To Kill a Mockingbird Introduction Notes

Tab Three Looking at the movie poster and hearing the title of the novel, make your predictions of what you think this novel is going to be about.

To Kill a Mockingbird- by Harper Lee

To Kill a Mockingbird—Tab 3 Setting– Maycomb, Alabama Great Depression Era Segregation and racial tension Family during the Great Depression. Segregation Sign Alabama

The Great Depression Great Depression Impacts: Businesses failed Factories closed People were out of work Even people with money suffered because nothing was being produced for sale. Poorer people lost their homes

Prejudice Racial Prejudice plays a key role in this novel. Although slavery had ended, old ideas were slow to change.

To Kill a Mockingbird Prejudice in the novel includes: Race Gender Handicaps Rich/poor Age Religion

Legal Issues Legal Issues during the Great Depression which impacted the story: Women given the right to vote Juries were MALE and WHITE “Fair trial” did not include acceptance of a black man’s word against a white man’s word.

Characters Atticus Finch - an attorney whose wife has died, leaving him to raise their two children. Jem –Atticus’s son, eldest child S Scout – (Jean Louise), youngest child Tom Robinson – a black man accused of raping white girl; he is defended at trial by Atticus.

Key Ideas The story is told in first person (I) Story is told in the eyes of Scout Harper Lee, the author of To Kill a Mockingbird, is a woman. Scout represents the author when she was a little girl; however, the story is not an autobiography.