: STRUCTURE
Summary of techniques:
1.
TIME-Flashback/circularity of narrative
2.
SETTING-geography from porch to street to town to county to USA to implications universally.
3.
NARRATIVE-Child narrator/innocent voice reflecting & charting changes in maturity
4.
J v S as measure of journey to understanding.
5.
Cross-referring of incidents set up in one chapter to appear& develop later/weaving of incidents
6.
Objects & events that shape the plot: school & compromise/dog & gun/ tyre & pants/ tree & gifts/snow & fire/ blanket & snowman/ -all in part one
Part two-attempted lynching & trial/costume & attempted killing
7.
Characters & their function/major & minor
8.
Narratives within narrative ie NB Town myths that are structurally important:
 Boo Radley
 Atticus & one shot Finch
 Mrs Dubose-myth in minds of Scout & Jem
 Ewells & abuse & rape
 Dolphus Raymond
NB all attitudes change as result of these myths being realigned
9.
Early narratives & characters as gentle reflections & microcosms of later sinister & socially significant events in 2 nd half of the novel.
10.
Contrasts-characters/images/events etc
11.
Trial as dramatic climax-drama-from Greek dran-to do, ie central significant event.
12.
Foreshadowing & clues: Fluid movement of events, especially unpredictability of
Bob Ewell,
13.
used to increase tension & interval for release before final denouement.
14.
Surprise twist at end-assumption that A would be attacked-diversionary techniquemakes this scene simultaneously startling for the reader and revealing of character.
15.
Miss Maudie as moral conscience v. Miss Stephanie
16.
Minor characters & vital contribution to novel & vivid texturing to Maycomb society-
Ted Underwood, Cunninghams, Cecil Jacobs, Dolphus Raymond, Link deas, Miss
Caroline, Mrs Merriweather, cousin Francis, Uncle Jack, Zeebo, etc.
17.
Consider significant use of biblical references in the novel as authority/religion.
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How these appear in the chapters:
1.Chapters 1,2,3 set up debate + setting + time-flashback & circularity:
Structurally, To Kill a Mockingbird is circular: the story begins where it ends.
The first line of the novel introduces Jem’s broken arm, and the novel then flashes back ~mystery + journey to knowledge from innocence & ignorance to choice to grow through learning, often painful, & facing difficult truths .
Correspondingly, the narrative gradually comes to mirror a loss of innocence,
We are given- Finch family history + brief sketch of Atticus + beginning of town myths
One of the central themes of To Kill a Mockingbird is the process of growing up and developing a more mature perspective on life
SCOUT as narrator~ 6 yr old intelligent child-observes innocently, largely without prejudice but negotiating her way through others’-a journey to painful knowledge, engaging & humorous.
Jem and Scout are the centre of the story
DILL IS CENTRAL HERE & also part of the structural circularity since we return to him at the end of the trial where his tears & conversation with Dolphus Raymund take the novel, Scout & reader to greater understanding & sensitivity.
-his imagination because of his own lonely personal history, yet being an outsider his experience of films especially new horror genre introduce the children to new world of imagination & making Boo come out.
Eventually, Boo will be transformed from a nightmare villain into a human being, and the children’s understanding of him will reflect their own journey toward adulthood
As the adult world asserts itself later in the novel, Dill fades from the story.
Chapter 2: Scout’s unpleasant first day of school –disappointment & disillusionment:
Scout is victimized by her teacher’s inexperience
Miss
C’s frailty & insufficiency in her handling of Scout’s talents mirror in miniature larger prejudice in Maycomb society.
Miss Caroline’s behaviour in the schoolhouse foreshadows the courtroom scenes later in the novel, when the system that fails is not an educational technique but the law.
NB link between education & justice & impact of law.
Chapter 3: Scout takes revenge on Walter Cunningham
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-but natural goodness (learnt from Atticus) ~invitation to dinner~learns of cultural differences-molasses on dinner~chastising from Cal.
Painful lessons in life. (NB Cal’s place in the family)
Aticus’s compromise over Scout’s reading with him ~symbolic & beginning of many others in novel on the path to enlightenment.You never really understand a person until you . . . climb into his skin and walk around in it.
A correlation between social status and moral goodness becomes evident as the novel progresses. At the top of this pyramid rests Atticus, a comparatively wealthy man whose moral standing is beyond reproach. Beneath him are the poor farmers such as the Cunninghams. The Ewells are below even the Cunninghams on the social ladder, and their unapologetic, squalid ignorance and ill tempers quickly make them the villains of the story. We do not encounter them again until Part Two, but
Burris’s vicious cruelty in this section foreshadows the later behavior of his father, Bob Ewell.
