TO KILL A

MOCKINGBIRD
Dramaturgy & Glossary
created by Brooke Viegut

Repertory Theatre of St. Louis 2016 – 2017 Season

Directed by Risa Brainin

Last edit 12/29/2016

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title/Table of Contents……………………………………………….……………….1-2

History & Context……………………………………………………….………………3-20

Ideas, Themes, and Topics………………………………………….……………21-26

Viewpoints & Criticisms………………….…………………………..……………27-31

Author …………………………………………………………………………..…………32-35

History of Mockingbird ……………………………………………….……………36-37

Playwright & Adaptation……………………………………………….…………..38-39

Glossary …………………………………………………………………………………..40-43

Sources……………………………………………………………………………………..44-46

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 HISTORY & CONTEXT
Maycomb & Monroeville: Geography

Monroe County and Monroeville, Alabama

Meridian, Mississippi

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 Map of Monroeville, Alabama cir., 1903, & proposed map of Maycomb, Alabama
from the Monroe Museum.

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Monroe County, 1930: Total Population 30,070
Monroeville: Total Population 2,382
Population by Race: (1930 Alabama census used three categories: Native White,
Foreign-born White and Negro.) White 47.8%, Foreign-born White 0.1%, African-
American 52.5%.
Education: (Those attending any form of schooling) Ages 7–13: 88.9%, Ages 14–15:
85.1%, Ages 16–17: 59.5%, Ages 18–20: 21.4%
Illiteracy: (% over age 10 who could not read or write) Total population: 4.8%,
White population: 8%, Negro population: 25.8%
(Source: 1930 U.S. Census: www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/decennial/1930.html)

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 America in 1935, Aftermath of the Great Depression

In the mid-1930s America was still in the depths of The Great Depression, triggered
by the stock market crash of 1929. Many Americans were living in squalor, without
basic necessities like running water, sufficient food and medical care. Both in the
city and in the country, Americans who had previously made up the thriving middle
class fell below the poverty line. President Hoover took office in 1929, the year of
the stock market crash. During the years following the crash, Hoover refused to
authorize broad sweeping social programs for the poor and unemployed. Hoover
instead created the Reconstruction Finance Corporation to help banks, railroads
another major industries stay in business. Very few Americans could afford to buy
the goods these big businesses were producing, so with this decrease in sales came a
natural decrease in production needs, which severely affected farmers across the
country that counted on public demand for their crops.

Middle class white people were suddenly desperate for jobs typically held by black
Americans. In the city, unemployed whites sought out jobs as busboys, elevator
operators, garbage men, cooks and maids but often found these jobs occupied by
their black counterparts. People began mantras throughout the country saying things
like “No jobs for niggers until every white man has a job” or “Blacks back to the
cotton fields. City jobs are for white men.” The Depression’s poverty brought out
the worst in people, as economic woes mixed dangerously with racial tension.

Racism in the South

Before the Civil War, one in four Southern families owned slaves and 95% of
African Americans lived below the Mason Dixon line. In the North, blacks made up
only 1% of the population and the North’s economy was essentially unaffected by
the existence of slavery. After the North won the Civil War, Southern families had
to comply with the newly minted Thirteenth Amendment and free their slaves. The
question of how these plantation and farming families would support themselves
without slave labor lingered throughout the Reconstruction period, and animosity in
the South grew as the economic engine of the region screeched to a halt. In the
1930s only 70 years have passed since the end of the Civil War and the South is still
reeling from the economic repercussions of slavery’s end. While economic
desperation cannot justify or explain away racism, it does clarify why Southern states
typically bear the brunt of racism’s origins in the United States.

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 Nigger vs. Negro
Nigger
In the English language, the word "nigger" is an ethnic slur, usually directed at black
people. The word originated as a neutral term referring to people with black skin,[1]
as a variation of the Spanish and Portuguese noun negro, a descendant of the Latin
adjective niger ("black"). It was often used derogatorily, and by the mid-twentieth
century, particularly in the United States, its usage became unambiguously
pejorative, a racist insult. Accordingly, it began to disappear from popular culture,
and its continued inclusion in classic works of literature has sparked controversy.

Negro
The word Negro is used in the English-speaking world to refer to a person of black
ancestry or appearance. Negro denotes "black" in Spanish and Portuguese, derived
from the ancient Latin word nigger, meaning black, which itself is probably from a
Proto-Indo-European root *nek-, "to be dark", akin to *nok-, night.
Person of African descent. Not a derogatory term as witnessed by example below.
Not in common usage anymore, as African-American has become politically
correct, however, one wonders what a Negroid person in Africa should be termed
when describing ethnicity.
While the word "nigger" is a historical word for the states, it’s a crass and
inappropriate word, but what's worse is that so many people give it power. The word
Negro is an ugly word but more than that it’s just outdated. The word is the Spanish
word for Black so while it’s not incorrect, it’s just an outdated and ugly word ‘

The African American Church

History
This dates Registry from 1758, briefly writes about the history of the Black Church
in America. This institution which was the first source of land ownership for slaves
in America (with the human character of black people) is viewed as the reason and
savior of oppressed African people in the United States.
During the decades of slavery in America, slave associations were a constant source
of concern to slave owners. For many members of white society, Black religious
meetings symbolized the ultimate threat to white existence. Nevertheless, African
slaves established and relied heavily on their churches. Religion offered a means of
catharsis... Africans retained their faith in God and found refuge in their churches.
However, white society was not always willing to accept the involvement of slaves in
Christianity. As one slave recounted "the white folks would come in when the

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colored people would have prayer meeting, and whip every one of them. Most of
them thought that when colored people were praying it was against them”.
Religious exercises of slaves were closely watched to detect plans for escape or
insurrection. African-American churches showed an air of militancy in the eyes of
white Americans. Insurrections such as Nat Turner's in Virginia, born out of the
religious inspiration of slaves, horrified white Americans. Understanding the
potential end which could result from the religious experiences of African slaves,
many white Americans opposed the participation of Blacks in Christianity. In
African-American history, "the church" has long been at the center of Black
communities. It has established itself as the greatest source for African American
religious enrichment and secular development.
This development is embodied in Christianity, and the term, "the Black Church”
presents many details of racial and religious lifestyles unique to Black history. In
essence, the term "the Black Church" is a misnomer. It implies that all Black
churches share or have shared the same aspirations and strategies for creating
cohesive African-American communities. This is not true, and there were numerous
differences found among Black communities which were reflected within their
community churches. Black communities differed from region to region. They were
divided along social lines, composed of persons from different economic levels, and
maintained varying political philosophies. Black communities in the inner cities of
the United States have traditionally differed from those in rural areas, etc. In The
Negro Church in America, the sociologist E. Franklin Frazier noted, "Methodist and
Baptist denominations were separate church organizations based upon distinctions
of color and what were considered standards of civilized behavior."
After emancipation, black churches became virtually the only place for African-
Americans to find refuge. Blacks moved away from the "hush-harbors" that they
retreated to for solace as slaves. Formally during this time a church separation
petition was filed by thirty-eight black members of the predominantly white Fairfield
Baptist Church in Northumberland County, Virginia, in 1867. Referring to the new
political and social status of African Americans, the petitioners said they wanted to
"place ourselves where we could best promote our mutual good" and suggested "a
separate church organization as the best possible way. A month later the white
members of the church unanimously acceded to the petitioners' request, setting the
stage for the creation of the all-black Shiloh Baptist Church.
Once established, Black Churches spread rapidly throughout the South; the Baptist
churches led in this proliferation. The 1800’s ushered in many millstones that built
on the foundation of the Black Church. To mention just a few, 1808 celebrated the
founding of Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York City. Black Americans along
with a group of Ethiopian merchants were unwilling to accept racially segregated
seating of the First Baptist Church of New York City. They withdrew forever their
membership and established themselves in a building on Anthony Street (later

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Worth Street) calling it the Abyssinian Baptist Church. The name was inspired by
the nation from which the merchants of Ethiopia had come, Abyssinia.
Other new churches also emerged because of the missionary activities of black
ministers. The Reverend Alexander Bettis, a former South Carolina slave, alone
organized more than forty Baptist churches between 1865 and his death in 1895.
Between World War I and World War II, the black church continued to be not
only an arena of social and political life for the leaders of blacks; it had a political
meaning for the masses. Although they were denied the right to vote in the
American community, within their churches, especially the Methodist Churches,
they could vote and engage in electing their officers. The election of bishops and
other officers and representatives to conventions has been a serious activity for the
masses of blacks.
Almost a century ago the Black church was an organizational site for social and
political activities, centers for economic development and growth. As microcosms of
the larger society, Black churches provided an environment free of oppression and
racism for African-Americans. In black churches, African-Americans were
consistently exposed to social, political, and economic opportunities, which could
be sought and had by all members equally. The representational structure of
African-American churches confirmed Black preachers as both religious and
community leaders. The sermons of many Black preachers expounded messages of
Christianity analogized to the daily experiences of African-Americans. Thematic
expressions of overcoming oppression and "lifting while climbing," were first
articulated in church sermons.

