TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
BY HARPER LEE
 Lesson objectives
 Learn
about the history of African Americans in
the South through analysis of historical
accounts.
 Demonstrate visual literacy skills effectively by
interpreting and responding visual and audio
information.
 Write
a thought through introduction to the
assignment.
 Use
themes of racism, compassion, and
tolerance in To Kill a Mockingbird.
 At
this stage you should all have a
better grasp of how historical events
and human forces have shaped
relationships between black and
white and rich and poor cultures in
American society at the time
especially in the south.
RECAP… QUIZ 10 MINS
To
It
Kill a Mockingbird Quiz 1
is multiple choice, but
explain why you have chosen
the particular answer.

Key literary terms used in this lesson.
 Connotation
 Metaphor
 Imagery
 Dehumanisation
 Personification
 Symbolism
 Conscience
 Hypocrisy
 Contradiction
 Irony
Watch the video using your visual and interpretation
skills
‘‘What happened at Auschwitz?’’
Draw links to the themes raised in the video
How are the issues raised in the video relevant in
todays world.
Can you draw links between the issues in the video
and the issues raised in To Kill a Mockingbird.
Once again, the use shoes as a symbolism in the video,
how this work in ‘To kill a Mockingbird.’
http://www.theguardian.com/world/video/
2015/jan/27/what-happened-auschwitz70th-anniversary-video
 ‘‘You
never really understand a
person until you consider things from
his point of view…until you climb in
his skin and walk around in it.”

“Atticus was right. One time he said
you never really know a man until
you stand in his shoes and walk
around in them…’’
Auschwitz 70th anniversary
Holocaust Memorial Day (27 January) is a national
commemoration day in the United Kingdom dedicated
to the remembrance of those who suffered in the
Holocaust, under Nazi Persecution.
But also in subsequent genocides in Cambodia,
Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.
The chosen date is the anniversary of the liberation of
Auschwitz concentration camp by the Soviet Union in
1945.
Some 1.1 million people, mostly Jews, were killed
there between 1940 and 1945, when Soviet troops
liberated it.
Contextual Recap
Tom Robinson's Trial Occurs in the1930s. It takes place in
southern Alabama.
Begins with a charge of rape made by a white woman against an
African American man
The poor white status of Mayella is a critical issue.
A central figure is Atticus, lawyer, legislator. Atticus arouses
anger in the community in trying to defend Tom Robinson.
The verdict is rendered by a jury of poor white residents
The jury ignores evidence, for example, that Tom has a useless
left arm.
Attitudes about Southern women and poor whites complicate the
trial of Tom Robinson.
- ‘‘That nigger yonder took advantage of me, an’ if you fine fancy
gentlemen don’t wanta do nothin’ about it then you’re all yellow
stinkin’ coward, stinkin’ cowards, the lot of you.’’ (p207)
SETTING
 Maycomb,
Alabama
(fictional city)
 1933-1935
 Although
slavery has
long been abolished,
the Southerners in
Maycomb continue to
believe in white
supremacy.
“JIM CROW” LAWS


From the 1880s to
the 1960s most states
enforced segregation
through the “Jim
Crow” laws named
after a black-faced
character in minstrel
shows.
Through these laws
legal punishments
could be imposed on
people for having
contact with members
of another race.
‘‘A Negro would not pass the Radley Place at night, he
would cut across to the sidewalk opposite…’’ (p9)


After the Civil War, The Ku
Klux Klan was formed as a
secret society that promoted
white supremacy using violence
and terrorism to undo the gains
that former slaves had made.
However, after the 1920s the
KKK was no longer secretive
about their work and public
violence against Blacks,
including lynching, became
common occurrences.
LYNCH MOB
ln Alabama...they used to lynch Negroes.
In the novel, just before Tom’s trial a mob led by Mr
Cunningham demands that Atticus surrenders Tom to them….,
can you ‘climb into Tom’s skin’ and see the fear in his eyes...
and worse... the shame.
What was his crime that he should be persecuted, without
trial, in the dark? Was he a thief? Was he a killer? Or just a
Negro?
Were his children waiting up for him? And who are we to just
lie there and do nothing? No matter what he did, the mob and
Mr Ewell were the criminals
But the law did nothing, this should leave you wondering
why?...
From here argue the point of Unfairness and cruelty
LEGAL ISSUES OF THE 1930’S WHICH
IMPACT THE STORY
 Women
given the
vote in 1920
 Juries were MALE
and WHITE
 “Fair trial” did not
include acceptance
of a black man’s
word against a
white man’s
AFTER WW1
 Even
though Blacks
had fought bravely for
the US in WW1, they
returned home from
Europe to find the
same, if not worse,
discrimination and
segregation.
 The economic
struggles of the 1930s
seemed only to worsen
the situation.
THE GREAT DEPRESSION (1930S)




