Post on 13-May-2020
Journal Questions… Turn to page ___ in your folder and write for 5 minutes.
Think about stereotypes and racism in your everyday
life…Have you ever experienced racism/prejudice? Have
you ever witnessed racism/prejudice for race, age, religion,
gender? Do you think it is even a big issue anymore?
Why/why not? Why does it exist? How can it be solved?
“The more difficult
the subject, the more
necessary the
conversation.” ~Charles Barkley
To Kill a Mockingbird
By Harper Lee
AUTHOR
“Nellie” Harper Lee
BORN: April 28, 1926
PLACE OF BIRTH: Monroeville, Alabama
PARENTS: Amasa C. & Frances (Finch) Lee
Related to Robert E. Lee
EDUCATION
Monroe, Alabama Public Schools
Huntington College in Montgomery, Alabama
(1944)
Attended Oxford College one year as a
Fulbright Scholar
Began Law School, but never finished
LITERARY CAREER
1960 TKAM was published
1961 Lee won $500 Pulitzer Prize
1962 TKAM was made into a movie. It was nominated for 8 Academy Awards and
won 4 of them.
More Accolades (no need to write down) National Conference of Christian and Jews
Brotherhood Award
Paperback of the Year Award
Book-of-the-Month Club
PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM
2007 November 5, George W. Bush
presented Lee with the Presidential Medal
of Freedom. This is the highest civilian
award in the United States and recognizes
individuals who have made "an especially
meritorious contribution to the security or
national interests of the United States,
world peace, cultural or other significant
public or private endeavors"
THE NOVEL
SETTING
The story takes place in the fictional small town of Maycomb, Alabama, modeled after her home town of Monroeville
The time is during the 1930s Depression Era
The town has conflicting values in tolerance and prejudice
The novel depicts the Southern caste structure
STYLE
The story is told in first person narration
Scout, as an adult, recalls (flashbacks) her childhood experience from ages 6-8
The novel includes Scout’s observations and commentary about life in the 1930s
THEMES
Education
Bravery
Cowardice
Innocence
Growing Up /
Coming of Age
Hypocrisy
Prejudice – against
race, age, gender,
social class (near
every type of
prejudice is
addressed in this
novel)
PLOT OVERVIEW
There are two major parallel plot lines involving fear.
The first is a child centered plot
The second is a society or adult centered plot
AUTHOR’S LINKS TO THE
NOVEL’S PLOT AND CHARACTERS
Harper Lee’s father was a Southern lawyer. He served as the prototype for Atticus Finch
Harper Lee’s age (6 to 8) correlates with Scout’s age during 1933-1935, the time period of the book
The courtroom in Maycomb is patterned after the one in Monroeville where Harper Lee observed her father in courtroom proceedings
AUTHOR’S LINKS TO THE
NOVEL’S PLOT AND CHARACTERS
Tom Robinson’s trial appears to be a composite of many trials in the South, specifically the Scottsboro trials
Some of the novel’s characters are composites of people Harper Lee knew personally; for example, the author Truman Capote as Dill
Social Class in the Novel
Influential
Country Folk
"White Trash"
Black
Community
Probably similar to how
class structure existed
during the 1930s in the
South. The influential,
although fewest in
number, were most
powerful. The blacks,
although greatest in
number, were lowest on
the class ladder, and thus,
had the fewest privileges.
Examples of each social class:
Influential - Finches
Country Folk - Cunninghams
“White Trash” – Ewells
Black Community – Tom Robinson
CHARACTERS
AS
SYMBOLS
Innocence
Justice
Helpfulness
Bigotry
Or
Prejudice
Helplessness
JEM
SCOUT
DILL
ATTICUS
BOB
EWELL
CALPURNIA
&
MAUDIE
TOM
ROBINSON
&
BOO
"Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make
music for us to enjoy... but sing their hearts
out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a
mockingbird."