To Kill A Mockingbird – Why Read the Haunting and Awe Inspiring Bildungsroman Before Seeing the Movie?

By: Carmen Ureña

Movie: ⅗ stars

     To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is an evocative and dazzling bildungsroman, but the movie does not reach the breathtaking quality of the book.  

     Lee’s controversial novel is a bildungsroman that takes place in Maycomb County, a racist and close-minded town in South Alabama, United States. Scout Finch (Mary Badham) and Jem Finch (Phillip Alford) are exposed to a society full of racism and prejudice, while their father, Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck) teaches them a set of values that go against the expectations and ways of Maycomb County’s residents.  He defends a black, Tom Robinson (Brock Peters), from rapping a white girl, Mayella Ewell (Collin Wilcox), the reason why his neighbors categorize them as a “nigger-lover.”  

     To Kill A Mockingbird (movie version) was directed by Robert Milligan, and although the movie gives you some insight about how was to live in the 1930’s in the South of the United States, he did not include many parts from the book in the movie that showed “the scary neighbor,” Boo Radley’s connection with the Finch kids, and the scene were Aunt Alexandra visits the family showing the difference between raising children by a white woman and Atticus raising his children in Maycomb County.  Additionally, he also changes the perspective from which the movie is told, giving you a different perspective of the plot.

     The movie does not include the scenes where Boo Radley (Robert Duvall) leaves gifts for Jem and Scout in the tree hole, nor the scene where he gives a blanket to Scout, protecting her from getting sick.  These parts were key since they give you an understanding of how deep the connection is between Boo Radley and the Finch kids. Boo Radley lives near the Finch family, he is shy and the subject of rumors and legends that circle Maycomb County. In the book, Lee describes every scene where Boo Radley leaves gifts for Jem and Scout inside the tree hole, while in the movie, they just show the scene where they find the soap figures; followed by Jem showing Scout all the other things he had previously found.  In the book, the value/personal significance of each object is clear and are a symbol of Boo’s interrupted childhood, wanting to create a connection with the kids, even though they made fun of him in his porch. The first gift is gum since Boo is conscious that a piece of gum is irresistible to children. He also gave them his Spelling Bee medal he won while he assisted to school; an old watch since Atticus allows his children to carry their grandfather’s watch once a week, now they could have one of their own; and the knife and chain were a form of foreshadowing to the attack from Bob Ewell to Jem and Scout.  All these scenes would’ve have served as a way of showing and emphasizing Boo’s connection and humanity with Jem and Scout, sense/feeling that is left out in the movie.

     The books include the scene were Miss. Maudie’s house caught on fire, while the movie does not. Scout complains of being cold, and Boo Radley quietly comes from behind and gives her a blanket; showing how much he cares about Scout.  In the movie, when Jem loses his pants, he immediately goes back to look for them, while in the book, he waits until two in the morning to go look for them. By making this change, the movie loses the “risk” felt by Jem and Scout when visiting the Radley’s place due to the rumors that go on the neighborhood after Boo Radley being a delinquent in his adolescent years.  It would’ve been beneficial if in the movie, Jem would have waited longer to look for his pants as a representation of the fear he feels after listening to the gunshots.

     Aunt Alexandra, not been part of the movie To Kill a Mockingbird, makes Atticus teachings less eye-catching.  Aunt Alexandra is Atticus’ Finch sister and aunt to Jem and Scout.  She lives in the family landing, and her particular personality sticks out when compared to her easy-going brothers.  In the book, Aunt Alexandra visits the Finch’s house; in here she talks to Atticus about how he should not allow his children to visit Calpurnia’s (the Finches’ black maid, in the movie represented as Estelle Evans) house.  By including this scene, viewers would’ve been able to compare how two members of the same family have different perspectives towards the black community.  Aunt Alexandra’s character in the book works to make emphasis on Atticus’ character and teachings. She serves as a foil character to Atticus as he tries to teach Jem and Scout a set of morals and ethics from which Aunt Alexandra disagrees. Atticus has an open-minded perspective, while Aunt Alexandra fits into the close-minded society of Maycomb County, she likes gossiping and is racist.  

     The movie To Kill a Mockingbird is told from a different perspective and is rarely seen through the eyes of Scout, unlike the book, which is primarily told from Scout’s point of view.  Because the movie is told from a different perspective, we can’t easily see how Scout grows, evolves and matures. While you can have a faster and clearer understanding in the movie since it is told from a reliable source and issues are given directly, the book is told from a naive and immature perspective, which gets you thinking and analyzing what’s happening; an engaging technique which grabs the reader’s attention.

