To Kill a Mockingbird

Major Characters  Scout (Jean Louise Finch) Narrator; 6; Tomboy  Jem- Jeremy; 10 year old protective brother  Atticus- Jem and Scout’s widowed father. Lawyer  Dill- (Charles Baker Harris) Best friend to Jem and Scout  Tom Robinson-Middle aged black men who Atticus defends in court  Boo- (Arthur Radley)mysterious neighbor who never leaves house

Setting  Maycomb, Alabama;  1930’s,Depression  Racial Tension still dominated the south

Title When he gave us our air-rifles Atticus wouldn’t teach us to shoot. Uncle Jack instructed us in the rudiments thereof; he said Atticus wasn’t interested in guns. Atticus said to Jem one day, “I’d rather you shot at tin cans in the back yard, but I know you’ll go after birds. Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit ’em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” That was the only time I ever heard Atticus say it was a sin to do something, and I asked Miss Maudie about it. “Your father’s right,” she said. “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” - page 90

About the Author  Nelle Harper Lee was born on April 28, 1926, in Monroeville, Alabama, a sleepy small town similar in many ways to Maycomb, the setting of To Kill a Mockingbird.  the Scottsboro trials of nine men came to be called, served as a seed for the trial that stands at the heart of Lee’s novel.  Lee began To Kill a Mockingbird in the mid-1950s, after moving to New York to become a writer. She completed the novel in 1957 and published it, with revisions, in 1960, just before the peak of the American civil rights movement.  This book is known for its appealing depiction of childhood innocence, its scathing moral condemnation of racial prejudice, and its affirmation that human goodness can withstand the assault of evil.

Plot Overview  One summer, Jem and Scout befriend a boy named Dill, who has come to live in their neighborhood for the summer, and the trio acts out stories together. Eventually, Dill becomes fascinated with the spooky house on their street called the Radley Place. But, on Dill’s last night in Maycomb for the summer, the three sneak onto the Radley property, where Nathan Radley shoots at them. As the children spend their time involved in the mystery of Boo Radley, their father, Atticus agrees to defend a black man named Tom Robinson, who has been accused of raping a white woman. Because of Atticus’s decision, Jem and Scout are subjected to abuse from other children

Historical Context  A theme of this book is social inequality.  Taking place in the 1930’s racial injustice was a common occurrence  Told from the perspective of a 9 year old, the story explores these issues along with morality.  Having a general understanding of the inequality in the south is important for truly analyzing and evaluating this book.

1930s  Over 25% of labor force unemployed during worst years of the Great Depression.  Franklin D. Roosevelt wins presidency with promise of his "New Deal,"  The Scottsboro Boys trials last from 1931 to  Nelle Harper Lee is four years old when they begin.

1940s  Jackie Robinson signs baseball contract with the Brooklyn Dodgers,  President Truman ends segregation in the military and discrimination in federal hiring.  Harper Lee moves to New York City to become a writer.

1950s  Brown vs. Board of Education rules school segregation unconstitutional.  Rosa Parks refuses to surrender her bus seat to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama,  Lee accompanies Truman Capote to Kansas as "researchist" for his book In Cold Blood.

1960s  The early 1960s  To Kill a Mockingbird published on July 11,  The film follows in 1962 and wins Oscars for best actor, screenwriter, and set design.  Martin Luther King, Jr., delivers I Have a Dream speech on August 28, King wins the Nobel Prize in 1964.

Mid 1960s  Congress passes the Civil Rights Act of 1964, enforcing the constitutional right to vote.  Malcolm X is assassinated,  Despite rumors of a second Southern novel, Lee never finishes another book.

So why are we reading it?  “ To Kill a Mockingbird is probably the most widely read book dealing with race in America, and its protagonist, Atticus Finch, the most enduring fictional image of racial heroism.“  “... To Kill a Mockingbird has influenced the character of our country for the better. It's been a gift to the entire world. As a model of good writing and humane sensibility, this book will be read and studied forever."