a Mockingbird, I noticed that Harper Lee used a lot of cultural conflicts and narration to point out the unfairness of the culture back then.
The book is written from the perspective of Scout, a six- to seven-year-old girl who defies her culture's "norms" for women and girls. Having To Kill a Mockingbird written from Scout's perspective reveals the innocence of her point of view. If it was plainly seen to be written from the point of view of an older lady who didn't quite remember everything about her childhood, you wouldn't trust the book as much because you'd feel that you were lied to.
Harper Lee also points out the differences between the Finches and, according to Aunt Alexandra, "run-of-the-mill people". The Finches are a pretty "wealthy" or well-off family that is respected in Maycomb. Because of this, they have high social power. When Aunt Alexandra moves in with Atticus, Scout and Jem, she fits right into Maycomb and becomes a leader of many different organizations.
"When she settled in with us and life resumed its daily pace, Aunt Alexandra seemed as if she had always lived with us. Her Missionary Society refreshments added to her reputation as a hostess (she did not permit Calpurnia to make the delicacies required to sustain the Society through long reports on Rice Christians); she joined and became Secretary of the Maycomb Amanuensis Club. To all parties present and participating in the life of the county, Aunt Alexandra was one of the last of her kind: she had river-boat, boarding-school manners; let any moral come along and she would uphold it; she was born in the objective case; she was an incurable gossip...She never let a chance escape her to point out the shortcomings of other tribal groups to the greater glory of our own, a habit that amused Jem rather than annoyed him: 'Aunty better watch how she talks - scratch most folks in Maycomb and they're kin to us.'" (pg 172)
Aunt Alexandra believes that the Finches are superior to other families because the Finches have been on the same area of land for a long time.
"I never understood her preoccupation with heredity. Somewhere, I had receive the impression that Fine Folks were people who did the best they could with the sense they had, but Aunt Alexandra was of the opinion, obliquely expressed, that the longer a family had been squatting on one patch of land the finer it was." (pg 173)
There is some conflict between Aunt Alexandra and Scout because Scout wanted to invite Walter Cunningham - someone of "lower class" - over for dinner, but since the Finches "aren't like them", Scout is discouraged from talking to him or being around Walter at all.
"'Soon's school starts I'm gonna ask Walter home to dinner,' I planned, having forgotten my private resolve to beat him up the next time I saw him.
'He can stay over sometimes after school, too. Atticus could drive him back to Old Sarum. Maybe he could spend the night with us sometime, okay, Jem?'
'We'll see about that,' Aunt Alexandra said, a declaration that with her was always a threat, never a promise. Surprised, I turned to her.
'Why not, Aunty? They're good folks.' She looked at me over her sewing glasses.
'Jean Louise, there is no doubt in my mind that they're good folks. But they're not our kind of folks.'" (pg 299)
For some reason Aunt Alexandra doesn't seem to believe in "all men are created equal". She shuns the lower class, even though they might be good people.
The book also presents some representation of a girl (Scout) who doesn't really want to be ladylike and would rather be a tomboy. Scout is difficult to place in a category. She acts most like a boy, yet when it comes time for her to interact with other women, she seems like she wants to be a part of the female world.
Because Scout is a tomboy, she can fit in with both the boys and the girls when needed, and so can offer an insight into both worlds. This can help you understand the story better, because Scout is speaking from both sides.
Since Scout is speaking from the younger generation at that time, she sees things differently than the older generation around her. She and Dill can't understand why Tom Robinson is being treated like he is nothing, and why "colored folks" are rejected from society.
"'Well, Mr. Finch didn't act that way to Mayella and old man Ewell when he cross-examined them. The way that man called him 'boy' all the time an' sneered at him, an' looked around at the jury every time he answered-'
'Well, Dill, after all he's just a Negro.'
'I don't care one speck. It ain't right, somehow it ain't right to do 'em that way. Hasn't anybody got any business talkin' like that - it just makes me sick.'" (pg 266)
When the two children are talking to Mr. Raymond, Mr. Raymond points out that Dill isn't "thin-hided". Because Dill and Scout see the world from new eyes, they see that it isn't right to persecute one race because their skin color is different. They see that the jury is unfair and that the way things are needs to change.
"'I know what you mean, boy,' said a voice behind us. We thought it came from the tree-trunk, but it belonged to Mr. Dolphus Raymond. He peered around the trunk at us. 'You aren't thin-hided, it just makes you sick, doesn't it?'" (pg 266)
Other than using all those lenses, I couldn't really find much else interesting with the story. It was really hard to write about this book, because after the trial, the story's interestingness (yes, that is a real word - look it up) kind of disappeared. It just wasn't any fun to read, and I was struggling through the last few chapters. I still do not like this book (and I pity the characters who are stuck in it), but it has a good message and could probably be delved deeper into if I had the time (and patience) to do so.
Anyway, that was To Kill a Mockingbird. Pretty much my synopsis of the book. I still hate it. Good thing this is our last blog! I am taking a break this summer from this blog, and will start work on a new blog: Everything Wrong With Public Schools (everythingwrongwithpublicschools.blogspot.com). See you next year!
-bookhouse4
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