background
Harper Lee published To Kill a Mockingbird in 1960. Shortly thereafter, the book won the Pulitzer Prize and is now known as one of the greatest books ever written, selling over 30 million copies in 18 languages. The immediate fame the book achieved came as a shock to Lee, who never relished being in the spotlight.
Much of Lee’s novel is drawn from real events from her childhood in Monroeville, Alabama, during the Great Depression. As such, the racial and moral undertones of the book provide a very realistic portrait of southern life in the 1930s.
The book’s hero, Atticus Finch, is lauded as one of the great fictional moralists -- a man who not only fought racial injustice, but defended his family through it all refused to compromise any of his values or integrity.
Today, To Kill a Mockingbird is among the most commonly assigned books in high school English classes and seldom raises concerns over the controversial subjects it addresses. It has, to this day, never been out of print and has remained Harper Lee’s one and only novel.
Much of Lee’s novel is drawn from real events from her childhood in Monroeville, Alabama, during the Great Depression. As such, the racial and moral undertones of the book provide a very realistic portrait of southern life in the 1930s.
The book’s hero, Atticus Finch, is lauded as one of the great fictional moralists -- a man who not only fought racial injustice, but defended his family through it all refused to compromise any of his values or integrity.
Today, To Kill a Mockingbird is among the most commonly assigned books in high school English classes and seldom raises concerns over the controversial subjects it addresses. It has, to this day, never been out of print and has remained Harper Lee’s one and only novel.
synopsis
Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird begins at the end. The novel opens with the adult Jean Louise "Scout" Finch writing, "When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow." By the time Jem finally gets around to breaking his arm more than 250 pages later, most readers will have forgotten they were ever warned. This echoes the way the whole book unfolds - in no special hurry, with lifelike indirection. Nothing happens all by itself. The book's two plots inch forward along parallel tracks, only converging near the end.
The first plot revolves around Arthur "Boo" Radley, who lives in a shuttered house down the street from the Finches and is rumored to be some kind of monster. Scout, Jem, and their next-door neighbor Dill engage in pranks, trying to make Boo show himself. Unexpectedly, Boo reciprocates their interest with a series of small gifts, until he ultimately steps off his porch and into their lives when they need him most.
The second story concerns Scout and Jem's father, the attorney Atticus Finch. The local judge appoints him to defend a black man, Tom Robinson, who is falsely accused of raping a white woman. Atticus suspects he will lose the case, but he faces up to the challenge just the same, at one point heroically stepping between his client and a lynch mob.
Along with its twin plot lines, To Kill a Mockingbird has two broad themes: tolerance and justice. Lee treats the first through the children's fear of their mysterious neighbor. She illustrates the second with Atticus's courage in defending Robinson to the best of his ability, despite the racial prejudices of their small Southern town.
Tying the stories together is a simple but profound piece of advice Atticus gives Scout: "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view.... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it." By the end of the novel, Scout has done exactly that - guessed at the pain not only beneath Tom Robinson's skin, but also under that of her neighbor.
The first plot revolves around Arthur "Boo" Radley, who lives in a shuttered house down the street from the Finches and is rumored to be some kind of monster. Scout, Jem, and their next-door neighbor Dill engage in pranks, trying to make Boo show himself. Unexpectedly, Boo reciprocates their interest with a series of small gifts, until he ultimately steps off his porch and into their lives when they need him most.
The second story concerns Scout and Jem's father, the attorney Atticus Finch. The local judge appoints him to defend a black man, Tom Robinson, who is falsely accused of raping a white woman. Atticus suspects he will lose the case, but he faces up to the challenge just the same, at one point heroically stepping between his client and a lynch mob.
Along with its twin plot lines, To Kill a Mockingbird has two broad themes: tolerance and justice. Lee treats the first through the children's fear of their mysterious neighbor. She illustrates the second with Atticus's courage in defending Robinson to the best of his ability, despite the racial prejudices of their small Southern town.
Tying the stories together is a simple but profound piece of advice Atticus gives Scout: "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view.... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it." By the end of the novel, Scout has done exactly that - guessed at the pain not only beneath Tom Robinson's skin, but also under that of her neighbor.
Reader Response entries
As you read Part 1 of Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, complete five Reader Response entries for the book. You can set them up on notebook paper, or you can download the blank template provided.
As you read, write your personal response in your Reader Response entry. State your feelings, thoughts, reactions, and questions about situations, ideas, actions, characters, settings, symbols, plots, themes, and any other elements in the story. You can't be wrong in your responses, so take risks and be honest. Write about what you like and dislike, what seems confusing or unusual to you. Tell what you think something means. Make predictions about what might happen later. Relate your personal experiences which connect with the plot, characters, or setting. Connect the text to other texts you know. Don't just summarize the plot. Let me hear your voice.
