Harper Lee’s

1. Harper Lee’s

2. Nelle Harper Lee • Author To Kill a Mockingbird • April 28, 1926 - • Sister, Alice Finch Lee • Attorney who, as of 2014, is age 102 and still practicing law • Parents: Frances Cunningham Finch & Amasa Coleman Lee • Awards: 1961 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction; Presidential Medal of Freedom

4. OpinionaireTrue or False 1. All men are created equal. 2. Girls should act like girls. 3. It's ok to be different. 4. Nobody is all bad or all good. 5. Some words are so offensive that they should never be stated or written. 6. Under our justice system, all citizens are treated fairly in our courts of law.

5. Opinionaire Continued: The old adage, “Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words can never hurt you,” is true. Speaking standard grammar proves that a person is smart. A hero is born, not made. Education is the great equalizer When the law does not succeed in punishing criminals, citizens hould do so.

6. What makes an Allegory? To Kill a Mockingbird The Scottsboro Trials Amasa Lee Attorney; State Legislature Harper Lee Six years old avid reader who read before she started school Tomboy, Called her father Amasa Truman Capote Harper’s best friend Odd little throw-away kid who only visited Monroeville in summer • Atticus Finch • Attorney; State Legislature • Scout Finch • Six years old • Avid reader; reads before she starts school • Tomboy, Calls her father Atticus • Dill (Charles Baker Harris) • Scout’s best friend • Odd little throw-away kid who only visited Maycomb in summer

7. To Kill a Mockingbird Scottsboro Trials Older sister, Alice Finch Lee Setting Monroeville, AL 1935 Small town Scottsboro Trials Begins with charge of rape White trash status of accusers Serious evidence ignored by jury Jury had no African-Americans • Older brother, Jem Finch • Setting • Maycomb, AL 1935 • Small town • Tom Robinson Trials • Begins with charge of rape • White trash status of accusers • Serious evidence ignored by jury • Jury had no African-Americans

8. CourageThe ability to physically overcome something. “ I wanted you to see what real courage is. . .It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what.” Atticus Finch To Kill a Mockingbird

11. Empathy “First of all, . . .if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view.” “Sir?” “. . .until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.Atticus Finch

12. Class Structure in 1930’s South • Upper Class: White collar Caucasians • Atticus Finch, Judge Taylor, Miss Maudie, Miss Stephanie • Blue collar, white workers • The Cunninghams, Dolphus Raymond, The Radleys • White Trash • The Ewells • African Americans

13. Conscience The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience.

14. Superstition • The Mockingbird Motif • The destruction of innocence • Fear of the unknown • The gap that exists between the rational and the irrational in the perceptions of seemingly intelligent and civilized people • The fear and ignorance which keep prejudice alive are comparable to those which support superstition

15. The Coexistence of Good & Evil

16. The importance of moral education Lessons Taught vs Lessons Learned: Ethics Responsibility Truth • Get in groups of 3 – 5. come up with your own definitions for the three terms above. Write down you definitions, and come up with an example for each to prove how your definition works. • Be prepared to present a short play demonstrating of one of your definitions