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1930’s March 25, 1931: nine African American men are accused of raping white women on the train in Scottsboro, Alabama

Communism, racism, economic exploitation

1960’s racial tension and buildup to civil rights movement

Harper Lee born in Alabama

Beginning of Great Depression (October 29, 1929)

Finch family not immensely facing repercussions, fairly wealthy

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Scout Finch, the brave and innocent daughter of Atticus narrates the entirety of this novel through the first person perspective. By this time she is an adult, but tells her story as if she is still young and reacting to events through this lens.

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It is also important that Scout has Jem and Dill to contribute to the commentary and point of view with Scout's narration. Jem acts as a role model to her while Dill is her companion and counterpart. Their relationships show how children perceived racial tension in the 1930's and the beginnings of the Great Depression.

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It is important that Scout narrates the novel to show the broken aspects of the south at this time but through a more clouded and childlike perspective. She does not completely understand a lot of the events in her life and the incentives behind certain characters' actions, but it allows the audience to witness her development and understanding of her world as the story progresses.

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Three Adjectives:

Curious

Resilient

Protective

Scout is young, curious, and adventurous while she looks up to her older brother for guidance during this particularly impressionable time in her life. She will almost always rely on physically fighting for what she wants; partly due to its simplistic solution. She can easily solve her problems by using her fists which allows her to disregard her morals and/or thinking through a rational verbal conclusion with others.

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Three Adjectives:

Wise

Patient

Kind

Atticus Finch is the father of Jem and Scout, as well as the source of morality and justice for his family and in the courtroom as a lawyer. He treats others with his utmost respect--even those who aren't pleasant to him. He teaches his children about the deformities in the south, and how sometimes there are restrictions that have to do with appearance (gender roles, race, etc.) and it is up to the individual to determine how they will respond to these norms and surpass them when aggravated.

Ironically, he was once known for his remarkable ability to sharp shoot, but he refuses to ever participate in violent behavior or anything of this nature; he doesn't believe in harming living things--it is a sin to kill a mockingbird...

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Three Adjectives:

Caring

Courageous

Imaginative

Jem is the older brother of Scout and son of Atticus Finch. He is brave, respectful of his father, and more aware of Macomb and its tension. This is prevalent when the verdict comes back in court and Tom Robinson is proven guilty. He suddenly recognizes that his town may not have been as "good" and fair as he thought, and this changes him. He feels as though he has been lied to and lashes out as a result. As the book progresses, Jem is the older and wiser sibling that understands more about the town and looks to Atticus for explanations.

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The plot moves fairly quickly. There is a significant passage of time as the story goes on, and the reader gets to see both Jem, Scout, and  Atticus age and change over the span of four years, especially in response to the case and how that affects them individually and as a family and town.

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Initially, the gloomy Radley house is the main attraction of the story, and how Scout and Jem are curiously scared and bothersome towards the history of it. They even try to interact with Boo Radley, and learn that he may not actually be the scary monster he was made out to be. However, they discover this much later in the book after the main plot is finished (Tom Robinson case). Boo is set aside after the beginning and then comes back at the end.

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"'I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what'" (Lee 149).

Atticus describes here what he hoped Jem would understand after reading to his seemingly terrible and disrespectful neighbor. His goal is to teach his children valuable lessons about themselves and others, and in this example, what courage means. It means to persist, not to endorse violence.

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In both TKAM and Romeo and Juliet, there is a form of forbidden love that simply cannot flourish due to the restrictions that society has put on the individuals. It is quite obvious in Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare in that the teenagers are not permitted to love each other because of their feuding families. However, in TKAM this message is slightly more unclear, but still prevalent. Since Macomb is very racist, the love that people can offer one another cannot flourish. Tom Robinson isn't understood or treated equally due to the social norms of this time, which ultimately prevents people from being kind to each other regardless of appearance.

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Both of these novels are written in entirely different styles, but the idea of being an outcast within an imperfect setting is discussed by both Austen and Lee. Elizabeth Bennet does not believe in marrying someone she does not deeply love, and Atticus Finch does not believe in being racist or treating others with disrespect. They are different than everyone else in their environment for their contrasting beliefs, which also makes them protagonists in their stories.

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In both As I Lay Dying and To Kill a Mockingbird, the idea of broken southern lifestyles is addressed. The novels are held in different areas and different time periods, but in some way or another the people living inside a small town in the south are corrupt by some form of inhumanity-- that being racism, selfishness, or inequality.

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Jem is one of the central characters in the story and changes the most mentally in my opinion. This may partially be due to him transitioning from being a child to a teen over four years, but I also think it's after seeing his father defend Tom. He doesn't understand Boo's motives at all and even intentionally bothers him all the time when he spends time with Scout and Dill. However, as mentioned in the "Language" portion (to the right), he begins to understand Boo a lot better, and his reasoning for wanting to stay secluded from Macomb. His ignorance begins to fade which is a lot for him to process, but he still changes and responds to the conflict the most drastically out of all the characters.

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Calpurnia is the complete opposite of Jem. Her perspective remains the same and she doesn't develop or change very remarkably throughout the story. She is victimized by her society and time period and being an African American woman, which unfortunately prevents her from seeking opportunity or really changing very much in general. She does offer her wisdom and nourishment to the Finch children, however, which in a way helps them grow.

