Some pre-reading information
Harper Lee’s full name was Nelly Harper Lee, and she was born in Monroeville, Alabama in 1926. She experienced racist attitudes her entire childhood while growing up in Alabama in the 1930s. Her father was a lawyer and her mother a housewife.
She developed a love for literature in high school, and wrote for her college newspaper, at the Alabama School of Law, but she did not complete her degree.She was first published as a writer in 1957. To Kill A Mockingbird was published in 1960 and earned her the Pulitzer Prize in 1961. Lee died on February 19, 2016.
The setting (time and place). Brainstorm the background of the novel with the help of the following pictures and clips
Who is Who?
COMPLETE THE SUMMARY OF THE FIRST PART OF THE STORY WITH THE NAMES OF THE CHARACTERS
__________ Finch lives with her brother, __________, and their widowed father, _________, in the sleepy Alabama town of Maycomb. Maycomb is suffering through the Great Depression, but Atticus is a prominent lawyer and the Finch family is reasonably well off in comparison to the rest of society. One summer, Jem and Scout befriend a boy named _______, who has come to live in their neighborhood for the summer, and the trio acts out stories together. Eventually, Dill becomes fascinated with the spooky house on their street called the Radley Place. The house is owned by Mr. _______ Radley, whose brother, Arthur (nicknamed ______), has lived there for years without venturing outside.
Scout goes to school for the first time that fall and detests it. She and Jem find gifts apparently left for them in a knothole of a tree on the Radley property. Dill returns the following summer, and he, Scout, and Jem begin to act out the story of _______ Radley. Atticus puts a stop to their antics, urging the children to try to see life from another person’s perspective before making judgments. But, on Dill’s last night in Maycomb for the summer, the three sneak onto the Radley property, where Nathan Radley shoots at them. _______ loses his pants in the ensuing escape. When he returns for them, he finds them mended and hung over the fence.
REARRANGE THE REST OF THE STORY PUTTING THESE PARTS INTO THE RIGHT ORDER
Despite the verdict, Bob Ewell feels that Atticus and the judge have made a fool out of him, and he vows revenge. He menaces Tom Robinson’s widow, tries to break into the judge’s house, and finally attacks Jem and Scout as they walk home from a Halloween party. Boo Radley intervenes, however, saving the children and stabbing Ewell fatally during the struggle. Boo carries the wounded Jem back to Atticus’s house, where the sheriff, in order to protect Boo, insists that Ewell tripped over a tree root and fell on his own knife. After sitting with Scout for a while, Boo disappears once more into the Radley house.
Atticus’s sister, Alexandra, comes to live with the Finches the next summer. Dill, who is supposed to live with his “new father” in another town, runs away and comes to Maycomb. Tom Robinson’s trial begins, and when the accused man is placed in the local jail, a mob gathers to lynch him. Atticus faces the mob down the night before the trial. Jem and Scout, who have sneaked out of the house, soon join him. Scout recognizes one of the men, and her polite questioning about his son shames him into dispersing the mob.
Later, Scout feels as though she can finally imagine what life is like for Boo. He has become a human being to her at last. With this realization, Scout embraces her father’s advice to practice sympathy and understanding and demonstrates that her experiences with hatred and prejudice will not sully her faith in human goodness.
At the trial itself, the children sit in the “colored balcony” with the town’s Black citizens. Atticus provides clear evidence that the accusers, Mayella Ewell and her father, Bob, are lying: in fact, Mayella propositioned Tom Robinson, was caught by her father, and then accused Tom of rape to cover her shame and guilt. Atticus provides impressive evidence that the marks on Mayella’s face are from wounds that her father inflicted; upon
discovering her with Tom, he called her a whore and beat her. Yet, despite the significant evidence pointing to Tom’s innocence, the all-white jury convicts him. The innocent Tom later tries to escape from prison and is shot to death. In the aftermath of the trial, Jem’s faith in justice is badly shaken, and he lapses into despondency and doubt.
The next winter, Jem and Scout find more presents in the tree, presumably left by the mysterious Boo. Nathan Radley eventually plugs the knothole with cement. Shortly thereafter, a fire breaks out in another neighbor’s house, and during the fire someone slips a blanket on Scout’s shoulders as she watches the blaze. Convinced that Boo did it, Jem tells Atticus about the mended pants and the presents.
To the consternation of Maycomb’s racist white community, Atticus agrees to defend a Black man named Tom Robinson, who has been accused of raping a white woman. Because of Atticus’s decision, Jem and Scout are subjected to abuse from other children, even when they celebrate Christmas at the family compound on Finch’s Landing. Calpurnia, the Finches’ Black cook, takes them to the local Black church, where the warm and close-knit community largely embraces the children.