Spirituals

(Also known as: negro spirituals, black spirituals, African-American spirituals,

jubilee, and African-American folk songs)
Spirituals are songs, usually with a religious or Christian theme, that were the
predecessor of the blues. They were originally monophonic songs that were sung a
cappella. They are typically sung in a call and response form, with a leader
improvising a line of text and a chorus of singers providing a solid refrain in unison.
The style had a variety of freeform rhythms, turns, riffs, and lines that made it
difficult for early publishers to document them accurately.

Spirituals were sung to provide comfort and ease the monotony of daily tasks. They
expressed a longing for freedom and strong spiritual devotion, released emotions
and expressed strong sorrow. In several of the songs, lyrics about the Exodus were
metaphors for freedom from slavery. Songs like “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” sung
in the dark signaled the coast was clear and it was time to escape. “Wade in the
Water” contained information about the route to take to freedom and how to avoid

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capture. “Follow the Drinking Gourd” contained a sort of coded map to the
Underground Railroad. Spirituals were used for more than just emotional and
spiritual release; they saved lives.

In the 1920s and 1930s, spirituals became part of the repertoire of several popular
singers. They also rose up in Gospel music, which preserved the lyrics of many old
spirituals but changed the melodies and added additional harmonies and melodic
lines. More conservative forms of spirituals continued to thrive in churches of the
South.

Spirituals are still seen in the world today, though they are not as prevalent. During
the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, spirituals as well as Gospel
songs supported the efforts of civil rights activists. Many of the "freedom songs" of
the period were adapted from old spirituals.

"I did not, when a slave, fully understand the deep meaning of those rude and
apparently incoherent songs. I was, myself, within the circle, so that I could then
neither hear nor see as those without might see and hear. They breathed the prayer
and complaint of souls overflowing with the bitterest anguish. They depressed my
spirits and filled my heart with ineffable sadness...The remark in the olden time was
not unfrequently made, that slaves were the most contented and happy laborers in
the world, and their dancing and singing were referred to in proof of this alleged
fact; but it was a great mistake to suppose them happy because they sometimes
made those joyful noises. The songs of the slaves represented their sorrows, rather
than their joys. Like tears, they were a relief to aching hearts." - Frederick Douglass

Rape

Rape is defined as unlawful sexual activity and usually sexual intercourse carried out
forcibly or under threat of injury against the will usually of a female or with a person
who did not consent.

In the 1800s, state laws all over the country defined rape as the carnal knowledge of
a woman by force achieved by a man other than her husband. Coverture
determined that a husband had authority over his wife’s being and property, so
women could not withhold sex from their husbands. Slave women could not refuse
sex with their masters or testify them in court; after emancipation African American
women had very little say over what happened to their bodies, and many white men
had impunity raping black women.

White women had difficulty with rape cases in court; only visible physical injuries
and other testimonies that the woman had cried out would help her case in court.
Juries were all male, and they along with members of the judicial system believed

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that once a woman had consented to sex once, all other sexual activity was
consensual. Negative sexual encounters were only classified as rape if the woman
was white and chaste (like Mayella; she was not married and was presumably chaste)
and the man accused of raping her was black.

During the late 1800s and early 1900s, African Americans began to stand up against
the beliefs that black women could not be raped and that black men posed a sexual
threat to white women. In this time, a rumor that a black man had made advances
or sexually insulted a white woman could result in mobs or lynching, just like the
group that heads to the jail for Tom Robinson in Mockingbird. African Americans
condemned lynching and rape between races. White men’s sexual impunity was
publicized in major newspapers, but these articles still claimed it was okay because
these cases were with colored girls.

White supremacists did not like this publicity, and tried to portray black men as the
real rapists. The NAACP supported anti-lynching legislation in the 1930s but
congressmen came back and called it a bill that would encourage rape. Rape
became a federal offense, punishable by imprisonment and fines, but most laws and
regulations applied to black men only. White men guilty of rape or convicted of
rape had the punishments reduced or dismissed. Black men would end up in
prison, sometimes for life, because they and their families could not pay the fines.
Stereotypes about race would continue to disadvantage people of color through the
Civil Rights Movement and beyond.

Jim Crow Laws

In 1930s Alabama, a set of laws known as the “Jim Crow Laws” enforced racial
discrimination toward African Americans with the ruling of “separate but equal”.
This subjected African Americans to laws implementing racial segregation. State and
local officials posted “Whites Only” and “Colored” signs on schools, restrooms, and
buses. Under the “Jim Crow Laws”, southern white supremacist groups like the Ku
Klux Klan reached a membership of six million. Lynching became a public
spectacle. All-white juries continually returned guilty verdicts, ignoring clear
evidence that black men or women were not at fault. Laws banning marriage or
intimate relationships between blacks and whites were upheld and often enforced in
the United States until 1967.

Walter Lett & The Scottsboro Case

Walter Lett was a black man falsely accused of raping a white woman near
Monroeville during Harper Lee’s childhood. He was accused of raping a poor white
woman named Naomi Lowery. The case was weak and there was no hard evidence

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that he committed the crime, but Walter Lee was convicted and sentenced to death.
Right before he was executed he was pardoned, but a letter campaign to the
Monroeville newspaper he was sentenced to life in prison. Letts died of tuberculosis
in a hospital in 1937.

Harper Lee’s father did not work on the case, but the newspaper he worked for
covered the story. It’s likely that the young Harper Lee heard her parents and other
members of her community commenting on the Lett trial as it unfolded in a nearby
courthouse. The barrage of letters protesting the verdict were published in A.C.
Lee’s newspaper, changing Lett’s sentence to commuted to life in prison.

The Scottsboro trial in 1931 took place in Scottsboro, Alabama. Nine young black
men were accused of raping two white women on a freight train going through
Alabama. On the evening of March 25, 1931 a fight broke out on the train between
a group of white and black riders. The white riders were subsequently thrown off
the train in a nearby town, where they reported the incident to the station manager
there. When the train made its next stop in Paint Rock, Alabama, the nine black
riders were detained and arrested. As the arrests were being made, two women got
off the train. Immediately the black men were also accused of rape and taken to jail.
Even with a lack of evidence, the all-white jury convicted the nine boys and
sentenced eight of the nine to death; the youngest, a twelve-year-old boy, was
sentenced to life in prison. The Supreme Court did eventually overturn the
sentences with Powell v. Alabama, but many of the defendants were retried and
reconvicted in the Alabama courts. It was not until six years later that Alabama
agreed to release four of the youngest defendants after six years in jail.

Plessy vs. Ferguson – “Separate but Equal”

Mockingbird contains many examples of a “separate but equal” legal system, a

precedent set by the Plessy v. Ferguson case of 1896. Examples include when we
see the black citizens of Monroeville sitting in the upper balcony of the courthouse
or see an all-white jury representing a racially mixed town.

What happened in Plessy v. Ferguson? When Homer Plessy was arrested for sitting
in the “white” car of the East Louisiana railroad, his lawyer argued that the Separate
Car Act directly violated the 14th Amendment. The 14th Amendment includes
“The Equal Protection Clause,” that is supposed to guarantee equal rights under the
law to all U.S. citizens. The U.S Supreme Court ruled against Plessy, stating: “The
object of the Fourteenth Amendment was undoubtedly to enforce the absolute
equality of the two races before the law, but in the nature of things it could not have
been intended to abolish distinctions based upon color...” The opinion legalized
“separate but equal,” a system where races could be legally separated as long as the

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facilities were technically equal. Of course, many facilities intended for black citizens
were not equal – but the system would not be overturned until the Brown v. Board
of Education ruling in 1954.

Racial Customs

After the Great Migration brought multitudes of African Americans from the rural
south to the urban north in the early 20th century, black women took over the bulk
of these ‘exploitative’ jobs.

The Back Door

From an interview with Black Maid- Alberta Brooks

”To sum it up, I felt like a second-class citizen because that's the way some white
people treated me. I couldn't walk through their front door. I couldn't use the toilet
in the main part of their house. I couldn't sit at their dining room table and eat my
lunch.

I was a 19-year-old girl straight off the farm in Marked Tree, Ark., when I moved to
Gary in 1940 to live with my oldest sister. Though I had never worked as a maid,
everyone I knew worked for white people in one way or another. My daddy was a
sharecropper who tended the cotton fields in exchange for a little house on white
people's property. My mother took in laundry, washing and ironing their white
sheets and linen tablecloths so smooth they looked like they had just come off the
store rack.

My sister worked as an aide at the black high school in Gary, helping out in the
classroom and in the cafeteria. But by me being so young with only a high school
education, there were only certain jobs I could get. So when we saw an ad for a maid
in the newspaper, we got on the bus and went over there.

We knocked on the front door and when the lady answered, she directed us to go
around to the back door.

On the farm in Arkansas, we had always entered the white people's house through
the front door. I guess it was because we lived on their property and they had known
us all their lives. In fact, one of their young daughters gave me my name when I was
born. She named me after herself, Alberta.

