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To Kill a Mockingbird Novel Unit Introduction
SECTION 1 — NOVEL OVERVIEW
SECTION 2 — HISTORICAL CONTEXT
SECTION 3 — STORY PREVIEW
SECTION 4 — KEY ELEMENTS & DEVICES
SECTION 5 — UNIT PREVIEW
NOVEL OVERVIEW
A CORNERSTONE OF AMERICAN LITERATURE
• Published in 1960 and immediately acclaimed; won the Pulitzer Prize.
• Speaks to American issues across generations.
• Develops themes on morality, innocence, courage, empathy, and social inequality.
• Blends coming-of-age storytelling with American social history.
THE AUTHOR: HARPER LEE (1926-2016)
• Born Nelle Harper Lee in Monroeville, AL
• Father was a lawyer — inspiration for the character Atticus Finch
• Studied law at the University of Alabama before moving to NYC to pursue writing.
• Lee drew on real people and social issues.
• Due to her reclusive nature, Lee gave very few interviews.
WHY THIS NOVEL MATTERS
• Examines race, class, gender, and justice in the U.S.
• Arrived during the Civil Rights Movement; influenced national discussions on race.
• Continues to be debated: Praised for moral clarity. Critiqued for centering on white perspectives.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
Set in the 1930s Published in 1960
THE 1930s (THE SETTING)
• Slavery ended in 1865, but prejudice and discrimination against Black people continued in new legal, economic, and social forms.
• The novel takes place during the Great Depression (1929–1939). Most people faced unemployment, poverty, and food scarcity.
• While women had achieved voting rights, they were restricted and marginalized in many ways.
• So-called “science” about racial superiority and eugenics (positive breeding) gained popularity.
WHAT WERE JIM CROW LAWS?
• After Reconstruction (the era following the Civil War), many states passed laws enforcing racial segregation.
• Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) was a case that upheld “separate but equal” doctrine (U.S. Supreme Court) which supported these laws.
• These laws restricted where Black Americans could live, learn, travel, vote, and work.
• Sustained through violence, intimidation, and prejudicial courts.
DAILY LIFE UNDER JIM CROW
• Segregated schools, public spaces, buses, neighborhoods
• Racial “etiquette rules”: Black citizens had to defer to white people in speech and behavior.
• Violating these unwritten rules could lead to arrest or violence.
• Extremely limited economic opportunity and social mobility
VIOLENCE AND RESISTANCE
• The first Ku Klux Klan (1865) was a secret, vigilante society. Its primary goal was to resist Reconstruction-era policies and preserve white control. The KKK was revived in 1915 and expanded its targets to include immigrants, Catholics, and Jews.
• Lynching was used as a tool of terror. To lynch (verb): to put to death (as by hanging) by mob action without legal approval or permission. (Merriam-Webster)
• Black communities resisted through churches, mutual-aid societies, educational and social institutions, journalism, and activism.
THE SCOTTSBORO CASE (1931–1937)
• Nine Black teenagers were falsely accused of sexually assaulting two white women in Alabama.
• Despite weak evidence, eight were initially sentenced to death. (ACLU, “The Saga of the Scottsboro Boys.”)
• The case showed how race influenced courtroom outcomes.
• Harper Lee grew up while these trials were ongoing.
ECONOMIC HARDSHIP: THE GREAT DEPRESSION
The Great Depression (1929-1939) was a severe, worldwide economic downturn. The period was marked by massive unemployment, widespread bank failures, industrial collapse, and extreme poverty. Eventually, the circumstances led to significant government intervention programs.
GENDER EXPECTATIONS IN THE 1930s
• Women were expected to be homemakers, teachers, nurses — limited opportunities.
• Social expectations included being quiet, morally upright, polite, and submissive.
• Women gained the right to vote just 13 years before the novel’s setting (19th Amendment, 1920).
• By 1960 (publication), Western society was on the cusp of Second-Wave Feminism.
• Gender norms are important in the novel.
THE RISE OF RACIAL “SCIENCES” AND EUGENICS
• In the 1900s – 1930s, many people endorsed eugenics (“good genes”), the idea that society could be improved by controlling who reproduced.
• Supporters claimed traits like intelligence, morality, and criminal behavior were inherited.
• Eugenics influenced segregation laws, immigration laws, economic practices, and led to forced sterilization programs of those considered “unfit.” (Kevles, 1995)
THE NOVEL’S PUBLICATION IN 1960
• The Start of the Civil Rights Era: Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955–56), Little Rock Nine (1957), Sit-in Movement (1960)
• Readers saw strong connections between the novel’s fictional trial and real-life events.
STORY PREVIEW
SETTING: MAYCOMB, ALABAMA
• Fictional rural town modeled after Harper Lee’s real hometown
• Slow-moving, tradition-bound, deeply segregated
• Community values reputation, family history, and strict social categories
MAIN CHARACTERS (NO SPOILERS)
• Scout Finch: Curious, feisty girl; 6 years old.
• Jem Finch: Older brother (age 10); beginning to examine how the adult world works.
• Atticus Finch: Their father; lawyer.
• Calpurnia: The Finch family’s housekeeper, practically a member of the family
• Dill: Friend to Jem and Scout.
• Boo Radley: A mysterious neighbor.
• Tom Robinson: A Black man accused of a crime.
STORY PREVIEW (NO SPOILERS)
• A young girl and her brother growing up
• The mystery surrounding a reclusive and possibly sinister neighbor
• The power of empathy (learning to understand others)
• A small-town court case that challenges everyone’s beliefs
• A struggle between justice and prejudice
KEY ELEMENTS & DEVICES
POINT OF VIEW: SCOUT AS NARRATOR
First-person narration blends childhood innocence with adult reflection.
CHARACTERIZATION
Direct and indirect characterization reveal motivations and conflicts. Pay attention to how some characters change over the course of the story and some remain the same.
IMAGERY
Lee uses imagery (descriptions that help you imagine with your senses) to build the setting and create feelings.
MOOD
At points the novel feels silly, reflective, remorseful, eerie, jubilant…
SYMBOLISM
Many details in the novel are loaded with added meaning; they represent something more than what they are.
STRUCTURE
Lee structures the book in two parts and 31 chapters. There are main plots, sub-plots, and stand-alone episodes working together.
THEME DEVELOPMENT
In literature, a theme is a message about life. Lee develops her themes through a variety of overlapping elements.
UNIT PREVIEW
SENSITIVE TOPICS & EXPECTATIONS
The novel focuses on Jem, Dill, and Scout, but the content is not kids’ stuff.
• Racist slurs (the n-word)
• Systemic racism
• Sexual assault
• Profanity / strong language
• Child abuse / neglect
• Sexist attitudes
• Violence
What expectations can we set as a class to make sure that this content is discussed appropriately? (For example, saying “n-word” instead of the word.)
READING SCHEDULE
Reading 1: Chapters 1-5
Reading 2: Chapters 6-9
Reading 3: Chapters 10-14
Reading 4: Chapters 15-18
Reading 5: Chapters 19-23
Reading 6: Chapters 24-31
UNIT GOALS
• Analyze the effects of point of view.
• Explain how historical context (setting and publication) shapes literature.
• Interpret symbolism and imagery.
• Trace theme (message) development.
• Engage respectfully in discussions on sensitive topics.
• Produce analytical, creative, and argumentative writing.
THIS PRESENTATION COMES FROM TEACHNOVELS.COM
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M. Towle is a veteran Language Arts and Social Studies teacher with fourteen years of classroom experience in urban schools in Los Angeles and Philadelphia. M. Towle holds an M.A. in Holocaust and Genocide Studies and is the founder of TeachNovels.com.