Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird

Harper Lee Born in 1926 in Monroeville, Alabama Lee’s father was a small-town lawyer. The Lee family descended from Robert E. Lee and prides itself on its ancestry.

To Kill A Mockingbird Published in 1960 Lee’s masterpiece and only novel Winner of several awards, including the 1961 Pulitzer Prize for fiction Made into an Academy Award winning movie in 1962

Historical Background The Civil War, 1861-1865, left much of the South in ruin and a sense of bitterness. During Reconstruction, 1865-1877, the South continued to lag behind; it remained largely agrarian and its attitudes toward African Americans changed little. By 1900, much of the South had changed very little, particularly in the smaller, more isolated areas. The Stock Market Crash of 1929 and the Great Depression that followed impacted this agrarian society.

Setting Place: Maycomb, Alabama A fictional town, but not unlike Monroeville Isolated and untouched, Maycomb and its people are slow to respond to change. Newcomers and new ideas are not easily accepted. Rural and undeveloped, African Americans still work as field hands and house servants; poor whites may own their own land, but it is meager in size and crops. Time: Our novel opens in the summer of 1933 and ends on Halloween, 1935. Pertinent Details: Because of the Great Depression, widespread poverty plagues the United States. Franklin D. Roosevelt is President

Characters: Scout Finch Narrator of the novel Not yet 6 when the novel opens Lively and intelligent, but stubborn and quick-tempered Open minded Prefers the company of her brother, Jem, and Dill to girls

Characters: Atticus Finch A widower raising Scout and Jem Respectful of his children’s opinions Insists on honesty and courtesy from all people Demonstrates restraint and courage in the face of adversity Well-liked and admired by Maycomb dwellers

Other Major Characters Jem Finch Scout’s older brother by four years (10) Tries to model his father’s behavior Dill Summer playmate of Scout and Jem He spends these summers with his Aunt Rachel. Has no father and feels unloved by his mother Calpurnia African-American cook and housekeeper in the Finch home Largely responsible for raising Scout and Jem Disciplines the children like her own Arthur “Boo” Radley Neighbor to the Finches Hidden away in his home, his story is told mostly through rumor A mystery to the children

Minor Characters Miss Maudie Atkinson: The children’s favorite neighbor Aunt Alexandra: Atticus’s younger sister Miss Stephanie Crawford: An unkind, prejudiced gossip and the main source of the children’s wild ideas about Boo Radley Mrs. Dubose: An old neighbor who frightens and taunts the children Bob Ewell: A poor farmer who often beats his children. Mayella Ewell: Bob Ewell’s 19-year old daughter Tom Robinson: An African-American man accused of raping Mayella

Themes Understanding Loss of Innocence Prejudice: The intellectual and moral bias of people who hold strict opinions without having examined the facts. Most people in Maycomb believe prejudice against African Americans must be upheld if southern society is to be preserved. Understanding Atticus teaches his children the importance of seeing life from another person’s point of view. Loss of Innocence The experiences of Scout, Jem, and Dill help them outgrow their childish ways.

Themes Education Courage Represented physically, mentally, and morally The classroom is seen as a microcosm of Maycomb. Not only are social distinctions made amongst the students, but also education is seen as the force that divides them. Lee criticizes a system that fails to recognize all students. Courage Represented physically, mentally, and morally In the novel it is defined as “confronting a situation or accepting a challenge when failure is likely.”

Literary Devices First-Person Narrator, Scout Finch Dialect The style, diction and syntax, keep with the youthfulness of the book’s narrator Scout’s style is largely matter-of-fact. Dialect Irony: A contrast between reality and what appears to be real. Foreshadowing Mood Symbols Humor

Objectives To recognize how the first-person point of view affects and limits the narrative To appreciate Lee’s use of humor in developing characters and describing events To recognize and appreciate how the themes are developed and the literary devices are employed To recognize the children’s growth into sensitive and responsible youth