2.
Chapters 4, 5 & 6-primarily record
Jem and Scout’s childhood adventures with Dill and the spectre of Boo Radley comes into prominence
.
Chapter 4: passes tree & sees chewing gum + both children discover two old
“Indian-head” pennies hidden in the same knothole and decide to keep them-their curiosity kindles reader’s. S&J innocent, reader required to be more aware.
Chapter 5: Miss Maudie gives S, J & D true information c. & sympathetic perspective on Boo-increasing discrepancy between irresponsible gossip eg
Stephanie Crawford & truth. Miss M –measure of social conscience.
Incident of note & A instructing children to leave Boo alone.
Chapter 6: J&D disobey A & sneak over to Boo’s house-shadow + Jem leaves pants behind
3. Chapters 7-8 accelerate Boo narrative before turning point with fire-end of childhood innocence for J.
Chapter 7: Tree-two figures carved in soap resemble Scout and Jem- followed in turn by chewing gum, a spelling bee medal, and an old pocket watch.
Nathan Radley lies to J c. tree.
Chapter 8
Snow ~fire + blanket/ J realises Boo responsible-extreme reactions
Lee uses an elliptical technique in telling Boo’s story—she hints and implies at what is happening without ever showing the reader directly.
Different perspectives & understanding in S&J reflect journey into knowledge. S unaffected/J distressed by growing knowledge of adult cruelty.
Turning point in novel.
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In a world in which innocence is threatened by injustice, cruelty, prejudice, and hatred, goodness can prevail in the form of sympath y, understanding, and common sense, as evidenced by how the townspeople’s affectionate willingness to help one another enables them to overcome the intrusion of these Gothic elements into their simple small-town lives .
NB Symbolism -Boo carves figures out of desire to connect/S&J snowman version of Mr Avery out of prejudice
Also gothic tales & elements within the novel
4. Chap. 11-15-Innocent games & Boo left behind as darker elements of adult world developed with beginnings of trial.
Chapter 9
A asked to defend Tom + 2 incidents where Scout outraged by A being called nigger lover ie Cecil Jacobs & cousin Francis but A askes her not to fight-knowing what future will bring.
S learns of adult duplicity when Uncle J ack & A unjustly misread hermirrors J in chap 7.
Chapter 10
“Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy . . . but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.”
One-shot Finch narrativedifference between S&J ‘s grasp of significance-A disapproves of guns & violence-J sees real heroism of father, S only sees image of heroism.
Chapter 11
The truth behind the prejudice c.
Mrs Dubose/ harsh truths learntScout’s narrative skilfully charts journey to mature & painful understanding illustrated in J’s angry response, initially to Mrs D’s attack of A.& then to reality of her death, particularly in context of further narrative of true heroism.
Chapter 12
Cal takes centre stage here, significantly, before trial./ Some comparison w A
Alexandra.
S&J learn of Cal’s world through visit to church/meet black prejudice/ discover Cal has entire life/ poverty of black community yet care/ linin’ + language & Zeebo
Lee deliberately drawing comparisons between the segregated cultures / also harmony of negro community & church in comparison with hypocrisy of Maycomb
Women’s circle & prejudice-yet not perfect.
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Chapter 13
Aunt A stays & discord ensues with clash of values
NB Dill’s absence coincides with adult world encroaching
Chapter 14
Conflict between J&S over S’s antagonism to AA-J learning to negotiate adult world while S still a child. Dill runs away to Maycomb & we hear his narrative-one of many contrasting family lives-Radleys, Ewells, Finches etc.many single parent & modest income.
J tells A c Dill-recognition of responsible attitude but contrasting with S still clinging to childlike secrecy
Chapter 15
Attempted lynching saved by S’s innocence.
J disobeys A but takes calculated risk.
Essential goodness & its potency asserted
5- Central dramatic event of novel- TRIAL SEQUENCE_chapter 16-21
Maycomb society also on trial
Trial sequence v dramatic/ much use of dialogue/ covers 5 chapters without digression
Much use of slow but inexorable movement towards truth as uncovered skilfully by impressive defence lawyer yet outcome relentless in inevitability-against proof.
Comparison of A & Tom with Mrs D in heroismlicked before they began but undertook journey anyway.
Ewells’ represent ignorant prejudice -Mayella particularly difficult character to assess given that she is a victim who victimises one more vulnerable than even she but this leaves the status of a society that sees all this & still chooses prejudice.
Miss M refuses to attend/children segregated from white society injustice by being with black community in gallery.
Chapter 16
Trial begins -carnival atmosphere amongst many whites in contrast to black community.
