To Kill a Mockingbird

1. Background Notes English 9 To Kill a Mockingbird

2. Harper Lee • Born in Monroeville, Alabama in 1926, she would have been the same age as Scout when the novel takes place. • Lee’s father was a small-town lawyer just like Atticus Finch, and she spent many hours at the courthouse with her father just like Scout.

3. Harper Lee • Harper Lee’s close childhood friend was Truman Capote (“A Christmas Memory”), and it has been said that he was the inspiration for Dill’s character. • Finally, Harper Lee’s mother’s maiden name was “Finch.” • It has been said that Harper Lee modeled the character of Scout Finch (the narrator) after herself.

4. The Scottsboro Trials • In April 1931, in Scottsboro, Alabama, nine African-American men were tried for raping two women. • Medical testimony showed that the two women were not actually raped, but the jury still convicted the men and sentenced them to death. • Most of the convictions were eventually overturned and the men were freed from prison. • However, this trial had a significant impact on Lee, and it serves as the basis for the trial in To Kill a Mockingbird.

5. Social Structure in the South • The plantation owners and professionals made up the upper class. • Most landowners became prominent businessmen by the early 1900’s due to more commercialized farming. • The middle class consisted of owners of small farms and small-town business owners. • A new lower class emerged that included African-American farmers and unskilled laborers.

6. Social Structure in the South • In the 1930’s, the American South was immersed in the Great Depression • Poverty and unemployment were rampant • The average income in 1929 was about $750 • All social classes are represented in the novel: • The Finches – upper-middle class • Ewells – poor whites • Calpurnia and The Robinsons – African-American laborers = poorest class

7. Southern Heritage • The upper class consisted of people whose families had lived in the same area for generations (Finch’s Landing). • These people had African-American servants in their homes (Calpurnia). • Southerners tended to use their ancestry as a way to separate the elite from the common folk (Aunt Alexandra).

8. Racism in the South • The most significant social issue of the South during the 1930’s was segregation. • Laws forbid African-Americans and whites from mixing in public areas, such as schools, restrooms, buses and trains. • Because of segregation, many African-Americans were often convicted of crimes of which they were not actually guilty.

9. Publication of To Kill a Mockingbird • To Kill a Mockingbird was published in 1960 during a time of turbulent civil protest with Alabama seen as a segregated state. • The novel quickly rose to the top of every bestseller list and stayed there for over a year and a half! • Many critics hailed the novel as an accurate portrayal of the racist discrimination of the South.

10. Point of View • Harper Lee chose to write To Kill a Mockingbird in a first-person narrative. • Scout Finch, who is six-years-old at the beginning of the novel, is the narrator. • This is significant because it allows for a child’s innocence to explain the complex social issues of racial prejudice. • In addition, it is important to note that the novel is told in flashback by a much older Scout.

11. Theme Topics • Loss of innocence • Deceptive Appearances • Racism/Prejudice • Courage/Bravery