American Literature

Understanding Harper Lee

Born 1926 in Monroeville, Alabama.

Mother was a homemaker and father was a lawyer.

Early in his career, her father defended two black men, a father and son, accused of murdering a white store keeper—both men were hanged.

Early Life

As a child, Harper Lee was an unruly tomboy.

She fought on the playground. She talked back to teachers.

She was bored with school and resisted any sort of conformity.

An Ambitious Writer

Despite her father's hopes that she would become a local attorney like her sister, Lee went to New York to pursue her writing.

To Kill a Mockingbird was published in 1960 to amazing reviews and quickly climbed the bestseller lists, where it remained for eighty-eight weeks.

In 1961, the novel won the Pulitzer Prize.

FAME

In the meantime, To Kill a Mockingbird has sold more than thirty million copies in eighteen languages.

Lee continued to lead a quiet and guardedly private life.

According to a biographer, Lee was unprepared for the amount of personal attention associated with writing a bestseller.

She never finished another book but helped her close friend and famous author, Truman Capote research his novel, In Cold Blood.

To Kill a Mockingbird

The novel is a Bildungsroman: a coming of age novel

It is also a Southern Gothic novel: deals with crumbling traditions of the south, erasure of aristocracy, poverty, and problems present at this time in American South.

It is the most widely read book about race in America.

The story is told through the eyes of Scout, an unreliable narrator who is 6 at the beginning of the novel and 10 when it is over.

Inspiration

Lee’s hometown, Monroeville, embodies the small town southern atmosphere found in TKAM.

Her father’s failed case and the Scottsboro Trial also inspired Lee to explore interracial drama and injustice.

What do you know about the American South Pre-Civil Rights?

The setting of TKAM is a small town in Alabama during the 1930’s.

Jim Crow laws—still present in Alabama until 1968.

HW: TUESDAY, Oct. 30

READ Chaps 1 - 3 DO questions and vocabulary for CH. 1 -

3Use this website or the one on the handout: Vocabulary 1-10 http://www.vocabulary.com/lists/24110#view=notes

Be ready to discuss and do the chapter questions in class tomorrow.

I PLAN TO COLLECT THE STARRED QUESTIONS!! READ THE INSTRUCTIONS

SIGNAL Phrases for Quoting

Lee writes,Scout wonders,Jem exclaims, The author suggests,Lee explores,Scout said,Jem asked,During the second summer with Dill, Scout thinks,

“Dill was becoming something of a trial anyway, following Jem about” (41). She means that…

WEDNESDAY, October 31th

HW Review Ch. 1-3Who is Calpurnia? What does she mean

when she says “anybody sets foot in this house’s yo’ comp’ny”?

What important lesson does Atticus share with Scout? How could this lesson apply to her interactions with both Walter and Miss Caroline?

HW:

THURSDAY, NOV. 1

ALL journals should be half a page to a full page in length.

HW: Journal: Describe your reaction to the Scottsboro trial. What went wrong and why do you think people allowed the injustice to occur?

HW: Read Chapters 4-5 and do questions + vocab

Friday 11/2 HW

Read Chapters 6, 7, 8Do the questions and the Vocab.Be ready to discuss answers in class on

Monday.I WILL COLLECT SOME OF THE

QUESTIONS

Journal: TKAM

Describe your town or school What are the people that live there like? Is there diversity in culture, socioeconomic status, housing, etc.? What are the attitudes like in your town or school?

Is your town or school BIG? Small?

Read Chapters 8, 9 and 10.

• Choose either Scout, Jem, Atticus, or Dill for your character chart

• Fill out the chart and be ready to work on your character sketch in class on Tuesday

Monday, Nov. 5: HW