Harper Lee, The Depression and Historical Research for To Kill a Mockingbird
Introduction
You are about to read the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. The story is set in the sleepy town of
Maycomb, Alabama. In the novel Atticus Finch is asked to defend a black man charged with the
rape of a white woman. Through the young eyes of his children, Scout and Jem Finch, Harper
Lee explores the irrationality of adult attitudes toward race and class in the South during the
1930’s. The consciousness of a town steeped in prejudice, violence, and hypocrisy is
underscored by the quiet heroism of one man’s struggle for justice. To best understand the
lessons of this great novel, you must first understand the author, the times, and the place in which
the story is set.
Questions
You should answer all questions thoroughly. You have ample time to complete ALL questions;
so be sure to SPEND YOUR TIME WISELY. The questions will be graded for correctness!
The Process
You may work with a partner for this assignment, both of you should observe the websites and
both of you should provide input for each answer. These links all work but you may choose
others to find the answers.
Conclusion
After completing this activity, you should have learned the following:
· Background information of the author, Harper Lee
· Historical background for the novel
· Insight into some of the events in the novel
Quotes from the novel
http://www.quotegarden.com/bk-km.html
Harper Lee
http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/harperle.htm
What work is Harper Lee most famous for writing?
When did she win the Pulitzer Prize and for what piece of literature?
What famous Civil War general is Harper Lee related to?
Where and during what time is Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, set?
Truman Capote
http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/capote.htm
Who is Truman Capote?
What is his relationship to Harper Lee?
Is Dill patterned after a real life character? Explain.
Jim Crow
http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1559.html
http://www.ferris.edu/JIMCROW/what.htm
Where did the term, "Jim Crow," originate from? How is the origin of this term offensive? List 2
ways.
After the year 1900, what did the term "Jim Crow" become identified with?
What Supreme Court case upheld segregation, or "separate but equal"?
Who was Rosa Parks? What was her role in the challenge of Jim Crow laws?
How were these laws finally invalidated?
The Scottsboro Boys
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottsboro_Boys
Who were the Scottsboro Boys? What did they do? How did they get in so much trouble?
The Scottsboro Boys’ attorneys were extremely incompetent. How did the defense attorneys
show their lack of experience?
Were the Scottsboro Boys ever pardoned of their wrongful convictions?
The Murder of Emmett Till
http://www.watson.org/~lisa/blackhistory/early-civilrights/emmett.html
Why was Emmett Till murdered?
Why did the prosecution have trouble finding witnesses?
Why was the casket left open?
Why did the jury claim that the accused were not guilty?
What do you think was the real reason the men were found not guilty?
The Great Depression
http://history1900s.about.com/od/photographs/tp/greatdepressionpictures.htm#step1#step-1
http://www.history.com/topics/great-depression
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Depression
Who were the Presidents during the 1930’s?
What is "Black Tuesday" and why does it mark the beginning of the Great Depression?
What was the New Deal? How did the New Deal affect American citizens?
What was the Dust Bowl?
How did the Dust Bowl affect the Southern Plains?
What affect did the Dust Bowl have on agriculture? How would this affect farmers and their
employers?
Given what you learned about the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, make a prediction about
what you think the setting of To Kill A Mockingbird will look like. What will the houses look
like? What will the characters be wearing? How will the characters act towards each other? How
will Scout's classmates act toward Scout knowing that her father is a lawyer?