Intro to the novel by N. Harper Lee
 born April 28, 1926
 Childhood friend of famous
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http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap10/lee_harpe
r.html?newwindow=true
author Truman Capote (In Cold
Blood, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, “A
Christmas Memory”)
Youngest of four children born to
Amasa Coleman Lee and Frances
Cunningham Finch Lee
Grew up in Monroeville,
Alabama
Father was a lawyer
Was a “tomboy” when young
Biography from Wikipedia.org
 Attended all-female
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Huntingdon College (in
Alabama) and later University
of Alabama
Joined a sorority, but was
known as a “loner”
Began law school, but left it to
pursue writing
Moved to New York City at
age 23 to write
Never wrote a second novel
Became notoriously reclusive
after achieving fame for
Mockingbird
http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/face/Multimedia.jsp?id=m-2477
 Subgenre of Gothic fiction
 takes place exclusively in the
American South.
 relies on supernatural,
ironic, or unusual events to
guide the plot.
 uses these tools not solely for
the sake of suspense, but to
explore social issues and
reveal the cultural character
of the American South.
 employs the use of macabre,
ironic events to examine the
values of the American
south.
http://www.magicumbrella.com/xmas.htm
Wikipedia.org
 History of slavery and
racism
 Culture of Honor
 Politeness is highly valued
 Toughness and protection
of one’s family (esp.
women)
http://commentariesonthetimes.wordpress.com/tag/monique-wins-oscar/
“Men were expected to act like gentlemen, displaying courage,
moral strength, perseverance, and chivalry in defense of the
honor of their family name. Women were expected to be models
of feminine purity, grace, and virginity until it came time for
them to provide children to inherit the family legacy. Faith in
God and profound concern for preserving the family reputation
provided the grounding for these beliefs” (sparknotes.com).
 In 1863, the Civil War was
ended and the Emancipation
Proclamation signed by
Abraham Lincoln
 70 years later, in the 1930s,
racism was still a major issue
 Segregation existed legally
until Brown v. Board of
Education in 1954
 It still exists in practice in
many places around the
country
 It remains a problem today,
but major change happened
in the 1960s due to the Civil
Rights Movement
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:1943_Colored_Waiting_Room_Sign.jpg
usafamilymedicine.wordpress.com
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/070805/13rock.htm
http://www.examiner.com/american-history-in-national/segregated-drinking-fountains-photo
 The 1968 Civil Rights Act
began our modern hate crime
laws, but prior to that they
were not a separate type of
crime.
 WWI era (1914-18): Ku Klux
Klan committed many hate
crimes, including lynching
 Lynching was a vigilante
execution that involved
executing someone without
trial, often by hanging
 Could involve anyone
http://wonkette.com/424655/georgetown-u-finds-piece-of-ropeassumes-lynching-racist
accused of a crime, but were
often racially motivated
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