The Author The Novel Historical

Content-Great Depression

Social Content Time Line

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - ABOUT THE AUTHOR - HARPER LEEHARPER LEE

Related to Robert E. Related to Robert E. LeeLee

Born in Monroeville, Born in Monroeville, Alabama, on April 28, Alabama, on April 28, 19261926

HARPER LEE HARPER LEE continuedcontinued Grew up during the Great Grew up during the Great

DepressionDepression Began writing at the age of Began writing at the age of

sevenseven Attended Huntington College Attended Huntington College

then was an exchange student then was an exchange student at Oxford Universityat Oxford University

Studied law at the University of Studied law at the University of Alabama but never finished her Alabama but never finished her degreedegree

MORE ABOUT THE MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR - HARPER LEEAUTHOR - HARPER LEE Moved to New York where she worked as Moved to New York where she worked as

an airlines reservations clerkan airlines reservations clerk She began writing full time for publication She began writing full time for publication

purposespurposes Wrote Wrote TKAMTKAM in 1957 in 1957 Her cousin, Truman Capote, encouraged Her cousin, Truman Capote, encouraged

her to expand one of her many short her to expand one of her many short stories into a novelstories into a novel

ABOUT THE NOVEL ABOUT THE NOVEL

Originally submitted to the Originally submitted to the publisher in 1957publisher in 1957

Took 2 ½ years to revise Took 2 ½ years to revise and editand edit

Finally published in 1960Finally published in 1960Won a Pulitzer Prize in Won a Pulitzer Prize in

Literature in 1961Literature in 1961

ABOUT THE NOVELABOUT THE NOVELABOUT THE NOVELABOUT THE NOVEL The story is about two

children growing up in the South during the Great Depression and a Southern lawyer, in face of murderous threats and impossible odds, who stands up for what he believes is right and tries to show those around him a better way

THE NOVEL continuedTHE NOVEL continued

It focuses on the people, attitudes, It focuses on the people, attitudes, and laws of the South during this time and laws of the South during this time period.period.

The plot of The plot of To Kill a MockingbirdTo Kill a Mockingbird reflected Ms. Lee’s own childhood in reflected Ms. Lee’s own childhood in Alabama and was greatly influenced Alabama and was greatly influenced by the training she received in law by the training she received in law schoolschool

MORE ABOUT THE MORE ABOUT THE NOVELNOVELMORE ABOUT THE MORE ABOUT THE NOVELNOVELLee’s life parallels the two Lee’s life parallels the two children in the novel. She children in the novel. She lived in a small Southern lived in a small Southern town, had a lawyer for a town, had a lawyer for a father, and even sat in a father, and even sat in a courthouse balcony to watch courthouse balcony to watch him defend his clientshim defend his clients

ABOUT THE NOVELABOUT THE NOVEL To Kill a To Kill a

MockingbirdMockingbird has been has been translated translated into over into over forty forty languages languages and it has and it has been adapted been adapted into a movieinto a movie

ABOUT THE NOVEL ABOUT THE NOVEL CONT.CONT.

Told in flashbackTold in flashback2 story lines – each with 2 story lines – each with its own climaxits own climax

First-person point of First-person point of viewview

BildungsromanBildungsromanCovers approx. 3 yearsCovers approx. 3 years

MAJOR THEMES OFMAJOR THEMES OF TO KILL A TO KILL A

MOCKINGBIRDMOCKINGBIRD

MAJOR THEMES OFMAJOR THEMES OF TO KILL A TO KILL A

MOCKINGBIRDMOCKINGBIRD Education is not limited to the Education is not limited to the

classroom but is an important classroom but is an important part of a person’s everyday life.part of a person’s everyday life.

Prejudice is responsible for Prejudice is responsible for much social injusticemuch social injustice..

People often fear what they do People often fear what they do not understandnot understand..

Education is not limited to the Education is not limited to the classroom but is an important classroom but is an important part of a person’s everyday life.part of a person’s everyday life.

Prejudice is responsible for Prejudice is responsible for much social injusticemuch social injustice..

People often fear what they do People often fear what they do not understandnot understand..

MAJOR THEMES OFMAJOR THEMES OF TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRDTO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

MAJOR THEMES OFMAJOR THEMES OF TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRDTO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

Courage is doing what Courage is doing what you think is right when you think is right when the odds of succeeding the odds of succeeding are against you.are against you.

