1. To Kill a Mockingbird
An Introduction

2. Why I Like To Kill a Mockingbird
I can relate to the characters – especially to the narrator, Scout!
It’s funny – Laugh-out-loud funny!
It appeals to our sense of injustice and has themes related justice and tolerance that make it very relevant for today.
It’s a beautifully told story.
Boo Radley narrative
Tom Robinson case

3. Why To Kill a Mockingbird?
Written during the height of the Civil Rights movement in 1960.
Illuminates important themes and starts difficult conversations that are still relevant for today’s readers.
Won Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1961 after in its 41st week as a best-seller.
Translated into 40 languages
Sold more than 30 million copies
Voted “America’s Favorite Book” in 2018 through PBS’s The Great American Read project.

4. What You Need to Know: Historical Context
Setting
The novel is set in Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930s (Depression Era).
At this time, the South operated under the Jim Crow Laws which upheld racial segregation.
This economic and social backdrop influences the characters’ decision-making and underlies the characters’ conflicts related to class and race (and gender)
Watch this brief video related on the setting of the novel. As you view, write down information that you find to be interesting in the “Video Notes” section of your guide. Then answer the questions provided on your “Introducing To Kill a Mockingbird” handout.
The setting of the novel is loosely based on Lee’s hometown of Monroeville Alabama in the 1930s. Lee’s picture of life in the Deep South at this time has as it’s backdrop the Great Depression which heavily impacted rural communities and towns like Lee’s. In addition to having to face the economic struggles of the 1930s deep south, the characters of the novel are also influenced by the social climate of the time – in particular, Jim Crow laws which upheld racial segregation. This economic and social backdrop influences the characters’ decision-making and underlies the characters’ conflicts related to class and race (and even gender). To more full explore the historical backdrop of TKaM watch this brief video and answer the questions on the viewing guide provided.

5. Video Discussion Questions
David Cunningham describes Jim Crow segregation as both a system of laws and a system of customs.  What is the difference between laws and customs?
In what ways did black and white lives overlap in Alabama in 1930s?  In what ways were they completely separated?
What was the effect of the Depression on the relationships between whites and blacks in the Jim Crow South?  Why?
What were some of the unwritten rules of segregation?  What were some of the complications around those rules?
What were the consequences of questioning Jim Crow?  How do you think they were different for blacks and whites?

6. Video Recap
To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in the 1930’s deep South.
The Great Depression greatly affected the residents of this region, along with the entire country.
The economic stress at the time exacerbated the already strict and unforgiving social climate, especially in regards to racial tensions.
To Kill a Mockingbird was published during the height of the Civil Rights Movement that resulted in legislation related to equality and race.

7. The Title
“Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to shoot a mockingbird.” –Atticus Finch, in To Kill a Mockingbird
Blue Jay
Mockingbird
The blue jay is very aggressive and territorial. Groups of blue jays often attack intruders and predators. They often drive other birds away from bird feeders.
The blue jay is also very vocal. It makes a number of different calls including its distinctive "jay- jay."  It also growls, whistles and chatters.
The mockingbird was given its name because of its ability to mimic the calls of dozens of other bird species. It’s Latin name, Mimus polyglottus, means “many-tongued mimic”
Miss Maudie explains, “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy […] they don’t one thing but sing their hearts out to us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (119).
In addition to the themes revolving around racial injustice – there is a theme related to the destruction/corruption of innocence. Not only is the narrator Scout’s innocence slowly stripped away as she witnesses the prejudices and injustices of her time. The novel also reveals the way in which innocence, including innocent people, should be protected. This quote from Scout’s father, Atticus, captures an important idea related to this theme. He explains to his children…[read quote]. To full understand the metaphorical significance of this quote, we need to understand the temperaments of the birds he references. A blue jay [read slide]..On the other hand, the mockingbird [read slide]. The mockingbird, then becomes a symbol of innocence throughout the text – pay attention to who in the text could be considered a mockingbird – an innocence person, minding his own business, who has been the innocent victim of circumstances or social injustice.

8. Making Connections
On your pre-reading guide, write a brief paragraph in response to the following questions. Consider your responses to these questions throughout your reading of the novel.
Think about a community in which you are a member—for instance, your school, religious community, family, or group of friends. What are some of the most important rules in that community? Are these rules written down? What are the most important unwritten rules, those not written down but which everyone knows about?
Write about a pivotal choice you have made in your life or an experience you have had that was influenced by the setting. What other options might have been available to you if you lived in a different place and time? What circumstances would have influenced you to make a different decision?