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Explore the social class, major themes, and dynamic characters of Harper Lee's classic novel "To Kill a Mockingbird." Set in the 1930s Alabama, the story follows Scout, Atticus, and other main characters in the face of racial tensions and social inequality.
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Harper Lee • Born on April 28, 1926 in Monroeville, Alabama • Youngest of four children • 1957 – submitted manuscript for her novel; was urged to rewrite it • Spent over two years reworking it • 1960 – To Kill a Mockingbird published • 1966 - was one of two persons named by President Johnson to the National Council of Arts • 2015 - Go Set a Watchman (a companion to Mockingbird) is published to mixed reviews. • Died February 19, 2016.
SETTING Maycomb, ALABAMA 1930’s
Main Characters • Scout (Jean Louise Finch) – six-year-old narrator of story • Jem (Jeremy Finch) – her older brother • Atticus Finch – Jem and Scout’s father, a prominent lawyer who defends a black man accused of raping a white woman • Arthur (Boo) Radley – a thirty-three-year-old recluse who lives next door • Charles Baker (Dill) Harris – Jem and Scout’s friend who comes to visit his aunt in Maycomb each summer • Tom Robinson – a respectable black man accused of raping a white woman • Calpurnia – the Finches’ black cook
Social Class in the Novel This is probably similar to how class structure existed during the 1930’s in the South. The wealthy, although fewest in number, were most powerful. The blacks, although great in number, were lowest on the class ladder, and thus, had the least privileges. Examples of each social class: Wealthy - Finches Country Folk - Cunninghams “White Trash” – Ewells Black Community – Tom Robinson
Living in the Great Depression • The Finches’ would be considered “middle class”, Atticus was still able to earn a living, but it looked different that before. • In the south, where people were the most poor, life didn’t really change much during The Great Depression. • The Great Depression increased racial tension, whites resented blacks who were able to make a living.
Major Themes in To Kill a Mockingbird Courage Justice Race Prejudice Good Versus Evil Education Social inequality Innocence
Symbolism A symbol is something that represents something else, either by association or by resemblance. It can be a material object or a written sign used to represent something invisible. The Mockingbird The Radley House The Mad Dog
Point of View • First person point of view • Scout’s the narrator • Coming of age story—moving from innocence to a more cynical view of the world.
Dynamic vs. Static Characters • STATIC characters do not change during a story. They can be either a main or minor character. • DYNAMIC characters change quite a bit during the course of a story. They can be either a main or a minor character.
Literary Terms to Know: • Foreshadowing: the use in a literary work of clues that suggest events that have yet to occur. This technique helps to create suspense, keeping readers wondering what will happen next. • Irony: portrays the difference between appearance and reality, expectation and result, or meaning and intention.
Literary Terms to Know: • Conflict: a struggle between opposing forces. Characters in conflict form the basis of stories, novels and plays. There are 2 kinds of conflict: external and internal. • Simile: a figure of speech in which like or as is used to make a comparison between two unlike ideas.
Literary Terms to Know: • Metaphor: a figure of speech in which one thing is spoken of as though it were something else. It implies the comparison. • Hyperbole: a deliberate exaggeration or overstatement. They are used for emphasis or comic effect.
Remember… • To Kill a Mockingbird was written at the start of the Civil Rights Movement, but is set during The Great Depression. Both historical time periods have an impact on the Author’s tone.
Words to Know • Stereotypes: Stereotypes are qualities assigned to groups of people related to their race, nationality and sexual orientation, to name a few. They generalize groups of people in manners that lead to discrimination and ignore the diversity within groups. Stereotypes are oversimplifications of people groups widely circulated in certain societies. In the United States, for example, racial groups are linked to stereotypes such as being good at math, athletics, dancing and so forth. In short, when one stereotypes, one repeats the cultural mythology already present in a particular society.
White against black Rich against poor Black against white Girls against boys Poor against rich Boys against girls Words to Know • Prejudice: Prejudice is a baseless and usually negative attitude toward members of a group. Common features of prejudice include negative feelings, stereotyped beliefs, and a tendency to discriminate against members of the group.
Words to Know • Racism: Racism is the prejudice that members of one race are intrinsically superior to members of other races. It involves the use of discriminatory or abusive behavior towards members of another race. • Bigotry: stubborn and complete intolerance of any creed, belief, or opinion that differs from one's own. • Discrimination: treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favor of or against, a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which that person or thing belongs rather than on individual merit:
Loaded Language • The language of To Kill a Mockingbird is vernacular. • Language is used to indicate racist attitudes of various characters. • Nigger, negro, colored. • Language is used to ask the question “which is worse—the institutional racism of Maycomb like the court system, or extreme individual racism of individuals like Bob Ewell”?