The Depression hit the
South especially hard
Everyone, seemed to be
living in poverty
Americans turned away
from the rest of the world
and away from each
other
During these years of
turmoil, discontent
started to grow in the
minds of Whites and
Blacks alike.
ASSIGNMENT TITLE
 How
does Harper Lee show the
treatment of Tom Robinson is
unfair and cruel in To Kill A
Mockingbird?
 Look
particularly at the way Tom is
treated by Bob Ewell and Atticus.
UNDERSTAND WHAT THE QUESTION IS
ASKING….
Cruel
PrejudicedColor
Brutish
Tom’s
Treatment
Discrim
inatory
Barbaric
Onesided
INTRODUCTION
 Firstly,
explain the rigid/unyielding social
structure of Maycomb and Tom’s place in it.
 Remember-
we talked about the social
hierarchy
Show segregation of black
and white and the position of
the black community in the
southern US in 1930s.
Atticus refers to racism as
‘‘Maycomb’s usual disease’’
Why is that?, explain,
expand…
SECONDLY…
 Mention
the all-white Jury at Tom’s trial
 You
could explain how the structural
layout of the court, emphasises
segregation. E.g. (Blacks not allowed to
mix with the whites)
 Preserving
 How
the ‘‘code of society’’
this leaves Tom in isolation and at
mercy of all the gazing judgemental eyes of
the whites- that is unfair.



A general point about the trial is that the jury is
made up solely of white men/ ‘‘farmers’’, as black
men (or women) were not allowed to sit on juries.
This establishes the fact that the odds are heavily
stacked against Tom Robinson as soon as the case
comes to court.
Therefore the whole trial is seen as an unfair one
right from the start.
 You
have 20mins
 Attempt
to write your
introduction in accordance to
the information provided.
 Make
sure you explain how the
above points are UNFAIR to Tom
Robinson
Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird is an almost faultless
representation of how the “white” word dominated the “black”
word in the South. The novel shows that a white person’s
word, no matter how faulted, was more readily accepted than
any black person’s word. Allowing a “Negro’s” word to be
accepted over “white” word would make southern society less
secure in its assumed superiority.
The southern “superiority” over Negroes had existed since the
time of the slave trade and continued after the emancipation,
out of fear. As long as Negroes were considered “property,”
they were protected by their “value.” Following the abolition of
legal slavery, their economic protection vanished, and the
southern white population feared their infiltration with
society. Out of fear came hate in the white southern
community. Organizations reflecting their hate were created,
such as the Ku Klux Klan. Lynchings, unjustified convictions,
and severe economic oppression were all part of Negro-life in
the south between 1925-193...
MAIN BODY
 Plenty
of examples of CRUEL
and UNFAIR treatment, and how
exactly it’s cruel and unfair by:
 Bob Ewell
 Mayella Ewell
 Mr Gilmer
 Heck Tate
TRIAL EVIDENCE…WHAT EVIDENCE?
No
Medical
evidence
Tom’s
Crippled
Left hand
Changing
narratives
of the crime
• Mayella physical condition and
the nature of her injuries
warranted immediate medical
attention (p193)
• Can you see the Irony- (Ewell
claiming to care when clearly he
doesn’t)
• Mayella had a black
eye on her right
• Mr Ewell writes with
his left hand…very
incriminating
• Heard, and seen
• Asked and told
 ‘‘He
stood and pointed his finger at Tom
Robinson. ‘-I seen that black nigger yonder
ruttin’ on my Mayella!’’ (p190)
 CONTRADICTION
 ‘‘I
don’t remember too good, but the next thing I
knew Papa was in the room a’standin’ over me
hollerin’ ‘‘Who done it, who done it?’’ (p199)
 You
can also argue that the imagery of Mr Ewell
standing over her could imply the abusive
nature of their relationship….
Visual
Plan
Jury, the layout of
the court-think
Isolation/
segregation
Tom’s death-shot 17
times-symbolism of
power-the dog was
only shot once.
Cruel
and
Unfair
Lynch Mobresembled the
cuninghams
Evidence
contradicts itself.
Mayella is not a
reliable witness.
Her injuries
No medical
evidence
Evidence is
ignored by
the jury.
No medical
report/no
doctor
The use of
language.
Heck Tate
‘‘Nigger’’,
‘‘Robinson’’,
‘‘Boy’’
Unfair
and
Cruel
When
comparing the
two men. Bob
Ewell and Tom
Robinson, its
unfair that the
jury believes
the Ewells
 You
should make distinctions
between Tom being treated
Unfairly and being treated
Cruelly. Try to give examples of
both. You must say why each
example is cruel or unfair
You can write about how Tom is treated
unfairly by:
 The Social system




