To Kill a Mockingbird

By Harper Lee
“I have a dream that my four little children will
one day live in a nation where they will not
be judged by the color of their skin, but by the
content of their character."

Dr. Martin Luther King

Introduction to the Novel
About the Author

To Kill A Mockingbird is semi-autobiographical for a

number of reasons:

Lee grew up in Alabama

Father was prominent lawyer

Experienced Great Depression,

Scottsboro Trials

“Scout” based on her life; “Dill” based

on life of childhood friend Truman
Capote
Write three words that express what you are thinking as
you view these pictures.
 THE 1940s

Harper Lee grew up in this era. Her novel- To Kill

A Mocking Bird is heavily inspired from the
events of these times. She questions the unjust
society through her characters.

Atticus Finch was her flag bearer of her rebellion

to the unfair systems of those times.
 CLOTHING

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TRANSPORTATION

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AGRICULTURE

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EDUCATION

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 SIGNIFICANT EVENTS

Franklin D. Roosevelt –
U.S. President 1940
Japanese bombing Pearl Harbor, Adolf Hitler –
Hawaii Nazi
Germany

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SEGREGATION

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JOB
S

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Historical Background
Introduction to the Novel

To Kill A Mockingbird includes

several references to historical
events. Knowing some
information about this events
is important for understanding
the novel.
 Introduction to the Novel
Background Information

Even those with jobs Average family

were affected income dropped to
25% of population because nothing was 50% by 1935
had no job being produced

Stock Market Crash

GREAT caused people to lose
billions. Entire banks
Hundreds of DEPRESSION were wiped out and
thousands lost
by 1933 over 60% of
homes, farms
A period of extreme drought, population was
and possessions
poverty and hardships during considered poor
the 1930s.

The novel takes place during the mid-1930s at a time when the government was
attempting to stop the Great Depression. The President at the time, Franklin Roosevelt,
famously said, “the only thing to fear is fear itself” as his government created programs to
create jobs, house the homeless and feed the starving.
 Historical Background
• The setting
– Maycomb, Alabama
– 1933-1935
– Great Depression
– Hitler in power in
Germany

k il l a b y
to b ir d
k in g
mo c e e
e r l
h a r p
 Historical Background
• Slavery was abolished
in 1864, but
Southerners still believe
in white supremacy.
• Segregation exists.
Blacks may not sit in
the same sections as
whites. They have
separate facilities as
well.
k il l a b y
to b ir d
k in g
mo c e e
e r l
h a r p
 Historical Background
• Gender Bias
– Women were the
weaker sex.
– Education not
important for
women.
– Wealthy women
were expected to
supervise staff
– Men were not seen a
k il l d b y
as nurturing to n g b ir
c k i
mo r l e e
a r p e
h
 Historical Background
Poor White
Families
• Hard-working
• Honest
• Proud
• Survive on very
little
• Always pay back
their debts –
even if it is with a
k il l d b y
hickory nuts, to n g b ir
turnips, or holly. c k i
mo r l e e
• The
a r p e
Cunninghams fit h
 Historical Background
Poor white trash
• Dirty
• Lazy
• Good-for-nothing
• Never done a day’s
work
• Foul-mouthed
• Dishonest
• Immoral
k il l a b y
• The Ewells fit this to b ir d
k in g
category mo c e e
e r l
h a r p
 Historical Background
The Black Community
• Simple
• Honest
• Clean
• Hard-working
• God fearing
• Proud
• Would never take anything with
paying it back
• Respectful
• Had stronger character than most
of the whites
• Oppressed
• Uneducated
• Discriminated against
k il l a b y
• Talked about badly to b ir d
• Deserve better than what is dished k in g
out to them by society mo c e e
e r l
h a r p
 Introduction to the Novel
Background Information

The Finches
Wealthy
Social Inequality White
White folks of Maycomb &
Maycomb County
Town/Country
People
The Ewell Family
“White Trash”
Tom Robinson

Black People

Even the law was one-sided: Juries were always all-white and all-male. The word of a
black man meant nothing against the word of a white man.
 Introduction to the Novel
Background Information

Although slavery was abolished in the 1890s

racism and discrimination were alive and well
Racism and during the time of the novel.
Social Classes
The novel is based on many historical facts
that help to drive the story, (and allow the
readers to explore a sad time in American
history) including:

Jim Crow Laws (1890s – 1960s)

Scottsboro Trials (1931)

Social Inequality (Forever)

“Jim Crow” Laws
•From the 1880s to the
1960s, most states
enforced segregation
through the “Jim Crow”
laws - named after a
black-faced character in
minstrel shows.
•Through these laws,
legal punishments
could be imposed on
people for having
contact with members
of another race.
 Jim Crow Guide
. A black male could not offer his hand (to shake hands) with a
•1

white male because it implied being socially equal. Obviously, a

black male could not offer his hand to a white woman, because
he risked being accused of rape.

2. Blacks and whites were not supposed to eat together. If they

did eat together, whites were to be served first, and some sort
of partition was to be placed between them.

3. Under no circumstance was a black male to offer to light the

cigarette of a white female -- that gesture implied intimacy.

