TO KILL A

MOCKINGBIRD
 GROUP 8

Tran Quynh Nga Tran Quynh Nhu Nguyen Ha Thuong

 TABLE OF CONTENT

I. THE AUTHOR II.THE COMPOSITION III.PERSONAGE&

MESSAGE
 ATTENDED HUNTINGDON COLLEGE
( 1 9 4 4 - 1 9 4 5 ) A N D S T U D I E D LA W A T T H E U N I V E R S I T Y
OF ALABAMA (1945–1949)

W R O T E F OR CA MP US LIT E R A R Y M A GA ZI N E S, SH O R T
S T O R IE S A N D OT H E R WOR K S A B O UT A R A R E L Y
M E N T ION E D T OP IC S UCH A S R A CI A L I N JUST I CE .

I N 1 9 4 8 , W E N T T O E N G L A N D T O S T UD Y F O R A
SUMMER AT OXFORD UNIVERSITY IN .

I N 1 9 5 0 , M O V E D T O N E W Y O R K CI T Y A N D S H E
WORKED FOR BRITISH OVERSEAS AIRWAYS
CORPORATION

IN 1957, PRESENTED HER WRITING TO A

LITERARY AGENT RECOMMENDED BY CAPOTE

HARPER LEE (1926-2016) AN EDITOR AT J. B. LIPPINCOTT ADVISED HER TO QUIT

IN MONROEVILLE, ALABAMA THE AIRLINE AND CONCENTRATE ON WRITING.

THE BOOK FINALLY ACHIEVED ITS FINISHED FORM

AND WAS RETITLED TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD IN
1959.

AFTER THE TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD MANUSCRIPT

WENT INTO PUBLICATION PRODUCTION IN 1959, LEE
ACCOMPANIED CAPOTE TO HOLCOMB, KANSAS

DESPITE BECOMING FAMOUS LEE ALMOST REFUSED

ANY INTERVIEWS OR PUBLIC APPEARANCES AND
ALSO STOPPED WRITING, EXCEPT FOR A FEW SHORT
ESSAYS.

IN THE MID-1980S, LEE ALSO INTENDED TO WRITE A

BOOK ABOUT THE SERIAL KILLERS IN ALABAMA, BUT
SHE QUICKLY ABANDONED IT.
SOME OF IN 1966, THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON THE ARTS.

THE IN 2005, THE INAUGURAL ATTY AWARD AND

THE LOS ANGELES PUBLIC LIBRARY LITERARY
AWARDS AWARD.

THAT IN 2006, ACCEPTED AN HONORARY DEGREE

FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME.

LEE IN 2007, THE PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM.

HAS IN 2010, THE NATIONAL MEDAL OF ARTS.

RECEIVED
II. THE COMPOSITION
To Kill The Morckingbird was compled in 1959

ORIGINALLY NAMED ATTICUS

PUBLISHED ON JULY 11, 1960, THE NOVEL MADE

THE US AND THE WORLD "SURPRISE" BY ITS
UNIQUE AND DARING CONTENT.

=> BECAME A BEST-SELLER, SELLING OVER 30

MILLION COPIES AND THEN SELLING MILLIONS OF
COPIES A YEAR TO THIS DAY

BROUGHT HARPER THE PRESTIGIOUS PULITZER PRIZE IN 1961

AWARDED THE PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM BY

PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH
BACKGROUND OF BIRTH TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD IS S ET IN ALABAMA, A SOUT H ER N ST AT E
HEAVILY RACIST AND WAS WRITTEN DURING A T I M E W H EN T H E
BLACK MOVEMENT, ESPECIALLY THAT OF MARTI N LUT H ER KI N G,
JR. , WAS I N F ULL SWING

THE MOST OBVIOUS WAS THE BUS BOYCOTT I N MONGOMERY,

ALABAMA; LASTED FROM DECEMBER 1955 TO DECEMBER 1 95 6,
WITH THE RESULT OF A SUPREME COURT DECI SI ON DECL ARI NG
THE BUS SEAT SEGREGATION LAWS APPLICABL E I N
MONTGOMERY AND ALABAMA UNCONSTITUTI ONAL

THAT THE BIG THEME OF THE WORK IS RACISM.

 MAIN CONTENT
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD IS ABOUT A WHITE FINCH FAMILY IN THE TOWN OF
MAYCOMB, IN THE SOUTHERN US STATE OF ALBAMA. THE STORY IS LED BY
SCOUT - THE YOUNG DAUGHTER OF RESPECTED LAWYER ATTICUS FINCH.

