To Kill a MockingbirdTo Kill a Mockingbird

By Harper Lee

OVERVIEW OF THE OVERVIEW OF THE NOVELNOVEL

AUTHOR: Harper Lee PUBLICATION DATE: 1960 SETTING: Maycomb, Alabama

1933-1935 POINT OF VIEW: First person

narrative THEMES: Lack of and need for human

compassion Need for individual conscience

HARPER LEEHARPER LEE

(Nellie) Harper Lee BORN: April 28, 1926 PLACE OF BIRTH: Monroe, Alabama PARENTS: Amasa C. and Frances

(Finch) Lee Related to Robert E. Lee

AWARDSAWARDS

1960 Pulitzer Prize for Distinguished Fiction by an American author

National Conference of Christian and Jews Brotherhood Award

Paperback of the Year AwardBook-of-the-Month Club

EDUCATIONEDUCATION

Monroe, Alabama Public School Huntington College in

Montgomery, Alabama (1944)

attended Oxford College one year as a Fullbright scholar

AUTHOR’SAUTHOR’S LINKS TO THE LINKS TO THE NOVEL’S PLOT AND NOVEL’S PLOT AND

CHARACTERSCHARACTERS 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.

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.

CHARACTERSCHARACTERS

ATTICUS FINCH – lawyer, father of Scout and Jem; widower

JEAN LOUISE “SCOUT” FINCH – adult narrator as story begins; narrates story in retrospect; relates events

that begin when she is 6 years old. JEM FINCH – Scout’s brother, who is 4

years older than she. CHARLES BAKER “DILL” HARRIS – 7-

year-old visitor to Maycomb; acts as a catalyst

MORE CHARACTERSMORE CHARACTERS

ARTHUR “BOO” RADLEY – neighborhood recluse

CALPURNIA – the black housekeeper for the Finch family

AUNT ALEXANDRA – Scout & Jem’s aunt

MAUDE ATKINSON – friend of Finch family

MORE CHARACTERSMORE CHARACTERS

TOM ROBINSON – black man accused of raping a white girl

MAYELLA EWELL – the girl who accuses Tom of rape

BOB EWELL – Mayella’s fatherHECK TATE – sheriff of Maycomb

CHARACTERSAS

SYMBOLS

Innocence

Justice

Helpfulness

BigotryOr

Prejudice

Helplessness

JEMSCOUTDILL

ATTICUS

BOB EWELL

CALPURNIA&

MAUDIE

TOMROBINSON

&BOO

QUESTIONS TO QUESTIONS TO CONSIDERCONSIDER

1. What was America like during the time of this book?

2. What is the significance of the title with regards to the plot and symbolism?

3. What experiences and people did Harper Lee rely on in order to develop her plot and characters?

4. Is there still prejudice in America today?