To Kill a Mocking Bird a study plan

    

Study plan

• Plot overview                                                                                    
• Character                                                                                           
• Main ideas                                                                                         
• Themes                                                                                                
• Plot Analysis                                                                                       
• Protagonist                                                                         
• Antagonist                                                                                          
• Setting
• Motifs
• Symbols
• Genre
• Allusions
• Style
• tone
• overview
• Maycomb, Alabama
• Racism in Maycomb
• Form
• Structure
• Language

Plot Overview

Story in short

To kill a mocking bird is a novel by Harper Lee. It is narrated by scout finch. She is six years old lives with her father Atticus who is a Lawyer and Jem ten years old older brother. Scout, Jem and their friend Dill try to make Boo Radley their mysterious neighbor to leave his house. All live Maycomb.

Many who live in Maycomb are racists. Atticus defends Tom Robinson a Niger who was accused wrongly for raping a white woman. Tom has no chance of winning the case as it was a sensitive case. Atticus takes the case. Scout and Jem along with the other Maycomb residents see the trial. Gradually both brother and sister learn the life from their father Atticus. They understand tolerance, empathy and understanding.
Scout knows and understand Boo. She embraces the lessons her father taught her, hatred and morals.

Prejudice can rain in human goodness

Character study

Main characters

Scout Finch, Jem Finch and Atticus Finch

 Minor characters

Jack Finch, Judge Taylor, Heck Tate, Miss.Stephanie Crawford

 Secondary characters

Boo Radley, Miss.Maudie Atkinson, Tom Robinson, Dill, Bob Ewell, Mayella Ewell, Mrs. Dubose, Calpurnia, Aunt Alexandra

Themes

• Existence of Good and Evil
• Moral nature of human beings
• The novel clears it by Scout and Jem’s transformation
• They see all good when they are innocent
  
• Transition from innocence to experience

 

Sub themes

• Threat, hatred, prejudice and ignorance pose to the innocent
• Jem and Scout discover evil of racism
• Moral voice is of Atticus Finch
• He teaches all good to his children
• Importance of moral Education
• Children are taught to move from innocence to adulthood
• Children are taught to understand good and evil
• Sympathy, understanding and sense of empathy
• Social inequality
• Differences in social status is largely explored
• Prejudice and racism
• Good people with no racism (Atticus white man)
• Bad people with racism (Bob Ewell white man)
• Racism exists between educated, financially stable moral white people and ignorant, dirt, poor and vicious white people.

Plot details

• Scout narrates the story, its her story
• Dill arrives and become friendly with Jem and Scout
• All three plan to make Boo Radley the mysterious neighbout to leave the house
• Scout goes to school for the first time
• Scout and Jem find gifts in the oak tree
  
• The hole in the tree soon was cemented
• Miss. Maudie’s house burns
• Atticus shoots a mad dog
• Jem is punished to read book
• Atticus dens Tom Robinson as he is innocent and wrongly accused of raping a white woman
• Unfortunately, Tom is found guilty
• Tom tries to escape and shot dead by the guards
• Bob tries to harm scout and Jem

Form

To kill a mocking bird is written in the form of a novel.  It won the most prestigious award Pulitzer Prize.  The is usually awarded to a novel which portrays American life.  Harper Lee has dealt with American life with different atmosphere in this novel.
There are two types of forms to consider they are the type of the text and the style of writing.

Harper lee develops the themes and gives an opportunity to discuss the themes such as courage and prejudice.  She takes a very sensitive theme of racism and the results of it to the community. She gives wider scope for character transformation throughout the novel.  Scout and Jem develop from their innocence to maturity by the end of the book.  The form of the novel makes the reader to see the transformation of each characters and the progress of the themes and its message to the society. 

Structure

Harper Lee follows a traditional pattern of exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution or denouement.  This is an effective way to illustrate her themes of racism, inequality, courage and prejudice.  The reader can see all these features in all five phases of the structure.
In the exposition we are introduced to all the characters such Atticus, Scout, Jem, Dill, Calpurnia and Boo Radley.  The narrative is done by Scout a six-year-old tomboy girl.  Tension builds up slowly as the readers could smell the sense of racism and inequality of Maycomb that the six-year-old could not understand and appreciate.
In the rising action Atticus, the father of Scout and Jem and an honest lawyer calls to fend Tom Robinson.  Readers can understand the themes of sin and sickness and death when Atticus kills a mad dog, Jem gets punishment of reading to his sick neighbor.
In the climax Tom Robinson is found guilty.  This judgment confuses Jem and Scout for it was against the morals Atticus has taught them.  He has taught them the reality of the world and the evils of human nature have to be tolerated.  It is a transformation in their approach and understand of life.

