Mockingbird - Characters

Question 1

What is the importance of miss maudie in the novel?

Answer 1

• an example of progressive views that stand in contrast to the rest of maycomb
• kind an compassionate person
• source of understanding and comfort to the children (when shares cake with scout)

Question 2

What is the significance of Mrs dubose in the novel?

Answer 2

• important for developing empathy
• shows children illness and discomfort (empathy)
• fact that she’s old shows the racial and social injust views are deeply instilled in the maycomb community and have been for a long time
• by punishing Jem for cutting flowers, teaches the harsh realities of social and racial injustice as well as understand and living with other views

Question 3

What’s the significance of mayella Ewell?

Answer 3

• combats prepercieved judgement of Ewell family (audience gain sympathy for her)
• combats social segregation by kissing tom Robinson
• see difference in parenting (scout vs mayella)
• example of southern belle

Question 4

What is the significance of dill?

Answer 4

• young understand of accepting societal norms- shows impressionability of a child (planning to marry when older)
• symbolises happiness and childhood innocence (skips complicated parts of scout and jem childhood)
• not from maycomb but accepted (contrasts boo + tom)

Question 5

What is the significance of aunt Alexandra?

Answer 5

• presence serves as a reminder of southern expectations of women in maycomb (southern belle)
• highlights tension between tradition and progression
• embodies rigid idea of feminity
• opposes atticus’s views

Question 6

What is the significance of boo Radley?

Answer 6

• stigmatised to be feared due to not complying to societal norms
• symbol of a mockingbird (innocence and kindness)
• ostracised by community
• when hole in tree is filled up, symbolises social barriers that prevent people understanding and accepting other people who may be different)
• motif for those who are marginalised due to ignorance = rumor
• present at start and end to show development of children’s attitude
• by giving gifts, seen as ‘benelovent’ as all wants is human connection.

Question 7

What is the significance of tom Robinson?

Answer 7

• deaths serves as devastating impact of injustice and emphasises need for social equality (also emphasised by detailed description of toms fate, allows audience to reflect on justice system)
• hardworking family man (contrasts dehumanising stereotypes)

Question 8

What is the significance of jem?

Answer 8

• kind (shows atticus parenting)
• an example of a developing moral compass (goes to lynching mob despite facing consequences of going against atticus)
• as he matures, becomes more isolated and reads more
• deeply impacted by ‘guilty,guilty,guilty’ verdict - reveals harsh world realities of social injustice
• questions goodness of people but still wants to be a lawyer
• represents future generation
  Leadership (runs to boos door first)
• iuntellegent,k thoughtful emotional, protective

Question 9

What is the significance of bob Ewell?

Answer 9

• represents harm hatred can do (attempt to kill scout and jem)
• living on dump shows poverty + deprevity of attitudes
• prevents atticus from succeeding (sets bad example to children + moral corruption
• creates whole court case to murder tom Robinson due to ‘grossness’ of segregation (symbol of racial hatred)

Question 10

How does scout represent the theme ‘childhood and adulthood’?

Answer 10

• scout is a narrator as a child
• childish innocence adds humour and eleviates tension
• confronts adult issues such as rape and social injustice as a child
• change in opinion of boo and tom shows maturity and maturing through the novel