This section most focused on the division of races in
Maycomb, and how Scout and Jem cope with and understand the ill treatment of
African-Americans by their fellow residents. One example of this ill treatment would
be the attitude of Aunt Alexandria to Calpurnia, as even though Calpurnia has been
a vital and important member of the Finch household, Aunt Alexandria does not
approve of her simply due to her race. Scout, Jem, and Dill however all have
more empathy for the treatment of African Americans and their conditions than
many of the residents of Maycomb, such as when Dill felt that Tom was being
mistreated even though people such as Mr. Cunningham wanted to do harm to Tom.
While I definitely think that the division of races was focused on, I think that the differences in perceptions between children and adults was really emphasized throughout this section. The author often contrasted the morals between the children and adults particularly over the issue of race.
ReplyDeleteComment to both Zain and Rumi - why do you think the author chose to use children to convey her message about race relations in the South? What do the attitudes of the children symbolize?
ReplyDeleteRumi--
ReplyDeleteHarper Lee definitely did spotlight racial divisions in these chapters. I think that Harper Lee chose children to convey her thoughts on racism shows optimism. The children 'symbolize' hope that things can change, that the next generation will be better than the last.
I think the author wanted to contrast the children with the adults that make up Maycomb. The children's attitudes reflect views free of bias and racial prejudice which stands in stark contrast to the views of many adults in Maycomb.
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