Journal Questions… Turn to page ___ in your folder and write for 5 minutes.

Think about stereotypes and racism in your everyday

life…Have you ever experienced racism/prejudice? Have

you ever witnessed racism/prejudice for race, age, religion,

gender? Do you think it is even a big issue anymore?

Why/why not? Why does it exist? How can it be solved?

“The more difficult

the subject, the more

necessary the

conversation.” ~Charles Barkley

To Kill a Mockingbird

By Harper Lee

AUTHOR

“Nellie” Harper Lee

BORN: April 28, 1926

PLACE OF BIRTH: Monroeville, Alabama

PARENTS: Amasa C. & Frances (Finch) Lee

Related to Robert E. Lee

EDUCATION

Monroe, Alabama Public Schools

Huntington College in Montgomery, Alabama

(1944)

Attended Oxford College one year as a

Fulbright Scholar

Began Law School, but never finished

LITERARY CAREER

1960 TKAM was published

1961 Lee won $500 Pulitzer Prize

1962 TKAM was made into a movie. It was nominated for 8 Academy Awards and

won 4 of them.

More Accolades (no need to write down) National Conference of Christian and Jews

Brotherhood Award

Paperback of the Year Award

Book-of-the-Month Club

PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM

2007 November 5, George W. Bush

presented Lee with the Presidential Medal

of Freedom. This is the highest civilian

award in the United States and recognizes

individuals who have made "an especially

meritorious contribution to the security or

national interests of the United States,

world peace, cultural or other significant

public or private endeavors"

THE NOVEL

SETTING

The story takes place in the fictional small town of Maycomb, Alabama, modeled after her home town of Monroeville

The time is during the 1930s Depression Era

The town has conflicting values in tolerance and prejudice

The novel depicts the Southern caste structure

STYLE

The story is told in first person narration

Scout, as an adult, recalls (flashbacks) her childhood experience from ages 6-8

The novel includes Scout’s observations and commentary about life in the 1930s

THEMES

Education

Bravery

Cowardice

Innocence

Growing Up /

Coming of Age

Hypocrisy

Prejudice – against

race, age, gender,

social class (near

every type of

prejudice is

addressed in this

novel)

PLOT OVERVIEW

There are two major parallel plot lines involving fear.

The first is a child centered plot

The second is a society or adult centered plot

AUTHOR’S LINKS TO THE

NOVEL’S PLOT AND CHARACTERS

Harper Lee’s father was a Southern lawyer. He served as the prototype for Atticus Finch

Harper Lee’s age (6 to 8) correlates with Scout’s age during 1933-1935, the time period of the book

The courtroom in Maycomb is patterned after the one in Monroeville where Harper Lee observed her father in courtroom proceedings

AUTHOR’S LINKS TO THE

NOVEL’S PLOT AND CHARACTERS

Tom Robinson’s trial appears to be a composite of many trials in the South, specifically the Scottsboro trials

Some of the novel’s characters are composites of people Harper Lee knew personally; for example, the author Truman Capote as Dill

Social Class in the Novel

Influential

Country Folk

"White Trash"

Black

Community

Probably similar to how

class structure existed

during the 1930s in the

South. The influential,

although fewest in

number, were most

powerful. The blacks,

although greatest in

number, were lowest on

the class ladder, and thus,

had the fewest privileges.

Examples of each social class:

Influential - Finches

Country Folk - Cunninghams

“White Trash” – Ewells

Black Community – Tom Robinson

CHARACTERS

AS

SYMBOLS

Innocence

Justice

Helpfulness

Bigotry

Or

Prejudice

Helplessness

JEM

SCOUT

DILL

ATTICUS

BOB

EWELL

CALPURNIA

&

MAUDIE

TOM

ROBINSON

&

BOO

"Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make

music for us to enjoy... but sing their hearts

out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a

mockingbird."