In the novel “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee there are many different ideas about class that are portrayed through characters. These ideas are a symbol of each character’s entire moral compass, and can often be linked to real life icons. Here are three characters positions on social class:
Aunt Alexandra : Aunt Alexandra holds quite an old fashioned view of social class and shows this by not letting her nephew and niece play with Walter Cunningham just because he is of a different and lower class than she is. ‘And I still say that Jean Louise will not invite Walter Cunningham to this house’ and ‘because he is trash’ both indicate animosity towards the Cunninghams. The use of the word ‘trash’ shows that Aunt Alexandra believes that the Cunninghams do not deserve the Finches precense. This only accounts for people on whom she is at a social height over, and it would be interesting to see how she would find Jem and Scout playing with a child of a higher class than there’s. For Aunt Alexandra class is based around many things and can rarely be changed.
Jem- Jem however disagreed with Aunt Alexandra, he says that class is only based upon how well and when your family started to read and write. He tells Scout that he doesn’t think it is right but it’s the only possible explanation for the class system and why exists
Henry, you have shown good understanding of the text and you have communicated this in a very sophisticated way.
Targets: 1) I want you to find relevant quotations to reinforce your argument.
2) Once you have found quotations, try and unpick them- (Aunt Alexandra’s discussion of the Walter provides opportunity for rich textual analysis)
3) Can you find examples of authorial techniques?