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James Hendry
“To Kill a Mockingbird”
Evaluation
Narrative technique often influences a reader’s view in a novel. This strongly applies in “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, where the events are seen through the eyes of a six year old girl, ignorant of the racist cast system and prejudice views in her home town.
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Maycomb is a rural “inbred” town situated in the great Bible belt of the United States. It lies between vast stretches of crops and prairie-land. Communication outwith the town is rare and newcomers are few and far between. Those few are shunned and excluded until suspicions have passed. This is clearly seen in Miss Caroline’s case where her Northern Alabama background and new teaching methods bring apprehension and suspicion to her first grade class and the community.
The main character, Scout, is based upon the author of the novel, Harper Lee. In the story she is a small girl aged six, sibling to her elder brother Jem. The novel focuses mainly on their childhood and upbringing, which to begin with is simply frolicking and games. On many occasions throughout the novel there are indications of the children moving away from this childhood maturing. They slowly begin to grasp and understand the events happening around them.
Jems’ behaviour is seen to change somewhat negatively towards Scout as they grow older
“They spent days together in the tree house plotting and planning, calling me only if they needed a third party… and on the pain of being called a g-irl, I spent the remaining twilight’s of that summer sitting with Miss Maudie…”
He and Dill (a friend from Meridian who spends each summer in Maycomb) decide that Scout is no longer suited to their boisterous pursuits. Due to this maturing or change in behaviour, age and sex become factors, which until now had not affected their fun and games. It forces Scout to seek a new friend “ Jem and Dill drove me closer to her with their behaviour,” bringing her to Miss Maudie. She is beginning to break apart from her previous best companions.
Other cases where the children are seen to mature can be seen throughout the novel
”Scout, I think I’m beginning to understand something. I think I’m beginning to understand why Boo Radley’s stayed shut up all this time. It’s because he wants to stay inside.”
Jem is starting to get a more mature understanding of Boo Radley and his actions. We can see through the narrative technique of the novel that Scout has clearly noticed this change in Jem, affecting the way we see the situation from her point of view. Jem is obviously starting to think about things in a deeper way.
“” Why couldn’t I mash him?”
“ Because they don’t bother you,” Jem answered in the darkness.”
This passage shows how the trial of Tom Robinson affects Jem. It gives him a sense of what it is like for something harmless to be destroyed. Here, the bug about to be mashed by Scout can be compared to Tom Robinson’s verdict and his death. As Scout looks up to Jem, this change in his behaviour and understanding helps Scout to comprehend the circumstances surrounding her too.
This idea of something being harmed or destroyed when it has not harmed others is an explicit link to the title of the novel and its main theme. Tom Robinson’s trial clearly demonstrates this theme where he is sentenced to death for a crime he has not committed. To begin with Scout cannot understand how the jury could come to such a verdict, when it has been made clear that he did not perpetrate the crime. She is not yet accustomed to the prejudice views against black people in her hometown, affecting the angle from which the reader sees the whole event.
Earlier in the novel this link is seen when Jem and Scout are given air rifles by their father Atticus.
“ Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird “
That was the only time I heard Atticus say it was a sin to do something…”
This passage is the first direct hint at the main theme of the novel and reason for its title. The second most important suggestion of this theme is seen in the character of Boo Radley. Over the years the local gossiping ladies pass bizarre stories around the neighbourhood about why he has stayed inside the “sick, grey” old house for all these years. This creates a very negative image of him, making him out to be some sort of crazy man. Shunning and excluding him for no good reason like the killing of a harmless being, or in the case of this novel, a mockingbird.
As the novel is seen through Scouts eyes it is obvious that the impact her father has on her will be brought through to the reader in the narrative. It will affect the way we interpret the prejudice views, sin and evil, which surround her. Scout is respectful of her father and pays close attention to what he says
“ As Atticus once advised me to do, I tried to climb into Jem’s skin and walk around in it if I had gone alone to the Radley place in the morning, my funeral would have been held the next afternoon. So I left Jem alone and tried not to bother him.”
Scout is using Atticus’ advice. This proves the effect her fathers words have on her. This also shows Scout’s great respect for her father. The fact that she decides to leave Jem shows Scouts ever-growing maturity and regard for others.
For the most part, any theme, event or important incident will be seen from the narrators’ point of view, altering the way the reader perceives them. Scouts upbringing and childhood is based on that of Harper Lees. In a similar way, her ignorance and lack of knowledge affect the way we see events or even affect the events themselves. One example of this can be seen in the scene in front of the town jail where another character is affected by Scouts actions
“’Whats the matter? I asked. Atticus said nothing. I looked up at Mr. Cunningham, whose face was equally impassive. Then he did a peculiar thing. He squatted down and took me by both shoulders.
Ill tell him you said hey, little lady, he said.
Then he straightened up and waved a big paw. Lets clear out, he called. Lets get going, boys.’”
Mr. Cunningham learns to see the Finches as individuals because Scout does not fully understand the situation. She does not understand that Mr. Cunningham is trying to hurt Atticus. He realises Scouts innocence and realises that he could not hurt her father. Mr. Cunningham looks at Atticus family and compares it to his own. He starts to feel guilty as he realises that it would hurt Scout to lose her father.
Her innocence is also clearly seen in the episode with Mr. Dulphus Raymond. He is a strange character, and has decided to live a lie. In pretending to be drunk all-day he believes he will be able to get away with anything and people will simply put the blame on the “drink”. He decides that he shall tell the children his secret, as they will not show any prejudice against him. The children’s innocence is shown in this event through Mr. Raymond’s trust in them.
Similarly, Scout cannot quite grasp what has happened in the Tom Robinson case because she has not yet been indoctrinated to any certain prejudice attitude against black people or at least become accustomed to others doing so.
Scout shows that even though she has discovered that people can be evil in unfathomable ways, she still upholds her faith in humankind and can face anything with courage. Unlike Dill, she finds that the real world does follow patterns, and once one knows them, the world of fantasy and books is the only place where real fear can exist.
Atticus looked like he needed cheering up. I ran to him and hugged him and kissed him with all my might. Yes sir, I understand, I reassured him. Mr. Tate was right. Atticus disengaged himself and looked at me. What do you mean? Well, itd be sort of like shootin a mockingbird, wouldnt it?
This quote reveals Scouts amazing understanding of life. Since Scout is young, her father was not certain if she understood all that was said and done. She took a past learning experience and formed an incredible analogy comparing Mr. Arthur Radley and a mockingbird. Both have never harmed anyone; both have only done good.
The use of Scout as narrator was very effective in this novel. There were many situations that would have been affected or taken to one side of an argument, if the narrator had stronger views about them. But as Scout was only six years of age and often unaware of the true situation, this allowed the arguments to be seen from unbiased angles.
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