To Kill A MockingbirdHarper Lee

WilsonSimons

Nelle Harper Lee was born on April 28, 1926 in Monroeville Alabama

She attended Huntingdon College 1944-45, studied law at the University of Alabama 1945-49, and studied one year at Oxford University.  

In 1960 TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, Lee's book, was published

Harper Lee

Atticus Finch◦ Single Father of Scout and Jem◦ Defense attorney for Tom Robinson◦ Teaches his children how to not be prejudice and

see people for what they really are, and not the color of their skin

◦ The whole entire town hates Atticus and his family for defending a black man, he ignores them and continues to fight for Tom Robinson’s innocence

Protagonist

Bob Ewell◦ Father To Mayella◦ Unemployed father of poorest family in Maycomb◦ “Ewell represents the dark side of the South:

ignorance, poverty, and hate-filled racial prejudice” John Fitzpatrick

Antagonist

Scout Finch Daughter Of Atticus Very intelligent for her age She loves everyone in the town except for

Boo Radley She grows up quite a bit in the book,

learning about hatred and prejudices at a young age

My Favorite Character

Bob Ewell He is a rude to everyone He abuses his own family The reason he wrongfully accuses Tom was

in trying to make his family more respected and get money.

In the end they figure out he sexually and physically abuses Mayella

Least Favorite Character

Fictional town of Maycomb Alabama (where down south racism is a huge problem)

1933-1935 (I think the date is important because people are poor and trying anyway they can to get money in this case Bob Ewell.

Setting

The Finch family lives in the little town of Maycomb, Alabama

Dill becomes friends with Jem and Scout. Scout is in her first year of school

and hates it. Jem and Scout keep finding gifts

in a knothole of a tree in front the Radley house.

Exposition

I believe the rising action is when Atticus gets Tom Robinson’s case on the unfair accusation of him raping Mayella Ewell and is in court with him.

Scout, Jem and Dill can’t see how the jury would convict him because all the facts are there.

Also Jem and Scout are finding more encounters with the mysterious Boo Radley.

Rising Action

I think the climax of the story is when Tom gets convicted of raping Mayella.

Its hard for the black community in Maycomb to see Tom go to jail for something he didn’t do.

When Tom tries to escape and gets shot to death is also part of the climax

Climax

Bob Ewell still isn’t satisfied so he wants revenge on Atticus

He attacks Jem and Scout, but Boo Radley mysteriously saves them and stabs Bob

Scout realizes that she shouldn’t have judged Boo because of what she first thought about him and tried to get to know him better.

She finally realizes and understands what her dad meant when he said “you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes.” Atticus Finch

Falling Action

I think that in the end everyone is happy and satisfied.

Ewell is dead Boo is a friend And the Finch family can rest once again To me the book ends on a peaceful note.

And leaves everyone with what they want.

Resolution

I would give this book a 9, when I’m reading this I have a hard time putting it down, and even a harder time not thinking about it in the day.

I have learned quite a bit from it. And I think that everyone could learn their own lesson from it.

I think that this book has a strong message to give.

My Rating

Deceptive Appearances A lot of characters are not what other people

think they are, but because of how they look they judge them unfairly.

Racism and Acceptance The town that Atticus lives in(Maycomb) is

very racist so it was brave of him to take the case.

Innocence Lots of characters in the book are really

innocent. Not only Tom Robinson.

Themes

"As you grow older you’ll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something and don’t you forget it— whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, how rich he is, of how fine a family he comes from, that white man is trash.” Atticus Finch

Racism

In this book the major conflict is a white man being racist to a black man.

I believe racism happens everywhere in the world today

It’s a huge problem and it doesn’t look like its stopping anytime soon, it seems like its growing everyday.

Racism

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isCiIp6uth8

Of human ignorance I am almost in despairFor racism is around me everywhereBut like they say sheer ignorance is blissJust like Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss Some people carry their honor in a flagAnd of their Nationality they bragThey feel superior and they differentiateAnd against those who are different they discriminate.So many people still judged by their raceFor such there never ought to be a place'A fair go' those untruthful words I do recallThere is no such a thing as a 'fair go for all'.Though we live in a so called democracyOf racism we never will be freeThey judge you by where you come from and the color of your skinFor many equality and respect seems impossible to win.It's been awhile since the days of Martin Luther

King His name to it has a familiar ringIf against racism he did not choose to striveToday the great man he would be alive.So many holding the reins of power not spiritually awareAnd racism is around me everywhereAnd racism only leads to division and warJust goes to show how ignorant some are.

Francis Duggan

In America Out of 7,755 incidents, 4,321 were committed on racial, and 754 were on an ethnicity/nat'l origin bias.This means roughly 6 out of every 10 crimes were on racial bias, blacks being 38% of the total.Out of those 7,755 incidents, there were 12 murders--8 of which were on racial bias. That's two-thirds.

http://library.thinkquest.org/C006274/race/stats.html

Facts

Anti-white racism in the US at a glance Every year since 1995, the Fbi releases a report on "hate

crimes".

The study of these reports shows that between 1996 and 2002 there has been:

3 736 racially motivated assaults against white victims. 2 100 racially motivated acts of intimidation toward whites 17 persons have been murdered because they were white 1 904 anti-white crimes targeted properties among which 1 064 acts of vandalism 661 burglary, robberies and larcenies 31 Arsons National Statistics (from FBI UCRs)

More Facts