The Judicial system
How these systems are not ready to
embrace change and equality for the black
community.
For example….
Language
 Language is a powerful tool in this novel the
language of the children, the eloquence of Atticus,
and the language of the towns’ people which
reflects their attitudes and often their prejudices.



This language reveals the power of words to
establish what (and who) society values most.
Language choice and style have the power to
confer/give status and value, to elevate, and to
wound.
Notice the importance attributed to names and
titles in the novel. How does the way the
characters in the novel address or nickname the
people below reveal status, entitlement, and
power?
Mr. Jem
 Mrs. Dubose
 Miss Maudie
 Atticus Finch Mr. Finch
 Calpurnia, Cal
 Tom Robinson
 Mayella Ewell
 Rev. Sykes
 Boo Rad ley (Is "Boo" his real name?)
 Scout, Miss Jean Louise Finch


SAMPLE: Black woman, no title, no status. Black man, no
title, no status. Poor white woman, no title, no status
reacts angrily when called "Miss" by Atticus.
 The
power of Language…
 Mr. Ewell says, ‘‘I seen that black nigger yonder
ruttin' on my Mayella!’’

Mr. Ewell may be barely literate, but he is very good when it
comes to offensive language. The way he phrases his
accusation achieves an impressive feat of multitasking.

Firstly, he dehumanises Tom (he doesn't use Tom's name, or
even the pronoun "he")
Emphasizes Tom's race over everything else (the redundancy of
"black nigger")
Compares Tom to a beast ("rutting" is usually applied to
animals.
Portrays Mayella as a passive victim (she's the indirect object of
the sentence)
Asserts power over his daughter ("my Mayella," as if Tom's
trying to steal Ewell's property)