Now that I was up North, I never expected that white people would send you to the
back. Nevertheless, I did what I was told because I had no other choice.

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Over the years, I worked for four different white families. My job was to mop their
floors, scrub their walls, cook their meals the way taught me and mind their children
when they went out for the evening, all of this for about $40 a week. It meant getting
up early in the morning to catch the bus from the black neighborhood to the white
neighborhood, in snow and rain and sometimes on holidays.

I scrubbed their toilets, but they were off limits to me, except for the one in the
basement. I was welcome to make myself a sandwich, but I had to eat it in the
kitchen. If I got thirsty, they offered me a drink of water, but never from the glasses
in the cupboard. I had a plastic glass designated just for me.

One of the things that troubled me most was the constant feeling that they never
trusted me, that they were always checking to see what I was up to. In one house, I
was never allowed to go upstairs, not even to clean. That's where they kept their
valuables, so the entire second floor was off limits. Another family used to set a trap
to see if I would steal. The man would place a box filled with a whole lot of money
in a visible spot on the closet floor. Not that I was ever tempted, but I knew that if
even one dime ever was missing, I'd be accused.

To be successful at this job, it meant putting on my white uniform and hairnet and
becoming invisible. Sometimes, it meant putting my self-respect on hold. When I
entered their back door, I left my own life outside and became immersed in their
world, which was completely the opposite of mine.

What happened when I left at 6 p.m. was of no importance to them. How kind it
would have been if they had asked, "How are you doing this morning?" when I
walked through the back door. Only one of them ever asked "How are your
children doing in school?" She was a young woman, and the only one who ever
showed me respect.

With the rest of them, I never knew whether I was a good housekeeper or not
because they never gave me a compliment. Looking back, I guess I was because
none of them ever saw the need to fire me.

I'm not ashamed that I was a maid. Domestic work was a stepping-stone that kept
me afloat until better jobs came along. During World War II, I worked at a
Defense Department munitions plant in LaPorte, Ind., making 20 mm bombshells
and pellets. When the war ended, I got a job at Bunte Bros. Candy Co. in Chicago
and later at a factory making telephone books and cigarette cases.

When I was between jobs, I could always use my experience as a maid to find work
in another white household.

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At age 90, I look back on those days and thank the Lord that I don't have to walk
through anyone's back door anymore. I own a modest little home in Englewood that
has more bedrooms than some the houses I cleaned so many years ago.

No longer do I have to address every white person I meet with "Miss" or "Sir." I'm at
an age now where some white people call me "Miss Brooks."

That's what I call progress.”

Practicing Law, Early 1900s

An article from a 1911 newspaper headlined “Hard times have beset many lawyers
in Manhattan and the Bronx” and subtitled “Too Many in New York for the
Amount of Business,” discussed that in New York there wasn’t enough business to
go around.
In fact, 680 lawyers were dropped from the NY county bar association for non-
payment of dues, even though they cost “only $10 a year.” One quarter of them
“frankly confessed that they were unable to make more than a bare living.”
It was common in this time period to have an attorney that served the town. Like
Atticus Finch, these men would take a variety of personal cases but could be
assigned to cases by the county government. In either case, they were expected to
uphold the law and work for their client to the best of their ability.

Prison Farms

Prison farms are correctional facilities that would create and sell a product. Inmates
would be assigned a job and would be paid pennies for their labor. In some prisons,
inmates are not paid for their labor. It is a way for prisons to make money other
than federal funding, creating corruption in the prison system. Many find this system
unjust.

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 Cotton Gin Accidents

Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin in 1793. Before it was invented, slaves had to
separate the seeds from cotton by hand. This was a large machine with many
moving parts that was able to separate cotton from seeds without hard labor. It was a
great invention for the industry, but with the large moving parts it was easy to get
caught in the heavy machinery and seriously injured. Saws would tear arms to
shreds, shafts would kill workers hitting them on the head, legs could be broken and
hands could be crushed beyond repair. These types of accidents were fairly
common, but it was a job and those were hard to find during this time.

LN Railroad

(also known as: L&N Railroad, Louisville and Nashville Railroad)

This is a railroad chartered in 1850 that extended from Louisville, Kentucky to

Nashville, Tennessee. It was completed in 1859 and spanned 187 miles between the
two cities. By the beginning of the Civil War in 1861 there were 269 miles of track.
It was located in the middle of the Union and the Confederacy, so during different
times in the war it served both powers.

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One of the L&N's most important expansions came early in the 1900s, when the
railroad pushed its tracks deep into the coalfields surrounding Hazard and Harlan
in eastern Kentucky. Acquisition in 1909 of two smaller lines and construction in
1911 and 1912 of more than 150 miles of track along the Cumberland River and
the North Fork of the Kentucky River gave the L&N access to the landlocked
bituminous coal riches of eastern Kentucky. In the preceding decades, the L&N
built additional rail lines, not only in eastern Kentucky, but also in western
Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama, to help develop new coal production points.

The expansion of the railroad was so successful that it continued to grow, creating a
line to the Gulf of Mexico and acquiring the Nashville, Chattanooga, and St. Louis
Railway and the Monon Railroad, as well as portions of the Chicago & Eastern
Illinois Railway and the Tennessee Central Railroad. By the end of 1971 the
railroad would operate more than 6,574 miles of track in 13 states.

Indian Heads

(also known as: Indian Head Pennies, Indian Head Cents)

These are pennies minted between 1859 and 1909. The front of the penny has the
head of Lady Liberty with a chieftain's headdress or war bonnet. The back has a
wreath and the words ‘one cent’ with a shield near the middle. The coin is worth
one cent and is made of a combination of copper and zinc or copper and tin. These
pennies are collector's items, and were very popular with people of Native American
heritage.

Indian head pennies were very valuable, and often kept for good luck. Some
believed they contained magic, and would bring great luck to whomever carried
them in their possession.

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Today these pennies are worth at minimum $10. As of December 2006 it is illegal
to melt down US Minted Pennies and Nickels, and there is a $10,000 fine to help
enforce the law.

Parenting Practices in the 1930s:

During the 1930s people were still trying to bounce back from the Great
Depression. With parents working hard trying to keep food on the table, very little
attention was given to disobedient or wild children. Children were also working
when they could, so had very little time or interest to get into trouble.

School discipline in the 1930s was abrupt and absolute. If a child misbehaved he
would be hit with a ruler, a paddle or a switch, and the rules for girls were somewhat
different with the punishments being slightly less gruesome. A child who
misbehaved at school would often be subject to further consequences from his
parents. Parents never questioned this system, and schools came under very little
criticism for their techniques.

Discipline at home in the 1930s was only in the form of punishment for bad
behavior. Common science of the decade heralded children as "self-regulating,"
meaning that left to their own devices, children would regulate themselves in such a
way to perform as necessary in society. Because of this, discipline was harsh and
quick, using fear of physical consequences to keep kids behaving, with little concern
about how these methods would affect the children as they grew.

Confederates

Though the Civil War took place almost eighty years prior, some Confederates
were still active during the 1930s. These were people with a strong hatred of
emancipation and colored people. They had strong values and did not want life to
change.

There were still a great number of Confederate veterans around in 1913 for the
50th anniversary of the battle of Gettysburg. By the beginning of the 1930s most
veterans had begun to forgive their enemies, attending gatherings with them at
monuments and other events of remembrance. It was a time of coming together in
love and tolerance.

This was not the case for all Confederate veterans. There are a few newsreels from
the time where vets are dancing with young women to celebrate a reunion. In a reel
from the 1930s a group of old Confederates in uniform step up to a microphone
and, one at a time, let loose their version of the “rebel yell” just like they did in their

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youth. One of the older men stepped up and shrieks “Go for ‘em boys! Give ‘em
hell”. These men yell with fervor and strength, while surrounded by younger men
and women cheering, laughing, and applauding at the old veterans giving their ‘rebel
yell’. (click link below for video)

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/civil-war-veterans-come-alive-in-audio-and-
video-recordings-97841665/

Racism and the Confederacy were alive well after the end of the Civil War. Through
reunions and stories passed down within families, these values were still projected.
Most of America disliked the Confederacy, and condemned its teachings. The
Confederate flag died as a symbol until after WWII as pushback against the Civil
Rights Movement.

When the kids in Mockingbird refer to Mrs. Dubose having

a confederate pistol, they are most likely referring to a C.S.A.
(Confederate States of America) pistol given to veterans as a sort of
honor during the Civil War. Since Mrs. Dubose has the pistol, one can infer
that her husband or another loved one was killed during the Civil War and she
keeps it as both a memory and protection.

Morphine Addiction

Morphine was a common painkiller used in a variety of medical

procedures in the early 1900s. It was not uncommon to go into
the hospital for an appendectomy, be given morphine at all stages
of the procedure, and leave some time later addicted to
morphine. During the Civil War, use of morphine on battlefields
was so common that soldiers would return from war addicted to
morphine, so morphine addiction became known as the ‘soldier’s
disease’.

