To Kill a Mockingbird

1. To Kill a Mockingbird By Harper Lee

2. A Multifaceted Story To Kill a Mockingbird has been called: • A semi-autobiographical novel • An indictment of racism • An encouragement to think for oneself • A bildungsroman (coming-of-age) novel • It is all of these things Tell your students: this is a GREAT book. It starts a little slowly, but they will never forget it. - Liz Freymuth, CMHS Class of 2012

3. The Author • Harper Lee – grew up a tomboy in the South in the ‘30’s. • Her father was a lawyer and member of the legislature • She was puzzled by many things she saw, such as racism and classism. • Never expected her book to create much of a stir.

4. What was Life Like Back Then?Here are some points… • Class versus race • Jim Crow laws were enforced. • Slavery had been outlawed for over 50 years, but in some places, it was just ‘repackaged’. • Segregation and “Separate but Equal” were the law of the land • Popular stereotypes prevailed

5. Class versus Race • Educated, respectable African-Americans were still regarded as lower on the social scale than poor whites. • Poor whites, fearing that they were slowly losing ground to educated, respectable African-Americans, were very racist and violent against them. • African-Americans had very little protection under the law, and none in society.

6. Jim Crow Laws • Named after “Jump, Jim Crow”, a minstrel song and dance number. • Written by Southern Democrats. (That’s right- Democrats) • Designed to keep the African-Americans ‘in their place’ • Made voting very difficult for them • Poll taxes, Property-ownership rules, Literacy tests • Anti-miscegenation laws • Punishable by death in some cases

7. Repackaged Slavery – an excerpt from Jim Crow Laws • "Negroes must make annual contracts for their labor in writing; if they run away from their tasks, they forfeited their wages for the year. Whenever it was required of them they must present licenses citing their places of residence and authorizing them to work. Fugitives from labor were to be arrested and carried back to their employers. Five dollars a head and mileage would be allowed such negro catchers. It was made a misdemeanor, punishable with fine or imprisonment, to persuade a freedman to leave his employer, or to feed the runaway. Such corporal punishment as a father would administer to a child might be inflicted upon apprentices by their masters. Negroes might not carry knives or firearms unless they were licensed so to do. It was an offence to give or sell intoxicating liquors to a negro. When negroes could not pay the fines and costs after legal proceedings, they were to be hired at public auction by the sheriff to the lowest bidder...."

8. Repackaged Slavery – an excerpt from Jim Crow Laws • "In South Carolina persons of color contracting for service were to be known as "servants," and those with whom they contracted, as "masters." On farms the hours of labor would be from sunrise to sunset daily, except on Sunday. The negroes were to get out of bed at dawn. Time lost would be deducted from their wages, as would be the cost of food, nursing, etc., during absence from sickness. House servants were to be at call at all hours of the day and night on all days of the week. They must be "especially civil and polite to their masters, their masters' families and guests," and they in return would receive "gentle and kind treatment." Corporal and other punishment was to be administered only upon order of the district judge or other civil magistrate."

9. “Separate but Equal” • Thanks to ‘Plessy vs Ferguson’, the law permitted “Separate but Equal” accommodations for the races. • “Equal” was in the eye of the beholder.

10. “Separate but Equal” • Separate but Equal kept the races apart and suspicious of each other.

11. Legal Trouble African-Americanswere… • More likely to be arrested for petty offenses • More likely to be over-sentenced as well • 5 years hard labor for stealing a chicken • Rarely got a fair trial • No African-American jury members • Whites who had to get along with their neighbors, and didn’t care if the verdict wasn’t fair • If they got a trial at all…

12. “Justice” • Many African-Americans defendants were ‘convicted’ without a trial by mob rule and ‘executed’ by lynching. • Many Northerners and Republicans were also lynched, for helping African-Americans register to vote. • Organizations like the KKK were a driving force ‘to keep dem in they place’.

13. Life in the 30’s South • Even when they weren’t being blamed, beaten, and hanged, minorities were being treated unfairly. • Racist attitudes left them with second-class-citizen status. • In some ways, it was somewhat less-than-completely-human status. • Negro Leagues, Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron • Dr. Charles Drew

14. Racial Stereotypes • Nationwide advertising reflected the racial stereotypes of the day. • Look at the following examples, and consider the source (without getting offended.) • These were considered okay by everyone, North and South alike.

15. Extremely Racist Advertising

16. MORE Extremely Racist Advertising • In Media

17. Aunt Jemima & Rastus • REALLY bad!

18. All Minorities got Equally Bad Treatment Asian Native American Atticus Finch

19. Asian Hispanic Irish (Hirohito) (Frito Bandito) (Drunk/Violent)

20. Racial Stereotypes of the 1930’s • African-American – lazy, immature, violent, unintelligent, need to be cared for and watched • (Clarence Thomas, Walter Williams?) • Hispanic – lazy, dirty, thieves, can’t be trusted • (Caesar Chavez, Jaime Escalante,Sonia Sotomayer?) • Jew – greedy, anti-Christian, will take over US • (Albert Einstein, Daniel Pearl?) • Asian – drug-addicted, trafficking in girls, anti-US. • (Amy Tan, Steven Cho?) • Irish – lazy, violent drunks, dirty, untrustworthy • (John Glenn, Ronald Reagan?)

21. Cast of Main Characters in To Kill a Mockingbird • Atticus Finch – very wise lawyer, legislator, doesn’t buy into stereotypes • Scout – (Jean Louise) – Narrator - Intelligent tomboy who doesn’t act like a girl despite pressure from adults except her father • Jem – (Jeremy) – Scout’s older brother • Boo – (Arthur Radley) – reclusive neighbor about whom they make up stories • Nathan Radley – Boo’s controlling father • Bob Ewell – drunk white trash who stirs up trouble • Mayella Ewell – more white trash – Bob’s daughter, ‘raped’ by Tom • Dill Harris – Scout and Jem’s summer friend – VERY imaginative • Miss Maudie Atkinson – neighbor and friend • Calpurnia – the Finches’ cook and Scout’s surrogate mother-figure • Tom Robinson – Black worker wrongfully accused of rape • Heck Tate – Sheriff of Maycomb

22. Vocabulary: Chap 1 Assuaged apothecarypiety Methodistsbrethren strictures dictumchattels impotent taciturn Spittoon unsullied impudent ambledRepertoire vapideavesVeranda malevolent predilection corsets domiciled beadle scold ramrodForay