     To Kill a Mockingbird in its visual representation misses major parts presented by Lee in the book that would add to the viewer’s’ understanding.  At the beginning of the movie starts out with Scout talking, Robert Milligan later changes the narrator of the movie, a good opportunity just for those who read the book, to see compare how the ages and roles in the community affect your understanding about what is going on around you.  Although it is a good technique to change the narrator’s, those who have not read the book miss the essence of Lee’s book, to see the story evolve through a coming-of-age girl who doesn’t fully understand what’s going around her.

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Journal Entry #5 – Characters Responses To Dilemmas

The way characters respond to dilemmas will be based on personality, age, level of maturity, education, understanding of the events that happen around him/her, and a clear understanding of the limitations of the setting.  Most stories’ dilemmas are common dilemmas that happen in anyone’s life since this help readers connect to the story.  Having dilemmas with which readers can feel identified with, might have an impact/influence on the reader’s decision towards the dilemma since they can learn from the character’s decision and how it brought rewards or consequences to the plot.

In To Kill A Mockingbird, there are definitely models we can apply to our lives, while there are others we should reject.  Atticus is an example of a character that we should use as a model in our lives, as well as Ms.Maudie.  Both are really patient and take the time to teach Jem and Scout how to act appropriately, and important values such as not judging, making an assumption of others’ lives without knowing what they’ve gone through to get where they are, especially when they live in a town were neighbor like gossiping.  An example of this is when Ms.Maudie asks Scout to please change the way she talks and refers to Boo Radley since she doesn’t know the whole story, she had just heard the rumors of the town.  Their desire to guide through a good path to Scout and Jem is a reflection of their values, the mindset in which they grew in, maturity, and a clear understanding of the negatives and positives of Maycomb County and the society in which they live.

Unlike Atticus and Ms. Maudie, Scout is a type of character that should be eluded in our lifes.  Because of her young age, she still doesn’t have a clear view of what’s happening around her, basing her decisions and actions more on what other people tell her.

Journal Entry #4 – School Punishments In The 1930’s

In this image, we can see how kids were smacked in the hand with different materials.

In Chapter 2, page 28 of Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, we receive a glimpse at what was like going to school in the 1930’s.  Scout, the narrator of the story, has a tomboyish personality and likes getting into fights.  If she doesn’t like something, she’ll comment on it.

In page 26, Ms. Caroline, Scout’s teacher, offers money to one of the students, Walter Cunningham. The Cunninghams are known in Maycomb County for how poor they are.  Walter, knowing that probably he wouldn’t be able to pay back to Ms. Caroline, refuses to accept the money.  Scout, goes up and explains Ms. Caroline the reason behind Walter not wanting to accept her money.  Ms. Caroline gets annoyed by Scout and on page 28, she takes Scout’s hand and hits it with a ruler.  For those of us living in the 21st Century, might think that was a not the correct response to the situation, that if Ms. Caroine was annoyed, she should have sent Scout to the principal’s office.

During the 1930s, the school system was not the same as it is now.  Back in the days, if teachers had a problem with a student, they’d solve it themselves.  In case of a punishment, teachers whipped students with a rattan cane, wooden paddle, slippers, leather straps, or wooden yardsticks.  For major misbehavior, a razor strop or a hickory switch was used on the child’s bottom.  In some rare cases, punishments included smacking students with the open hand, this kind of punishment was avoided even more so in elementary school level.  In certain schools, the punishments for girls were less harsh than for boys, while in other schools there was no differentiation when it was related to punishments.

Years later, this kind of punishments was prohibited since it promoted violence to students and harmed their bodies.  It teaches students that violence was the way to solve problems.  With the evolution of time, we can see how problems between teachers and students are solved differently, by visiting the principal’s office or by calling the student’s parents.  In the present, if a teacher was to punish a student this way, unlike in the 1930s, it would cause controversy, with the possibilities of the teacher’s farewell.

Journal Entry #2 – The “N” Word

What does being a nigger-lover means to the residents of Maycomb County?  Why is this a powerful insult?

In literature, the word “nigger” is usually replaced for the “N-word.”  Usually, it refers to black or dark-skinned people, in the present, being one of the most racially offensive words.  It was commonly used in the past, but the last century, it appears to be a word which is used each day with more frequency.  It has been started to be used by black people, referring to other black people, but it is just acceptable when said by people within this community.  When this word is used by someone who’s not black, referring to someone who is black, it is considered racist comment.

To Kill A Mockingbird, a novel written by Harper Lee has been banned in different schools due to the use of the N-word.  Harper Lee uses this word for the purpose of providing readers a clearer view of the context and values o the community in which the novel is based on.

