DIN: Do It Now How do you define integrity and do you have it?
To Kill a Mockingbird Introductory Information
Author Harper Lee Born (and raised) in Monroeville Alabama, 1926 Descendant of General Robert Lee (commander of the confederate army during the civil war) Went to law school in Alabama, but never finished; briefly lived in NYC 1961: won the Pulitzer Prize, among other awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, highest national civilian award Parallels exist between her own life and events in the book: Her father is the model for Atticus Finch, and the trial is based on a real life event as well.
Birmingham* -MLK Letter Montgomery -Rosa Parks
Lynchings were popular activities While Lee was writing TKAM…
Segregation was still prevalent
African American Leaders emerged and people began to question and challenge the persisting racial ideologies.
Integration Famous pictures of Little Rock Nine 1957
Other Important Events The 1960s Man on the moon Woodstock Jackie Robinson Vietnam War begins Kent State Tragedy Marilyn Monroe dies Martin Luther King Jr.’s march on Washington and assassination JFK: 1 st Roman Catholic President
The Setting of Lee’s book is the 1930s. *Note: The Civil War began in 1861, but 100 years later, African Americans were still oppressed.
What we know about the 1930s: Population: 123 million in 48 states Life Expectancy: Male, 58.1; Female, 61.6 Average salary: $1,368 Unemployment at 25%, (average=5%); proposal of a guaranteed annual income of $2,500 Car Sales: 2,787,400 Food Prices: Milk, 14 cents a qt.; Bread, 9 cents a loaf; Round Steak, 42 cents a pound WHAT ELSE?
Images from the Great Depression Sign reads “ Line for restaurant…I will feed 20 Unemployment lines
A home during the Great Depression
A Town of Shanties
One of the most famous images from the G.D. …The Great Depression was especially hard on southerners because many people left rural areas in hopes to find work and prosperity in larger cities. *Pause for Questions
Era, Setting, Environment Of and within TKAM Small town of Maycomb Alabama, Great Depression, which began in 1929, with the stock market crash, and lasted through the 1930s. *essentially began 10 years earlier in the south Ripe with racial tensions, poverty, traditional morals and ideals While Lee was writing TKAM Era: the heart of the Civil Rights Movement – 1955 Montgomery bus boycott – 1954: Segregation deemed unconstitutional Racial tensions were intense: KKK activity, hate crimes, lynching, Jim Crow Laws
Why do we read this book? Understand and be aware of certain ideologies that persisted and still exist in society (racism, sexism, classism, etc) Because it is a timeless story with lessons about justice, challenges, prejudices, courage (physical and moral), identity, family, and growing up emotionally, intellectually and physically…Which of these don’t relate to you? Make discoveries about ourselves and our world, as with most great stories
Presenting your narrator: Scout Finch Characterization: we learn about characters by being told about them, by seeing them in action and/or through internal viewings Is Scout a boy or girl? Black or white? How do you know?
Scout is our narrator and is between the ages of 6-9 when the story takes place. We see her view of the world when she was this age, but she tells the story in 2 ways: what she believes she saw, heard, felt and thought and her re- evaluation of the events. Examples of times you witnessed something and only understood it later, looking back. Questions? Comments? Discussion of reading
Works Cited ptdYAzB- dl4/s400/great%2Bdepression%2Bshack%2Bpigs.jpg&imgrefurl= D202&h=315&w=400&sz=36&hl=en&start=21&usg=__r1- XVrxGBlJmNql8no8be_YEhwY=&tbnid=PoLTgFPIy010hM:&tbnh=98&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dgreat%2B depression%26start%3D20%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Dactive%26sa%3DN