Statistically, rural middle-aged white women were most likely to

become addicted to morphine in the early 1900s due to patent
medicines brought to these areas by travelling salesmen. These
medicines were effective because of their high morphine content;
no matter how you felt, you would begin to feel better because of
the morphine. These medicines were more enticing to women
and could be sold over the counter in drug stores, making them

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an easy fix and an even easier addiction. Medical addictions were so easy to be
subject to in this time period because morphine was easy to get and people did not
know what was in their meds.

Legends and Storytelling

Storytelling was a big part of home and school life in the early 1900s. Oral history
was a huge part of African American culture as well, passed down from the times of
slavery. It became a way of preserving history as well as a means of entertainment.
Many people were still illiterate in the early 1900s, so stories became a way of
keeping up with the rest of their society. Children, taught to create stories in school,
would tell ghost stories and myths they had either made up or heard from a friend
or adult. These stories would be passed around and stretched until they became tall
tales. Ghost stories were popular, creating an enjoyable sense of fear and adrenaline
that broke the monotony of daily life.

School Pageants

(Some of the Participants in Shakespearean Pageant at the Birmingham High School 1916)

Pageants, especially Christmas pageants, were huge events in any small town during
the early 1900s. Said that they could make or break a teacher’s career, pageants
were evenings of short plays, stories, poetry, songs, and even sing-a-longs that would
draw the whole town. The community would gather at the school to watch the
children perform then join in celebratory sing-a-longs. There was no other form of
entertainment during this time, especially in small towns, so people would cram into
a small schoolroom for a few hours of entertainment. The pageants were all meant
to celebrate some large event or holiday like Christmas or Thanksgiving. Some
would teach lessons or highlight things students learned in school like the
Shakespearean Pageant pictured above. Either way, these were huge gatherings
attended by the whole town as entertainment, performed by schoolchildren.

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 IDEAS, THEMES, & TOPICS
Hate & Morals

Hate stems from a variety of sources. Some say humans are hardwired to
dehumanize the enemy, overcoming the human aversion to killing another human
being. This is often a large part of the conditioning process that persuades soldiers
to kill; for example, Nazi propaganda during WWII labeled Jews as rats and vermin
and Slavs as ‘subhuman’ people. Others believe it is an emotional dynamic that
does not require a specific focus but is more of a feeling. Others still believe that all
humans have the capacity to hate, but hatred is a learned trait with a specific focus.

Hatred is something that is often taught consciously and subconsciously from birth.
By the time children begin preschool, they have learned stereotypes and developed
negative attitudes toward others based on the behavior of those around them.
Children are not ‘colorblind’, they just do not know yet to dislike people of a
different skin tone. Racism and prejudice are taught.

“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his
background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate,
they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its
opposite.” - Nelson Mandela

Good vs. Evil

The conflict between good and evil is one of the precepts of the Zoroastrian faith,
first enshrined by Zoroaster over 3000 years ago. It is also one of the most common
conventional themes in literature, and is sometimes considered to be a universal
part of the human condition. There are several variations on this conflict, one being
the battle between individuals or ideologies, with one side Good, the other Evil.
Another variation is the inner struggle in characters (and by extension, humans in
reality) between good and evil.

Human nature is infinitely more complex than this, of course. In human

beings, ‘Good’ and ‘evil’ are fluid. People can be a combination of ‘good’ and ‘bad’
qualities. Some people who behave cruelly and brutally can be rehabilitated and
eventually display ‘good’ qualities such as empathy and kindness. And rather than
being intrinsic, most cruel or brutal behavior is due to environmental factors, such
as an abusive childhood, or ‘social learning’ from a family or peers.

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 The Meaning of Good and Evil

What do we really mean when we use these simplistic terms, ‘good’ and ‘evil’?

‘Good’ means a lack of self- centeredness. It means the ability to empathize with
other people, to feel compassion for them, and to put their needs before your own.
It means, if necessary, sacrificing your own well being for the sake of others’. It
means benevolence, altruism and selflessness, and self-sacrifice towards a greater
cause - all qualities which stem from a sense of empathy. It means being able to see
beyond the superficial difference of race, gender or nationality and relate to a
common human essence beneath them.

All of the ‘saintly’ people in human history have these qualities in abundance. Think
of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, risking their own safety and well being
for the goal of gaining equal rights and freedom for Indians and African Americans.
These were human beings with an exceptional degree of empathy and compassion,
which overrode any concern for their own ambitions or well being.

‘Evil’ people are those who are unable to empathize with others. As a result, their
own needs and desires are of paramount importance. They are selfish, self-absorbed
and narcissistic. In fact, other people only have value for them to the extent that they
can help them satisfy their own desires, or to which they can exploit them. This
applies to dictators like Stalin and Hitler, and to serial killers and rapists. I would
argue that their primary characteristics are an inability to empathize with others.
They can’t sense other people’s emotions or their suffering, can’t see the world
from other people’s perspective, and so have no sense of their rights. Other human
beings are just objects to them, which is what makes their brutality and cruelty
possible.

Old ethics (since Aristotle, the 'founder' of ethics) was about leading a good life,
as a totality. It did not only include 'good' deeds, but being good. Being good was the
highest aim of life and politics, it was the origin of happiness. It was all about virtue
and proficiency. It was a state of mind. It was adapted by Christianity (the Christian
philosophers of the Middle Ages adapted Aristotle to the Bible), and re-interpreted
as following the law of God, which also meant leading a good and virtuous life. For
them, the moral laws of reason coincided with the law of God.

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 Right vs. Wrong

New ethics concentrates on separate deeds. Take the Trolley problem- although
there are many different examples, they are all about having to choose between two
unfavorable possibilities, whereas one will harm less people than the other.
Utilitarism, Egalitarism, they are all about how to weigh choices in ethical situations -
do you consider everyone equally, or the greater good? So instead of choosing
Good and Evil (or Bad), you decide, which choice would be Right or Wrong.

Why is ethics nowadays more considered with deeds, instead of the total, virtuous
life? Well, first of all, because you can analyze separate deeds very precisely, you
can argue about why one choice is better than the other. Then, because of our
contemporal plurality of worldviews, we need to find some common grounds, and
people with different backgrounds can agree easier about choices, than ways of life.
Maybe there is also a certain shyness about using such big and over-used words like
Good and Evil. And finally, we can think about situations (e.g. Trolley Problem),
where we would consider all decisions Evil, but still say, that one of them is the right
(or rather right-er) choice. If a government needs to decide about sending few
people to death to save the majority, talking about "good life" is not pragmatic - you
have to decide about the quality of single choices.

Courage vs. Fear

Fear comes from prediction or assumption of the future or experience in the past.
We know fear from our past painful experience or negative prediction about what
might go wrong in the future. When we fear we are not spending our time in the
present moment.

When our mind is distracted by stress from fear, we would have trouble focusing on
what we are doing in the present. Fear blocks us from our sense of present moment,
to experience our growth with an open heart.

It is however important to know that fear is one of a basic human emotions,

programmed into our nervous system and works like an instinct to respond naturally
when we sense danger. That being said, know that physical danger where it causes
damage to our body is real, but fear of circumstances that is not occurring in the
present moment predicted from our emotional state is a choice.

Courage is the ability and willingness to confront fear. Having the courage to
acknowledge that we are responsible for all our problems, is the key to start dealing
with our fear. Courage is about putting ourselves in a position where we are
uncomfortable, because the next time we attempt to it, it wouldn’t be as

23
uncomfortable as before. The more we put ourselves out there, the more courage
we will have in attempting to it, and the more less afraid we will be.
To most people confronting our fear seem like a difficult thing to do. Think about a
time when we were so afraid of something at the beginning, but feel so great after
confronting it. We will think to ourselves, what were we so afraid of before?
Confronting those fears that we have requires courage. When we decided that we do
not want to let fear hold us back, there is when courage is taking over. Courage leads
us to accomplishing every single thing in our lives. Even the little things that we do
daily.

Innocence

Innocence is a freedom of guilt or sin through being unacquainted with evil. It is

also the lack of guilt with respect to any crime or wrongdoing. Thematically, a loss
of innocence is very prominent in Mockingbird, with much of the town undergoing
some sort of growth. Tom Robinson and Bob Ewell are both innocent characters
that lose their innocence due to situations outside of themselves. They are an
example of strong, valuable innocence. Both characters are knowledgeable and
strong, yet both have the power of innocence.

In Mockingbird we also see the power of growth from innocence to experience.

This transition is a very valuable lesson. You gain knowledge and experience
through learning and doing. This change often involves a new understanding of how
humanity functions and its potential for good and evil. This growth is infinitely
valuable, and in Mockingbird Scout experiences it at a young age.