4. Blacks were not allowed to show public affection toward one

another in public, especially kissing, because it offended whites.
•After the Civil War, The Ku Klux Klan
was formed as a secret society that
promoted white supremacy using
violence and terrorism to undo the gains
that former slaves had made.
•However, after the 1920s, the KKK was
no longer secretive about their work and
public violence against blacks, including
lynching, became common occurrences.
 The Great Depression(1930s)

•The Depression hit the South

especially hard.
•Everyone seemed to be living
in poverty.
•Americans turned away from
the rest of the world and away
from each other.
•Discontent started to grow in
the minds of whites and
blacks alike.
 To Kill a Mockingbird
 

•It’s in this setting

that the novel To Kill
  a Mockingbird takes
place.
•In a small town, in
 
the deep South, in
the early 1930s
•Published in 1960
Racial prejudice was alive & well.
Although slavery had ended in
1864, old ideas were slow to
change..
 Prejudice in the novel

• Race
• Gender
• Handicaps
• Rich/Poor
• Age
• Religion
 Gender Bias (Prejudice)
• Women were considered
“weak.”
• Women were generally not
educated for jobs outside of
the home.
• In wealthy families, women
were expected to oversee
the servants and entertain
guests.
• Men not considered
capable of nurturing
children
 Legal issues of the 1930’s which
impact the story

• Women given right to vote

in 1920
• Juries were MALE and
WHITE
• “Fair trial” did not include
acceptance of a black
man’s word against a
white man’s word.
 Reading the novel

• Setting is all-important—be aware of the

“where” and the “when” as you begin.
• POV—novel is shaped by the voice of a young
girl who sees the story from the position of
naïve acceptance.
• “Goodness vs. Ignorance (Evil)” is an important
theme.
 Setting
• Maycomb, Alabama (fictional
city)
• 1933-1935
• Although slavery has long
been abolished, the
Southerners in Maycomb
continue to believe in white
supremacy.
 Southern Society
in the 1930s

– African-Americans were not considered for

jury duty in many places, and in some cases
were not provided with legal
representation. In fact, many whites
administered “justice” to accused
African-American citizen themselves, and
lynchings increased dramatically in 1930.
 TELEVISION CHANGES
EVERYTHING
• Southern race riots and violent
protests reached into American
homes through TV.
• The magnitude of Southern
racism began to sink into the
American consciousness.
• Moreover, the rest of the world
began to frown upon America’s
treatment of blacks.
• Segregation, like slavery,
became a national
embarrassment for a country
who had fought in two world
wars as great liberators of the
down-trodden masses.
TO KILL A
MOCKINGBIRD
• In the fall of 1960, in the
middle of the Civil Rights
Movement, To Kill a
Mockingbird was published.
• It shot to the top of the New
York Times best seller list.
• A country was finally ready
to listen to the story of
segregation and open their
minds to the possibility of
an America where whites
and blacks could live
together as equals.
 HARPER LEE (1926-2016)
•To add to the complexity of the
story, Harper Lee wrote it during
a time of even greater social
turbulence in the United States.
•In the 1950s the winds of change
began to blow and black
Americans were no longer willing
to be treated as lesser human
beings.
•Scout (10 year old narrator)
represents the author as a little
girl, although the story is told
from adulthood.
•Not strictly autobiographical
 Jean Louise Finch “Scout”

❑ The story’s narrator

❑ Although now an adult, Scout
looks back at her childhood
and tells of the momentous
events and influential people
of those years.
❑ Scout is six when the story
begins.
❑ She is naturally curious about
life.
 Characters
Atticus Finch
❑ Father of Scout and Jem
❑ A widower
❑ An attorney by
profession
❑ Highly respected
❑ Good citizen
❑ Instills good values and
morals in his children.
 Characters
Jem Finch
❑ Scout’s older brother
❑ Looks up to his father
Atticus
❑ Usually looks out for Scout
❑ Typical older brother at
times
❑ Smart
❑ Compassionate
❑ Matures as the story
progresses
 Characters
Calpurnia
❑ The Finch’s black
housekeeper
❑ Has watched the
children since their
mother’s death
❑ Has been a positive
influence on the
children.
 Characters
Dill
❑ A close friend of Jem and
Scout
❑ Usually lives in Maycomb
only during the summer
(stays with a relative)
❑ Tells “big stories”
❑ Has been deprived of
love and affection
Introduction to the Novel
Themes
Ignorance creates
racist beliefs

Lack of education

Lack of exposure

Small town values

Introduction to the Novel
Themes
A lack of understanding
leads to false assumptions

Gossip

Prejudgment

Stereotypes
Introduction to the Novel
Themes
Real courage does
not waver
Fighting for what’s
right
Sticking up for people
less fortunate

Being an individual
Introduction to the Novel
Themes
The end of innocence is
the beginning of growth

Learning

Experience

Hardship
Things to Consider While Reading

The first time you read the novel should be

to get a general idea of the setting,
characters, plot and themes. However,
because this novel can be difficult you are
provided with some things to think about
while reading that will help you understand
the novel.
Chapter 1