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were second-class citizens and treated them that way. The racial tensions leading to these events are reflected in the plot and themes of To Kill a Mockingbird.
So, based on the context of situation theory, black people or slaves are the second class citizens. They are lower in status, education, using informal
language, and weak in front of the law.
5. About To Kill A Mockingbird Novel
To Kill a Mockingbird took place in Maycomb, Alabama, during the Great Depression. The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression
that took place during the 1930s. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations; however, in most countries it started in 1929 and lasted until the late
1930s. It was the longest, deepest, and most widespread depression of the 20th century. The story was narrated by the main character, a little girl named Jean
Louise „Scout‟ Finch. Her father, Atticus Finch, was a lawyer with high moral standards. Scout, her brother Jem, and their friend Dill were curious with the
local rumors about a man named Arthur „Boo‟ Radley, who lived in their neighborhood but never left his house. The children were curious to know more
about Boo, and during one summer they created a mini-drama they performed daily, which told
the events of Boo‟s life as they knew him. With Atticus‟ guidance not to judge others until they have walked around in that person
‟s skin, the children discovered many instances of quiet strength and dignity in the most
unlikely people. One day, Atticus decided to take on a case involving a black man named
Tom Robinson who had been accused of raping a white girl named Mayella
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Ewell. The Finch family faced harsh criticism in the heavily racist Maycomb because of Atticuss decision to defend Tom. Atticus believed that Tom was
innocent and he wanted to reveal the truth to his fellow towns‟ people and
encourage them to imagine the possibility of racial equality. Unfortunately, although the evidences support that Tom was innocent,
after hours of deliberation the jury pronounced him guilty. Tom tried to escape from his prison and was shot to death in the process. Bob Ewell felt humiliated by
the trial and tried to revenge. He got his revenge one night while Jem and Scout were walking home from Halloween play at their school. In the darkness and
confusion, someone had come to their rescue. The mysterious man stabbed Mr. Ewell and saved the children; he carried Jem home when Scout realized that the
mysterious man was Boo Radley. Finally, Scout had a chance to meet the shy and nervous Boo. At the end of this fateful night, the sheriff declared that Mr. Ewell
fell on his own knife. Scout walked to Boo ‟s home and imagined how he had
viewed the town and observed her, Jem and Dill over the years from inside his home. Boo went inside, closed the door, and she never saw him again.
6. Previous Studies
There were several studies that discuss the same novel on the similar topic. The previous studies were hopefully helping the researcher to discover
deeper on the novel, especially about the topic being discussed. The studies are as follows:
1. The first study was done by Ani Septyaningsih 2007 entitled The Study of Positive Politeness in Good Company Movie. The objective of this research