In falling action Tom is sentenced to prison but after a short while Atticus receives that Tom is shot by the guards while trying to escape from prison.  Jem finds it difficult to come to terms with the injustice of the trial which said Tom was guilty.  After threatening Atticus Bom Ewell hurts and insults Scout and Jem as they walk home.  But Boo Radley saves the children and kills Ewell.  Since the sheriff knows that Boo would be accused like Tom wrongly, he protects Boo by saying Bob died by falling.
Resolution or denouement

It’s not a happy ending but for sure the completion of the story can leave a reader with question, answer, frustration and satisfaction. 

Motifs

Motifs are the structures, contrast and literary devices or styles that can help to develop and explain the major themes. 

Gothic Details:  the forces of good and evil in this novel seems larger than Maycomb town.  Harper lee creates an atmosphere with the help of Gothic features.  Gothic refers to a style of fiction of 18^th century England.  Gothic style contains super natural elements, gloomy and full moon, and unnatural snowfall, superstitious beliefs.  In “to kill a mocking bird” Harper Lee expresses those elements such as unnatural snow fall, the fire that destroys miss. Maudie’s house, the children’s superstitious belief about Boo Radley, the mad dog that Atticus shoots, and the ominous night of the Halloween party on which Bob Ewell attack Jem and Scout are some of the features of Gothic style 

Symbols

Mocking birds are pure creatures and killing them would be cruel and sin.  Many characters of Maycomb are like mocking birds.  For example, Tom Robinson and Boo Radley.  They are kind and soft natured but misunderstood by the community due their critical situation in Tom’s case their prejudice destroys and kills him.

Few examples:

• Camellias  refers to courage and forgiveness
• Knothole and gifts relate to Boo’s communication with Jem and Scout for a good friendship.
• Tom Robinson stands as a victim of racism and inequality
• Red geraniums they refer to Mayella’s desire for better life and she is a beauty in the midst of decay
• Boo Radley – rumors are not true about him, misunderstood by the community of Maycomb but He is the savior of Jem and Scout for he saved their lives from Bob Ewell who tried to kill them.
• Atticus is the symbol of humility and honor, very talented lawyer he desires for equality among the blacks and whites.  He is a peace lover.
• Blanket Boo was protecting the kids with the blanket and it shows his kindness.
• Miss.Maudie’s house burning- this sad event brought the town together in helping her.
• Bluejay- “you can shoot a Bluejay all you want.  But remember it is a sin to kill a mocking bird.  Bluejay symbolizes racist people of Maycomb.
• Snowman- Jem creates a base of snowman out of dirt and covers it with snow.  It shows that white and black people are same.  Atticus appreciates Je’s idea and he is confident of his son’s maturity
• The fire represents racist people of Maycomb.  It says white and black are not the same.
• The mad dog (Tim Johnson)- Tim Johnson and Tom Robinson both names are quite similar.  Atticus shoots the mad dog and faces the mob.  Atticus have to do things he doesn’t want to but he was facing useless threats.  Courtroom was like the deserted street that was waiting for the mad dog.  Jury’s arrival is like Atticus goes to shoot the mad dog.  The gun stands for legal process and bullets represent the jury and the mad dog is for racism.
• Roly Poly - it has been compared to the mad dog.  Another one is Scout wants to forget about the whole thing.
• Tree of Radley house relates Boo tries to reach the children.  He connects to society.  Mr. Nathan cemented the tree and cuts off Boo from the children. 

Settings

This novel takes place in Maycomb, Alabama old and tired town, diseased by social prejudice and racism.  Prosperous families live in large house close to the center of town.  The Ewells live in a ramshackle cabin out of the town.  Black families live in cabins.  Thus, the town is divided.

The story takes place in the early 20^th century.  During this period racism was ingrained into daily life.  Segregation echoed everywhere.  Black people were hated by most of the white people in Maycomb.  We get a glimpse of the adventures and mischief of the three kids along with their transformation of approach towards life.
The story is expressed with southern dialect.  Old southern English is employed by the author Harper lee.

To be continued.....