These starters are simply suggestions for you to use. Remember your response journal is a place to record your reactions and questions, not a place to simply summarize what you've read. Sometimes a brief summary or reference to the text will be necessary to get your point across. Support your summaries with what you are feeling as you read your book. Doing this will help you get the MOST from the book.
Guidelines
As you read, write your personal response in your Reader Response entry. State your feelings, thoughts, reactions, and questions about situations, ideas, actions, characters, settings, symbols, plots, themes, and any other elements in the story. You can't be wrong in your responses, so take risks and be honest. Write about what you like and dislike, what seems confusing or unusual to you. Tell what you think something means. Make predictions about what might happen later. Relate your personal experiences which connect with the plot, characters, or setting. Connect the text to other texts you know. Don't just summarize the plot. Let me hear your voice.
These starters are simply suggestions for you to use. Remember your response journal is a place to record your reactions and questions, not a place to simply summarize what you've read. Sometimes a brief summary or reference to the text will be necessary to get your point across. Support your summaries with what you are feeling as you read your book. Doing this will help you get the MOST from the book.
Guidelines
- Each entry should be at least 150-200 words.
- Proofread your entry to catch mechanical errors that might impede readability.
Sample Entry Starters
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jury questionnaire
The jury in Tom Robinson’s case is made up of all white males, as that was the law of Alabama in 1935. But even Jem understands the injustice of this:
Jem was scratching his head. Suddenly, his eyes widened. “Atticus,” he said,
“why don’t people like us and Miss Maudie ever sit on juries? You never see
anybody from Maycomb on a jury –they all come from out in the woods.”
Pretend “anybody from Maycomb” could serve on Tom Robinson’s jury. Working in a group of three, assume the role of a character from the novel, fill out the jury questionnaire. Use quotations from the text to support each of the character’s answers.
Choose one of these characters as your jury member: Jem Finch, Scout Finch, Boo Radley, Alexandra Hancock, Maudie Atkinson, Dill Harris, Calpurnia, Rachel Haverford, Stephanie Crawford, Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubois, Grace Merriweather, Dolphus Raymond, Walter Cunningham, Sr.
Jem was scratching his head. Suddenly, his eyes widened. “Atticus,” he said,
“why don’t people like us and Miss Maudie ever sit on juries? You never see
anybody from Maycomb on a jury –they all come from out in the woods.”
Pretend “anybody from Maycomb” could serve on Tom Robinson’s jury. Working in a group of three, assume the role of a character from the novel, fill out the jury questionnaire. Use quotations from the text to support each of the character’s answers.
Choose one of these characters as your jury member: Jem Finch, Scout Finch, Boo Radley, Alexandra Hancock, Maudie Atkinson, Dill Harris, Calpurnia, Rachel Haverford, Stephanie Crawford, Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubois, Grace Merriweather, Dolphus Raymond, Walter Cunningham, Sr.
jury questionnaire | |
File Size: | 93 kb |
File Type: | doc |
voir dire - "To speak the truth"
Each questionnaire trio will develop four to five questions for the prosecution and the defense to ask the potential juror.
Three questionnaire trios will volunteer to conduct a voir dire of the character for the class. One group member will take on the role of the presecuting attorney, one the defense, and one the witness.
The rest of the class will be divided into two sides: the state and the defense. Following each voir dire, the "acting attorney" of each side consults wih the group of attorneys in order to determine whether they would want this potential juror to serve.
Three questionnaire trios will volunteer to conduct a voir dire of the character for the class. One group member will take on the role of the presecuting attorney, one the defense, and one the witness.
The rest of the class will be divided into two sides: the state and the defense. Following each voir dire, the "acting attorney" of each side consults wih the group of attorneys in order to determine whether they would want this potential juror to serve.
Virtual Make up Day Assignment
One of the primary influences on Harper Lee's writing of To Kill a Mockingbird was a case of alleged rape that occurred in Alabama in 1931 during the Great Depression.
Tom Robinson's trial bears striking parallels to the "Scottsboro Trial," one of the most famous-or infamous-court cases in American history.
For your Virtual Make up Day Assignment, click the image and watch the program produced by Emory University (7:40). During and after watching, create a Venn diagram comparing the Scottsboro case and Tom Robinson's case. Look for as many points of comparison (similarities and differences) as possible.
On the back of your Venn diagram, discuss the importance of the Scottsboro Boys case and how it impacted current laws and procedures.
Turn in your Venn diagram and response on Tuesday, 1/24.
Tom Robinson's trial bears striking parallels to the "Scottsboro Trial," one of the most famous-or infamous-court cases in American history.
For your Virtual Make up Day Assignment, click the image and watch the program produced by Emory University (7:40). During and after watching, create a Venn diagram comparing the Scottsboro case and Tom Robinson's case. Look for as many points of comparison (similarities and differences) as possible.
On the back of your Venn diagram, discuss the importance of the Scottsboro Boys case and how it impacted current laws and procedures.
Turn in your Venn diagram and response on Tuesday, 1/24.