Language and Style:
When writers use dialects and different ways of speaking, they are trying
to convey how a real person talks. We can therefore say that the writing is
realistic. There are several examples in the novel that affect the way we
view the characters:
-Identify the speaker and write what they say in your own words:
1.
“One more thing, gentlemen, before I quit. Thomas Jefferson
once said that all men are created equal, a phrase that the
Yankees and the distaff side of the executive branch in
Washington are fond of hurling at us” Chapter 20
2. “I did not suh. … Mr Finch, I tried. I tried to thout bein’ ugly to
her. I didn’t wanta be ugly,…” Chapter 19
3. “Don’t have any picture shows here, except Jesus ones in the
courthouse sometimes.” Chapter 1
Humour:
•
The main form of humour in the novel comes in the form of irony. It acts
to relieve the serious and often tragic mood of the novel. There are
several forms of irony;
– Simple irony: saying the opposite of what is meant, or when an action or event
produces the opposite of what is intended
– Dramatic irony: involves a character who is unaware of something that the reader
(and often another character) knows about. The first character usually refers to it
unwittingly.
– Satire: a more complex form of irony that ridicules the beliefs and institutions to
reveal hypocrisy or foolishness.
Look at the examples below and decide which form of irony is invovled:
a.
“… then Scout’n’me’ll jump on him and hold him down till we can tell him we
ain’t gonna hurt him”
b.
Miss Gates discussion of democracy.
c.
Scout being followed by Bob Ewell.
d.
“About your writing with your left hand, are you ambidexterous, Mr. Ewell?” “I
most positively am not, I can use one had good as the other”
The Mockingbird
•
A symbol is used to represent ideas and themes and the repeated symbol or motif of the
mockingbird represents several things in the novel. There are also other symbols present, some
of which also relate to the mockingbird.
•
1. Identify the characteristics from the list below that are associated with the mockingbird and
think of how they apply to Boo Radley and Tom Robinson. The mockingbird is…
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
•
2. Now explain in what way the symbol of the mockingbird could apply to these characters.
–
–
–
–
•
a bird that hurts no-one
An innocent song bird
A hunting bird
Ill-treated and shot at by humans
A bird that damages crops
Like the Finch, a song bird
A plain, inconspicuous bird
A bird that steals from another bird’s nest.
Atticus
Dill
Mayella
Dolphus Raymond and Family
3. Explain why the meaning of the word mocking is also relevant to the book and give examples
• 4. Read the following passage from Chapter 28 and explain its relevance at
this point in the book.
– “High above us in the darkhouse a solitary mocker poured out his repertoire in
blissful unawareness of whose tree he sat in, plunging from the shrill kee, kee
of the sunflower bird to the irascible qua-ack of a bluejay, to the sad lament of
Poor Will. Poor Will, Poor Will.”
• 5. Think of symbols that could apply to the following character are
compatible with the book and say why you have chosen them.
– A Mr Link Deas
– B Little Chuck Little
– C Zeebo
• 6. Can you think of any other symbols that can be found in the novel?
– What might Mrs. Dubose’s camelias represent?
– What about Boo’s tree?
– What about Boo himself?