Point of View / Open Mindedness

Point of view is how people consider things, which shows us the opinion or feelings
of the individuals involved in a situation. In literature it is the perspective from
which a piece is written. Point of view can also be seen as an individual’s
perspective. This is looking at a situation from another person’s perspective, which
allows someone to learn more about that person’s ideas and why they choose to
behave the way they do and believe the things they do. The more someone
approaches situations looking at other points of view, the more they’ll know and
understand about the world around them. Point of view also explains judgments and
hatred that person lives with, clarifying some of their behavior as well.

Open-mindedness is how receptive people are to new ideas. Some believe it is the
active searching for ideas and views different from one’s own to better understand
them. Open-minded people consider all sides before developing their own firm
viewpoint. Research suggests open-minded people are less swayed by single events

24
or manipulation and are better able to predict how others will behave without
projecting onto them. Open-mindedness is not an easy trait to have and use
constantly, but these people have a greater understanding of the world and view
people for who they are individual, not just their outward values.

Community Mindset / Mob Mentality

Mob mentality, or herd mentality, is based in social psychology. When people are
in a large group they experience de-individuation or a loss of self-awareness, making
them less likely to follow normal restraints and inhibitions. Large groups create a
sense of excitement and energy that people do not experience alone. Groups make
some behaviors acceptable that would not be considered appropriate otherwise.

Violence in large groups is seen as acceptable behavior in many situations. People

believe that because the violent behavior was the group’s action, they cannot be held
responsible for the behavior. The larger the mob, the more willing people are to
engage in violent or dangerous behavior.

Group violence is much more likely to occur when the people can remain
anonymous. People experience a lapse of responsibility, both for their identity and
their actions, so they are more willing to move with the herd and be violent. When
someone is singled out from the mob, they are much less likely to continue the
violent behavior.

This mentality of going with the group works outside of a violent mob as well. We
have been taught from a young age that ‘majority rules’, and that if you choose to
stand out you must have a strong reason for it. This is another way racism and
beliefs develop. Living in a small community, one generally agrees with the town as
a whole. People are conditioned to agree with the majority regardless of the
situation, and it is only when someone goes outside of the herd is change invoked
and new things accomplished.

Social & Cultural Change

Social change is any significant change or alteration over time of a community’s or

culture’s behaviors, values, and norms. Social change can evolve from a number of
different sources, including contact with other societies (diffusion), changes in the
ecosystem (which can cause the loss of natural resources or widespread disease),
technological change (epitomized by the Industrial Revolution, which created a new
social group, the urban proletariat), and population growth and other demographic
variables. Ideological, economic, and political movements also spur social change.

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With all of these things in mind, social change is an omnipresent factor in society.
Looking at factors of change from a long-term perspective, it is hard to achieve
major change. In short term, things that may seem very significant do not have as
great an impact on a larger scale. All of these small things, however, do add up to
promote slow but sure social change, such as the Civil Rights movement of the
1960s or the emancipation of slaves in the 1800s.

Social Inequality

Social inequality refers to the ways in which socially defined categories of persons
(according to characteristics such as gender, age, ‘class’ and ethnicity) are
differentially positioned with regard to access to a variety of social ‘goods’, such as
the labor market and other sources of income, the education and healthcare
systems, and forms of political representation and participation. These and other
forms of social inequality are shaped by a range of structural factors, such as
geographical location or citizenship status, and are often underpinned by cultural
discourses and identities defining, for example, whether the poor are ‘deserving’ or
‘undeserving’. When looking at health, high death rates and stress-related illnesses
all appear to be closely correlated with high levels of income inequality, as does
violent crime. Social status generally determines a person’s wealth, what sort of jobs
they are able to acquire, and the amount of general education one has received.

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 VIEWPOINTS & CRITICISMS
Meaning of the Title

"'Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it's a sin to kill a
mockingbird.” That was the only time I ever heard Atticus say it was a sin to do
something, and I asked Miss Maudie about it. “Your father's right,” she said.
“Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy…but sing their
hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird."
(pg. 103, Chapter 10, TKAM)

Various Symbolic Meanings of Mockingbirds

• Joyfulness • Playfulness
• Gratitude • Protection
• Cleverness • Security
• Innocence • Communication
• Intelligence

Mockingbirds symbolize inherent goodness. In this quote Atticus is referring to

people like Bob Ewell and Tom Robinson, people who have done no wrong but
have bad things thrust upon them. It is a sort of warning to not bring bad things on
good people. Mockingbirds do no harm to anyone, they just sing. This is the
equivalent to working for the good of others, being willing to help in any way you
can. Do not shoot down or hurt something that is only meant for good.

Mockingbirds are also a symbol of innocence and generosity. They do no harm and
sing beautifully for the enjoyment of others. To kill a mockingbird is to destroy the
innocence of the people of this story. It is a sin to kill a mockingbird because they
hurt no one and only help people. The mockingbird symbolizes Tom Robinson
who helped people and did no harm to others as he'd been accused of. His death
near the end of the book is the killing of a mockingbird that the book's title refers
to.

Prejudice clouds many of the Maycomb residents' judgment. They can't see that
Tom and Boo are symbolic mockingbirds because their preconceived notions about
the two of them are based on racism and gossip. At the end of the novel, Atticus
agrees with Scout that most people are nice “when you finally see them”.

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 Reviews and Critical Writings on Sergel’s TKAM

“The challenge of bringing the book to the stage has been solved quite successfully
by Christopher Sergel… In Mr. Sergel's adaptation, the story unfolds in scenes
introduced by Miss Maudie, a woman of the village who serves as guide and
narrator. Her terse, twangy reminiscences, accompanied by quiet piano music, do a
skillful job of effecting transitions. They also impart a storybook quality to the
production that is mirrored in Michael Anania's lush scenic design...”
- New York Times Review, Paper Mill Playhouse, Production 1991

“The lavishness of the production cannot camouflage deficiencies that smack of a

lack of courage in presenting the story's darker aspects. A potentially horrifying
scene in which Atticus and the children defuse a lynch mob is so low-key that the
would-be killers seem scarcely more dangerous than a group of men lounging
around at a barn dance. In the extended trial scenes, the audience is treated as the
jury, with the lawyers required to direct their arguments with their backs turned to
the courtroom. The device seems not only awkward, but a corny, grandstanding bid
for audience involvement. Such tactics may make the drama more palatable for
family audiences, but they undermine its integrity by softening it into a kind of
theater that feels too warm and cozy to make a deep impression.”
- New York Times Review, Paper Mill Playhouse, Production 1991

Adaptor Sergel seemed to acknowledge the quandary, as he “continued revising his

”Mockingbird,” which was intended for middle and high schools, for more than 20
years, even while it was being produced.” The current Dallas Theater Center/ Casa
Manana production, directed by Wendy Dann, uses Sergels’s version that tells the
tale from the child’s perspective, with her brother and several other children
chiming in.
- Critical Rant Review, Dallas Theater Center, Production 2011

“Timothy Sheader's canny staging recognizes the way this novel has been woven into
the fabric of our lives, and constantly reminds us that books like Mockingbird, are
something precious and shared – like theatre itself. In the opening moments, the
performers pop up from within the audience, reading from dog-eared editions of
the novel in their natural accents. Throughout, they share the narrative, helping to
make a virtue of Christopher Sergel's authorized but now old-fashioned 1991
adaptation.”
- The Guardian Review, Regent’s Park Theatre, London Production 2013

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 “...Dramatic Publishing, the Illinois-based company that licenses Mr. Sergel’s
adaptation, will continue to hold nonprofessional theatrical rights… While Mr.
Sergel’s adaptation is meticulously faithful to the original story — almost to a fault,
some theater critics have complained — Mr. Sorkin plans to take more liberties…”
- ‘To Kill a Mockingbird is Headed to Broadway’ New York Times, 2016

“While Christopher Sergel’s scrupulously faithful stage adaptation received the

always-wary Lee’s personal seal of approval, presenting such an iconic drama anew
comes with challenges. Namely, the audience’s varying desires, ranging from an
exact copy of the book or film to something completely unfamiliar.”
• “Guthrie’s ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ plays to the present as well as the past”
Star Tribune, 2015

29
 Why Continue to tell This Story?

To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the most popular novels taught in high schools
today. It is a story of discrimination, racism, cruelty, and the destruction of
innocence. Written in the 1960s, it is the story of an early racism written during and
with the influence of the Civil Rights movement. Scout spends the majority of the
book learning how to follow instructions given to her by Atticus; to step into
someone else’s shoes and to see the world from their eyes. To Kill a Mockingbird
shares a lesson that everyone needs to hear regardless of who they are, a lesson of
empathy.

We are living in a world where talk of racism and race relations are an almost daily
occurrence on the news or social media. There is always some video or another of a
person of color being discriminated against for a variety of reasons. To Kill a
Mockingbird is a very important story to tell during this time. Though it is set
roughly eighty years ago, many issues still remain. Like Tom Robinson, people of
color are still being brought to trial for different reasons, some lawful and some not.
Children are still growing up in poverty, experiencing life with a single parent, and
now more than ever people need to take charge of their own education as Scout
does. The judicial system is often put into question today just as it is in
Mockingbird. From the perspective of a 935 small town in Alabama, To Kill a
Mockingbird still brings to light major social issues we discuss today. At the heart of
it all is empathy. Empathy for the fellow man, regardless of race, religion, wealth,
place of work, etc.