D Raymond’s narrative as Maycomb sees him-chooses to remain outside societyinteresting complexity.
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Children view trial from segregated black community viewing in gallery
Chapter 17
Gilmer calls Heck Tate as witness
Ewell family narrative given
Bob Ewell testifies
Crucial evidence of left-handedness of attacker
Chapter 18
Mayella testifies + her narrative
Chapter 19
Tom testifies –stark contrast w. Ewell- Tom dignified & morally impressive
-cross-examined by Gilmer- exemplifies in full horror white prejudice against black people-must be guilty & morally inferior
–contrast w. respect shown to Bob Ewell-
Dill’s distressed response crucial measure for reader here.NB langauge
Chapter 20
Dolphus Raymond narrative
A sums upreveals clearly evidence points to Tom’s innocence & explains Mayella’s motive-she committed unforgivable sin in southern society-lusted after a black man & was found out so had to cover crime by destroying evidence ie Tom
Chapter 21: Verdict
6. Aftermath & interval before denouement, implications & Consequences
Chapter 22-24
Chapter 22
J’s distress@ verdict-disillusionment-an idealist/Miss M points out all those who stood against the tide & importance of that- “ a step —it’s just a baby-step, but it’s a step.”
Tom & J & Boo all to different degreesMocking Birds
Narrative of Ewell spitting @ A-threat.
Chapter 23
Finch family discuss Tom’s situation & fact it took so long to reach verdict.
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J assesses Boo probably refuses to come out because he sees how society is corrupt.
Chapter 24
AA hosts missionary circle & S wears dress as concession-beginning to grow upconsiderable compromise.
News that Tom has been killed-AA & S return to meeting with considerable dignityturning pointthe Finch women display moral courage by maintaining a public facade of composure
.
Mr. Underwood likens Tom’s death to “ the senseless slaughter of songbirds,” an obvious reference to the novel’s title. In this moment, Alexandra and Scout stand together as finches, as harmless as mockingbirds
Miss M-as social conscience points out A trusted with v difficult, crucial social purpose.
Chapter 25
Roly-poly bug story where J succeeds in persuading S not to kill it ~small detail but measures J’s progress towards adult maturity & S’s remaining innocence; he senses discerningly vulnerability in all creatures.
J witnesses Helen R’s reaction to Tom’s death.+ Maycomb’s unkind response
~Bob Ewell sinister responseone down and about two more to go. ( see ch 27)
7. Chapters 26-29 develop mood of mounting danger-troubled, threatening & are short -prior to denouement:
Boo begins to re-emerge in consciousness-S wishes to see him one more time-no longer source of fearforeshadowing Boo’s appearance a few chapters later.
Contrasts with increasing threat of Bob Ewellmounting tension .
Chapter 26
A misjudges Bob Ewell-plays down threat-trusting. One of several misjudgements – showing he is human-but which have consequences. Significantly, AA sees more clearly-A idealist whereas AA in touch with cynicism.
J physically & willingly growing into manhood-proud of chest hair.
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J&A discuss judicial systeman education for Jem in the realities not only of the jury system but also of lifeCunningham on the jury wanting to acquit Tom presents Jem with a remarkable instance of an uneducated white man being able to see beyond his ingrained racial prejudice —a further indication that the adult world is complex.
Chapter 27
Ewell gets employment with WPA (scheme re Depression)-loses 3 days later
Judge Taylor experiences intruder (see chap 25)
Chapter 28
Ewell leaves Judge Taylor alone but follows Helen R –Link Deas threatens arrest
AA accurately sees Ewell as threatening.
J&S set off to school for Hallowe’en pageant- light relief before sinister climax
-AA & A significantly do not attend-too tired
S &J attacked- literal dark/also symbolic/gothic- outcome of trial + characteristic & symbolic of malaise in Maycomb society’s prejudice-innocent are victimised-mocking birds.
Circumstances set up previously-children alone, Scout late, protected by ham costume
Chapter 29
Scout reports attack-we come full circle to start of story where J has broken arm. discovers Boo Radley is hero-A gives true name-Arthur-beginning of mature definitions & recognitions.
Chapter 30
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Another circle -A has to bend the rules/ compromise-against his principles-the law cannot be bent-but another law comes into play re Boo. Bob Ewell therefore fell on his knife-ie. Law & justice & life & truth are different elements in comlex world. He taught S to compromise-now his turn.
Chapter 31
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 porch was enough.
S becomes a lady when she takes Boo’s arm & lets him lead her to his home-subtle maturing into adult world- proof that goodness exists in powerful and unexpected forms. Full circle in Boo narrative. J never meets him.
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