AQA English Literature 22/05/12 - To Kill A Mockingbird

The Ewells would be so good but I think they've already come up? Their position in society and then about Mayella?

Yeah Cunninghams would be good to contrast!

If it was about her growing up would you look at her maturity at the start and end of the novel and compare it??


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Yeah, I guess so!
Especially with her "There's just one kind of folks. Folks"
Could also look at her fight with Cecil followed by her maturity in keeping Atticus' promise about walking away could show the beginning of her development. She also begins to follow Atticus' lesson of walking in peoples skin which shows she can begin to empathise with people. She showed maturity when talking to Aunt Alexandra about Walter Cunningham- AA was arguing that they should be polite and courteous towards him but not to integrate but Scout argues that he is a member of the honest poor in scoiety (and so has learned Atticus' teaching to base judgements on actions not family heritage and social class).

Can't think of anything else!?

Ooh she notices how miss gates contradicts herself by condemning Hitler for persecution of the Jews

Ooooh yeah, that's a good one!

& Yeah we did the Ewell one as our mock too Have confidence and I'm sure you'll do amazingly

If the Cunninghams come up- they're the honest poor, they're prejudiced but believe in justice, what else could you say!?

Hahaha I will try you will do good though you keep coming up with all these ideas hahaha! Well you could talk about the lynching and how after scout talked about Walter to mr Cunningham he turned away and left. And you could say how the Ewells take relief checks but the cunninghams only take something if they can pay back for it also I found this really good quote about Walter where he is going round to the finches for tea and it says something like walter almost forgot he was a Cunningham! Hope that helped I suppose you could bring little chuck little into the essay if it was about the cunninghams or the Ewells as there is a quote saying he doesn't know when his next meal is coming but he's a true gentleman


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So do you! My mind will go blank in the exam though pahaha

Ahh yeah they're good ones, would definitely use the contrasting ones! For the lynch mob too, there's something about Mr C not wearing a hat- shows he's not a hypocrite, he won't hide his identity, he's there because he's doing what he originally thinks is right? And there's a Cunningham on the jury, who wanted an acquittal for Tom? Shows they believe in justice despite racism...? Oooh yeah Little Chuck Little one is good

Oh yeah! Hopefully the cunninghams come up now and we both get an a* thanks to all our brainstorming hahah oh yeah! I need to start having a read over important events


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I'm doing TKAM, just make sure you include the effect on the reader and loads of context and make sure your paragraphs have clear topic sentences! Oh and have a critical response i.e "in my opinion this is an effective technique because..."

The quotes don't have to be exact, if you can't remember it exactly it doesn't matter, or you could just say e.g "when Jem was explaining the trial to Scout..."
I'm alright with Dill, I think. Contrast his family life with that of the Finches and talk about his "escapist make believe" and how he doesn't grow up as much as the others.
However I have no clue what to say about the Cunninghams...

Hey, just thought I would say if anyone is stuck with Dill he is the personification of childhood. As Jem and Scout start to grow up and mature, Dill disappears in the novel. Also he is a child cause as they beginning he wants to marry Scout which shows his childishness. During the trial he does not understand why Tom Robinson is accused and when he leaves the court room he is physically sick in the face of prejudice (Dolphus Raymond).

For the Cunninghams - social prejudice, at school Miss Caroline does not understand why Scout says "he's a Cunningham' she is an outsider so does not understand the prejudice within Maycomb, everybody 'knows' the Cunninghams highlights the prejudice, lynch mob - Scout appeals to Mr Cunninghams humanity, puts Mr Cunningham in Atticus's shoes.

Calpurnia - represents the boundaries between the black and white people in Maycomb.

Can someone help me with education for Scout, I want to wittle it down to a few key points as there is quite a lot to say?

Just did an essay on this last night
Scout is an intelligent character who easily gets bored at school. She gets punished for being too advanced with her reading and writing (which shows Lee poking fun at the 1930s education system). She tries to make atticus keep her at home as she feels as though school is deliberately trying to hold her back. In the novel she not only learns how hypocritical school education is (through miss gates condemning prejudice behaviour yet seen outside of court being racist) , but she learns valuable moral education "there wasn't much else to learn, except possibly algebra". This shows how scout has learnt so much more outside of school than in school. Hope this helps


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Ok thanks, however I think education could be more to do with what lessons she learns as the novel progresses. So first the point you make about her at school. Then things like the lesson on table manners from Calpurnia when WC visits. Atticus teaching her to stand in other people's shoes. Atticus teaching her about courage and how it is not about a man with a gun so Mrs Dubose, also how she starts off playing dares with Boo Radley then at the end when he saves her she realises that taking Boo to court would be sort of like shooting a mockingbird - a lesson that Atticus taught her. However things like the trial (cause she thinks Atticus will win) and not understanding Dolphus Raymond shows her lack of education. Also you could compare to how Jem learns lessons.

I'm not sure I have so many ideas running around in my head I find it hard to pin-point the best ones, cause in part B of this question you want to be having historical/social points.

Exactly those are all valid points well atticus' parenting style was quite modern for that time, state education had no trust in home education at that time e.g. Seen when miss Caroline tells scout "your father can't teach"...... Just mention how education is split between home and school and they come into conflict etc



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Yeah okay thank you! Have you done much for revision for Tom Robinson? A teacher at my school thinks it could be him that comes up??

I am doing this exam on TKAM too. If you need any help on themes, contexts, characters , language then don't hesitate to ask