1. To Kill a Mockingbird
By Harper Lee

2. About the author: Harper Lee is a woman.
Scout represents the author as a little girl although the story is not strictly autobiographical.
Won the Pulitzer in 1961 for the novel.

3. Time of Publication Published in 1960.
Civil Rights Movement has strong momentum
1964 Senate passes the Civil Rights Act banning discrimination because of a person’s color, race, national origin, or sex.

4. Setting of the novel: Southern United States
Fictional town—Maycomb
Slow to change and new ideas/people are not welcome
Depression does not have a huge effect on them
1933 (summer) – 1935 (Halloween)

5. The 1930’s
The Great Depression began when the stock market crashed in October of 1929

6. Businesses failed; factories closed.
People were out of work.
Even people with money suffered because nothing was being produced for sale.
In Maycomb, the poor felt the effects of the Depression the most.

7. Some people lost their homes and were forced to “live off the land.”

9. In addition to the Depression, racial prejudice was alive in the United States.
Although slavery had ended in 1864, people were slow to change.
The whites of the South could not accept the idea of former slaves voting and holding office
Some whites resorted to violence
Our country was divided by race.

10. Racial Separation and Segregation

11. Racial Separation and Segregation

12. Racial Separation and Segregation

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

14. “White Trash” Poor uneducated white people who lived on “relief”
Lowest social class, even below the poor blacks
Prejudiced against black people
Felt the need to “put down” blacks in order to elevate themselves.

16. Legal Issues of the 1930’s which impact the novel
Juries were male and white.
Fair trial did not include acceptance of a black man’s word against a white man’s.

17. Prejudices in the novel:
Race
Gender
Handicaps
Rich/Poor
Age
Religion

18. Characters in the novel:
Atticus Finch
An attorney
Wife died
He is raising their two children
Lee’s father was an attorney…he is the basis for this character.

19. Characters in the novel:
Jem Finch
Jeremy Finch
Male
Ten-years old

20. Characters in the novel:
Scout Finch
Jean Louise
Female
Six-years old

21. Point of View To Kill a Mockingbird is told in first person narration.
The story is told by Scout when she is ten-years-old.
The story is told in flashback.

22. Reading the Novel Setting Point of View (First-person narrative)
Be aware of the “time” and “place” as we begin reading.
Point of View (First-person narrative)
The novel is shaped by the voice of a young girl who sees the story from a position of naïve acceptance.

23. Reading the Novel Themes Goodness vs. Ignorance (Evil) Prejudice
Understanding
Loss of Innocence
Education
Religion
A time for courage

24. Literary Terms
Diction—the style of speaking and writing as reflected in the author’s choice and use of words
Dialect—the characteristic speech of a region or social group
Irony—the contrast between reality and what appears to be real

25. Literary Terms
Foreshadowing—a clue or suggestion of a coming event, used to create suspense and heighten the reader’s interest.
Mood—the atmosphere of the work (Lee uses powerful description and language)
Symbols—any object, person, or place that represents something else

26. Literary Terms
Bildungsroman--is a genre of the novel which focuses on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist from youth to adulthood

27. Pre-reading Activity Definitions
Prejudice—Prejudgment…preconceived, usually unfavorable judgements toward people or a person because of gender, social class, religion, age or other personal characteristic. Positive or negative evaluation of another person based on their group membership

28. Discrimination—the distinguishing treatment of an individual based on their actual or perceived membership in a certain group or category…in a way that is worse than the way people are usually treated

29. Racism—views, practices, and actions reflecting the belief that humanity is divided into distinct biological groups and that memebers of a certain race share certain attributes which make that group as a whole less desirable

30. Vocabulary Check 1-11
Cantankerous—adj. bad-tempered, argumentative, and uncooperative
Compel—verb. force or oblige (someone) to do something
Quibble—noun. a slight objection or criticism

31. Feeble—adj. lacking physical strength, especially as a result of age or illness
Mortify—verb. cause (someone) to feel embarrassed, ashamed, or humiliated
Irk—verb. irritate; annoy

32. Reconnaissance--noun
Reconnaissance--noun. military observation of a region to locate an enemy or ascertain strategic features
Tranquil—adj. free from disturbance; calm

33. Malevolent—adj. having or showing a wish to do evil to others
Asinine—adj. extremely stupid or foolish