To Kill a Mockingbird

The Economic Depression

FOLLOWED THE WALL STREET CRASH IN 1929, POVERTY BEGAN
PRESIDENT ROOSERVELT MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS AT ECONOMIC RECOVERY
AFTER NATIONAL RECOVERY ACT, PRESIDENT TOLD PEOPLE - "THEY HAD NOTHING TO FEAR BUT FEAR ITSELF"
IT TOOK TIME FOR PEOPLE'S SUFFERING AND HARDSHIP TO SUBSIDE
THE CRASH HIT FARMERS LIKE THE CUNNINGHAM'S THE MOST

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ABOLITION OF SLAVERY AFTER AMERICAN CIVIL WAR OF 1861-5 CHANGED LEGAL POSITION OF BLACK PEOPL IN AMERICAN SOCIETY
BLACK PEOPLE NOW SEEN AS COMPETITORS FOR JOBS PARTICULARLY IN THE HARD YEARS FOLLWING DEPRESSION
FEAR AND PARANOIA LED TO WHITE PEOPLE BELIEVING BLACK PEOPLE DESIRED EVERYTHING THAT WHITE PEOPLE HAD
1930'S - SCOTTSBORO TRIALS IN ALABAMA: NINE YOUNG BLACK MEN FOUND GUILTY OF ****** TWO WHITE WOMEN. LATER DISCOVERED THE WHITE WOMEN WERE LYING. ALL YOUNG MEN ACCUSED EXCEPT YOUNGEST AGED 12, WERE SENTENCED TO DEATH AFTER SEVERAL TRIALS
BLACK PEOPLE CALLING FOR DESEGREGATION AND STARTING TO DEMAND MORE CIVIL RIGHTS SUCH AS RIGHT TO VOTE

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MAYCOMB IS A MICROCOSM OF AMERICAN SOCIETY IN THE 1930'S (ESPECIALLY THAT OF THE SOUTHERN STATES)
BACKGROUND OF ECONOMIC HARDSHIP AND RACIAL PREDJUDICE, IMPACT OF CIVIL WAR, WE SEE HOW THE GEOGRAPHICAL SETTING HAS A DIRECT IMPACT IN SHAPING BOTH CHARACTER AND THE PLOT

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ALL OF SCOUT'S EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES TAKE PLACE OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL ( HARD TIMES, CHARLES DICKENS, SIMILARLY DEPICTS AN EDUCATION SYSTEM IRRELEVANT TO CHILDREN'S EVERYDAY EXISTENCE)
JEM AFFECTED MOST BY GROWING UP - THROUGHOUT HE BEGINS TO TAKE A MORE MATURE APPROACH TO THINGS, CHANGES AFTER HIS PUNISHMENT WITH MRS DUBOSE, MOST AFFECTED BY THE TRIAL, CAN'T ACCEPT THE INJUSTICES OF THE TRIAL

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MAYCOMB IS DIVIDED INTO CLEAR GROUPS OF PEOPLE
BLACK PEOPLE ARE SEEN AS THE BOTTOM OF THE SOCIAL STRATA, THE EWELLS ARE SEEN AS WHITE TRASH BUT ARE STILL ABOVE THE BLACK PEOPLE
EWELLS WOULD HAVE FELT THREATENED BY THE BLACK COMMUNITY AFTER THE ABOLISHMENT OF SLAVERY AS THERE WAS NO LONGER A CLEAR DISTINCTIOHN IN RACE
WOMEN ARE REGARDED AS UNEQUAL TO MEN - NOT PERMITTED TO BE ON THE JURY
SCOUT LEARNS THAT WOMEN ARE EXPECTED TO BEHAVE AND DRESS IN A CERTAIN WAY
ATTICUS' MAXIM LEADS TO THE BREAKDOWN OF PREDJUDICE AS CHILDREN BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND PEOPLE MORE AND HE TRIES TO MAKE THE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND TOM AT THE TRIAL
HARPER LEE SUGGESTS THAT BREAKING DOWN PREDJUDICE HAS TO BE DONE BY TARGETING IT TOWARDS INDIVUALS INITIALLY
WE NOW HAVE A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE DUE TO THE BENEFIT OF HINDSIGHT

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REAL COURGAE - CONTINUE WITH WHAT YOU ARE DOING EVENTHOUGH YOU ARE FIGHTING A LOSING BATTLE
FIGHTING AGAINST EVIL AND PREDJUDICE - AN ACT OF BRAVERY IS DEMANDED TO TRY AND PREVENT EVIL TAKING PLACE AND TO OVERIDE PREDJUDICE
HARPER LEE SHOWED COURAGE BY WRITING THE BOOK AT THE TIME SHE DID (1960)

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MOCKINGBIRD MOTIF - REPEATED IMAGE OF AN INNOCENT CREATURE
CHILDREN 'MOCK' BOO'S LIFE AS THEY MAKE FUN AND IMITATE IT
MAYELLA ACCUSES ATTICUS OF MOCKING HER
BOO IS IMPRISONED IN A SEPERATE WORLD TO PROTECT HIM FROM PEOPLE'S PREDJUDICE AND ATTENTION
ATTICUS EXHIBITS MOCKINGBIRD TRAITS AS HE SUNG TOM'S SONG OF TRUTH TO PEOPLE OF MAYCOMB BUT HAS NOT BEEN HEARD
RADLEY PLACE REPRESENTS PRIVACY AND ISOLATION AND UNFRIENDLINESS OF THE RADLEY FAMILY
TREE BESIDE RADLEY PLACE REPRESENTS BOO'S CHARACTER AND HIS DESIRE TO COMMUNICATE
SCOUT AND JEM'S SNOWMAN SUGGESTS HOW SUPERFICIAL SKIN COLOUR IS TO THE ESSENCE OF A HUMAN BEING
MAYELLA'S RED GERANIUMS INDICATE A DESIRE FOR A BETTER LIFE

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MALAPROPISM - INACCURATE USE OF THE WORD, CREATES HUMOUR FOR THE AUDIENCE - BOB EWELL SAYS HE IS MOST DEFINITELY NOT AMBIDEXTROUS AND CAN USE , "ONE HAND GOOD AS THE OTHER"
CHILDREN'S DIALOGUE AND THE USE OF SLANG ARE NOTABLE, CREATES HUMOUR WHEN CHIDREN DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
ATTICUS MIRRORS HIS PERSONALITY, SPEAKS COURTEOUSLY, FORMALLY BUT STRAIGHT TO THE POINT (LANGUAGE LEE WOULD HAVE BEEN USED TO - SHE CAME FROM A LEGAL BACKGROUND)
AUNT ALEXANDRA'S REVEALS HER WHITE-MIDDLE CLASS STATUS
BOB EWELL USES CRUDE, HARSH LANGUAGE AT THE TRIAL, REFERS TO MAYELLA AS, "SCREAMIN' LIKE A STUCK HOG", SHOWS WHAT LITTLE LOVE AND RESPECT HE HAS FOR HIS DAUGHTER
DIFFERENT PURPOSES OF LANGUAGE - CREATES ATMOSPHERE, REVEALS CHARACTER, CREATES SYMBOLIC STRUCTURE, REVEALS IRONY
DIFFERNCE IN DIALECT RELATES TO HOW 'EVOLVED' PEOPLE ARE IN TERMS OF HOW MEANINGS CHANGE

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