FILL IN WITH THE MISSING INFORMATION:
Setting (time):
Setting (place):
Main protagonist:
Major conflict in the story:
Rising action:
Climax:
Falling action:
Ending:
Watch this video. Then, confirm or change your answers
Who are they? Let's meet the main characters in the novel
The full audiobook is available here:
The Symbolism of Food in "To kill a Mockingbird"
In "To Kill a Mockingbird" , the mockingbird is not the only symbol. Food serves also as a significant symbol and it is often used to illustrate themes of community, comfort, and social dynamics. Some examples?
The Finch Family Meals: The Finch family’s mealtime conversations reflect their values and relationships. These meals often serve to highlight the warmth of family life and establish the bond between Atticus, Scout, and Jem.
Calpurnia's Recipes: Calpurnia, the Finch family’s housekeeper, plays a crucial role in the household. Her cooking reflects the African American culture of the time and provides a contrast to the Finch family's lifestyle. Dishes such as "black-eyed peas" highlight her Southern heritage.
Boo Radley: The children often leave food items (like a note and items in a tree) for Boo Radley, which symbolizes their desire to connect with him. The act of sharing food signifies an invitation to friendship and understanding.
The Church Picnic: When Calpurnia takes Jem and Scout to her African American church, the congregation's gathering and sharing of food represent community and fellowship. It also provides insight into the cultural differences and social dynamics in the town.
Halloween and the "Big Pot of Stew": The reference to food during the Halloween festivities adds to the setting and atmosphere, hinting at the communal aspect of the holiday and the innocence of childhood.
These references to food not only emphasize cultural and regional elements but also contribute to character development and thematic exploration related to race, class, and community in the novel.
Let's now meet A recipe that may symbolise comfort and tradition in the American South, offered in family
and friend gatherings
FRIED CHICKEN
Whenever someone asks Americans about their favorite meal, they cannot stop ourselves from mentioning crispy fried chicken. Many say munching on piping-hot crispy fried chicken is a joy like no other. Fried chicken does not come in one form. Instead, it comes in many forms - legs, wings, breasts, and others. When it comes to fried chicken, everyone has their own preference.Some want to stick their teeth on wings, while others want a meatier one - breasts or legs. However, fried chicken does not have only one inventor, and it is much older than you think. Over the years, every country has come up with its own version of crispy fried chicken.
THE ORIGIN OF FRIED CHICKEN
Do you think that crispy fried chicken was introduced to the Americans by Colonel Sander? You're highly mistaken. The first recipe for fried chicken was published in 1747 by English cook Hannah Glasse. "The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy" by Hannah Glasse had the first written recipe for the now-famous crispy fried chicken. Moreover, it had clear instructions on marinating the chicken with which people of the past were not familiar.
The recipe from the past states: "Cut two chickens into quarters, lay them in vinegar, for three or four hours, with pepper, salt, a bay leaf, and a few cloves, make a very thick batter, first with half a pint of wine and flour, then the yolks of two eggs, a little melted butter, some grated nutmeg, and chopped parsley; beat very well together, dip your fowls in the batter, and fry them in a good deal of hog's lard, which must first boil before you put your chickens in."
After its launch, the book made a great success worldwide. Therefore, it will be not wrong to assume that it was this recipe that made its way into the Americans' homes. However, the earliest stories of fried chicken are almost thousands of years old. According to many sources on the origin of fried chicken, it is believed that fried chicken was invented by the Scots, who were known for frying various foods without seasoning and called them fritters.
IS FRIED CHICKEN THE ICONIC CHICKEN OF AMERICAN SLAVERY?
In the past, many slaveholders used to allow their slaves to raise chickens and sell or barter eggs. However, whenever the chicken got sick or dead, the slaves were left with no choice but to consume it somehow. Therefore, they came up with the idea to clean the meat and season it with paprika and other spices imported from West Africa. Later, the meat was fried in hot palm oil.
The result was a much tastier chicken than the one prepared by the Scots. However, preparing it was a very labor-intensive task as someone had to pluck a chicken, clean it thoroughly, cut it into small pieces, season it with many spices and fry it in small batches. Therefore, at that time, fried chicken was only eaten by people on special occasions. This delicious meal undoubtedly made their special occasions more special and memorable.
Getting hungry? You can try the glorious original recipe here! Just click on the picture
Riccardo Zambon, 30 November 2024
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