Key Facts Title: To Kill a Mockingbird Author: Harper Lee Type: Novel Genre: Coming of Age, social drama Time and Place Written: mid 1950s New York Published: 1960 Point of View: 1st Person Tone: Childlike, humorous, nostalgic innocent Tense: Past Setting (Time): 1933-1935 Setting (Place): Fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama Protagonist: Scout Antagonist: Society, human nature, classification

Nelle Harper Lee Born on April 28, 1926 in Monroeville, Alabama Lee’s father was a lawyer like her main character’s father in the novel In 1931 nine young black men were accused of raping two white women near Scottsboro, AL 5 of them were sentenced to long term prison sentences Many prominent lawyers and American citizens saw the sentences motivated by racial prejudice

Lee began TKAM the mid-1950s, after moving to New York to become a writer Completed in 1957 Published in 1960 before peak of ACRM Book became a great success due to the racially charged atmosphere of the 1960s Lee started to retreat from public eye in mid-1960s She avoided interviews Only published a few short stories after 1961 She returned to Monroeville where she still lives today In 1961 she won the Pulitzer Prize in Lit. and sold over 15 million copies A lot of similarities between Lee’s childhood and her story But she maintains that the book is NOT about her life

Character List Jean Louise Finch “Scout-” the narrator and protagonist of the story Atticus Finch- Jem and Scout’s father; he is a widower and a lawyer Jeremy Finch “Jem-” brother to Scout and playmate. A typical American boy Arthur “Boo” Radley- a recluse who never sets foot outside the house

Character List Continued Charles Baker “Dill” Harris- Jem and Scout’s summer neighbor and friend Calpurnia- the Finch’s black cook. She is the bridge between the white world and black community for the children Aunt Alexandra Bob Ewell Miss Maudie Tom Robinson **There are 19 characters in all!

Symbols Mockingbird Boo Radley Represents the idea of innocence To kill a mockingbird would be to destroy______ Boo Radley Children’s changing attitude toward him shows transition from childhood to grown-up Beginning: Middle: End: He is a symbol of good that exists in people

Themes 1. The Coexistence of Good and Evil= Ask and answer whether people are good or evil, from a child’s perspective Jem and Scout’s transition from childhood innocence to an adulthood perspective of WHAT good and evil is

“People Fear What They Do Not Understand” 2. Threat of hatred, prejudice, and ignorance toward the innocent The moral voice in the novel is Atticus Unique- he has experience and understood evil without losing faith in the human capacity for goodness Atticus understands that most people have both good and bad qualities Important to appreciate the good qualities and understand the bad Atticus tries to teach this moral lesson to his kids

3. The Importance of Moral Education= The plot charts Scout’s moral development, and shows how children are educated Education is how they are taught to move from innocence to adulthood Atticus devotes himself to instilling a social conscience in Jem and Scout A sympathetic and understanding approach is the best way to teach the moral lessons

4. The Existence of Social Inequality

Words to Know These belong in your notes! 1. Prejudice: a judgment or opinion formed beforehand or without knowledge or examination of the facts. Irrational attitude of hostility and suspicion or hatred of a particular group, race, or religion. 2. Racism: the belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others. Discrimination or prejudice based on race.

Summary At the bottom of your notes, please write a 3-4 sentence summary covering the author, characters, and themes from the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird.