The Influences of To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee is a famous author who wrote the award winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird. She grew up in the heart of Alabama and tied in many aspects of her southern childhood into the novel. There are historical and biological influences in the book To Kill a Mockingbird that reflect Lee’s life and the society around her during the 1930s. As an example, many people have compared characters from To Kill a Mockingbird to real-life individuals in Lee’s hometown. Alfred “Son” Boleware Jr., a resident in Lee’s hometown was the inspiration for the character Boo Radley. Like Boo, Boleware got in trouble with the law as a teen and as a result of his misdemeanors Boleware’s father kept him in the house as a “virtual prisoner” (Haggerty 90). Both Boleware and Boo were the subject of “endless lurid gossip and speculation” (90). This is an example of how Lee used people from her life and made them into fictional characters. Furthermore, the character Dill was also based upon Truman Capote, who was Lee’s next door neighbor. “Lee was certainly influenced by Truman Capote... whom she modeled the character of Dill” (Watkin 11). A third biographical representation that is portrayed in the novel is Scout, the protagonist of To Kill a Mockingbird. Harper Lee the author of To Kill a Mockingbird used to Scout represents her childhood (18). Both Lee and Scout grew up as tomboys, experienced the same events, and ultimately grew up with the same people. The biographical details in the novel reflects the novel by making it seem like a personal memoir by Lee. Harper Lee was biographically influenced by the people in her hometown. In her novel she used townspeople she was familiar with as inspiration for the characters in To Kill a Mockingbird. In addition, historical influences are incorporated into To Kill a Mockingbird. Harper Lee was raised in a southern environment where race relations were nonexistent. This was a time period of segregation and extreme racial tension. An example of a historical influence is the case of Walter Lett. Lett was accused of raping a white woman in Alabama in the year 1933. “Not long afterward, however, a group of prominent Monroeville citizens, convinced that
A writer, who’s famous for an award winning book that created a reaction throughout the nation. Harper Lee is famous for writing the book ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’, which is now renowned for being a classic of modern American literature. Lee had grown up in Alabama to Frances Finch and Amasa Lee, along with her siblings Edwin, Alice, and Louise. As Lee grew up, she had been introduced at a young age to racial injustice through her father, who as a Southern lawyer, would have to either defend or oppose African Americans in different cases. Due to this, she tried to make social and political statements throughout her book, such as how whites were prejudice and bias towards African Americans and how anyone who either defends or likes a black is hated. Harper Lee tried to build connections between her childhood and her novel, while also connecting important events that were connected to The Civil Rights Movement.
When reading books, readers will occasionally find that some books will have historical influences in them. In the book To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee there are three different historical influences. Lee used real life historical events in her book To Kill A Mockingbird to help make her story more Inspirational. The three different historical influences that Lee used were mob mentality, Jim Crow laws, and the Scottsboro trial.
Have you ever thought about what inspired Harper Lee to write her novel To Kill a Mockingbird? Lee was inspired by the real world events that happened around her. The scottsboro trials influenced her. The murder of Emmett Till made her thoughts pliant on her thoughts about the relationships should be between blacks and whites. The way Jim Crow laws were carried out created a different view of the way black people should be treated by whites.
True or False. Many times students have trouble differentiating between the author of a story and the narrator. This is most likely the case with the stories that are based on the truth, but are not the whole truth. Stories that are based on the truth are not completely the truth in that the author adds small details to make the story more interesting. There are various assumptions that Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird is a story related to her own life. Similarities and differences are found between Lee’s life and Scout’s life in To Kill A Mockingbird. Harper Lee wrote about a little girl named Jean Louise Finch (Scout), but was she really telling a story about her life and what scenarios took place in her childhood? Harper
Harper Lee was born in Monroeville, Alabama on April 28, 1926, to the Finch’s. She was the youngest sibling out of four children. Lee was not very lady like or feminine, she is described as tomboyish. Atticus, Scout’s father, was a lawyer and also owned part of a newspaper company. Her mother had a mental illness, and a bipolar disorder. Truman Capote was her childhood best friend, and he was bullied because of his sensitive personality. Lee was braver than most boys her age, so she stood up for Truman, and protected him. Lee and Truman both had rough home lives. Truman was abandoned by his parents, and Lee did not have a mother figure to support her (“Harper Lee Biography” 1).
Born on April 28th 1926 Nelle Harper Lee grew up in the small town of Monroeville, Alabama. Nelle did not act as a normal girl was expected to during her younger years. She ran around acting tomboyish and only did what she wanted to do. Harper had four older siblings, a mother who was a homemaker and mentally ill, and a father who was a lawyer. During her time in high school, Nelle found a love of writing and went to the Huntingdon College. Although she studied law at the University of Alabama before this, she loved writing more and went to New York to expand her writing skills. Then, in 1960 Nelle published To Kill a Mockingbird but she was not a fan of all the reporters and the fame. After publishing To Kill a Mockingbird, Nelle Harper Lee
Harper Lee in his novel To Kill a Mockingbird, takes place in the United States unjust, racist, and discriminatory 1930’s. Introducing us to a character of Jem Finch and several other characters living in Maycomb, Alabama. Harper shows us a character who appears young, innocent, and trusting of his peers. And shows us how people of theses attributes can adult into mature men. Seen in the novel how he believes his friends that Mrs. Dubose is a vicious woman and evil due to the rumors that his friends. As well as he was fascinated by his neighbor Boo Radley for his mysteriousness and their lack of knowledge of who he is.
“Most people seem to think they’re right and you’re wrong,” (105). Set in the 30’s and written in the 60’s, Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird influenced America in ways that changed our history forever. Lee created a universe of living characters in an attempt to show our flaws and try to end racism. Though there are many themes in To Kill a Mockingbird, three of the most prominent are discrimination, justice, and fear.
My understanding of what influenced Harper Lee to write this particular novel was developed after collaboratively discussing the fact that To Kill a Mockingbird mirrors her life, whereby her life matches the life of the novel's storyteller, Scout. For instance, both Lee's and Scout's fathers' were lawyers who represented African-Americans, who eventually died, convicted of murdering a European-American woman. Moreover, Scout's brother, Jem, was four years older than her, and similarly, Harper Lee had an older brother who was six years older than her. Both were raised in a small country town in Alabama - the only difference is that Scout
Harper Lee was born in times of racism and when society was unbalanced. The author of her much accredited book To Kill a Mockingbird, wrote a world known novel and published another book after that, which started some recent controversy. As she grew older, her work, and public harassment began to shape Lee’s character. It’s interesting to learn about Harper, especially when it comes to her background, her work, and where she is today.
We, as people, are influenced by each other and have an influence on each other when it comes to important issues. For many years, and still today, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee has influenced our views on the matters of the world like racism, freedom, and so on. The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill may be a newer novel, but it is equally as important as it also touches on these topics - from a different perspective. To Kill a Mockingbird and The Book of Negroes have different effects on our opinions about inequality, freedom and racism, and can change how we deal with these issues because of the contrasting points-of-view of Aminata and Scout.
Harper Lee published her famous book, To Kill a Mockingbird, more than fifty years ago, but it is still one of the most read books of this age. Before her death, Harper Lee earned $9,249 a day, giving her a net worth of thirty-five million dollars. This money is well earned, however, as Lee used her words to impact and shape the way people thought to improve the world we live in. Former first lady Laura Bush called the book "a novel that has enshrined for generations an ideal of American decency” (al.com). Clearly, one can already see that the book is well known and influential enough to impress people all over the world. To Kill a Mockingbird is about a young girl by the name of Scout who grows up in a racist town. The story tells the reader
Discrimination, prejudice, verbal and physical assault. To Kill a Mockingbird is written by Lee,Harper. It will show how the community of Maycomb Alabama will react and behave to racism during a court case. This book is narrated by a young girl nicknamed Scout, real name Jean Louise Finch. This book takes place in Maycomb Alabama around the 1930’s. In To Kill a Mockingbird it will show how racism affects black people in Maycomb Alabama.
In Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, the author uses characterization to bring her characters to life. Harper Lee introduces the characters of Scout, Jem, and Atticus Finch, the protagonists. Direct and indirect characterization allows the reader to further learn about and relate to the fascinating characters. She uses them to further connect the reader to this iconic story. By conveying the story through these characters, the reader is immersed into the novel.
The text type of To Kill a Mockingbird is a fiction novel which deals with the racism the author observed as a child in her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama. To Kill a Mockingbird was written by Harper Lee, who wrote her novel in a retrospective point of view. There were numerous aspects of historical, personal, cultural and social context in To Kill a Mockingbird. Harper Lee was born on the 28th of April, 1926, in Monroeville Alabama. Monroeville was a close-knit community that has many similarities with Maycomb, which is the setting of To Kill a Mockingbird. Harper Lee’s father was a prominent lawyer, whom she drew inspiration for the protagonists father, Atticus Finch. Among Lee’s childhood friends was Truman Capote, from whom she drew inspiration to the character Dill. These personal details help portray Harper Lee’s own childhood home, where racism and segregation was highly evident. Another example of context which helped shape To Kill a Mockingbird were the events that occurred during Harper Lee’s childhood. In 1931, when Harper Lee was five years old, nine African-American men were accused of raping two white women near Scottsboro, Alabama. After a series of lengthy, highly publicised, and often bitter trials, five of the nine men were sentenced to long term imprisonment. Many prominent lawyers and various members of the general public saw the sentences as spurious and believed that it was motivated by racial prejudice.