This play tells a story of race and religion through the eyes of the majority. It is
more accessible for a wider range of people needing to hear these messages of
empathy, due to the prevalence of white people in the story. Even though by the
end of the play not much justice has been served, it is still a step forward. Atticus
kept the jury of the people of Maycomb out of the courtroom for hours on a trial
that would have originally lasted much less. Opening the minds of people, causing
them to really have to think, is progress. Toward the end of the play Miss Maudie
says “And I thought to myself, well, we’re making a step - it’s just a baby-step, but it’s
a step.”

There is a difference between stupidity and evil. Dietrich Bonheoffer once said,
“Stupidity is a more dangerous enemy of good than malice. One may protest against
evil; it can be exposed, and if need be, prevented by use of force. Evil always carries
within itself the germ of its own subversion in that it leaves behind in human beings
the sense of unease. Against stupidity we are defenseless.” To Kill a Mockingbird
tells a story of the power of empathy and open mindedness. Little by little, people’s
minds can be changed. Praising empathy and walking in other people’s shoes
changes the relations of people. Society can easily interfere with the reasoning

30
process, but Mockingbird is an example of how slowly but surely progress could be
achieved. It tells the story of racism and hate from a more objective view of the past,
but still brings to light very prevalent issues in today’s world. There is no better time
to continue telling this story.

“Kevin Moriarty, Artistic Director of Dallas Theater Center, recognized the

potential for vibrant region-wide educational outreach this production offered.
“Dallas Theater Center is committed to inspiring a meaningful dialogue with our
community through live theater. Our production of To Kill a Mockingbird is a
prime example of this goal… it demonstrates our commitment to creating
collaborations within our community. We believe that arts and community
organizations are strongest when we work together.” “
- Critical Rant Review, Dallas Theater Center Production 2011

“To Kill a Mockingbird was timely when it came out in 1960 in the midst of the
Civil Rights Movement, and it is still relevant today. It received the Pulitzer Prize
and became an instant classic—immediately adopted into school curricula across
America and around the world... There are so many things that can be learned from
this story, and with race issues and the justice system again in the forefront of our
national news and social media, the lessons Mockingbird teaches are as timely now
as ever.”
- The Column Review, The Firehouse Theatre Production 2016

“Paul Walsh, a professor of dramaturgy and dramatic criticism at the Yale School of
Drama, said that plays laced with nostalgia are tricky to pull off because “you need
to find that balance between what the public wants and expects, and bringing things
into 2015. But it’s easier with theater to make it feel in the present. It doesn’t have
to turn into a ritual. It can address modern issues.” In view of the volatility of race
relations today, Walsh said, the play is “terrifyingly relevant. We’re in a different
historical moment, so it resonates for different reasons.” “
- “Guthrie’s ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ plays to the present as well as the past”
Star Tribune, 2015

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 AUTHOR
Who was Harper Lee?

(April 28, 1926 - February 19, 2016)

Nelle Harper Lee was born April 28, 1926 in Monroeville, Alabama. She was the
youngest of four children. Her father, A.C. Lee, was a lawyer, an Alabama State
Legislator, and part owner of the Monroeville newspaper. Her mother was mentally
ill and rarely left the house.

Nelle was the family tomboy. One of her closest childhood friends was Truman
Persons, who would later become known as the writer Truman Capote. Tougher
than many of the boys, Lee often stepped up to serve as Truman's protector.
Truman, who shared few interests with boys his age, was picked on for being
sensitive and for the fancy clothes he wore. While the two friends were very
different, they both had difficult home lives. Truman was living with his mother's
relatives in town after largely being abandoned by his own parents.

In high school, Lee developed an interest in English literature. She graduated high
school in 1944 and went to the all-female Huntingdon College in Montgomery. Lee
stood apart from the other students—she couldn't have cared less about fashion,
makeup or dating. Instead, she focused on her studies and writing. Lee was a
member of the literary honor society and the glee club. Lee then transferred to the
University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, where she was a contributor to the University
newspaper and an editor of the humor magazine Rammer Jammer. Accepted into
law school, she began the program and attended a semester at Oxford University in

32
England. Her aspirations as a writer quickly overpowered her law dream, and she
left school and moved to New York to pursue it.

Lee arrived in New York in 1949 at age 23. She struggled for years, working as a
ticket agent for different airlines. Nelle was reunited with Truman Capote, an
upcoming great author, and befriended Michael Martin Brown, Broadway lyricist
and composer. Michael and his wife Joy gave Nelle Harper Lee an incredible
Christmas gift in 1956; the gift of supporting her for a year so she could focus on
writing. The Browns also helped her find an agent, Maurice Crain. He, in turn, was
able to get publisher J.B. Lippincott Company interested in her work. Working with
editor Tay Hohoff, who rejected Lee’s initial manuscript called Go Set a
Watchman, Lee reshaped the flashback material from that novel into a story of life
in a small Alabama town set on its end by a racially motivated trial. This new novel,
which was completed in 1959, became known as To Kill a Mockingbird.

Right after completing To Kill a Mockingbird in 1959, Harper Lee assisted her
longtime friend Truman Capote with a piece for the New Yorker on the impact of
the murder of a family in a small Midwestern community. They traveled to Kansas
to conduct interviews with townspeople and the killers themselves who had just been
captured. Lee worked as a research assistant, quickly winning over locals with her
easygoing personality. Lee and Capote were able to interview the suspects after their
arraignment, and then returned to New York. They returned to Kansas in March
for the murder trial. Later that spring, Lee gave Capote all of her notes on the
crime, the victims, the killers, the local communities and much more. The New
Yorker article evolved into the nonfiction classic In Cold Blood.

To Kill a Mockingbird was first published in July 1960. The book was a Book-of-
the-Month Club and Literary Guild selection, and an immediate success. Harper
Lee became an overnight sensation. In 1961, To Kill a Mockingbird won the
Pulitzer Prize. The 1962 film version won four Academy Awards, including a Best
Actor nod for Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch. To Kill a Mockingbird has been
translated into more than forty languages. More than a million copies are sold each
year and it is a required reading in several public school systems.

Harper Lee began working on another novel in the late 1960s, but it was never
published. She continued to help Capote with In Cold Blood. The murder suspects
invited Lee to witness their execution, but she declined. Tensions developed in
1966 when In Cold Blood was first published with a dedication to Lee and Capote’s
lover Jack Dunphy, but did not acknowledge Lee’s contributions to the work. Lee
was hurt and betrayed, but remained friends with Capote the rest of his life.

In 1966, Lee accepted a post on the National Council for the Arts at President
Lyndon B. Johnson’s request. During the 1970s and 1980s lee retired for the public

33
eye. Lee spent a good deal of her time on The Reverend, a nonfiction book about
an Alabama serial killer, which was never published. She lived a quiet, private life
living in New York City and Monroeville, Alabama. In Monroeville Lee lived with
her older sister Alice who was a lawyer. Lee called her “Atticus in a skirt.” Alice was
a close confidant who took care of Lee’s legal matters and finances.

Harper Lee was very active in her church and community and avoided the spotlight.
She used her wealth to make several anonymous philanthropic donations to various
charities and causes. In November 2007, President George W. Bush gave Lee the
Presidential Medal of Freedom for “outstanding contribution to America’s literary
tradition”. She was also awarded the National Medal of the Arts in 2010.

In 2007, Lee also suffered a stroke and struggled with various ongoing health issues,
including hearing loss, limited vision and problems with her short-term memory.
After the stroke, Lee moved into an assisted living facility in Monroeville. Her sister
Alice once said, "Books are the things she (Lee) cares about." With the assistance of
a magnifying device Lee was able to keep reading despite her ailments.

In May 2013, Lee filed a lawsuit in federal court against literary agent Samuel
Pinkus, claiming Pinkus "engaged in a scheme to dupe" her out of the copyright to
To Kill a Mockingbird, later diverting royalties from the work. A settlement was
reached in September 2013. Lee's legal team also filed suit that year against the
Monroe County Heritage Museum in Monroeville for trying "to capitalize on the
fame" of To Kill a Mockingbird and for selling unauthorized merchandise related to
the novel. Lawyers for Lee and the museum later filed a joint motion to end the
suit, and the case was dismissed by a federal judge in February 2014. Also in 2013
Lee allowed her famous work to be released as an e-book. She signed a deal with
HarperCollins for the company to release To Kill a Mockingbird as an e-book and
digital audio editions. In a release shared by the publisher, Lee said: “I am amazed
and humbled that Mockingbird has survived this long. This is Mockingbird for a
new generation.

