“To Kill a Mockingbird”

 Descendent from Robert E. Lee, the Southern Civil War general  Nelle Harper Lee was born in Monroeville, Alabama on April 28,  Father was a former newspaper editor who had served as a state senator and practiced as a lawyer in Monroeville.  Mother suffered from mental illness (likely bipolar disorder) and rarely left the house

 Lee studied law at the University of Alabama from 1945 to 1949  Known for being a loner and individualist  Attempted a social life – joined a sorority  Editor of school newspaper  Spent a year as an exchange student in Oxford University, Wellington Square.  Six months before finishing her studies, she went to New York to pursue a literary career.  Worked as an Airline reservation clerk with Eastern Air Lines and British Overseas Airways during the 1950s.

 In 1956, wealthy friends volunteered to support her for a year so she could write  Finished “To Kill a Mockingbird” in 1959  In 1959 Lee accompanied Truman Capote to Holcombe, Kansas, as a research assistant for Capote's classic 'non-fiction' novel In Cold Blood (1966).  “To Kill a Mockingbird” won a Pulitzer prize in 1961; film adaptation in 1962

 After “Mockingbird,” it was rumored Lee was working on a second novel, but it was never published  During the 1970s and 1980s, Lee largely retreated from public life.  Lee spent some of her time on a non-fiction book project about an Alabama serial killer, which had the working title The Reverend. This work, however, was never published.  Lee continues to live a quiet, private life in New York City and Monroeville.  Active in her church and community, she usually avoids anything to do with her still popular novel.

 Setting – Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930s.  Characters  The Finch’s – Lee’s mother’s maiden name  Scout – representative of Lee as a child  Dill – based on Truman Capote, Lee’s childhood friend  Themes  Coming of age  Loss of innocence  Racism