To Kill a Mockingbird

By Harper Lee

Genre

• Bildungsroman-- A coming of age novel

• Basic events of the novel are fictional• Events also have a strong

autobiographical basis.• Social Drama• Courtroom Drama• Southern Drama

Nelle Harper Lee

• Born in Monroeville, Alabama on April 28, 1926• Her father -- a lawyer and part owner and editor

of the newspaper.

-- He and her ancestor, Robert E. Lee, the Civil War General, are used to create the character, Atticus.

• Her mother was a talented pianist.• The Finch name came from her mother’s maiden

name Frances Finch.

Setting

• 1933 -1935• Maycomb, Alabama

modeled on author’s hometown of Monroeville, Alabama.

Lee grew up during the Great Depression of the 1930’s much likeScout Finch.

Point of View

• Scout narrates in the first person point of view.

• Scout mostly tells of her own thought and feelings, but also devotes considerable time to recounting and analyzing Jem’s thoughts and actionsl

Dill

• Modeled after her childhood friend Truman Capote, who became a celebrated author.

* His most famous work is called In Cold

Blood.

Harper Lee’s Education

• Monroeville public schools

• Huntington College

• University of Alabama

• Oxford University – exchange student for a year

• University of Alabama – left before becoming a lawyer.

Themes

• The Mockingbird – innocent folk who in their own manner try to live right, but nevertheless are destroyed mercilessly.1. Tom Robinson – may not help a white

woman.2. Atticus Finch – may not defend Tom.3. Scout & Jem Finch – may not be educated their daddy’s way.4. Walter Cunningham – may not be poor.5. Boo Radley – may not be himself.

Themes Continued

• The Coexistence of Good and Evil

• The Importance of a Moral Education

• The Existence of Social Inequality

Motifs• Gothic Details

In literature, the term Gothic refers to a style of fiction first popularized in eighteenth century England.

* supernatural occurrences* gloomy and haunted settings* full moons

Gothic Detail in To Kill a Mockingbird* unnatural snowfall* fire that destroys Miss Maudie’s house

* The children’s superstitions about Boo Radley* The mad dog that Atticus shoots* Ominous night of the Halloween party on which Bob Ewell attacks the children

* Small Town Life

Symbols

• Mockingbirdscomes to represent innocence thus, to “kill a mockingbird” is to destroy innocence.

• Boo Radleysymbolizes the children’s changing attitude from childhood innocence toward a grown-up moral attitude.

Symbols continuedBoo is one of the books most important mockingbirds

He is an important symbol of the good which exists within people.

Despite the pain Boo has experienced, the purity of his heart rules in his interaction with the children.

In saving Jem and Scout from Bob Ewell, Boo proves the ultimate symbol of good.

Foreshadowing

• The Gothic elements of the novel (fire, mad dog) build tension that subtly foreshadows Tom Robinson’s trial and tragic death.

• Burris Ewell’s appearance in school foreshadows the nastiness of Bob Ewell.

• The presents that Jem and Scout find in the oak tree foreshadows the eventual discovery of Boo Radley’s good-heartednes.

• Bob Ewell’s threats and suspicious behavior after the trial foreshadow his attack on the children.

Conflict

• External

Atticus vs. society’s prejudicial attitudes

• Internal

Atticus vs. himself

His responsibility to Tom Robinson vs. his allegiance to his family.