2. Background
• Written by American
author Harper Lee
• Published in 1960
• Won a number of
awards, including the
Pulitzer Prize, and is
still considered one of
the best books of all
time
• An Oscar winning film
was made based on
the novel in 1962
3. About the Author
• Born in Alabama in 1926
• Her father was a lawyer
who defended many
black clients
• Many of the events
within the novel are
based on her life and
experiences
• Was good friends with
another renowned
American author Truman
Capote, who the
character Dill is based on
4. About the Novel
• The story takes place
during three years (1933–
35) of the Great
Depression in the fictional
town of Maycomb,
Alabama, which is in the
south of the United
States.
• Many of the town’s
inhabitants are suffering
from poverty and
unemployment, so
prejudice is more rife than
ever before.
5. Key Themes
• Prejudice (racism and
class)
• Courage
• Coming of Age
• The Legal System and
Justice
• Male and Female Roles
in Society
Which one of these themes is still most relevant today?
Create a pie chart and explain why you chose one to be more
relevant than the others.
6. Scout Finch
• Is the main protagonist and
narrator of the novel
• At the beginning of the
novel, she is quite naïve
and idealistic
• However, the reader
observes both the lessons
that she learns, as well as
how she matures over the
course of the novel
• Loosely based on Harper
Lee
7. Jem Finch
• Is Scout’s older brother
by four years
• Is the instigator of many
of the plots committed
by the children
• Has a greater
understanding of the
events portrayed within
the novel so is more
affected by them than
Scout
8. Atticus Finch
• Is the fifty year old
widowed father of both
Scout and Jem
• Serves as the town of
Maycomb’s attorney
• As a character, has a
strong sense of right and
wrong (a strong moral
compass), and attempts
to instil this into his two
children
9. Tom Robinson
• Is the African American
man accused of raping
Mayella Ewell
• Has a disfigured left arm
due to an accident from
his youth
• Is represented at trial by
Atticus Finch, a move
which shocks and angers
many of the
townspeople
10. Bob Ewell
• Is the main antagonist of
the text
• Is the shame of the town,
who is known to be a
violent alcoholic
• He accuses Tom Robinson
of assaulting and raping
his daughter Mayella, even
though Atticus is able to
prove beyond a
reasonable doubt that it
was in fact Bob who
committed the crime
11. Dill Harris
• Is Jem and Scout’s best
friend who visits them
every summer from
Mississippi
• Lacks the security of a
loving family, and
creates fanciful stories to
make up for it
• Is loosely based on
author Harper Lee’s
friend Truman Capote
12. Boo Radley
• The most mysterious and
misunderstood character
in the novel who
fascinates the children
• Is a recluse who has not
been seen by the people
of Maycomb for years
• Boo’s life story is
shrouded in violence and
legend
13. The Big Question
Why do you think so many schools select ‘To Kill
A Mockingbird’ to study after so many years?
