To kill a mockingbird

1. To kill a mockingbird Fernando Cantu

2. Biography of Harper lee • Lee was born April 28, 1926 (age 87). Youngest of five children. • Born Monroeville, Alabama. • Amasa Coleman Lee (Mother) was a homemaker. • Frances Cunningham Finch (Father) was a lawyer. • To Kill a Mockingbird was based on a real life event in her childhood. • In her youth a white woman near Monroeville accused a black man named Walter Lett of raping her. • Walter Lett was originally given the death penalty. • However a series of letters claiming that Lett have been falsely accused changed sentence from death to life in prison. • Walter Lett died in prison in 1937 from tuberculosis.

3. Biography continued • Lee developed an interest in English literature at Monroe County High School. • Lee went to the all female Huntingdon College in Montgomery. • To kill a Mockingbird was published on July 11, 1960. • The book was immediate bestseller and was received well by critics and critically acclaim. • Lee won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1961. • In 1999, it was voted “Best Novel of the Century” in a poll by the Library Journal. • Harper Lee was award the Presidential Medal of Freedom, in November 5, 2007.

5. Character list/overview • Atticus Finch- is Scout and Jem’s father who is a lawyer in Macomb and is the on selected to be the defense attorney for Tom Robinson.. • Jean Louise “Scout” Finch- is the protagonist and is the main character. She is a tomboy who grows up rather quickly thanks to the Tom Robinson case. • Jeremy Atticus “Jem” Finch- is Scouts older brother who like her sister grows up due to the Tom Robinson case. • Charles Baker “Dill” Harris- is Jem and Scout’s summer neighbor and friend. • Calpurnia- the Finches’ black cook, who serves as the caretaker of the Finch children. • Aunt Alexandra- Atticus’s sister who believes in tradition and the upper class life. • Miss Maduie Atkinson- the Finches' neighbor and is a woman who becomes a feminine figure for Scout and her best friend among adults.

6. Character list continued • Arthur "Boo” Radley- a man who is mental illness due to a rough childhood and is source of mystery for all the children and people in Maycomb. • Nathan Radley- Boo Radley’s older brother who takes care of his brother the same way his father did, thus cutting Boo from the children and his only friends. • Heck Tate- the sheriff of Maycomb who tires to be fair to all the citizens in Maycomb. • Mr. Underwood- a racist publisher of the Maycomb newspaper but highly respects Atticus. • Mr. Dolphus Raymond- a wealthy white man with a black mistress and “mixed” children who prefers the company of blacks rather than the racists whites. • Mr. Walter Cunningham- a poor famer who despite being part of a mob that was ready to lynch Tom Robinson is capable of goodness when he simply stops the mod after talking to Scout. • Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose- an elder racist woman who has earned the respect of Atticus simply because she was strong enough to suffer from her illness without the use of morphine which she became addicted to.

7. Character list continued • Tom Robinson- the innocent black man accused of rape by the Ewell’s. • Bob Ewell- a racist, drunk, and poor farmer who not only beats his daughter but also attempts to kill Atticus children. • MayellaEwell- Bob Ewell’s abused daughter who has no friends and accused Tom Robinson of raping her when she in fact was the one coming on to him. • Lin Deas- Tom Robinson’s employer who deeply respect Tom Robinson and his integrity. • Judge Taylor- The judge who precedes over the Tom Robinson case and is a fair judge who believes in justice. • Mr. Gilmer- the prosecutor of the Tom Robinson case who treats Tom Robinson with disdain and no respect.

8. Plot • The story starts with Scout Finch during the Great Depression with Scout and Jem becoming friends with a boy named Dill. • Dill becomes obsessed with the Radley’s house and the enigma Arthur “Boo” Radley. • The children though afraid of the Radley house spend the majority of summer trying to get Boo Radley to come out he house. • Scout later attends her fist year school which she ends up hating because the her teacher did not want her to read at home or learn anything from her father. • One day when Scout and Jem war walking from school to home discover a treed filled with gifts. • The children continue to vest this tree and receive new gifts, they eventually figure out that that Boo is the one stashing gifts in the tree.

9. Plot Continued • Once the school year is over Dill comes back to visit both Scout and Jem. • The children start acting out plays about what the Radley do at their homes. • Atticus stops the children plays but the children on the last night that Dill can spend with them try to sneak onto the Radley property. • However the children make to much noise and Nathan Radley comes out with a shotgun and starts shooting. • During the escape Jem looses his pants, but when he returns for theme he realizes the holes are mended and Boo deduces that Boo was the one to mend his pants. • Winter comes in for the first time in many years it snows in Maycomb. • Eventually Jem and Scout notice even more presents in the tree from the enigma Boo but Nathan ends up plugging the hole with cement and cuts Boo from his only friends. • During winter Miss Maudie accidentally burns her house down. • During all the commotion Scout fins herself rapped in a blanket that Boo put on her with her noticing.