Atticus, as a lawyer, is defending a black man, Tom Robinson who has been accused of raping a white girl.  In the novel, the narrator’s father, Atticus, is frequently called by his friends and neighbors a “nigger-lover” for defending Tom Robinson.  This term was not only derogatory towards black people, but also a derogatory term against the white people who supported blacks.  This term reinforces racism which was lived in that era.

In my opinion, been called a “nigger-lover” was such an insult because blacks were seen as a lower class, they were seen as an inferior community with no value.  A white who is called to be a “nigger-lover” instantly seen as inferior, even though his/her race; you become categorized as a poor, dirty, lazy, and invaluable person, since defending or liking black people was unacceptable during the 1930’s.

 

Journal Entry #1 – Breaking Gender Expectations

Scout inside a tire, playing with Jem and Dill during summer.

“I was not sure, but Jem told me I was being a girl, that girls imagined things, that’s why other people hated them so if I started behaving like one, I could just go off and find some to play with.”   This was said by Jem Finch to his little sister, Scout Finch on page 54, we can see how Scout, main character of Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill A Mockingbird struggles to fit in Jem’s expectations.

Scout did not have a female role to follow except for their maid, Calpurnia since when she was young, her mother died.  Scout lived with her brother Jem, her dad Atticus, and Calpurnia, so she spends most of the time playing with Jem.  During summer, Jem’s best friend, Dill, will come over to play with Scout and Jem.  Scout was always playing around boys, which influences her tomboyish personality, which brakes the gender expectation during the 1930’s.

Women were expected to stay at home to look after their children, cook, do laundry, and clean the house.  Women and young girls were also expected to wear dresses, were not allowed to be barefoot since it was a symbol of shabbiness, never use or hear curse words, and they were not allowed to get into fights.  If they had any problem, they were expected to solve it through speaking to each other.  Girls were expected to play with dolls, and attend to parties to drink tea while playing with dolls.

Unlike the typical Southern girl in the 1930’s, Scout played into rough games with the boys, got into fights in school, used an inappropriate language, liked playing with guns, and wore jean overalls.  Scout’s tomboyish personality, challenging the gender expectations of the time period while living in a small town, as she reaches adolescence, could potentially bring her problems related with fitting in with the rest of the community.

 

Reaction Paper: “Why did Biloxi pull ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ from the 8th-grade lesson plan”

   

    Biloxi school district considers that it’s not an appropriate language usage for a book in the eighth grade English Language Arts curriculum.  “Why did Biloxi pull ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ from the 8th-grade lesson plan” article written by Karen Nelson on October 12, 2017.  The articles talk about Biloxi school district, in Mississippi banning the book by Harper Lee, To Kill A Mockingbird.  To Kill A Mockingbird is a coming-of-age-novel, a classic in eighth-grade curriculums.  It deals with racism, raping, though a very compassionate, dramatic, novel which causes a sense of commotion to every reader.

    I still haven’t read the novel, but I have heard and read that is a wonderful novel. In my own experience, I have read a banned book, The True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie.  In the case of The True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian, it was banned because the main character mentions that like masturbation.  The article explains that To Kill A Mockingbird was banned because of the use of the “N” word.  I respectfully disagree with Biloxi’s decision of banning this book.  I am conscious that sometimes the usage of a certain language or books that talk about certain topics are considered as disrespectful to certain cultures, or make people uncomfortable, but I believe that just because of the use of the “N” word, it’s not a reason to ban a book.  

    In the case of To Kill A Mockingbird, Biloxi complains about the type of language used by Harper Lee when writing the novel.  Maybe, they banned the book in the schools believing that their students were going to start using that type of language.  We have to be honest, all of us have heard swearing words, but that doesn’t mean we once hear and/or read them, we add them to our vocabulary.  In my opinion, if children have a good education at home, they are least likely to swear.  Although they might receive a good education at home, sometimes parents do use swearing words, they are conscious that, and don’t mind if their children use them as well.

    Although I can understand Biloxi’s school district concern, I feel they took extreme consequences.  From my point of view, by eighth grade, students are mature enough to handle a book with some obscene language, and with topics such as rapping, and racism, but I’m nobody to judge someone’s decision since in the majority of the cases, their reason go further from what we know.

    In conclusion, the coming-of-age novel by Harper Lee, To Kill A Mockingbird has caused issues in schools of Mississippi, specifically in Biloxi due to the type of language used in the book.  Due to this problem, the book has been pulled out of the English Language Arts eighth grade curriculum.   According to school authorities, the books still can be found in the school library, though it’s no longer part of the eighth-grade curriculum.