THE OPENING PART IS THE DAILY STORY OF TWO BROTHERS JEM 10 YEARS OLD
AND SCOUT 6 YEARS OLD. OF COURSE, ALONG WITH THESE ACTIVITIES ARE
SUBTLE LESSONS FROM THE FATHER THAT ARE INSERTED QUITE SUBTLY. A
TYPICAL EVENT THAT REFLECTS THE REALITY OF AMERICAN SOCIETY IN THE
1930S AND CREATES THE VALUE OF THE BOOK IS ATTICUS' S DEFENSE OF A
BLACK MAN - TOM ROBINSON - WHO IS ACCUSED OF RAPING A WHITE GIRL
AND FACES THE DEATH PENALTY. ATTICUS FINCH' S RESOLUTE DEFENSE OF A
BLACK MAN CAUSED CERTAIN DISPARITIES AND DISDAIN FOR HIM AND BOTH
OF HIS CHILDREN.
 THE CLIMAX IS THE SCENE WHERE THE TRIAL TAKES PLACE.
ATTICUS FINCH USED EVERY WORD, ARGUMENT, AND
EVIDENCE TO PROVE TOM ROBINSON' S INNOCENCE. ANYONE
AT THE TRIAL COULD TELL THAT THIS BLACK MAN WAS
INNOCENT. HOWEVER, IN A SOCIETY FULL OF PREJUDICE, AND
RACISM, ALL ARGUMENTS ARE ALSO INFERIOR TO SKIN
COLOR. IN THE END, THE BLACK GUY WAS STILL SENTENCED
TO DEATH. BECAUSE HE WAS SO SCARED HE ESCAPED PRISON,
THE POLICE DISCOVERED HIM AND HE WAS SHOT
 PERSONAGE
1. Characters
Mockingbird image
III. PERSONAGE
& MESSAGE

2. MESSAGE OF THE NOVEL

III. PERSONAGE & MESSAGE
1.PERSONAGE

THE STORY IS TOLD THROUGH THE INNOCENT

EYES OF A CHILD, IN THE EARLY YEARS OF
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL - JEAN LOUISE

UNUSUAL LITTLE GIRL, A TOMBOY IN THE

CONSERVATIVE AND NORMATIVE SOUTHERN
WORLD OF MAYCOMB

CONSCIENCE, AND PERSONALITY, WITHOUT

BEING REPRESSED IN A PSEUDO-DISCIPLINED
AND AUTHORITARIAN SOCIETY

JEAN LOUISE
III. PERSONAGE & MESSAGE
1. PERSONAGE

LEARNED THAT WHILE HUMANS ARE CAPABLE OF

A GREAT DEAL OF EVIL, THEY ALSO HAVE AN
AMAZING CAPACITY TO DO GOOD, AND THAT
EVIL CAN OFTEN BE REDUCED IF PEOPLE
APPROACH EACH OTHER WITH EMPATHY AND
UNDERSTANDING.

=> SCOUT IS STILL A CHILD BUT SCOUT' S

OUTLOOK ON LIFE HAS EVOLVED FROM AN
INNOCENT CHILD TO A NEAR-ADULT.

JEAN LOUISE
III. PERSONAGE & MESSAGE
1. PERSONAGE

ALWAYS CARRIES HIS FAITH IN WHAT IS

RIGHT

HONORS THE PROMISES OF JUSTICE THAT

ATTICUS HAS ADMIRABLY TAUGHT HIM AND
MAINTAINS THESE COMMITMENTS
THROUGHOUT THE STORY.

JEM FINCH
III. PERSONAGE & MESSAGE
1. PERSONAGE

THE RESPECTABLE FATHER

EXTREMELY RESPECTABLE PERSON

ALWAYS LOOKS AT OTHERS IN BOTH

GOOD AND BAD SIDES, ALWAYS
SYMPATHIZING AND UNDERSTANDING
THEM

ATTICUS FINCH
 SUPPORTING CHARACTER

DILL HARRIS AUNT ALEXANDRA MS.MAUDIE

 SUPPORTING CHARACTER

MRS.DUBOSE BOO RADLEY TOM ROBISON

MOCKINGBIRD- A RED THREAD THROUGHOUT THE STORY

"The mockingbird does nothing

but bring the song to us to enjoy.
They do not destroy ruining
people's gardens, not nest in
corncobs, they do nothing except
sing to us with all their hearts.
That's why killing the mockingbird
is a sin."
2. THE MESSAGE OF THE NOVEL

“THERE IS ONE THING THAT DOES NOT FOLLOW T HE MAJORIT Y RULE ,

AND THAT IS HUMAN CONSCIENCE.”

PREJUDICE ALWAYS COVERS THE EYES AND MINDS OF PE OPLE ,

MAKING IT EASY FOR US TO MAKE RUMORS AND JUDGME NT S
ABOUT EVEN THINGS THAT WE DO NOT KNOW WE LL. WHE N WE GE T
RID OF IT, WE CAN REALIZE, EVERYTHING IS FAR FROM WHAT
PREJUDICE BUILDS UP AND FULLY AND FAIRLY VIE W A PE RS ON.
2. THE MESSAGE OF THE NOVEL

"DOING THE RIGHT THING"

HUMAN BEINGS ARE EQUAL TO PEOPLE, AND S KIN COLOR IS E QUAL T O S KIN
COLOR, WE ARE ALL EQUAL IN ALL RESPECTS AND DE S E RVE LOVE , LIVE IN A
KINDER WORLD WHEN YOU ARE AWARE OF YOUR BE HAVIOR AND AT T IT UDE .
 THANK FOR WATCHING

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