Contexts and TKM Context of Production

What are Contexts?
During the week we have been preparing To Kill a Mockingbird novel, and we need to learn about the contexts. Context can be defined simply as the circumstances that surround a given text and help to specify its meaning. Context is best expressed as CONTEXTS (plural) because of the wide variety of external forces that affect the general reception or understanding of a work. Context of Production: Critical positions, historical facts, biographical aspects of the author's life. Context of Reception: Once you approach a work as a reader, the meaning that is communicated, that is sent from the text to you, is influenced by everything that you bring to it, from your reading to your personal experiences and biases.



Nelle Harper Lee Biography

Writer. Born Nelle Harper Lee on April 28, 1926, in Monroeville, Alabama. Lee Harper is best known for writing the Pulitzer Prize-winning best-seller To Kill a Mockingbird (1960)—her one and only novel. The youngest of four children, she grew up as a tomboy in a small town. Her father was a lawyer, a member of the Alabama state legislature, and also owned part of the local newspaper. For most of Lee’s life, her mother suffered from mental illness, rarely leaving the house. It is believed that she may have had bipolar disorder.

The Great Depression 1930

The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in 1930 after the passage of the United States' Smoot-Hawley Tariff bill (June 17), and lasted until the late 1930s or middle 1940s. It was the longest, most widespread, and deepest depression of the 20th century. The Great Depression had devastating effects in countries rich and poor. Personal income, tax revenue, profits and prices dropped, while international trade plunged by more than 50%, due in large part to the Smoot-Hawley Tariff. Unemployment in the U.S. rose to 25%, and in some countries rose as high as 33% .                                                                   

Dust Bowl

Afro-American Community

The Dust Bowl, or the Dirty Thirties, was a period of severe dust storms causing major ecological and agricultural damage to American and Canadian prairie lands in the 1930s, particularly in 1934 and 1936. The phenomenon was caused by severe drought coupled with decades of extensive farming without crop rotation, fallow fields, cover crops or other techniques to prevent wind erosion.





During the 1930s black were already discriminated against and when the country hit the Great Depression it only got worse. White male employment was the first priority to many so blacks would have a hard time finding jobs. They often lived in the poorest districts and were paid less than white people doing the same job.

To kill a Mockingbird Chapter 1 Analysis

1. What do you learn in this chapter about Maycomb, Atticus Finch and his family? 
Maycomb is a small town in Alabama, it has a very poor condition, especially because of the great depression that was during the 1930's. Atticus Finch is Scouts father, his wife died when Scout was 2 years old. He also has a son, Jem. He is a lawyer and his family were immigrants from England.

2. Describe Calpurnia as Scout depicts her in Chapter 1. 
Scout describes her as near-sighted, squinted, and her hands were as wide as a bed slat and twice as hard. Always ordering Scout out of the kitchen, and Scout mentions she could not discuss with her because Atticus would always be by Calpurnia's side.

3. What does Dill dare Jem to do? 
Dill dares Jem to go and touch the Radley place, this is were Boo Radley lived, they wanted to see how he looked like because of the years that he has been inside.

4. The townspeople of Maycomb have some fears and superstitions about the Radley place. 
Describe these fears and superstitions. 
They were afraid that on the Radley place lived a "malevolent phantom", Boo Radley.

5. How important is bravery to Jem? 
Very much, as Scout's only brother he had to prove that he could protect her at all cause.

6. What do you notice about the narrative voice and viewpoint of the story?
It is narrated by Scout, to give a innocent point of view or perspective of the story.