Presentation Transcript

1. To Kill a Mockingbird

   An informative introduction to inform you of important information
2. Nelle Harper Lee Born in 1926 and raised in Monroeville, Alabama. Dad- Amasa Coleman Lee (prominent lawyer) Mom- Francis Cunningham FINCH Lee Tomboy as a kid Grew up with young Truman Capote A man lived down the street from them was a recluse who put things into trees.
3. The Scottsboro Boys After the stock market crash in October of 1929 everyone was poor and hopeless and starving. It was commonplace to hop trains and travel from place to place looking for work/adventure. In 1931 on the Southern Railroad between Chattanooga and Memphis nine black males, several white males, and two females were hoboing through the South.
4. The Scottsboro Boys After a fight between the white and black males near Lookout Mountain, the white males were kicked off the train. Upon arrival in Paint Rock, Alabama the nine black males found a posse waiting to arrest them. They were accused of assaulting the white males and of raping the two white females. This is the Jim Crow South, so lynching was still prevalent.
5. The Scottsboro Boys Victoria Price and Ruby Bates in 1931, shortly after accusing the nine youths of rape.
6. The Scottsboro Boys Olen Montgomery (age 17) Clarence Norris (age 19) Haywood Patterson (age 18) Ozie Powell (age 16) Willie Roberson (age 16) Charlie Weems (age 16) Eugene Williams (age 13) brothers Andy (age 19) and Roy Wright (age 12).
7. The Scottsboro Trials The National Guard was called in to deal with the lynch mobs that gathered outside the jail. Sherriff Matt Wann stood in front of the doors with a gun claiming he would kill the first person to walk through the door. In Scottsboro, Alabama the boys awaited trial and faced an all white jury. Most of the boys were illiterate, yet they were barred from speaking to a defense attorney.
8. The Scottsboro Trials The Defense: Milo Moody, an old guy that hadn’t worked a defense case in a decade. Stephen Roddy, a real estate lawyer who was unfamiliar with Alabama law and admitted he didn’t have time to prepare for the case. Key Witness: Dr. Bridges, the doctor that examined the girls found no evidence of brutality or rape, though the girls had claimed they were beaten and raped at knife point.
9. The Verdict Despite their obvious innocence, 8 of the youths were found guilty and sentenced to death by electrocution. The date for the electrocution was set as early as was legally possible. Only 12 year old Roy Wright escaped the death penalty, as he was too young.
10. The Appeal Thanks to interventions by the American Communist Party, International Labor Defense, and the NAACP an appeal was filed and new defense attorneys were assigned. After a rushed retrial, seven of the eight sentences were upheld. The case was again appealed to the Supreme Court, which found the boys’ due process of law was violated, not that they were innocent.
11. It goes on. After several rounds of appeals and hurried retrials, Ruby Bates finally admitted that she and Victoria Price were lying. Still, the majority of the boys were found guilty of rape and given life sentences.
12. Aftermath On July 22, 1937, Andrew Wright was convicted of rape and sentenced to 99 years. He was paroled, but returned to prison after violating parole. Finally released in 1950, he was paroled in New York. On July 24, 1937, Charlie Weems was convicted of rape and sentenced to 105 years in prison. He was paroled in 1943 after serving 12 years in some of the worst prisons in the nation. Ozie Powell was sent to Kilby prison with. While being transported to Birmingham Prison, two officers threatened the men. Powell pulled a pocket knife and cut one of the officers, while the other two allegedly pulled him away with their manacled hands. One of the officers shot Powell in the face, and he suffered permanent brain damage.
13. Aftermath On July 24, 1937, the state of Alabama dropped all charges against Willie Roberson, Olen Montgomery, Eugene Williams, and Roy Wright. The four had spent over 6 years in prison on death row. Wright eventually shot his own wife before turning the gun on himself. On July 26, 1937, Haywood Patterson was sent to Atmore State Prison Farm, and all the remaining "Scottsboro Boys" were sent to Kilby Prison. Governor Graves had planned to pardon them in 1938, but was angered by their hostility and refusal to admit their guilt; he refused the pardons.
14. Aftermath What do you think a highly publicized case like this would do to a person’s faith in the court system? What effects would it have on the African-American community? The White community? What would this do to a child who is struggling to reconcile the concepts of right and wrong with the concept of justice? What are the consequences?
15. Aftermath Can you think of other examples similar to the Scottsboro Trials? Do you think that this could happen today?
16. How does this relate? Harper Lee was a kid growing up in Alabama when this all went down. Her father was a well-respected lawyer and a prominent citizen. Many of Lee’s characters are based on the people in her life and how she experienced similar events.
17. To Kill a Mockingbird Published in 1960 amidst the modern Civil Rights Movement. Won a Pulitzer Prize and is often considered the most important novel of the century. Has sold millions of copies and has never gone out of print. This is one of my favorite, favorite, favorite books. I might cry during discussion. OMG I love this book.
18. Key Facts Setting Fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama 1933-35 (Jim Crow South, Depression era) Narrator “Scout” Finch tells the story from her first person point of view. She shares the events as she sees them and offers her own insights and analysis. Style Bildungsroman- a coming-of-age story.
19. Big Semi-Autobiographical Characters Scout – lots of similarities to Lee herself Jem – Scout’s older brother, transitioning into adulthood Dill – their neighbor friend that shares similarities with Truman Capote Atticus – father of Jem and Scout, voice of moral reason Boo – recluse that lives down the street, like the one that lived down from Lee and Capote
20. Themes Racism and the southern isolationist mentality. Post Reconstruction, the South attempted to isolate itself from the North and West and quickly realized it could not circumvent laws indefinitely. Duality There’s good and there’s bad and they’re both present at the same time which can get confusing. Morality/ Moral Corruption Specifically, the importance of a moral education, honor, and conduct. Social Class Money no equal class. Loss of Innocence As Jem gets older, he struggles to define morality amid rampant racism and class divisions.
21. Motifs Gothic elements Think dark, foreboding, bad stuff that indicates corruption or evil. Small town idyllic life The bad, scary stuff is juxtaposed with the idea of this quiet, peaceful community where everybody knows everybody else.
22. Symbols Boo Radley The epitome of the loss of innocence. Mockingbirds They only bring beautiful music; they don’t hurt anyone.