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."

“Jim Crow” Laws1880-1960

• Segregation • “Separate but

equal”• Punished for

contact between the races

Jim Crow Guide· 1. A Black male could not offer his hand (to shake hands) with a White male because it

implied being socially equal. Obviously, a Black male could not offer his hand or any other part of his body 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.

·     5. Blacks were introduced to Whites, never Whites to Blacks. ·    6.  Whites did not use courtesy titles of respect when referring to Blacks, for example,

Mr., Mrs., Miss., Sir, or Ma'am. Instead, Blacks were called by their first names or by “boy” or “girl” (regardless of age). Blacks had to use courtesy titles when referring to Whites, and were not allowed to call them by their first names.

·     7. If a Black person rode in a car driven by a White person, the Black person sat in the back seat, or the back of a truck.

·     8. White motorists had the right-of-way at all intersections.

The Great Depression (1930s)

• hit the South especially hard

• poverty• Americans turned

away from the rest of the world and away from each other

• More tension between races

• Businesses failed, factories closed– People were out of work– Even people with money

suffered because nothing was being produced for sale.

– Lots of people spent their money during the Roaring Twenties and had no savings

• Poor people lost their homes, were forced to “live off the land.”

Gender Bias (Prejudice against women)

• Women - “weak”• not educated for

occupations outside the home

• Men not considered capable of nurturing children

“White trash”

• Poor, uneducated white people who lived on “relief “ – lowest social class, even below the poor blacks– prejudiced against black people – felt the need to “put down” blacks in order to

elevate themselves

Legal Issues of the 1930’s

• Juries were MALE and WHITE

• “Fair trial” did not include acceptance of a black man’s word against a white man’s

Setting

• Maycomb, Alabama (fictional city)

• 1933-1935• Although slavery has

long been abolished, the Southerners in Maycomb continue to believe in white supremacy.

Themes

• Prejudice (racial, social, religion, handicapped, gender, age)

• Social Snobbery• Morality• Tolerance• Patience• Equality• The Need for Compassion• The Need for Conscience

Symbolism• The Mockingbird: Symbolizes Everything

That is Good and Harmless in This World– The mockingbird only sings to please others

and therefore it is considered a sin to shoot a mockingbird. They are considered harmless creatures who give joy with their song.

– Two characters in the novel symbolize the mockingbird: Tom Robinson & Boo Radley.

Jean Louis Finch – “Scout”• narrator• looks back at her

childhood • six when the story

begins.• She is naturally curious

about life.

Scout’s Character Traits

• Tomboy• Impulsive• Emotional• Warm & friendly• Sensitive• Adorable• Gains in maturity throughout the novel

Atticus Finch• Father of Scout and Jem• A widower• An attorney by profession• Highly respected• Good citizen• good values and morals • 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.

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

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 Cunninghams The Ewells

• 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.

• Poor white trash• Dirty• Lazy• Good-for-nothing• Never done a day’s

work• Foul-mouthed• Dishonest• Immoral

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• Talked about badly• Deserve better than what is

dished out to them by society

Language• 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