School and Education

Much is said about formal schooling in the novel. Harper Lee gives a very critical view of methods of teaching and of some educational jargon in Chapters 2, 3 and 4, and Atticus voices his criticism of some educational philosophies in his speech to the jury in Chapter 20. Certainly Scout is depicted as learning more from Atticus and Calpurnia and from her experiences outside school than from her formal schooling. The scenes at school provide a direct counterpoint to Atticus's effective education of his children: Scout is frequently confronted with teachers who are either frustratingly unsympathetic to children's needs or morally hypocritical.

     
 
Activities
1
 What does the novel indicate are the main problems with formal schooling and how does Harper Lee illustrate these problems in her novel?
2
 Consider the appointment of Miss Caroline Fisher to such an area as Maycomb. What does her reaction to Scout's ability to read and write reveal about the attitudes of educational authorities?
3
 What is ironic about Miss Gate's harsh censure of Hitler's persecution of the Jews?
4
 The motif of literacy - both reading and being unable to read - is intricately woven into much of the plot and conversation. Trace these references and anaylse them. Is the author making a point in returning to the idea repeatedly?
 
     
   
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