Transcript Document

in Monroeville, Alabama, April 28, 1926,
Nelle Harper Lee was the youngest of three
children.
• Her family is related to
, a man especially noted for his
devotion to honor
•
is the
and
which a story is set.
•
in
physical

The region
includes:
Five main physical
settings…
3. Schoolgrounds
• The
is closely related to,
and perhaps a product of, the
. The
is not
stated explicitly, but is developed through
the novel.
• The chief element of the social setting are
the
of Maycomb, racial
prejudice, and the role of women. It is
important to note occasions when members
of different castes meet.
• Social setting is tied to themes of
.
In the 1930s, when the story takes place,
African Americans often worked for white
landowners as field hands or for town
dwelling whites as servants, or
sharecroppers.
were freed slaves who
stayed on to farm a chunk of land on the
plantation that he had slaved on, but this
time for a “
” of the profits. Sound
good? Of Course not!
Southern Society in
the 1930s

Races sat in different parts of busses
The foreman is chosen to speak with the judge
on behalf of the jury and delivers the verdict—
their vote on guilt or innocence.

Who's Who in the Courtroom?
Defendant: accused person on trial
: Defendant's lawyer
: Lawyer in charge of initiating the trial,
represents accuser or state
: Group of people who decide wheter a
case warrants a trial
: People who tell what they know, or give
testimony about the facts of a case
: presides over the courtroom
: Accuser in a case, represented by the
prosecutor

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.
The Scottsboro Incident
•

Southern Society
in the 1930s
1920s Culture
1930s Culture
What was hot in the 30s?
All Things
Southern
: extremely, very
: pants or trousers
: variation of knew
: pronunciation of poor
': pronunciation of sure
: pronunciation of tolerable,
meaning fair, or pretty good
': pronunciation of toting, meaning carrying