MaturationMaturationPridePride

THE HISTORICAL CONTENT THE HISTORICAL CONTENT The Great DepressionThe Great DepressionTHE HISTORICAL CONTENT THE HISTORICAL CONTENT The Great DepressionThe Great Depression

The stock-market crash of 1929 paralyzed the nation’s economy. Banks curtailed their loans to businesses, businessmen cut back on production, and millions lost their jobs. Spending dwindled, factories and stores closed, and consumption of farm products declined.

Migrant MotherMigrant MotherAt the height of the Great Depression in 1933, about 13 million Americans had no jobs, many had only part-time jobs, and more than 750,000 farmers had lost their land.

Elderly Couple during Elderly Couple during the Great Depressionthe Great Depression

Soup Kitchen during Soup Kitchen during Great DepressionGreat Depression

Family during Family during DepressionDepression

THE SOCIAL CONTEXT OF THE SOCIAL CONTEXT OF THE NOVEL TIME LINETHE NOVEL TIME LINE

THE SOCIAL CONTEXT OF THE SOCIAL CONTEXT OF THE NOVEL TIME LINETHE NOVEL TIME LINE

18611861 Civil War BeginsCivil War Begins18631863 President Lincoln President Lincoln

signed the Emancipation signed the Emancipation Proclamation freeing the Proclamation freeing the black slavesblack slaves

18651865 Civil War EndsCivil War Ends 1865 1865 The The 13th 13th AmendmentAmendment to the to the Constitution was the Constitution was the first of three first of three amendments that amendments that were a consequence were a consequence of the of the Civil War. It Civil War. It states that states that slavery slavery must end in the must end in the United States and all United States and all of its territories.of its territories.

1868 --

In the In the 14th Amendment14th Amendment the black Americans the black Americans were granted citizenship were granted citizenship and guaranteed their and guaranteed their Civil RightsCivil Rights

18701870 ----

The The 15th Amendment15th Amendment dealt with Black Voting dealt with Black Voting Rights. It sought to Rights. It sought to protect the rights of protect the rights of citizens, particularly citizens, particularly former slaves, to vote in former slaves, to vote in federal and state electionsfederal and state elections

THE SOCIAL CONTEXT THE SOCIAL CONTEXT OF THE NOVEL TIME OF THE NOVEL TIME LINELINE

THE SOCIAL CONTEXT THE SOCIAL CONTEXT OF THE NOVEL TIME OF THE NOVEL TIME LINELINE 1880’s1880’s Jim Crow LawsJim Crow Laws– Although African Americans now Although African Americans now

supposedly had the same rights supposedly had the same rights as white society, they were still as white society, they were still segregated. segregated. Jim Crow laws Jim Crow laws segregated blacks politically by segregated blacks politically by making it difficult for them to making it difficult for them to vote. vote. For instance, they required For instance, they required voters to pay a poll tax as well as voters to pay a poll tax as well as prove that they could read.prove that they could read.

18961896 Plessy vs. FergusonPlessy vs. FergusonThe Supreme Court went even The Supreme Court went even

further to legalize racism by further to legalize racism by ruling that segregation was ruling that segregation was lawful as long as blacks and lawful as long as blacks and whites had access to equal whites had access to equal facilities.facilities. (EX. Separate Water (EX. Separate Water Fountains)Fountains)

Realize that not all of Realize that not all of the Justices supported the Justices supported

this view, many felt this view, many felt that thethat the “Constitution “Constitution

is is ccoolloorrbblliinndd and and neither knows or neither knows or tolerates classes tolerates classes among citizensamong citizens.”

19291929 Beginning of the Beginning of the Great DepressionGreat Depression

19291929 Beginning of the Beginning of the Great DepressionGreat Depression

It’s been almost sixty It’s been almost sixty years since blacks had years since blacks had been held in slavery, and been held in slavery, and unfortunately at this time unfortunately at this time they were still considered they were still considered ““2nd class2nd class” citizens.” citizens.

Realize that it took Realize that it took almost 100 years from almost 100 years from the time the Civil War the time the Civil War ended for the nation’s ended for the nation’s blacks to finally obtain blacks to finally obtain equal civil rights as equal civil rights as their white their white counterpartscounterparts

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