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Discussion 4.2
Chapter 11 - Chapter 12 - Chapter 15 - Chapter 17-18
Chapter 11
The events surrounding Mrs. Dubose emphasize the following themes:
- the power of prejudice;
- the importance of accepting the consequences of one's actions;
- helping people one does not like;
- the importance of attempting to understand people rather than judging them at face value.
Chapter 12
Keep in mind that the author is not accidentally including the various scenes we find in the novel. Rather, the novel is a carefully constructed weaving in which almost every episode builds toward the major themes and the climax of the novel. For example, the church scene has several purposes. It introduces us to the African American community and shows that that community sincerely cares about Tom Robinson's family. It shows that Calpurnia thinks of the children as her own. It also shows that prejudice can work both ways.
Chapter 15
The scene in the Finches' front yard shows, again, the power of prejudice as it causes these men almost to threaten their friend, Atticus Finch. In addition, it foreshadows the mob's visit to the jail and the fact that a child "saves the day." Remember that Jem distracts the men and reduces tension by claiming that the telephone is ringing; Scout quite unintentionally prevents the men at the jail from hurting her father and probably killing Tom.
Chapter 17-18
Consider the testimony of Bob Ewell and his daughter Mayella. In Bob's testimony, we see that he has no respect for the judicial system, or for his own daughter, or for the memory of his deceased wife. Several things about his testimony are odd. For example, why would any man look in a window when his daughter is screaming at the top of her lungs? Wouldn't most fathers immediately run into the house to save their daughters instead of wasting time looking in a window? Mayella's testimony is even worse. It is evident that she is lying because she contradicts her father and even herself several times. For instance, Bob Ewell has testified that he saw who committed the alleged crime. Mayella says that her father stood over her and asked, "Who done it?" Why would he ask who had done it if he just saw the culprit? Furthermore, Mayella says Tom hit her; when Atticus asks her about this during his cross-examination, she first says she doesn't remember being hit in the face. She then remembers her earlier statement and claims Tom had hit her after all. It is quite evident that both are lying!
The Great Depression is significant; the plot would have been different had the setting been in a different era. Harper Lee, the woman who wrote the novel, copyrighted it in 1960 when many Americans were questioning the status of and opportunities for minorities. Try to determine how the author felt about prejudice.
