2019 Year 12 IB Extended Essays

For the completion of the essay, various actions were carried out. A close reading of each of the novels was executed in order to identify the characters who transgress. These characters were then carefully analysed to establish how they transgress and against what. To support these findings, secondary research was conducted. The context of both novels and their characters was researched in order to obtain a full understanding of the time period and societies beliefs and values and how this is reflected in the novels. Throughout the course of researching the background knowledge of the novels, a vast range of academic papers were encountered. Despite there being many articles discussing themes and characters of the books, there were very little sources that examined the transgressive nature of some of the characters. By understanding the aim of the novels, it will allow the reader to reflect on society’s racist attitude, adherence to the social hierarchy and gender stereotypes during that time period and how the reader’s personal impact on society today. Racism Lee utilises the theme of racism as one of the principal perimeters established by the community in To Kill A Mockingbird. The boundary established reflects a crucial time in America where the colour of one’s skin determined the type of relationship had between people and what their social status was. Lee exposes this racial inequality in her novel so that the reader can understand the hierarchical dominance of white members over the African American community and the inequity of it. This is represented through the storyline. The novel centres around the trial of Tom Robinson, a black man being falsely prosecuted for the raping of Mayella Ewell, a white woman. Analysing Characters in To Kill A Mockingbird

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