Intro to the novel by N. Harper Lee
Jan 12, 2016
Intro to the novel by N. Harper Lee
born April 28, 1926Childhood friend of famous
author Truman Capote (In Cold Blood, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, “A Christmas Memory”)
Youngest of four children born to Amasa Coleman Lee and Frances Cunningham Finch Lee
Grew up in Monroeville, Alabama
Father was a lawyerWas a “tomboy” when younghttp://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap10/
lee_harper.html?newwindow=true Biography from Wikipedia.org
Attended all-female Huntingdon College (in Alabama) and later University of Alabama
Joined a sorority, but was known as a “loner”
Began law school, but left it to pursue writing
Moved to New York City at age 23 to write
Never wrote a second novel
Became notoriously reclusive after achieving fame for Mockingbird
http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/face/Multimedia.jsp?id=m-2477
Subgenre of Gothic fiction
takes place exclusively in the American South.
relies on supernatural, ironic, or unusual events to guide the plot.
uses these tools not solely for the sake of suspense, but to explore social issues and reveal the cultural character of the American South.
employs the use of macabre, ironic events to examine the values of the American south.http://www.magicumbrella.com/xmas.htm Wikipedia.org
History of slavery and racism
Culture of HonorPoliteness is highly
valuedToughness and
protection of one’s family (esp. women)
“Men were expected to act like gentlemen, displaying courage, moral strength, perseverance, and chivalry in defense of the honor of their family name. Women were expected to be models of feminine purity, grace, and virginity until it came time for them to provide children to inherit the family legacy. Faith in God and profound concern for preserving the family reputation provided the grounding for these beliefs” (sparknotes.com).
http://commentariesonthetimes.wordpress.com/tag/monique-wins-oscar/
In 1863, the Civil War was ended and the Emancipation Proclamation signed by Abraham Lincoln
70 years later, in the 1930s, racism was still a major issue
Segregation existed legally until Brown v. Board of Education in 1954 It still exists in practice in
many places around the country
It remains a problem today, but major change happened in the 1960s due to the Civil Rights Movement
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:1943_Colored_Waiting_Room_Sign.jpg
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/070805/13rock.htm
http://www.examiner.com/american-history-in-national/segregated-drinking-fountains-photo
usafamilymedicine.wordpress.com
The 1968 Civil Rights Act began our modern hate crime laws, but prior to that they were not a separate type of crime.
WWI era (1914-18): Ku Klux Klan committed many hate crimes, including lynching
Lynching was a vigilante execution that involved executing someone without trial, often by hangingCould involve anyone
accused of a crime, but were often racially motivated
http://wonkette.com/424655/georgetown-u-finds-piece-of-rope-assumes-lynching-racist
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