Background

 Born 1926: Moneroeville, Alabama  Parents: Amasa Coleman Lee (f), Francis Finch Lee (m)  Father was a lawyer, served in Alabama state legislature – insp. for main character Atticus  Direct descendant of Robert E. Lee  Attended Huntington College in Alabama, Law degree from Univ. of Alabama, studied abroad at Oxford

 Worked as a reservation clerk for Eastern Airlines  1960 she finished her first and only novel, TKAM  1961 Pulitzer Prize for Literature for TKAM  1962 Book turned into a movie starring Gregory Peck  2007 Presidential Medal of Freedom – highest civilian award in US  Lives a very private life, few interviews or public appearances  34 years old when TKAM was published

Characters:  Finch Family – father Atticus, daughter Jean Louise (nicknamed Scout) and son Jem  Housekeeper: Calpurnia  Neighbor: Dill – based on her childhood friend Truman Capote  Mysterious neighbor: Boo Radley  Unfairly accused of rape: Tom Robinson Setting:  Maycomb, Alabama  s  Published as Civil Rights movement began  Small town south– society is very rigid in its views

 Novel was widely banned as “immoral” when it was published due to racially and socially sensitive themes.  Challenged small town southern social morays (class distinctions – ideas of what was proper)  Illustrates the duty of human beings to care for one another and not to judge superficially  Partially autobiographical  Rite of Passage novel – main characters pass from innocence to understanding.

5 Motifs to Watch for in TKAM  A Motif is an idea or image that occurs repeatedly in a novel. Authors use them to tie together a theme throughout a novel and to emphasize deep, symbolic meanings 1. Growth (physical and intellectual) 2. Caste System in Maycomb 3. Mockingbirds – hurt unfairly 4. Education – value? 5. Superstition – ghosts, irrational fears, old wives’ tales