Conflict in TKAM and American History. Correctly punctuate and cite each quote, then give an explanation of how this builds the conflict throughout the novel.
by Walter Staszewski Jr.
1. Character vs. Character: 2 TKAM, 1 American History
1.1. To Kill A Mockingbird: "Jem, please--" "Scout, I'm tellin' you for the last time, shut your trap or go home-- I declare to the Lord you're getting more like a girl everyday." Scout and Jem get into arguments a lot throughout the story. It's usually just siblings budding heads. Jem often won't include Scout in what he does. To Kill A Mockingbird 2: "Why didn't your screams make them come running? The dump's closer than the woods, isn't it?" No answer "Or didn't you scream until you saw your father in the window? You didn't think to scream until then, did you? No answer." This is when Atticus is defending Tom Robinson in court. It's him vs. Mayella in an argument. This is the main conflict of defending Tom. Atticus has to argue for Tom.
1.2. American History: "Then directly to me: 'Listen. Honey. Eugene doesn't want to study with you. He is a smart boy. Doesn't need help." This is when Elena goes to visit Eugene and this woman answers the door and tells her that Eugene doesn't need her help. The conflict in this is between Elena and the woman. Elena wants to visit him and the woman won't let her.
2. Character vs. Self: 2 TKAM, 1 American History
2.1. American History: "That night, I lay in my bed trying to feel the right thing for our dead President. But the tears that came up from a deep source inside me were strictly for me." Elena is battling herself on what she feels. While she wants to feel upset for the President, she can't help but feel bad for herself. This is Elena vs. herself. Not knowing how to feel about the situation happening around her.
2.2. To Kill A Mockingbird: "I'm simply defending a Negro--his name's Tom Robinson. He lives in the little settlement beyond the town dump." In this time, defending a black man would've been heavily frowned upon, especially in the South. Atticus has to make the choice, he can do what's right or he can do t easy thing and conform with what the town thinks is right. This is him against himself. He has the choice to make. To Kill A Mockingbird 2: "I drew a bead on him, remembered what Atticus had said, then dropped my fists and walked away, "Scout's a coward!" ringing in my ears. It was the first time I ever walked away from a fight." Scout get's into an argument with a boy at school. Because Atticus is defending Tom. Scout decides not to fight. Scout (against her better judgment) remembers what Atticus says. She chooses not to fight.
3. Character vs. Nature: 1 TKAM, 1 American History
3.1. To Kill A Mockingbird "At the front door, we saw fire spewing from Miss Maudie's diningroom windows." Miss Maudie's house is caught on fire and it gets destroyed. This becomes a minor conflict for Miss Maudie. Her house is completely gone and thus she has no where to stay.
3.2. American History: "I hated the city, especially in winter. I hated Public School 13." Elena hates her school and where she lives. The building she lives in becomes part of the conflict for her later on in the story.
4. Character vs. Society: 1 TKAM, 1 American History
4.1. American History: "Eugene was in honors classes for all his subjects; classes that were not open to me because English wasn't my first language, though I was a straight A student." Elena is smart enough to be put in honors classes, yet she can't because of her ethnicity. English isn't her first language so they don't allow it. This builds the conflict of Elena not being able to see Eugene and her hatred of Public School 13, the school she attends.
4.2. To Kill A Mockingbird: "The main one is, if I didn't I couldn't hold my head up in town, I couldn't even tell you or Jen not to do something again." Atticus is defending Tom against what's considered acceptable in the town. He chooses to go against them to do what's right. He must do what's just. This becomes a major conflict in the story. The pressure put on Atticus for him to do this.