Lee's original manuscript, Go Set a Watchman, was thought to be lost until it was
discovered by her lawyer Tonja Carter in a safe deposit box. In February 2015, it
was announced that HarperCollins would publish the manuscript July 14, 2015.
Questions arose about whether the publication was the author's decision. At 88
years old and in failing health, Lee issued a statement through Carter: "I’m alive and
kicking and happy as hell with the reactions to Watchman." After several
investigations, Alabama officials found no evidence that she was a victim of
coercion.

34
Go Set a Watchman features Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird as a 26-year-old
woman on her way home to Maycomb, Alabama, from New York City. In
Watchman, Scout's father Atticus is portrayed as a racist with bigoted views and ties
to the Ku Klux Klan. The controversial novel and shocking portrayal of a beloved
character sparked debates among fans, and offered literary scholars and students
fodder for analyzing the author's creative process. Lee's second novel also broke
pre-sale records for publishing house HarperCollins and was on target to become
one of the fastest-selling literary works in history.

Harper Lee died February 19, 2016, at the age of 89. She passed in her sleep at an
assisted living facility in Monroeville, Alabama.

35
 HISTORY OF MOCKINGBIRD
Harper Lee and To Kill a Mockingbird

When To Kill a Mockingbird was first published, Harper Lee was told not to expect
it to sell more than a couple thousand copies. It quickly became a sensation, and
over fifty years later it has never been out of print, has sold over thirty million copies
and has been translated into forty languages. It also received the Pulitzer Prize for
Fiction in 1961, among other awards.
Lee has stated that her novel is not an autobiography, though the basis of the story
and its characters reflect her life growing up in Monroeville, Alabama, during the
Great Depression. The central family’s last name, Finch, is the same as Lee’s
mother’s maiden name; her father was a lawyer, like Atticus Finch. Lee, too, studied
law before pursuing her writing career; her best friend growing up, Truman Capote,
was the inspiration for the character of Dill. The trial in the novel reflects a famous
trial of the time (the Scottsboro trial), and the fictional setting of Maycomb County
bares resemblance to Monroeville, just to name a few.
Within two years of publishing the novel, it was adapted by director Robert
Mulligan into a highly acclaimed film starring Gregory Peck. The film won three
Oscars, including one for Peck’s portrayal of Atticus. In 1970, Christopher Sergel
began working on a stage adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird with Harper Lee’s
permission. Sergel was allowed to copyright his adaptation and it premiered in 1991
at the Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey. He continued to revise and adapt the
play, publishing a revised version with a smaller cast after the original adaptation was
released. The text was originally meant for middle and high schools but became
popular favorite of regional theatres across the country.

Mockingbird is also performed annually at the courthouse in Lee’s hometown of

Monroeville every spring. Lee never attended. She remained “deeply private and
defiantly silent” about her novel. The play has basically become a Passion play for
the community, and “with its strong moral statement . . . has inspired the citizens of
Monroeville” (New York Times: Long Lives the Mockingbird).

36
 Similarities between Harper Lee’s Life and To Kill a Mockingbird

• Like Harper Lee, Scout is a headstrong tomboy who gets bored in school
because she is academically gifted. As a child Harper Lee was a tomboy, a
keen observer, and had a very open-minded nature, which she developed
from her father.
• Scout and Harper Lee broke constraining social barriers and looked at
situations with a clear point of view without just accepting what was socially
acceptable during the time periods they lived in.
• Harper Lee and Scout had similar fathers as well. Harper Lee’s father was a
lawyer that worked for the state government, just like Atticus. Atticus and
Amasa Coleman Lee were both lawyers who had notable cases defending
black men of strong crimes. Both men were strong role models who saw past
financial status or race and looked for the good in all people. Each of the
men lost their court cases but installed a strong ethical code in both of their
daughters.
• Both Scout and Harper Lee did not have a prevalent mother figure in their
lives. Jem and Scout’s mother passed when they were young and is not talked
about much in the book or play. Harper Lee’s mother was mentally ill, and
drew away from the family during Lee’s childhood. Both Scout’s father and
Harper’s father raised their daughters on their own.
• The main family in Mockingbird has the last name Finch, which was Harper
Lee’s mother’s maiden name.
• Truman Capote, Harper Lee’s childhood best friend, was the inspiration for
Dill. Truman Persons (Capote) was living with relatives in Monroeville just as
Dill was, abandoned by his parents.
• The Tom Robinson trial was like the Scottsboro trial, both centering around
black men accused of raping white women.
• Historical accounts of Monroeville, Alabama, express similarities between
Maycomb and Monroeville.

37
 PLAYWRIGHT & ADAPTATION
Who was Christopher Sergel?

(1918 - May 7, 1993)

Sergel was born in Iowa City, IA in 1918. He graduated from the University of
Chicago and had an adventurous young adult life. Sergel spent two years in the
South Pacific as the captain of the schooner Chance, worked as a writer for Sports
Afield magazine and lived in the African bush for a year, taught celestial navigation
while serving in the merchant marines as a lieutenant commander during WWII,
and had several play adaptations appear on major regional stages including
Broadway.

Sergel had a long life filled with many different careers, but his longest and most
influential stint was during his work with Dramatic Publishing. Dramatic Publishing
Company was founded by hiss great-uncle Charles Sergel in 1885 and influenced
Christopher Sergel’s love of writing and publishing plays. He was the president of
the Dramatic Publishing Company from 1970 to his passing in 1993. He adapted
several books and films into plays while working with Dramatic Publishing including
To Kill a Mockingbird, Cheaper by the Dozen, The Mouse that Roared, Up the
Down Staircase, and Black Elk Speaks. He also wrote other plays and musicals,
including Fame, Get Smart, Meet Me in St. Louis, The Outsiders, and Pillow Talk.
His adaptation of Anderson’s Winesburg, Ohio, played on Broadway.

The adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird has become one of Sergel’s most well
known works. He began working on the adaptation in 1970 with the permission of
Harper Lee. After 20 years of diligent work and revisions, Sergel was allowed to
copyright his adaptation and it premiered in 1991 at the Paper Mill Playhouse in
New Jersey. Even after it premiered, Sergel continued to revise and adapt the play,

38
publishing a revised version with a smaller cast after the original adaptation was
released. The text was originally meant for middle and high schools but has become
a popular favorite of regional theatres across the country.

Christopher Sergel loved theatre and truly cared for writers, making him a generous
and spirited mentor to playwrights around the world. He once said he hoped to be
remembered as E.B. White described Charlotte... "A true friend and a good writer"
(Dramatic Publishing Biography).

Sergel died of heart failure in 1993 at his home in Wilton, Connecticut. He was
survived by his wife, Gayle, five children of previous marriages, seven grandchildren,
and three great-grandchildren.

39
 GLOSSARY
· Spirituals (1) “Religious songs of African-Americans, often written with
freer rhythms and harmonies than most standard hymns. Spirituals, many of which
go back to the days of slavery, often speak of biblical models of deliverance, like the
Exodus. Some well-known spirituals are “Gonna Lay Down My Burden,” “Joshua
Fit the Battle of Jericho,” “Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen,” “Swing Low,
Sweet Chariot,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In.”

· School contemporaries (3) “School peers, other children that Scout and
Jem went to school with.”

· Checkers (4) “A checkerboard game for two players who each have 12
pieces; the object is to jump over and so capture the opponent's pieces.”

· Running a still (4) "The illegal distillation of alcohol, specifically during

Prohibition. The consumption of alcohol was so widespread, the ban had the effect
of outlawing everyday behavior and people took to brewing their own alcohol at
home. This home-distilled alcohol was referred to as 'bathtub gin' in northern cities
and 'moonshine' in the rural areas. Home-brewers would sell the alcohol to eager
customers in towns and cities.”

· Bridgework (4) “Bridgework are sections of replacement teeth than can be

easily inserted and removed. They are not full dentures, but partial false teeth.”

· Cordiality (4) “Expression of sincere kindness and affection.”

· Scuppernong arbor (5) “Scuppernongs are a variety of grape native to

the southern United States that have a greenish-bronze color. An arbor is a
latticework stand or bower (latticework canopy) intertwined with climbing vines and
plants like scuppernongs.”

· Reform school (6) “A school where young troublemakers or criminals are

sent as an alternative to prison.”

· Collection (6) “A basket that is passed around in church during the service
to collect money that either went to charity or to the upkeep of the church.”

· Truant officer (7) “These men ensure students are attending school and
investigate students with excessive and unexcused absences.”

40
· Public health officer (7) “These people spent their time tracking down
sources of diseases in their assigned areas, and improving sanitary conditions in their
towns.”

· “small negro settlement” (7) “ A poorer section of town that housed

poor black people. It was a tight knit little community, and they kept it up as well as
they could and as clean as they could with the little resources they had.”

· Lye soap (7) “Soap made from lye, a sodium hydroxide or potassium
hydroxide chemical that comes in a solid or liquid form, that is boiled with oils and
butters to create soap.”

· Rape (9) “This is a type of sexual assault involving intercourse or other

forms of penetration that occurs against a person without that person’s consent.”

· Turnip greens (16) “The leaves of the turnip plant that are traditionally
cooked and seasoned with bacon grease or ham like collard greens.”

