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To Kill a Mockingbird

1. How do Dill and Jem contribute to Scout's learning experiences? What are some of Scout's specific learning experiences?
Dill and Jem, Scout's friends, are very influential in Scout's development. The three of them together make many mutual decisions that are very influential and would be very different had Dill and Jem not been there. Dill, actually Charles Baker Harris, came about because he was spending the summer with his Aunt Rachael, and Jem is Scout's brother. Every activity that Dill and Jem get into with Scout becomes a learning experience.
One time when Scout learns from Jem is through their encounters with Boo Radley. At one point, the children run to the Radley's house, and while running back after hearing a gunshot gets his pants caught on the fence. Later, when Jem goes back to get his pants he finds them mended and sitting folded on the fence (54-55). After thinking about this, and the gifts that were left in the tree (60-63), the children realize that Boo Radley may want to be their friend. Scout learned, from Jem, that just because someone is different doesn't mean that they aren't friendly (ch.7).
Throughout the novel Scout is confused about many things. One of these times is when Atticus makes Jem read to an old lady who had insulted Atticus. Scout doesn't understand this at all. Jem tried to defend his father but was later punished for that reason. Scout later learns that the old lady was dying and was trying not to use drugs, and therefore was not responsible for what she had said (105).
When Jem turns twelve, he teaches Scout that the two of them are very different. Scout had always played with Jem, and she had never thought anything of the fact that Jem was a boy. "It's time you started bein' a girl and actin right!" (115). At this point in the book, Jem tell Scout that she needs to be more like a girl, something that is very different for her. Jem is the only one that had ever told her this, and without him she probably would have never changed.
The basis of the book is teaching Scout about life. Jem and Dill are very influential in this teaching along with Atticus. Many times throughout, Jem gets into trouble and has to explain something to Scout, teaching her a valuable lesson.

4. How are the Boo Radley and the Tom Robinson situations similar? Think about what the two characters have in common.
Boo Radley have very similar circumstances surrounding their acceptance in the town. Both of them are misunderstood, and no one ever gave them a chance to try and change that. "The Radley place was inhabited by an unknown entitie the mere description of whom would make us behave for days."
The way that children treated Boo also demonstrated the way that the two are similar. Every time that Scout had to go by the Radley house she would run. The children, in their minds, made Boo out to be a hideous creature looking to kill people. This is the same way that the white population of the town thought of Tom Robinson. Even though most of them had never met him, they thought he was a horrible person.
Boo Radley was a complete outcast, never seen by anyone and shrouded in mystery. Tom Robinson had become an outcast because of a crime that he had been charged with even though it was obvious he hadn't done anything, but people went by their hatred of blacks and convicted him.
Both Boo and Tom Robinson are very much looked down upon, but if give a chance, one finds that they are very nice and friendly people. Both of them were also lied about. Boo Radley wasn't an evil person, and Tom Robinson hadn't raped anyone, yet they were accused of these things. They are not out to hurt people, but you will only see that if you give them a chance.

7. Discuss the limitations of using Scout, the young girl as the narrator of the story. What are the advantages? What are the disadvantages?
Using a young girl as the narrator of the story has many limitations. Because of this, you are limited to the perspective of a young girl, yet her thoughts are unbiased, giving the reader the opportunity to create their own opinion. As a young girl, Scout is unable to understand what other people think and see without great difficulty. We don't get a sense of what the other characters are expressing and thinking. This limits the perspective, but it does give a very innocent view of what is going on.
The author uses Scout's innocence throughout the book to display the prejudice of people such as Aunt Alexandra. Alexandra attempts to explain to Scout why she can't bring Walter Cunningham into their home. Instead of getting a twisted inference of this, we get Scouts low level of understanding, allowing the reader to interpret this. "I didn't say not to be nice to him. You should be friendly and polite to him, you should be gracious to everybody, dear. But you don't have to invite him home."(224)
Scout youthful lack of understanding brought humor to the book in odd places such as the mob scene at the jail. When she is talking to Mr. Cunningham, she has no idea why there is a group of people there, Scout just tries to start a conversation with Mr. Cunningham. Also, Scout started to talk about a very personal matter, in front of all the people and did not even think about the fact that Mr. Cunningham wasn't responding (153-154).
When Francis called Atticus a nigger-lover, Scout attacks her, even without fully understanding what the term meant. She knew that it was something bad and acted upon that to protect her father even without a full understanding. This is just another display of her youthfulness bringing humor to the book (86).

8. What does it mean to be a hypocrite? Discuss the many instances of hypocrisy in the novel. Support your views by citing specific characterizations and instances.
This novel encompasses many different themes, one of theme being hypocrisy. People are always hypocritical and the book demonstrates that very well. Being a hypocrite is displayed in this book as having one view which a person stands for and then going directly against what you stand for.
This theme is well demonstrated by Mr. Cunningham's leading of the lynch mob out to get Tom Robinson. Mr. Cunningham arrived with his army at the jail and was greeted by Scout. She proceeded to talk nicely to Mr. Cunningham, engaging him in conversation about his son and the work that Atticus had done for Mr. Cunningham. The man was greatly surprised at the little girl speaking to him while he was trying to kill someone. Mr. Cunningham disbanded the mob, because he did not want to beat up Scouts dad right in front of her. Mr. Cunningham was ready to kill someone, just as long as certain people didn't see him (153-154).
During the same scene, Mr. Underwood was in a nearby office, ready to protect Atticus if the mob tried to hurt him. In this manner, Mr. Underwood was indirectly protecting a negro man, although he had said that he would never hire a black person to work for his newspaper. Mr. Underwood was being very hypocritical, even though he was just trying to protect his friend he was being two sided about the issue.
A third time when hypocrisy was revealed was at the negro church. "Stop right there nigger... You ain't got no business bringin white chillin' here?they got their we got our'n" (119). The people at the church were very thankful to Atticus for defending their friend because no one else would ever think of it. Even though Atticus was basically a savior to them, Lula didn't want his children to come into her church.
This book, with its very racially focused themes, displays hypocriscy very well. People have very changing views when they have strong feelings about an issue, and they have friends involved in the issue also.