10. Plot Continued • Afterwards a great communion is caused in Maycomb when a black man named Tom Robinson is in jail for being accused of raping a white woman. • Atticus is assigned to defend Tom Robinson and is more than eager to do it, despite everybody is else being appalled by his eagerness. • Scout and Jem are constantly bullied at school because of Atticus decision to defined Tom Robinson. • When Atticus Finch has to gone a long business trip Calpurnia takes the children to the local black church where the children are welcomed with open arms for the most part. • Aunt Alexandra comes to live with the Finches so that Scout has a feminine figure in her life and Dill also runs away from home and stays with the Finches as well. • Tom Robinson trial begins but on the night before the trial a lynch mob come to kill Tom Robinson however Atticus is their to stand up the lynch mob. • Jem, Scout, and Dill go and stand with Atticus and face the lynch mod. • Scout notices that Mr. Cunningham is part of the lynch mob and simply talks to him causing the man to fell ashamed and disperse the mob.

11. Plot Continued • The trial begins and the children are able to watch the trial by sneaking in and being seated at the “colored balcony”. • Atticus provides clear evidence that only proves that Tom Robinson did not rape Mayellaand instead Mayellea is trying to get rid of her guilt from trying to be with a black man by having him removed from society. • Atticus theories that the one who actually gave Mayella all her bruises was her own father and proves this by showing the jury that Bob Ewell is left handed. Thus the reason why Mayella had so many bruises on her right side of the face. • Atticus proves that Tom Robinson could not have been the one to beat Mayellea simply because Tom’s left hand is crippled. • Despite Atticus attempts the jury still declares Tom Robinson guilty for rape. • The lose caused Jem to question the morality of Maycomb.

12. Plot Continued • After the trial ends Bob Ewell declares revenge on Atticus and judge Taylor for making him look like a fool. • Atticus earns the gratitude of the black community, despite the juries outcome and they show this gratitude by giving him and his family a lot of food. • Eventually it is discovered that Tom Robinson gave up hope in the justice system and instead tried to escape prison which ended in failure for he was shot and killed. • Atticus and Calpurnia give Tom Robinson's wife the sad news. • Later on Bob Ewell starts trying to break into Judge Taylor's home but eventually is scared off. • Bob Ewell then starts stalking and harassing Tom Robinson's wife but is scared off by Link Deas. • Bob Ewlle finally gets revenge by hurting Jem and Scout on Halloween • Bob breaks Jem’s arm and gives him a concussion, Bob also tires to stab Scout but her Halloween costume saves her life.

13. Plot Continued • Boo comes to the rescue and kills Bob Ewell with a knife. • Boo carries an unconscious Jem back to the Finches' home and Scout follows. • After Boo is taken care of the towns local doctor Sherif Heck comes and asks Scout what happened. • After Scout gives her testimony Heck reveals that Bob Ewell is dead. • Atticus wants this to go to court so nobody will speak badly of his son, however Sherif Heck states that Bob Ewell simply fell on his knife. • Atticus and Heck fight about what to do with Jem and Bob Ewell but Heck tells him that Jem could not have killed Bob and instead Boo is the one who killed him. • Heck does not want to bring attention to Boo especially after saving Atticus children, eventually Heck and Atticus agree that Bob Ewell simply fell on his knife. • Scout takes Boo home after letting him visit Jem. • Scout never sees Boo after that and she returns home to sleep in Atticus lap while listing to him read.

14. Major themes • Inequality • Racism • Gender Bias • Age Bias • Hypocrisy • Innocence • Corruption of Innocence

15. symbolism • The Mockingbird symbolizes innocence which is why it is a sin to kill a mockingbird for once you kill a mockingbird you kill innocence. • Scout is a symbol of child growing up far to fast at a young age but wise enough to know evil and good exist. • Jem is a symbol of a child whose view on morality is challenged after the Tom Robinson case. Jem losses faith in humanity. • Atticus is a symbol of justice for all people not just whites or blacks, • Both Boo and Tom are mockingbird for they were good men who were hurt by social injustices. • Bob Ewell represents racism in its purest from. A hateful man who thinks very little but causes great harm to those he hates.

16. Quotes • “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… until you climb into his skin and walk around in it. • “Remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” • “It’s like bein‘ a caterpillar in a cocoon, that’s what it is,” he said. “Like somethin’ asleep wrapped up in a warm place. I always thought Maycomb folks were the best folks in the world, least that’s what they seemed like.” • “One minute they’re tryin‘ to kill him and the next they’re tryin’ to turn him loose… I’ll never understand those folks as long as I live.” • “First thing you can do, Ewell, is get your stinkin‘ carcass off my property. You’re leanin’ on it an‘ I can’t afford fresh paint for it.

17. Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-x6njs-cGUE http://youtu.be/61S8G4_05vo

18. Bibliography http://thechive.com/2013/03/28/i-like-to-learn-something-new-every-day-25-photos/harper-lee-2/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-x6njs-cGUE http://youtu.be/61S8G4_05v http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harper_Lee