Intro to the novel by N. Harper Lee

born April 28, 1926 Childhood friend of famous author Truman Capote (In Cold Blood, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, “A Christmas Memory”) Youngest of four children born to Amasa Coleman Lee and Frances Cunningham Finch Lee Grew up in Monroeville, Alabama Father was a lawyer Was a “tomboy” when young http :// r.html?newwindow=true Biography from Wikipedia.org

Attended all-female Huntingdon College (in Alabama) and later University of Alabama Joined a sorority, but was known as a “loner” Began law school, but left it to pursue writing Moved to New York City at age 23 to write Never wrote a second novel Became notoriously reclusive after achieving fame for Mockingbird

Subgenre of Gothic fiction takes place exclusively in the American South. relies on supernatural, ironic, or unusual events to guide the plot. uses these tools not solely for the sake of suspense, but to explore social issues and reveal the cultural character of the American South. employs the use of macabre, ironic events to examine the values of the American south. Wikipedia.org

History of slavery and racism Culture of Honor Politeness is highly valued Toughness and protection of one’s family (esp. women) “Men were expected to act like gentlemen, displaying courage, moral strength, perseverance, and chivalry in defense of the honor of their family name. Women were expected to be models of feminine purity, grace, and virginity until it came time for them to provide children to inherit the family legacy. Faith in God and profound concern for preserving the family reputation provided the grounding for these beliefs” (sparknotes.com).

In 1863, the Civil War was ended and the Emancipation Proclamation signed by Abraham Lincoln 70 years later, in the 1930s, racism was still a major issue Segregation existed legally until Brown v. Board of Education in 1954 It still exists in practice in many places around the country It remains a problem today, but major change happened in the 1960s due to the Civil Rights Movement

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The 1968 Civil Rights Act began our modern hate crime laws, but prior to that they were not a separate type of crime. WWI era ( ): Ku Klux Klan committed many hate crimes, including lynching Lynching was a vigilante execution that involved executing someone without trial, often by hanging Could involve anyone accused of a crime, but were often racially motivated assumes-lynching-racist