Not bad for a mere ten
words—no wonder the
crowd goes wild!!!
EVIDENCE…ANALYSING QUOTATIONS
Mr Ewell testifies that, ‘‘I heard Mayella
screaming’ like a stuck hog inside the house-’’
(p190) The evidence changes, this suggests
unreliability.
The imagery of a screaming ‘stuck hog’ creates
a vivid and distorted picture to the jury which
falsely incriminates Tom Robinson. In addition
the simile implies that Mayella was a powerless
victim of Tom Robinson. This again paints Tom
Robinson as brutal individual, contrary to the
innocent and the helpful nature of his
character.
 Expanding
your analysis…
 The
imagery of animals is again used to inforce
the inhumane treatment that Tom Robinson
receives in the court of law. Language plays a
vital role in falsely incriminating Tom
Robinson.
 In
this instance Tom is referred to as ‘black
nigger ruttin’, the term ‘rutting’ here plays a
vital role through language by invoking
powerful sexual imageries that are relatable to
animals having sex. This is cruel and further
heightens the unfair treatment of Tom Robinson.
SYMBOLISM
Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but
remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird’ ….
‘mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us
to enjoy….That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.
(p99-100)
Be careful when you argue that Tom Robinson is
a Mockingbird.
You need to clearly explain your assumption and
expand on it as to why it is unfair or cruel.
He is the sheriff of
Maycomb County, Heck
Tate's official role is
maintaining law and order.
Symbolise
power/misplaced.
He doesn’t change
his testimony even
after he realises
that Tom’s left hard
is crippled hence
Innocent (P183)
Mr Tate
He uses an
offensive term
‘‘some nigger’d
raped his girl’’
(P182) In the court of
law.
When Tom is held in the Maycomb jail the
night before the trial, Tate warns Atticus in
advance that he might not be able to
protect Tom. Leaving Atticus to face down
the lynch mob without official backup.
Mr Tate…
“I'm not a very good man, sir, but I am sheriff of
Maycomb County. Lived in this town all my life an' I'm
goin' on forty-three years old. Know everything that's
happened here since before I was born. There's a black
boy dead for no reason, and the man responsible for
it's dead. Let the dead bury the dead this time, Mr. Finch.
Let the dead bury the dead.“
Can you see the Irony/hypocrisy, he is eager to
implement justice after Tom’s death, knowing that his
reputation is no longer at stake in the public--- He is
actions are hypocritical. That is unfair to TOM
In order to convict Tom, the
jury has to believe, or at
least pretend to believe in,
the fragile, helpless girl
who gets taken advantage
of by Tom, rather than see
her as a desperate, lonely
teenager who actively
desires him. It's not just
ideals of women at stake,
but also of men
Mayella is shiftless and trashy
she even live by a dump. But
when she takes the stand, she
represents something else
entirely: a flower of "Southern
womanhood
‘‘No, I don't recollect if he
hit me. I meant yes I do, he
hit me.’’ She is an
Unreliable witness
‘‘She seemed somehow
fragile-looking, but when
she sat facing us in the
witness chair she became
what she was, a thickbodied girl accustomed to
strenuous labor.’’ (p197)
Mayella
Ewell
The use of word such as "young" and
"fragile-looking" give the
impression that Mayella Ewell is an
innocent girl in a very difficult
situation, made worst by the trial and the
events that had lead to
the accusation its self. (p197)
Bob Ewell is the head of a family that has been "the
disgrace of Maycomb for three generations“. He
considered human trash by the Maycomb
community, the Ewell’s live in a shotgun shack by
the dump. Ewell has no ambition to improve his life;
instead, he spends his welfare checks on whiskey
and abuses Mayella, his daughter
Ewell's "nearest
neighbours" are
African-Americans, so
racism (and sexism) is
the only way that
Ewell can feel
superior to anybody.
Bob
Ewell
Respect for others is as
foreign to Ewell as personal
hygiene. His accusations of
Tom's supposed crime is
given in the most offensive
language possible,
calculated to stir up people's
emotions
There's not a single white man in
Maycomb who's not above Ewell in the
community hierarchy, so he turns
venomously on anyone he can put below
him: African-Americans and women.









Mr Gilmer and the manner/methods in which he
questions Tom Robinson
‘Robinson, you’re pretty good at busting up chiffarobes
and kindling with one hand, aren’t you?
‘Yes suh, I reckon so’
Strong enough to choke the breath out of a woman and
sling her to the floor?’ (p217)
These are closed ended questions they require Yes or No
If Tom says No he lies
If he says Yes he incriminates himself
Is that fair treatment in the court of law.
Contrast this with how treats Mayella, very careful not
hurt her feelings- ‘‘he is gentleman’’

Consider these quotations from TKAM
 ‘‘Well,
most folks seem to think they're right
and you're wrong....’’
 ‘‘The
one thing that doesn't abide by majority
rule is a person's conscience.’’ Atticus (p116)
 Contrast
this with the idea of democracy
and the Judicial system.
‘‘Any man more right than his neighbour's constitutes a
majority of one.’’
The beauty and the burden of democracy is this: no idea
prevails without the support of the majority.
The people decide the moral issues of the day, not a
majority of one.
However, it can be argued that majorities do not decide
what is right or wrong.
Can you see how this works in To kill a mockingbird
Atticus is a majority of One against the Jury made of the
majority. This implies that, Tom Robinson has no chance at
all of being acquitted. That is Unfair
 Atticus
proves Bob is left-handed, providing
circumstantial evidence that Bob attacked
Mayella. Atticus says, “Mayella Ewell was beaten
savagely by someone who led almost exclusively
with his left” (216).
 Bob
signs a warrant “with his left hand,” whereas
Tom takes “the oath with the only good hand he
possesses his right hand” (216).
 Bob
is “led” by the immoral left, but Tom tells the
truth, swearing with his “good” right hand. Tom’s
“good arm” parallels Atticus’s “good eye,” and in
both cases “good” implies good moral function and
virtue.
NOTES ON THE TRAIL


Chapters 17 to 22
Make some notes that you personally understand
and capable to use in your assignment
PLAN OF ESSAY

There is more than one plan
Nothing that erodes the rule of law can be moral.
But there was no rule of law in the Jim Crow
South, not when Negroes are lynched and
sentenced to death without a fair trial.