To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

1. To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

2. Table of Contents • Harper Lee’s early years • The 1930s “Deep South” • Harper Lee’s adult years • Civil Rights movement • Writing To Kill A Mockingbird

3. Harper Lee’s Early Years • Born Nelle Harper Lee, spring 1926 • Grew up in Monroeville, Alabama • Youngest of four children

4. Monroeville, Alabama Map

5. Parents • Father: Amasa Coleman Lee • Mother: Frances Finch Lee • Father: practiced law in Monroeville • Father: editor of The Monroe Journal

6. Capote Childhood • Personality • Childhood friend

7. Harper Lee’s Family • Position in the community • Responsibility for the community • Alice Lee

8. Alice Lee “Alice Lee has been a Rock of Gibraltar for this commission,'' said Armistead Harper, a 21-year member of the commission. "She has guided this board with her wisdom, fairness and intelligence. When we needed proper guidance for Monroeville, we got it from Alice Lee,” Harper said. “Because of her knowledge of the historic background of Monroeville and her legal background, she could recognize problems we would face and find a fair solution.”

9. Peck Father and Daughter “It was my plan for her to become a member of our law firm – but it just wasn’t meant to be. She went to New York to be a writer.” —Amasa Lee, 1961 Single click speaker to hear audio clip >>>>

10. Harper Lee’s Adult Years • Attended Huntingdon College • Attended the University of Alabama to study law

11. University Years • Worked for student publications • Editor of Rammer- Jammer • Attended Oxford University

12. 1950-1957 • Worked for Eastern Airlines in NYC • Pursued writing career full time in NYC • Wrote and submitted To Kill a Mockingbird

13. 1957-1959 • To Kill A Mockingbird manuscript rejected • Research assistant for Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood

14. The Writer Emerges! • Published To Kill A Mockingbird • Received Pulitzer Prize for novel

15. Novel Goes to the Movies • Did not initially attract producers • Gregory Peck starred as Atticus Finch Single click speaker to hear audio clip >>>>

16. Additional Writing • Wrote essay “Love…In Other Words” for Vogue • Wrote essay “Christmas To Me” for McCall’s • Wrote essay “When Children Discover America” for McCall’s

17. Johnson National Council of Arts • Named to the National Council on the Arts in 1966

18. Honorary Doctorates • University of Alabama • Spring Hill College • Sewanee: The University of the South • University of Notre Dame

19. 1930s Statistics • Facts about the 1930s: • Population: 123,188,000 in 48 states • Life Expectancy: Male, 58:1; Female, 61:6 • Average annual salary: $1,368 • Unemployment rises to 25% • Car Sales: 2,787,400 • Food Prices: Milk, 14 cents a qt.; Bread, 9 cents a loaf • Round Steak, 42 cents a pound • Lynchings: 21

20. Social Order • Wealthy and educated • Working-class whites • Nonworking-class whites • African Americans

21. Jim Crow Laws • Racial caste system • Perpetuated racism

22. The Deep South • Social order • Jim Crow laws • Southern towns

23. The Deep South Map

24. African American Row Houses

25. Affluent White’s Homes

26. Monroeville Demographics: 1930 Owner families: 1,925 Native white 1,242 Native parentage 1,241 Foreign or mixed parentage 1 Foreign-born white 3 Negro 677 Tenant families: 3,927 Native white 1,609 Native parentage 1,604 Foreign or mixed parentage 5 Foreign-born white 3 Negro 2,311 Tenure unknown 459 Farm families 4,426 Non-farm families 1,885

27. Monroeville Demographics: 1930

28. On March 25, 1931, a freight train was stopped in Paint Rock, Alabama Nine young African American men arrested Two white women accused men of raping them on the train Scottsboro Trial

29. Scottsboro: 1930s event Northern Alabama The poor white status of accusers was important Robinson: 1930s event Southern Alabama The poor white status of Mayella was important The Scottsboro Trial v. Tom Robinson’s Trial

30. Scottsboro: James E. Horton, judge, over-turned the guilty jury verdict All-white jury The jury ignored evidence— that the women suffered no injuries, for example Robinson: Atticus, lawyer, defends the African-American man All poor, white jury The jury ignores evidence— that Tom has a useless left arm, for example Horton The Scottsboro Trial v. Tom Robinson’s Trial Atticus and Tom

31. Civil Rights Movement • Influenced Harper Lee

32. Influence on Harper Lee Autherine Lucy tries to attend graduate school Univ. of Alabama • The Law and Jim Crow • Civil Rights Movement • Events in Alabama Martin Luther King’s rise to leadership Bus boycott Montgomery, AL