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There are several "mini stories" and/or breaks from the plot throughout the story as well. They contribute mainly to thematic elements, but they are very much necessary. This slows down the pace slightly in that it distracts from the main underlying case involving Tom Robinson.
Examples:

Trimming camelias

Gifts inside tree

Thanksgiving with the family

Schooling

Calpurnia taking Scout and Jem to church

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Connection to Novel (Outside of Class)--Tom Sawyer

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Connection to Novel (Outside of Class)--Tom Sawyer

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Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain is very similar to TKAM in the way that it focuses on the innocent perspectives of children, and their brave and imaginative contribution to the complicated societal norms/tension. Scout, Dill, and Jem are very enthusiastic and enjoy adventure, which is how Tom is in Tom Sawyer. They don't hestitate to absorb life and all that it has to offer, while still learning more and more about the larger conflicts in the adult world.

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Being Afraid and Curious about the Unfamiliar

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Being Afraid and Curious about the Unfamiliar

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The presence of the Radley home sparks curiosity and fear for Jem, Scout, and Dill. They are interested in what they cannot see nor understand, and are then motivated to create stories about Boo Radley. I can relate to this feeling-- of being curious and also afraid of something I cannot perceive. In specific, I would relate it to my future endeavors and pursuit of college. It is slightly frightening to enter an unknown area of life, but also very exciting at the same time. I think it's very natural for people to be slightly uncomfortable with things they cannot fully understand, which is why Boo Radley is such a relatable character and/or story for Lee to discuss.

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Scout's aunt Alexandra constantly berates her for the tomboyish and nontraditional way she carries herself. She is expected to both act like and seem like a woman, which means she is scolded for wearing overalls and getting in fist fights. Although my nana is not nearly as harsh as Scout's aunt, I have received some sort of vague expectation to set aside my college plans and simply marry into a happy life. I still love and respect my nana, but cannot live happily without working hard at a profession independently first. That said, Scout was also able to ignore her aunt's wishes and listen to her father to potentially be a lawyer...

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'"Scout, I think I'm beginning to understand something. I think I'm beginning to understand why Boo Radley's stayed shut up in the house all this time... It's because he wants to stay inside'" (Lee 304).

Jem begins to realize why it is Boo refuses to go outside. He is afraid of Macomb, and the hypocrisy, gossip, and brokenness. He doesn't wish to go outside and become a part of this, which finally makes sense to Scout and Jem, after they've witnessed the darkness of the Tom Robinson case, and their town's reaction toward it. Boo Radley is like a mockingbird, in that he is harmless, kind, and "'don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy'" (Lee 119).

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"'You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view--...until you climb into his skin and walk around in it'" (Lee 39).
This is a brief quote more so than a passage, but it ties in one of the most important themes from the novel, and in life. Atticus speaks again with astounding wisdom that sympathy is necessary to fully understand someone and what they are struggling with, even if you may not agree with it. It takes strength to accept that and be compassionate regardless of disparate opinions.

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Boo Radley is the most responsive to the conflict, which makes him also one of the most developed characters. He ends up protecting (and saving) Scout and Finch despite having to face his greatest fear of stepping outside his house. This comes as a surprise to the reader, and Lee was wise to involve him in the conflict somehow--and make him a hero.

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Since Scout narrates the novel, the reader sees things from her perspective. Rather than describing what she feels, however, she states her observations as if the reader is there witnessing everything. This is to force the reader to create their own emotions toward the story without blatantly stating the message or theme. Presumptively, Lee hoped to have her fiction be interpreted rather than forced.

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As I read the story, I was immediately hooked but moreso during the conflict. It was foreshadowed that Robert E. Lee Ewell would harm someone or at least continue to be threatening, but it was unclear whether or not he would strike. Lee built suspense when the kids were making their way back from the play, and it seemed as though it was just falsely justified and was most likely one of their friends trying to make a joke. It ended up being the antagonist Ewell, and him trying to murder them. This was unexpected and made it even more profound when it did end up happening.

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As discussed prior, knowing that Boo Radley became the hero also made the story both validating and happily ended. I believe that Lee's main goal was to inform the reader of a point of view, that being of outsiders (Boo), and of people that are not privileged and/or victims of society (Tom). She uses a child's point of view and their development to show the importance of empathy, acceptance, morality, and forgiveness.

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The mockingbird is symbolic of several characteristics, being innocence, fragility, and purity. Both Boo and Tom are representative of the mockingbird, because they are harmless to their environment and are somehow threatened and endangered by others. It makes sense that Lee encorporates this into the title, because the entire story is about the innocence of children, Tom, and Boo, and their interactions with the dangerous external threats of Macomb.

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"Lawyers, I suppose, were children once" -Charles Lamb
This is the first thing that the reader sees when opening the book, and I it was a very compelling statement to to continue to think about while reading. It is about how the exposure to unfair and immoral behavior may also incentivize the prevention of it. It is not stated that Scout becomes a lawyer, but perhaps the way she speaks and thinks foreshadows to that possibility.

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The mad dog that Atticus eventually is forced to sharp shoot is representative of his obstacles, and in specific, the aggressive mobs, people, and injustices of Macomb. He has to combat this throughout the story, with his kids looking up to him and his ability to be the bigger person throughout their journey.

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Pathetic Fallacy and the Changing of the Seasons

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Pathetic Fallacy and the Changing of the Seasons

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"Autumn turned to winter that year. We had two weeks of the coldest weather since 1885, Atticus said" (Lee 85).
The pathetic fallacy here mocks the coldness and isolation that Boo feels. At this point the children are still very much fascinated by him, and he still appears cold and isolated like the weather. It also marks the point at which Jem begins to transform into a teenager and acts slightly more distant toward Scout and his family.

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Lee attends college in Alabama (women only not co-ed)

Wins a Pulitzer prize for her works

Writing acquaintance is Truman Capote--influences writing style

Some say he is the character Dill in the story--share childhood adventures