· Mortgage (16) “The charging of real (or personal) property by a debtor to

a creditor as security for a debt, on the condition that it shall be returned on
payment of the debt within a certain period.”

· Entailment (16) “The process when a property cannot be sold, devised by

will, or anything else done with by the owner. This was used to keep property in the
main line of succession; the heir of a property could not sell the land or give it to an
illegitimate child.”

· Smilax & holly (17) “A plant found in most climates with thorny
branches and is a flowering climber. Both smilax and holly were often used as
Christmas decorations like Advent wreaths.”

· Hickory nuts (18) “These are the fruit of the hickory tree, most often
used to eat roasted. They have very difficult shells to crack, which is why they are
often not seen in stores today.”

· Mad Dog Disease (25) “This is also known as rabies, a disease that
affects the brain of animals, specifically dogs, through infected cuts, scratches, or
bites. Symptoms include violent movements, uncontrolled excitement, fear of water,
an inability to move parts of the body, confusion, and loss of consciousness. These
animals can bite other animals or people causing the disease to spread rapidly.”

41
· Switchboard Operator (26) “These operators sat at boards connecting
calls that came in manually. In the early 1900s so many people had telephones that
the companies began adding more and more automatic connectors so the job
dwindled.”

· “Nigger – lover” (33) “This meant someone who likes or tolerates black
people, especially white people. It implied that these people were weak, and did not
value themselves above a low-life black person.”

· Camellia bushes (34) “Snow of the Mountain Camellias come from Asia
and have beautiful white flowers on a low bush. In this story they symbolize courage
and understanding.”

· “Just like an old campaigner” (43) “someone who was once in the
military and still abides by some of the lifestyle things of the military. Jean Louise
means Dill behaved just like an old veteran in how quick he was out the door and
ready for the adventure.”

· Snipe Hunt (45) “A practical joke. The victim is often a newcomer made a
fool by experienced people giving them an impossible task.”

· colored balcony (51) “This is a segregated balcony that segregates white

from black during a trial.”

· “Ruttin’ ” (56) “A term usually applied to animals in heat that undergo

certain rituals during mating. Ewell means that Tom Robinson was eyeing Mayella
and fixing to have sex with her.”

· Chiffarobe (61) “A closet-like piece of furniture that combines a chest of

drawers with closet-like space for hanging clothes.”

· Browbeating (68) “To intimidate someone, generally with stern or abusive

words. To frighten them into submission.”

· “Yellow stinkin’ cowards” (71) “Mayella is calling the group of lawyers

and judges cowards, afraid to look at racism and convict Tom Robinson. By calling
them ‘yellow’ she is referring to their lack of courage, more than just a coward.”

· Temerity (84) “Excessive boldness or confidence; audacity.”

42
· Distaff (85) “Distaff can mean part of a spinning wheel, but here it means
the female side of a family. Here Atticus says the distaff side of the Executive
branch, so he is talking about the first lady of the time, Eleanor Roosevelt.”

· Ardent (86) “Very enthusiastic or passionate over something.”

· worked over (86) “To beat or abuse. In this context, Jean Louise means
Calpurnia beat them and berated them for running off to the trial without
permission.”

· Charged the Jury (87) “The judge’s instructions to the jury concerning
the law that applies to the facts of the case on trial. This can include the judge’s
opinion on the case, what the law states, where the law may disagree, and what the
jury can decide.”

· Preliminary Strain (88) “The hesitation or strain in the clock as it

prepares to strike eight o’clock.”

· “Governor commutes his sentence” (89) “The governor has the

ability to commute a sentence, meaning the convicted person is relieved of their
penance but unlike a pardon they are not dismissed of their crime. The convicted
person would not have to serve a sentence but still has the crime on their record.”

· Acquittal (92) “A judgment that a person is not guilty of the crime they
have been charged for.”

43
 SOURCES
Author & Playwright
http://www.nytimes.com/1993/05/12/obituaries/christopher-sergel-publisher-of-plays-and-playwright-
75.html
http://www.doollee.com/PlaywrightsS/sergel-christopher.html
https://www.bard.org/study-guides/about-the-author-and-playwright-to-kill-a-mockingbird
https://www.dramaticpublishing.com/AuthorBio.php?titlelink=9848
http://syracusestage.org/_px/_pdf/_files/1454500022_Mockingbird%20study%20guide%20Updated.
pdf
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/11/theater/to-kill-a-mockingbird-is-headed-to-broadway.html
http://www.biography.com/people/harper-lee-9377021#early-life
http://www.nytimes.com/1998/08/09/books/bookend-long-lives-the-mockingbird.html
http://www.teenink.com/nonfiction/academic/article/705517/Autobiographical-Elements-of-To-Kill-
a-Mockingbird/
http://neabigread.org/books/mockingbird/readers-guide/about-the-author/

Viewpoints
http://facingtoday.facinghistory.org/what-does-it-mean-to-kill-a-mockingbird
http://www.gradesaver.com/to-kill-a-mockingbird/study-guide/quotations-with-analysis
http://tokillamockingbirdquotes.org/
https://criticalrant.com/2011/09/29/to-save-a-mockingbird-dallas-theater-center-casa-manana/
http://www.nytimes.com/1991/03/04/theater/review-theater-a-mockingbird-translated-to-the-
stage.html
http://thecolumnonline.com/review/09-15-2016_TO-KILL-A-MOCKINGBIRD/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/theatre-reviews/11706895/to-kill-a-mockingbird-
barbican-review-harper-lee.html
http://www.startribune.com/guthrie-s-to-kill-a-mockingbird-plays-to-the-present-as-well-as-the-
past/328061171/
https://goodbyteaching.wordpress.com/2012/09/28/5-reasons-to-teach-to-kill-a-mockingbird-and-6-
reasons-not-to/
https://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2014/oct/14/to-kill-a-mockingbird-books-that-
change-the-world

H istory & Context

http://www.authentichistory.com/1600-1859/3-spirituals/
http://www.lnrr.org/History.aspx

44
http://cointrackers.com/indian-head-pennies/
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rape
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/womens-long-battle-to-define-
rape/2012/08/24/aa960280-ed34-11e1-a80b-9f898562d010_story.html?utm_term=.3ee66c2ae07a
http://www.executedtoday.com/2015/07/20/1934-not-walter-lett-to-kill-a-mockingbird-inspiration/
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/whats-changed-what-hasnt-in-town-inspired-to-kill-a-
mockingbird-180955741/
http://oureverydaylife.com/child-discipline-1930s-43365.html
http://syracusestage.org/_px/_pdf/_files/1454500022_Mockingbird%20study%20guide%20Updated.
pdf
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/civil-war-veterans-come-alive-in-audio-and-video-
recordings-97841665/
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/06/150626-confederate-flag-civil-rights-movement-war-
history/
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~jganis/unionco/newspapers1900-1903.html
http://www.druglibrary.org/olsen/dpf/whitebread02.html
https://nyamcenterforhistory.org/tag/the-knick/
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1994-12-14/news/9412140128_1_christmas-pageant-one-room-
schools
http://alabamapioneers.com/photographs-heres-some-interesting-photographs-of-people-around-
birmingham-in-early-1900s/
http://www.storytellingday.net/history-of-storytelling-how-did-storytelling.html
http://www.natlawreview.com/article/lawyers-early-1900s-lawyers-are-poor-and-unable-to-make-bare-
living
https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-difference-between-nigger-and-negro
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=negro
http://aaregistry.org/historic_events/view/black-church-brief-history

Ideas, Themes, & Topics
http://dailysignal.com/2016/06/12/where-does-the-hate-come-from/
https://www.psychologistworld.com/emotion/types_hate.php
http://archive.adl.org/issue_education/hateprejudice/prejudice2.html#.WGPZ5KIrKCQ
https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-difference-between-Right-vs-Wrong-and-Good-vs-Evil
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/out-the-darkness/201308/the-real-meaning-good-and-evil
http://www.ceelbas.ac.uk/research/socialinequality
http://literarydevices.net/point-of-view/

45
https://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/newsletters/authentichappinesscoaching/open-
mindedness
http://source.southuniversity.edu/examining-the-mob-mentality-31395.aspx
https://blog.peaceplayersintl.org/2015/09/08/how-to-cultivate-a-community-mindset/
https://www.britannica.com/topic/social-change
http://animatingdemocracy.org/place-start/what-social-change
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/innocence
https://books-authors.knoji.com/the-theme-of-innocence-in-to-kill-a-mockingbird/
https://sites.google.com/site/towardtheexaminedlife/litandcin/innocence-experience

M isc.
http://www.bookdrum.com/books/to-kill-a-mockingbird/9780099419785/bookmarks-76-
100.html?bookId=700
http://www.gradesaver.com/to-kill-a-mockingbird/study-guide/glossary-of-terms
http://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-and-education-magazines/public-health-1929-1941
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-08-21/opinion/ct-perspec-0821-brooks-20110821_1_front-
door-maid-white-people

46