1. Intro Notes for To Kill a Mockingbird
Written by: Harper Lee

2. Harper Lee Born on April 28, 1926 in Monroeville, Alabama
Youngest of four children
1957—submitted manuscript for her novel; was urged to rewrite it
Spent over two years reworking it
1960—To Kill a Mockingbird (her only novel until 2015’s Go Set a Watchman—sequel) was published
1966—Was one of two people named by President Johnson to the National Council of Arts
Passed away earlier this year on February 19th at the age of 89

3. Setting of the Novel Southern United States 1930’s Great Depression
Prejudice and legal segregation
Ignorance

4. Point of View First Person
Story is told by Scout, a six-year-old girl who grows to be eight within the story. As a narrator, she is a grown adult looking back on her life, but in the timeline of the novel is a girl.
Scout represents the author as a little girl although the story is not strictly autobiographical.

5. Social Class in the Novel
This is probably similar to how class structure existed during the 1930’s in the South. The wealthy, although fewest in number, were most powerful. The blacks, although great in number, were lowest on the class ladder, and thus, had the least privileges.
Examples of each social class (in order):
1. Wealthy - Finches
2. Country Folk - Cunninghams
3. “White Trash” aka people living on “relief”– Ewells
4. Black Community – Tom Robinson

6. 1930’s - Great Depression began when the stock market crashed in October, 1929
Businesses failed, factories closed
People were out of work
Even people with money suffered because nothing was being produced for sale.
Poor people lost their homes, were forced to “live off the land.”

7. Racial prejudice was alive & well
Racial prejudice was alive & well. Although slavery had ended in 1864, old ideas were slow to change.

8. Race Gender Handicaps Rich/Poor Age Religion
Prejudice in the novel
Race
Gender
Handicaps
Rich/Poor
Age
Religion

9. Racial separation (segregation)

10. Legal Segregation in Alabama, 1923-1940
No white female nurses in hospitals that treat black men
Separate passenger cars for whites and blacks
Separate waiting rooms for whites and blacks
Separation of white and black convicts
Separate schools
No interracial marriages
Segregated water fountains
Segregated theatres

11. Gender Bias (Prejudice)
Women were considered “weak”
Women were generally not educated for occupations outside the home
In wealthy families, women were expected to oversee the servants and entertain guests
Men not considered capable of nurturing children

12. Legal Issues of the 1930’s which impact the story
Women given the vote in 1920
Juries were MALE and WHITE
“Fair trial” did not include acceptance of a black man’s word against a white man’s

13. Southern Mentality Family values Hospitality Gossip—Small
town mentality; every-
one knew everyone

14. Language
Sometimes the language of Scout will be that of her as a child; other times, she will be speaking in the voice of an adult
Atticus uses formal speech
Calpurnia uses “white language” in the Finch house and switches to “black jargon” when amidst African-Americans
The Ewells use foul words and obscenities
Jem, Scout, and Dill will use slang words, typical of their age
Various derogatory terms for blacks will be used such as “nigger,” “darky,” “Negroes,” and “colored folk” – Lee uses such language to keep her novel naturally in sync with common language of the times

15. "Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy
"Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird."