TO KILL A
MOCKINGBIRD
NOVEL BY: HARPER LEE
(NELLE) HARPER LEE
•
Born in Monroeville, Alabama on April 28, 1926
(she would have been same age as Scout, the narrator,
when the book takes place)
•
Lee’s father was a small-town lawyer
•
Her father’s side of the family is related to Robert E. Lee
(Confederate general)
•
Lee spent many hours of her childhood at the local
courthouse with her father
•
Lee’s mother’s maiden name was Frances Finch
•
Harper Lee attended the University of Alabama where she
studied law, but she did not finish her degree because she
moved to New York.
•
Harper Lee published To Kill a Mockingbird in 1960 and it
remains the only novel she ever published.
•
She wrote To Kill a Mockingbird as a first-person narrative
from Scout’s perspective.
TO KILL A
MOCKINGBIRD
• Book was published in 1960, which was a time of
great civil unrest in America. Novel quickly rose to
the top of every bestseller list and stayed there for
over 18 months. There were 15 million copies of the
book sold in the first couple years of publication.
• Lee won the Pulitzer Prize for Literature in 1961
• Scout, who is the narrator, is 5 years old (almost 6)
when the book begins and Jem, her brother, is 9
(almost 10). The book is told from Scout’s childhood
point of view as a flashback and covers a period of
about 3 years.
• Many believe the trial in the story (Part II) is based on
the “Scottsboro Boys” trial that occurred in April
1931. This case showed the lack of equal justice and
strong prejudice in the South.
“SCOTTSBORO BOYS”
TRIAL
• Nine African-American teenage boys (the youngest was
12) were accused and put on trial for raping two young
white women on a train.
• All-white jury convicted all of the African-American boys
and sentenced some to 75-99 years in prison and
others to the death penalty.
• The US Supreme Court overturned the verdicts twice
and the case was retried in Alabama (once because of
inadequate counsel for the defendants and once
because the trial did not have any African-American
members on the jury).
• There were six appellate trials and later one of the
women recanted her testimony. In 1937 the charges
were dropped for 5 of the men, two were paroled in
1944, one was paroled in 1951, and one was pardoned
in 1976.
• Lee was only 6 during this trial, but it had a profound
impact on her and there are many similarities to this trial
that can be found in the novel.
SOUTHERN SOCIAL
STRUCTURE IN EARLY
1900S
• After the Civil War ended, the social structure of the South
changed. Social class played a major role in Southern
culture. (Social class and race are very important in To
Kill a Mockingbird.)
• Plantation owners and educated professionals made up
the upper class. (Many lived on same plantations or in
same towns for generations. Family name meant a lot to
social standing and reputation.)
• Small farm and small business owners made up the
middle class.
• African-American farmers, mill workers, and unskilled
laborers made up the lower class.
• However, in the 1930s the South suffered greatly due to
The Great Depression. Farm prices fell over 50% in value.
• Average family income in early 1930s was $750 annually,
but annual farm income was only $275.
RACISM IN THE
SOUTH IN 1930S
• Most significant social issues in the South in the 1930s
were segregation and poverty.
• Laws forbid African-Americans and whites from mixing in
any public areas such as schools, restrooms, buses, or
trains.
• Mixed marriage was not allowed
• African-Americans had separate schools, but most
“colored” schools did not have books or supplies, and the
children had little opportunity to attend school because
they were needed to work the fields.
• African-Americans and farmers suffered the most
financially in the South during the 1930s.
VOTER REQUIREMENTS
IN THE SOUTH DURING
1930S
• 15th amendment was ratified on February 3,
1870, which gave African-Americans the legal
right to vote.
• Many Southern states manipulated this law by
having strict voter registration requirements
such as:
• Literacy tests (many could not read)
• Poll taxes (many could not afford the tax)
• Making voting locations difficult to find (unclear
location)
• Intimidation of voters (fear of physical harm)
CONTROVERSY AND TO
KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
• The Civil Rights movement was a major focus and
issue across the nation when the book was published.
• Critics often claim the book is unrealistic because it is
told from a child’s perspective.
• Others favor the novel and claim it is an accurate
portrayal of racist discrimination in the South during
the 1930s.
• The book is still banned in some schools because of
derogatory language and instances of violence.
• Advocates of the novel claim it teaches tolerance and
an understanding of the importance of race equality,
which is still a social issue in today’s society.
THEMES IN THE
NOVEL …
• Deceptive appearances
• Loss of innocence
• Reality of evil in the world
• Prejudice
• Courage and Bravery
CHARACTERS IN THE
NOVEL (LIST ON YOUR
MWDS) …
Scout (Jean Louise Finch)
Boo (Arthur) Radley
Jem (Jeremy Finch)
Uncle Jack
Atticus Finch
Mrs. Dubose
Aunt Alexandra
Miss Caroline
Dill
Cousin F. Finch
Miss Maudie
Rev. Sykes
Calpurnia
Judge Taylor
Heck Tate (sheriff)
Mr. Gilmer
Miss Rachel
Mr. Nathan Radley
Tom Robinson
Helen Robinson
Mayella Ewell
Mr. Walter Cunningham
Mr. Bob Ewell
Walter Cunningham (Jr.)
Miss Stephanie Crawford
Miss Merriweather
Dolphus Raymond
Mr. BB Underwood
Mr. Link Deas
Cecil Jacobs