33. Parks Timeline of Events • 1954: Brown v. Topeka, Kansas Board of Education case • 1955: Young African American brutally murdered by whites • 1955: Rosa Parks and the Montgomery bus boycott

34. Brown v. Board Video Single click screen to view video

35. Timeline of Events • 1956: Autherine Lucy first African American admitted to University of Alabama • 1956: Autherine Lucy forced to flee University of Alabama campus • University’s Board of Trustees barred her from campus • 1957: Federal troops sent to Little Rock, Arkansas to protect nine African American students enter first integrated school

36. “An unjust law is a code that a majority inflicts on a minority that is not binding on itself. This is difference made legal. On the other hand, a just law is a code that a majority compels a minority to follow that it is willing to follow itself. This is sameness made legal.” —Martin Luther King, 1963 Letter from a Birmingham Jail Single click speaker to hear audio clip >>>>

37. Writing To Kill A Mockingbird • Themes • Viewpoint • Characters • Major Conflicts

38. Themes • Moral nature of man • Innocence to experience • How children learn morality • Social inequality • Vulnerability of innocent

39. Boo Video Single click screen to view video

40. Point of View • First person narrative through Scout • “When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow. When it healed, and Jem’s fears of never being able to play football were assuaged, he was seldom self-conscious about his injury.” Single click speaker to hear audio clip >>>>

41. Town Intro Video Single click screen to view video

42. Characters Middle-Class Whites – The Finches Working-Class Whites Cunningham Family Non-Working Whites The Ewell Family African Americans Tom Robinson, Calpurnia and Others

43. Major Characters Jean Louise “Scout” Finch--The narrator and protagonist of the story Atticus Finch--Scout and Jem’s father, a lawyer in Maycomb Jeremy Atticus “Jem” Finch--Scout’s brother and constant playmate Arthur “Boo” Radley-- A recluse who never sets foot outside his house Bob Ewell--A drunken, mostly unemployed man Charles Baker “Dill” Harris--Jem and Scout’s summer neighbor and friend Calpurnia--The Finches’ black cook, Calpurnia is a stern disciplinarian Tom Robinson--The black field hand accused of rape Aunt Alexandra-- Atticus’ sister, a strong-willed woman with a fierce devotion to her family. Alexandra is the perfect Southern lady Mayella Ewell--Bob Ewell’s abused, lonely, unhappy daughter

44. Minor Characters Mr. Dolphus Raymond--A wealthy white man who lives with his black mistress and mulatto children Link Deas--Tom Robinson’s employer Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose--An elderly, ill-tempered, racist woman who lives near the Finches Mr. Underwood--The publisher of Maycomb’s newspaper Walter Cunningham--Son of Mr. Walter Cunningham and classmate of Scout Miss Maudie Atkinson--The Finches’ neighbor, a sharp-tongued widow, and an old friend of the family Mr. Walter Cunningham--A poor farmer

45. She grew up in the 1930s in a rural Southern Alabama town. Her father, Amasa Lee, is an attorney who served in the state legislature in Alabama. Her older brother and young neighbor (Truman Capote) are playmates. Harper Lee is an avid reader as a child. She is six years old when the Scottsboro trials are widely covered in national, state and local newspapers. She grew up in the 1930s in a rural Southern Alabama town. Her father, Atticus Finch, is an attorney who served in the state legislature in Alabama. Her older brother (Jem) and young neighbor (Dill) are playmates. Scout reads before she enters school and reads the Mobile Register newspaper in first grade. She is eight years old when the trial of Tom Robinson takes place. Harper Lee v. Scout Finch

46. Conflicts • Person versus society • Person versus person • Person versus self “What did your father see in the window, the crime of rape or the best defense to it? Why don’t you tell the truth, child, didn’t Bob Ewell beat you up?” —Atticus Finch questioning Mayella on the witness stand

47. Mayella Video Single click screen to view video

48. Harper Lee’s Style • Allusions • Idioms • Colloquial Language • Autobiographical • Symbolism

49. Allusions “nothing to fear but fear itself” Battle of Hastings Dracula John Wesley “Let the cup pass from you” Rosetta stone Indian-head penny Willam Jennings Bryan Ivanhoe Andrew Jackson Stonewall Jackson

50. Idioms “get Miss Maudie’s goat” “walked on eggs” “set my teeth permanently on edge” “break camp” “when the chips are down” “he had seen the light” “looked daggers” “blue in the face” “into the limelight”