If you need proof that To Kill a Mockingbird is one of my all-time favorite books, look no further than my youngest son, Atticus, who was named after one of its major characters. 😀
It’s a story I never tire of. Seriously. I must have read it at least 20 times over the years, and every time, I find something else that inspires me.
Though the first chapter or so of the book is a bit slow for today’s standards, it doesn’t take long before you’re at home seeing 1930s-era Maycomb, Alabama, through narrator Scout’s eyes.
Her relationships with the other main characters — especially Atticus, her attorney father; Jem, her older-by-a-bit brother; and Dill, their summertime friend — provide a framework for her expanding worldview, while the conflicts that arise through and around them provide the impetus.
Maycomb itself is a fictional town, but it’s based on Monroeville, Alabama, where the author, Harper Lee, grew up. She also based many of the story’s characters and other details on her real life. For example, her father was also a lawyer. And she also had a friend who stayed with his aunt down the street from her house; his name was Truman Capote, the famous writer.
I want to share some of my bookmarks that may help you go a little deeper into the story. These may also be helpful as we begin our literary research project later on in the year.
Please add any other related links that you find in the comments, and I’ll add them to the list below.
Genre: Southern Gothic
- Wikipedia’s article on the Southern Gothic genre
- Oprah’s guide to Southern Gothics
- Facebook page dedicated to the Southern Gothic
Author: Harper Lee
- Books and Writers entry
- NEA’s author page
- Daily Mail (UK) June 2010 interview
- Independent (UK) article on recent Lee letter to Oprah
