To Kill a Mockingbird Notes By Harper Lee

Harper Lee • Born in 1926 in the small town of Monroeville, Alabama • Father: Lawyer • Mother: Maiden name ‘Finch’ • Based ‘Scout’ on herself • Published one novel: TKAM in 1960 • Received Pulitzer Prize for Literature in 1961 • Since 1960, “To Kill a Mockingbird” has never been out of print • At age 86, she is alive and resides in New York • She rarely makes public appearances or gives interviews

Setting • Maycomb, Alabama (fictional) • 1933 -1935 • Although slavery has long been abolished, the Southerners in Maycomb continue to believe in white supremacy. • Gothic mood (motif): o o o Boo Radley house Mad dog Fire that destroys Miss Maudie’s house Unnatural snow fall Halloween night

Themes: Racial Prejudice • Social hierarchy: white mid. class, white poor, white trash, blacks o Segregation: Neighbourhoods, hospitals and churches, division within buildings (court house) • Lee uses children’s confusion of segregation and hostility to criticize human prejudices o Scout doesn’t understand why she can’t play with the Cunningham boy o Scout needs Atticus to explain what a ‘nigger lover’ means

Themes: Moral Education • Education of the children: o Small town mentality stifles anything that isn’t the norm: 'Your father does not know how to teach. You can have a seat now. ‘ – Teacher o Atticus’s own teachings (read ahead, only ignorant people use the ‘n’ word, be the bigger man and walk away, the respect for the Cunninghams, don’t make fun of Boo, etc. ) • Loss of innocence; Coming of age: o Being subjected to bullying and torments about Atticus’s trial forces the children to make their own decisions (building empathy) o "Naw, Jem, I think there's just one kind of folks. Folks. “ – Scout begins to realize that adults aren’t always right o Scout teaches Uncle Jack how to handle children fairly.

Themes: Empathy • Scout is prejudice against Boo Radley o Atticus explains that you never know a person until you “climb inside his skin and walk around in it” o Boo reveals himself to be misunderstood and ends up saving the children in the end • Symbol: Mockingbird o Never kill a mockingbird because they don’t hurt anyone; they just sing to us o Boo Radley: helps children but is widly feared. o Tom Robinson: helped Mayella out of kindness and was persecuted by townsfolk o Prejudiced people lack empathy

Themes: Courage • Atticus and the trial o "This case, Tom Robinson's case, is something that goes to the essence of a man's conscience-Scout, I couldn't go to church and worship God if I didn't try to help that man. “ -Atticus o Despite the social consequences (name called, Ewell spits in face), Atticus takes the case seriously and does all he can for Tom. • Mrs. Dubose o "I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. “ – Atticus o Mrs. Dubose had the courage to withstand the intense pain of being off morphine, so she could die sober

Jean Louise Finch – “Scout” • Narrator, 1 st person • As an adult, Scout looks back at her childhood • Scout is six when the story begins. • She is naturally curious about life.

Scout’s Character Traits • • Tomboy Impulsive Emotional Warm & Friendly Sensitive Inquisitive Gains in maturity throughout the Novel

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. His children call him “Atticus” Honest Typical southern gentleman Brave Courteous Soft-spoken

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

Calpurnia • The Finch’s black housekeeper • Has watched the children since their mother’s death • Has been a positive influence on the children. • Has a child and lives in the black neighborhood. • Educated; but uses black neighbourhood dialect when home.

Arthur “Boo” Radley • An enigma • An adult man, whose father has “sentenced” him to a lifetime confinement to their house because of some mischief he got into when he was a teenager. • Has a reputation of being a lunatic • Basically a harmless, well-meaning person • Sometimes childlike in behavior • Starving for love and affection • Saves Jem and Scout from certain danger

Tom Robinson • A young, harmless, innocent, hardworking black man • Has a crippled left hand • Married with three children. Works on a farm belonging to Mr. Link Deas, a white man • Will be falsely accused of raping a white girl, Mayella Ewell

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

Two Poor White Families: The Ewells • • Poor white trash Dirty Lazy Good-for-nothing Never done a day’s work Foul-mouthed Dishonest Immoral The Cunninghams • • • Poor white family Hard-working Honest Proud Survive on very little Always pay back their debts – even if it is with hickory nuts, turnips, or holly.

The Black Community • • • Oppressed Uneducated Discriminated against Talked about badly Deserve better than what is dished out to them by society • • 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

Language • Sometimes the language of Scout will be that of her as a child; other times, she will be speaking in the voice of an adult • Atticus uses formal speech • Calpurnia uses “white language” in the Finch house and switches to “black jargon” when amidst blacks • The Ewells use foul words and obscenities • Jem, Scout, and Dill will use slang words, typical of their age • Tom Robinson uses language typical of the southern black such as “suh” for “sir” and “chillun” for “children” • Various derogatory terms for blacks will be used such as “nigger, ” “darky, ” “Negroes, ” and “colored folk” – Lee uses such language to keep her novel naturally in sync with common language of the times