RL 6 Culture and Point of View
Section 1/Chapters 1-6 pages 1-57
The point of view for the whole story is in 1st person, telling about Scout as a little girl by an older version of herself. The story is also written in Southern Gothic. Southern Gothic is a subgenre of Gothic fiction unique to American literature that takes place exclusively in the American South. (Wiki) In this section culture is shown by the Southern slang in the characters dialogue. For example, in the sentence:
"Scout yonder's been readin' ever since she was born, and she ain't even started school yet. You look right puny for goin' on seven." (Lee 7)
Lee uses words such as,"yonders, readin' ain't and goin'." to show their dialogue and how it relates to their Southern ways.
Section 2/Chapters 7-11 pages 57-114
Culture is shown in this section by Mrs. Dubose. Scout goes home to Atticus after Her and Jem get done reading to her and say that she always calls Atticus a "nigger-lover."
"Atticus," I said one evening, "what exactly is a nigger-lover?"
"Atticus's face was grave. "Has somebody been calling you that?"
"No sir, Mrs. Dubose calls you that. She warms up every afternoon calling you that. Francis called me that last Christmas, that's where I first heard it." (Lee 108)
This shows culture because it shows that Mrs.Dubose's culture is that she is racist to blacks.
Section 3/Chapters 12-17 pages 115-178
In this section culture is developed here because living down South, girls are expected to wear dresses and act like a lady, while all the female characters do except for Scout, and Aunt Alexandra hates Scout not being "a lady."
"We decided that it would be best for you to have some feminine influence. It won't be many years, Jean Louise, before you become interested in clothes and boys-" (Lee 127)
This shows the culture because Aunt Alexandra has Femininity and both her and Atticus think Scout should begin to become feminine and to be a lady.
Section 4/Chapters 18-23 pages 178-227
"But there is one way in this country in which all mean are created equal- there is one human institution that makes a pauper the equal of a Rockfeller, the stupid man the equal of an Einstein, and the ignorant man the equal of any college president. That institution, gentlemen, is a court." (Lee 205)
This shows culture because it's saying that men are not equal outside the court, only in court. This is just more evidence of racism taking place.
Section 5/Chapters 24-26 pages 227-247
"The ladies were cool in fragile pastel prints: most of them were heavily powdered but unrouged; the only lipstick in the room was Tangee Natural. Cutex Natural sparkled on their fingernails, but some of the younger ladies wore rose. They smelled heavenly. I sat quietly, having conquered my hands by tightly gripping the arms of the chair, and waited for someone to speak to me." (Lee 229)
This shows culture because like I said in section 3, women are expected to be a lady. This is more evidence of how women are viewed. Which is lady like, proper, and very polite.
Section 6/Chapters 27-31 pages 247-281
Racism is shown immensely throughout To kill a Mockingbird. Even more evidence of it is shown in this section. But racism here is shown by the actions of characters rather than the dialogue like in section 2 and 4.
"Calpernia said it was hard on Helen, because she had to walk nearly a mile out of her way to avoid the Ewells, who, according to Helen, "chunked at her" the first time she tried to use the public road."
This shows more racism because after the trial and after Tom is dead, Mr. Ewell has now dragged his hatred and racism from Tom, down to his wife, Helen.
Section 1/Chapters 1-6 pages 1-57
The point of view for the whole story is in 1st person, telling about Scout as a little girl by an older version of herself. The story is also written in Southern Gothic. Southern Gothic is a subgenre of Gothic fiction unique to American literature that takes place exclusively in the American South. (Wiki) In this section culture is shown by the Southern slang in the characters dialogue. For example, in the sentence:
"Scout yonder's been readin' ever since she was born, and she ain't even started school yet. You look right puny for goin' on seven." (Lee 7)
Lee uses words such as,"yonders, readin' ain't and goin'." to show their dialogue and how it relates to their Southern ways.
Section 2/Chapters 7-11 pages 57-114
Culture is shown in this section by Mrs. Dubose. Scout goes home to Atticus after Her and Jem get done reading to her and say that she always calls Atticus a "nigger-lover."
"Atticus," I said one evening, "what exactly is a nigger-lover?"
"Atticus's face was grave. "Has somebody been calling you that?"
"No sir, Mrs. Dubose calls you that. She warms up every afternoon calling you that. Francis called me that last Christmas, that's where I first heard it." (Lee 108)
This shows culture because it shows that Mrs.Dubose's culture is that she is racist to blacks.
Section 3/Chapters 12-17 pages 115-178
In this section culture is developed here because living down South, girls are expected to wear dresses and act like a lady, while all the female characters do except for Scout, and Aunt Alexandra hates Scout not being "a lady."
"We decided that it would be best for you to have some feminine influence. It won't be many years, Jean Louise, before you become interested in clothes and boys-" (Lee 127)
This shows the culture because Aunt Alexandra has Femininity and both her and Atticus think Scout should begin to become feminine and to be a lady.
Section 4/Chapters 18-23 pages 178-227
"But there is one way in this country in which all mean are created equal- there is one human institution that makes a pauper the equal of a Rockfeller, the stupid man the equal of an Einstein, and the ignorant man the equal of any college president. That institution, gentlemen, is a court." (Lee 205)
This shows culture because it's saying that men are not equal outside the court, only in court. This is just more evidence of racism taking place.
Section 5/Chapters 24-26 pages 227-247
"The ladies were cool in fragile pastel prints: most of them were heavily powdered but unrouged; the only lipstick in the room was Tangee Natural. Cutex Natural sparkled on their fingernails, but some of the younger ladies wore rose. They smelled heavenly. I sat quietly, having conquered my hands by tightly gripping the arms of the chair, and waited for someone to speak to me." (Lee 229)
This shows culture because like I said in section 3, women are expected to be a lady. This is more evidence of how women are viewed. Which is lady like, proper, and very polite.
Section 6/Chapters 27-31 pages 247-281
Racism is shown immensely throughout To kill a Mockingbird. Even more evidence of it is shown in this section. But racism here is shown by the actions of characters rather than the dialogue like in section 2 and 4.
"Calpernia said it was hard on Helen, because she had to walk nearly a mile out of her way to avoid the Ewells, who, according to Helen, "chunked at her" the first time she tried to use the public road."
This shows more racism because after the trial and after Tom is dead, Mr. Ewell has now dragged his hatred and racism from Tom, down to his wife, Helen.