A variety of greens
grown principally in the
South
All Things Southern
Rabbit Tobacco-
A nickname for
balsamweed, a
plant used as a
tobacco substitute
by children
All Things
Southern
• A
is a piece
of furniture that has
drawer on one half
and a hanging closet
on the other half.
Allusions
Everything in the Garden is Lovely
Why does Mrs. Dubose behave so differently to
Atticus than to his children?
Maybe because he is extravagant in his
compliments to her!
He compares her front yard to Bellingrath, one
of the biggest tourist attractions of Alabama.
Located southwest of Mobile, the Bessie Morse
Bellingrath house and gardens include over 60
acres and are specially noted for azaleas and
chrysanthemums.
Allusions
• Heck Tate uses the biblical expression,
“Let the dead bury the dead” when he
recalls the events surrounding Jem’s
assault. This is a quotation from the
Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament
of The Bible.
Allusion
One of the scribes then came up and said
to {Jesus}, “Master, I will follow you
wherever you go.”…Another man, one
of his disciples, said to him, “Sir, let me
go and bury my father first.” But Jesus
replied, “Follow me, and leave the dead
to bury their dead.” (Matthew 8:19, 2122)
Mockingbirds
• Praised in songs and poem, the
mockingbird mainly resides in the South. It
is pale gray and white, about the size of
the robin.
• While its call is a harsh-sounding “tchack,”
its song is beautiful and characterized by
repeated notes and phrases.
• It’s gift for imitation is how it got it’s
name.
Characters
• Atticus:
• Scout and Jem’s father
• Central figure in the plot
• The name Atticus is the English respelling of the Greek
word “Attikos.” This word, meaning “an Athenian”
was used by an Athenian poet and legal reformer
named Solon (640-559 BCE) in his writings. It ties
Atticus to Solon, who was responsible for instituting
the democratic laws of Athens”
• Also refers to the city of Athens (implies learning,
culture, and heroism)
• Atticus is a father both Scout and Jem can love and
respect who they can look for comfort and reasonable
advice
• Source of strength and of help
Atticus
• Respected because people know he
recognizes their personal dignity
and that he will fight to protect it
• Symbol of integrity
• Unconsciously, they know that they
can count on him to do those
things for them that they lack the
courage to do for themselves
Characters
Calpurnia
Name history: Calpurnia was the third wife of the Roman
Emperor Gaius Julius Caesar (100-44 BCE), who was noted
for her faithfulness.
Finch family cook and surrogate mother for the children
Link between the black and white worlds of Maycomb
Dual personality
Accepted as a member of the Finch family
Atticus is not afraid to talk openly in front of her because he
knows that she understands
Character also suggests a lesson for blacks
Both whites and blacks are guilty of racism
Characters
Aunt Alexandra
 Represents traditional (read: not necessarily
honorable) values of the South: home, family,
heredity, gentility, and white supremacy
 She does not change throughout the novel,
which makes her a ______?_______ character.
 Represents the crucial problem of the South:
an unwillingness to forsake a false value
structure even in the face of evidence that it
is meaningless and unjust.
Characters
Miss Maudie Atkinson
One of the most colorful characters
Benevolent, brave woman who loves
floral beauty (read archetypal qualities
of a character so at home with nature)
and the Finch children (earth mother?)
Most rational feminine character in the
novel
Female role model Scout most likes and
admires, particularly for her willingness
to be direct and honest
Characters
Mayella Ewell
Scout describes Bob Ewell’s daughter as
the loneliest person in the world
Victim of circumstances
Desire for affection
Fearful of her father
Closely associated with nature, like Miss
Maudie (Ask yourself: What luxury does
she work for? And, what is the symbolic
value of that?)
Jeremy Finch
 Jeremy is Scout’s older brother
 10 years old when story begins, 13 years old at
the end
 Events of the story parallel his transition from
child to young man
 Nicknamed “Jem”
 Emerges at the end of his experience completely
changed by his contact with the adult world
 Changes most during the course of the story
 Becomes more sensitive to the meaning of the
happenings around him
 Develops a compassionate attitude toward
Atticus, Tom, Boo Radley, and Mrs. Dubose
Jean Louise Finch
 Most important character in the story because
we view the action through her eyes and her
opinions about what is happening
 5 years old at start, 8 years old at end
 Above average in intelligence
 Perceptive
 Temper
 Two characters who are in reality one person:
grown Jean Louise who is telling the story, and
the little girl Scout who is a part of the story
 Jean Louise is recalling what happened to her as
a child, Scout is the child herself going through
the actions
Charles Barker Harris
Charles Barker Harris is the character
whom the reader might regard as the
outside influence on the story
Not from Maycomb
Dill Harris is put into the story to flavor it
He has been shuffled from relative to
relative
Dill is both imaginative and sensitive
Arthur Radley
 Known as Boo, only appears once in the story
 Shy man, living in total seclusion
 His real place in the story is as a symbol: unknown,
bravery, and innocence
 Becomes a symbol of kindness as he leaves various things
in the tree for the children to find and then covers Scout
with a blanket on the night of Miss Maudie’s fire
 He is a phantom that goes out only at night
 The town freak, has a more genuine sense of values and
greater compassion than most of the citizens of
Maycomb. The children learn lessons of greater
importance from Boo than they do from almost anyone
else. They learn to judge him by his actions and not by
town gossip
Historical Setting
• The Historical Setting includes the
dates during which the action takes
place and the major historical events
that shape the action. The action of
this novel begins in 1932, during the
Depression.
novel is set in the midst of
, which began in October of1929
and is considered the worst economic
depression in modern times. In 1933, the
United States had a
unemployment
rate. Home loss followed this trend. In
contrast, the rate in September 1995 was
In March 2009 the rate was
The man most associated with the economic recovery of
the 30’s is Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the 32nd president of
the United States, inaugurated on March 4, 1933. In his
historic speech he encouraged Americans to put aside their
fears and support his efforts to get America back on track…
“This great nation will endure as it has endured, will
revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert
my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is
fear itself—nameless
Bankrupt
a period of
drastic decline in the national
economy, characterized by decreasing
business activity, falling prices and
unemployment
overindulgence in
spending money
the shares sold by a
corporation that entitle the holder to
benefits of ownership including
dividends
•
: gamble using stocks
•
: the two
categories of things one can purchase—
these two categories make up the
gross national product
•
The Great
Depression
: when a bank goes
bankrupt or becomes unable to meet
its debts or discharge its liabilities
: a stock exchange
where stocks are bought and sold
according to fixed regulations
: a legal declaration of
inability to pay debts
: aid or help due to need or
poverty.
Theme
Themes are the Universal Meanings derived from
art. They are usually not stated directly. To
uncover the theme pay attention to a few things:
•Characters and what happens to them in the end
•The title
•Symbols and figurative language
•Tone
•Imagery
•Details
•Phrases that are repeated
Theme


Some themes that are predominant in the
novel:

Prejudice and superstition can lead to
injustice
Individuals have a responsibility to protect
the innocent
One person’s wrongdoing can release evil
into the entire community

People often fear what they don’t
understand
Theme
The most important parts of a child's
education may take place in the home and
the community rather than in the school.
Insight, maturity, understanding, and
integrity have no necessary relation to age,
social position, or formal education
Appearances don't always reflect reality
