Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words. injustice from the Jim Crow era, attempting to set the record straight and help communities and families in the search for reconciliation and remediation. The lyrics in The Death of Emmett Till stated, This song is just a reminder to remind your fellow man. This may be a valuable resource in unpacking the film for discussion. Imagine yourself in the role of the prosecuting attorney, Mr. Gilmer, in the fictional trial in, Step into the seat of one of the jurors in the trials. The social justice in this context of the song The Death of Emmett Till refer to America needs to. According to Mr. Stevenson, whose stories are neglected in the identity of the United States? That institution, gentlemen, is a court.". On Feb. 3, 2015, a Times News Alert announced the stunning headline: Harper Lee, Author of To Kill a Mockingbird, Is to Publish a Second Novel.. How do these examples of agency and resistance connect with, extend or challenge your thinking about the black characters in To Kill a Mockingbird? What themes are echoed in his work? until you climb into his skin and walk around in it. Have them work together to complete profiles of this set of characters in the trials using the worksheets. Causing and bringing fear into their world. The Encyclopedia of Alabama refers to the Scottsboro trials as an unmitigated tragedy and provides a detailed overview of this saga and its legacy. After many telephone calls, much pleading on behalf of the . White nationalism, Jim Crow Laws and Segregation made lynchings more accessible, as mob rule, and the failure of the federal government to deem the treatment of African Americans as a violation of the 14th Amendment easier. I don't think anybody in Maycomb'll Does this historical context help you to more fully imagine life in Maycomb? Back then, African Americans were physically and mentally abused, and the point of the song was to put an end to that and it did eventually. Identify what factors (events, series of events, or circumstances) may have led each plaintiff to level the accusations that resulted in the arrests of the accused and their subsequent trials. One of the events was the trial of the Mockingbird, Tom Robinson . Which is more moving? Rating: 5 out of 5. In the Times article, Prof. E.M. Beck says of lynching sites: What people dont realize here is just how many there were, and how close. Another meaning of the song Strange Fruit is a haunting protest against the inhumanity of racism(Blair).Therefore, African American bodies hanged from trees when they are sentenced to death by a jury in the 1930s. Analyze how and why individuals, events, or ideas develop and interact over the course of a text. What are the limitations with the historical documentary? Under those circumstances. Watch the movie version of To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) by Robert Mulligan. Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take. How might a fictional text like Mockingbird foster the kind of honest conversation about race and justice that the report DALLAS A block from the tourist-swarmed headquarters of the former Texas School Book Depository sits the old county courthouse, now a museum. has spurred its own share of controversy. Atticus said it was like something Cousin Joshua St. Clair might have designed. "Sooo much more helpful than SparkNotes. First, Mrs. Dubose was mean to the Finch family because Atticus defends Tom Robinson. Careful readers will sense the mood of danger, but we are seeing through the eyes of 8-year-old Scout, who never identifies the scene for what it is: an attempted lynching of a black man accused. The students explain . To Kill a Mockingbird Study Guide Mastery Quizzes Flashcards Infographic Literary Devices Motifs Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, and literary devices that can help to develop and inform the text's major themes. Had no hope left in him and decided to go for the run. Are there any parallels to these cases in current trials being covered by the media? It is most often used to characterize informal public executions by a mob in order to punish an alleged transgressor, punish a convicted transgressor, or intimidate people. When first shown, the lynch mob is anonymous, firstly shown when they arrive . What does he think might happen if more Americans knew those stories? Worksheet 1 Trial Plaintiffs Compared, Activity 1. The impending trial of Tom Robinson and Atticus 's role as his defense lawyer make Jem and Scout the objects of whispers and glances whenever they go to town. Since the publication of the text there has been a lot of controversy about whether or not students should read the text in middle school or high school. What do students think the verdict would be now? Although all the evidence pointed to Tom Robinson being innocent and the only witnesses were from unreliable and changing sources he was still convicted. in your community? In To Kill A Mockingbird, there three examples of how provincialism can be dangerous: Mrs. Dubose, Gangs of men, and Bob Ewell. Everything that took place in the courtroom shows the loss of childhood innocence and extreme racial prejudice. Quotes To Kill a Mockingbird Characters Jean Louise Finch (Scout) Jean Louise Finch (Scout) The novel's protagonist. Is justice blind or is it influenced by community and individual prejudices as well as other factors? The sites of the other killings, like those of nearly every lynching in the United States, are not marked. This activity will also build students contextual knowledge of the American South in the 1930s. The way the content is organized These laws consisted of five different pillars centered on the political, personal, economic, legal and social oppression of African Americans. For the purposes of Activity 3, note to students, that the comparison being made will be the summations of the attorneys in the two trials (rather than comparing the closing arguments of the two opposing sides within each trial). Given the climate in Alabama in the 1930s, could the judge(s) have ruled any other way? Using what you have just learned, what can you imagine or infer about Toms life that the novel does not tell us? Students will find additional evidence on the character traits of both Atticus Finch and Judge John Taylor surfaces after the trial scene has concluded. Report sees lynching as a precursor of modern-day racial bias in the criminal justice system. Many educators who have been teaching To Kill a Mockingbird in the past year also report Please be aware that this passage, like others in the novel, contains racial epithets and dehumanizing language. Do they concur with the AFI poll? It is additionally an irritating depiction of a partitioned country on the very edge of the social equality development and an eerie contemplation on race, history, and the battle for truth. the readers understanding of the unfolding action? Lynching of the black people was used frequently by white people, their is no specific detail of how many times they had done it, but lynching of black people has lasted from 1882 to 1968. What evidence of individual moral courage surfaces in these trials? "We know all men are not created equal in the sense some people would have us believeBut there is one way in this country in which all men are created equal- there is one human institution that makes a pauper the equal of a Rockefeller; the stupid man the equal of an Einstein, and the ignorant man the equal of any college president. For instance, how will the first slavery museum in America deal with these questions? To encourage students to make these important connections, weve chosen to pair an excerpt from Chapter 15 of the novel with The Timess article on the Equal Justice Initiative report, History of Lynchings in the South Documents Nearly 4,000 Names, Tell students that for the purposes of Activity 2, the Haywood Patterson trial held March through April 1933 in Decatur, Alabama under Judge James E. Horton will be considered. In the United States, it is widely read in high schools and middle schools. Though Atticus tries his best to stop the lynching of Tom Robinson, the credit for saving him really must go to Scout. Even though the jury found Tom Robinson guilty of raping Mayella Ewell, in that matter Atticus Finch, lawyer defending Tom Robinson, said that Tom Robinson was not guilty because he only has one arm and there is no way that Tom Robinson was able to hurt her while Bob Ewell is perfectly fine and, Based on all the information provided at the trial of Tom Robinson the jury should have found him not guilty. How does each judge handle the sentencing and/or aftermath of the trail? Imagine you are serving on the jury in the Scottsboro Boys and you are also serving on the jury in the. He had to put his work against the word of two white people. How does the history provide a new perspective on the choices faced by Atticus, Scout, Mr. Cunningham or other characters? Using the primary and secondary sources of the first Scottsboro trial of 1933 and excerpts from To Kill a Mockingbird, have them identify descriptive passages of and quotations from each of these historical and fictional characters. Do any examples of moral courage surface in Miss Ransdalls report? Use the evidence gathered on Worksheet 3 to respond to the following questions: Activity 3 follow-up questions for discussion: Assessment:Compare the main points of the closing arguments in the cases. Its a perennial favorite in schools and, according to one study, the most-recommended What social and moral commentary is Ms. Lee offering through her portrayal attempted to document lynchings and fought to end the practice. What do the public testimony and private thoughts expressed by participants during each trial convey about the culture of the American South of the 1930s. Part 1 Trial Character Traits, The Trials of The Scottsboro Boys by Douglas O. Linder, Excerpts from the summation of Wade Wright, Excerpts from the summation of Thomas Knight, Excerpts from the summation of Samuel Leibowitz, Twelve Angry Men: Trial by Jury as a Right and as a Political Institution, Factual trial account: Miss Hollace Ransdall, the on-site representative of the American Civil Liberties Union during the historical Scottsboro Boys trial of 1931, Fictional trial account: Scout Finch, Harper Lees narrator who bears witness to the trial of Tom Robinson in, Economic and Social Background of the Case (1112), Why the Two Girls Made the Charge (1214). has in our literary culture. The fictional character of Charles Baker ("Dill") Harris also has a real-life counterpart. What are the limitations with the fictional feature film? How well does Scout understand the events shes relating in this excerpt from the novel? Have them pay special attention to the instances in which these characters may have exhibited courage or cowardice. Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take. This 1894 article (PDF) from The Times reports on her visit to Brooklyn to enlist support for her crusade, and Does Atticus Finchs courageous defense of Tom Robinson in the To Kill a Mockingbird trial seem realistic or overly idealistic? In society, there are very few people who have the unwavering dedication to stand up for what they believe. Based on what you have pieced together about Tom, do you notice any similarities between his life and the lives of the men you have learned about? We all use persuasion in our daily lives, whether it be to convince our friends or for Atticus he has to persuade a jury and a room full racist people. During the 1900s until 19600s various African-Americans experienced various harsh conditions of violence, never being granted the right to vote and being segregated from whites based on their race and skin-color from their white masters. As students learn about the mens experience with school, work, church and Jim Crow, they can consider questions like: Students can also use the historical sources to imagine the scene outside the jailhouse from Toms perspective and rewrite from his point of view. How would such a case be handled in contemporary America? The character of Atticus Finch is among the most beloved in literature. Compare the societal values that are manifested in the Scottsboro Boys and the To Kill a Mockingbird trials. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.3. What are the strengths of each summation in each case? It expresses the reality of the lynching of the African American community in a way that is very easy to understand. Parallels can be made between the fictional trial of Tom Robinson and the historical Scottsboro Boys case trials, which Harper Lee drew upon as inspiration for the novel. The killing of Mr. Brooks is noted in the museum. Is one more persuasive than the other? Which tells a better story? Reflected Today. What demands are placed on the reader when we have a narrator with a limited point of view? Ida B. Paula Giddingss biography of Wells chronicles her life more broadly. 1Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text. Over the course of the novel's three years, Scout, Dill, and Jem grow up both physically and mentally. way. After students have a complete list of characters traits for their set of characters entered in Worksheet 2. After numerous trials and appeals, none of the nine defendants was executed, due to the extraordinary defense of Samuel Leibowitz. Although the themes, setting and characters of Mockingbird could be paired with any number of pieces from The Timess vast archive, our guest writer, Laura Tavares from Facing History and Ourselves, This drew an image of dark and chilling to me. In 1961 it won a Pulitzer Prize. What is moral courage? The fact that this line puts a picture of bodies being devoured by crows in your mind, proves that Holiday uses very strong imagery in the context of Strange Fruit. The caged bird does not sing because it is happy; it sings because it is dreaming of happiness. Due to the setting of To Kill a Mockingbird, the outcome of Tom Robinson's trial is likely to be Tom ruled guilty. To Kill A Mockingbird Most of the lynching cases against black men were for rape, even when there was evidence of a consensual relationship. If you were to be represented by one or the other, which one would you want defending you? The quote sums up a truth that Scout learns over the course of the book: that individuals you may know and even respect can band together to do terrible things. To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee Study Guide Mastery Quizzes PLUS Flashcards PLUS Infographic PLUS Quotes Courage "I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. This accusation was done in the interest of those who did the lynching to blacken the good name of the helpless and defenseless victims of their hate. Duke Universitys Behind the Veil website features dozens of oral history interviews with African-Americans Like for example, two african americans were arrested and charged with the armed robbery and murder of a white factory worker, Claude Deeter, and the rape of his companion, Mary Ball(Radio Diaries). Are there any flaws in Attorney Finchs professional conduct? One of the criticisms that has been leveled against To Kill a Mockingbird is that Harper Lee does not give his character sufficient depth. What does the Scottsboro Boys prosecutors closing argument(s) reveal about race relations in the South in 1933? you live, all communities have a history. Which trial testimony seems more unbelievable? 1. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone. defendant - person against whom an action is brought . The message of this song explains white supremacy still exist today because the white jury stated in the past that the two white men are innocent when the two brothers confess that they killed a black person. This quote relates because it expresses how. Atticus and Miss Maudie tell Scout and Jem that it's a sin to kill a mockingbird because these birds cause no harm to anyone or anythingthey just sing. defendant, and a long forgiving letter from his mother, it was decided that Dill could stay. . Assessment:Have students think about what they have learned about each plaintiff and their families from the observations they have recorded. Bryan Stevenson believes this should change. During this time there was racism in the south and segregation which separated the whites and blacks from everything. Even though Scout displayed innocence but still was excluded from games with Dill and Jem because of her gender, Harper Lee did not intend for her to be perceived as a Mockingbird. In a 2012 TED talk, Mr. Stevenson What themes from To Kill a Mockingbird are echoed in Bryan Stevensons speech? CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.8. They will compare the factual trial report with the fictional trial observations to determine the character of the plaintiff(s) or accusers in both cases. How does each trial reflect the social and racial prejudice of the American South in the 1930s? Aunt Alexandra isn't so sure that they're in the clear, but Jem and Scout feel better. book among American readers. communitywide violence have been erased from civic memory.. 2. On Tuesday, the organization he founded and runs, the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Ala., released a report on the history of lynchings in the United States, the result of five years of research and 160 Yet readers know relatively little about Tom, and in the excerpt weve selected here, he Tell them there are two attorneys for the prosecution, in the Scottsboro Boys trials. Today, African Americans are still being discriminated for job opportunities because of stereotypes people made that make African Americans look bad. This is a depiction of the death of a Mockingbird, ultimately destroying innocence and purity that resided with Tom Robinson that died when he was shot as he tried to flee from his inescapable doom. A tale of two fathers "To Kill a Mockingbird," which won the 1961 Pulitzer Prize for Literature and cemented Lee's place in the American canon, offers an idealized view of Atticus through the eyes of the young Scout: He is deeply moral, fair and kind, a man who earns respect from the African American community for his work to defend Tom Robinson, a father who guides his children to . In 1995, the National Film Registry earmarked To Kill a Mockingbird for preservation in the Library of Congress as a culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant film. Downtown Dallas in 1910, when Allen Brooks, a black man, was hanged from a telephone pole. Cite specific examples in each case. This trial is really important because at that time in the south, white people took advantage of black people and their kindness and thought they would take that or shut up just because they were black. He was accused of raping a white girl. How does the trial experience in a fictional narrative, To Kill a Mockingbird, compare to the historical Scottsboro Boys trials that inspired it? The Equal Justice Initiative founder, Bryan Stevenson, is quoted saying that lynching and the terror era shaped the geography, politics, economics and social characteristics of being black How might the Scottsboro Boys Trial be conveyed through a feature film? Why does this film still have such widespread appeal fifty years after its release? What moral and ethical issues does each case raise for you? who lived from the 1890s to the 1950s. Conduct a discussion of the film using the following questions. The courtroom scenes show how To Kill a Mockingbird is a coming-of-age novel which I believe teaches young children and readers how extreme racism could be in the 1930s-1940s, but it also educates them on how racism is still very much real in the world. She insults Atticus in front of their children. Text 2: Excerpt from History of Lynchings in the South Documents Nearly 4,000 Names by Campbell Robertson. Worksheet 2 Part 1 Trial Character Traits. . Kanye Wests Blood on the Leaves is a powerful hip hop song that addresses modern day struggles such as drugs, sex, and poverty. Many neighbors and family members take offense to her love read analysis of Jean Louise Finch (Scout) rope around the neck of a black man accused of sexually assaulting a 3-year-old white girl, and threw the other end of the rope out a window. Provincialism is a manner of expression beliefs or mindset particular to a special region and not commonly used outside that region, therefore not fashionable or sophisticated. For each passage and quotation, students will come up with a character trait or descriptive phrase. study of the history of lynching. Are there any fundamental similarities between the two defendants? The trial in this book is about Mayella and Bob Ewell, two white people, claiming and arguing that Tom Robinson, a black person, raped Mayella Ewell. of Toms life and experience, or of the devastating consequences the injustices he suffers must have for his family. What concerns or questions are you left with after the summations? Analyze the historical context of the trial and the book to determine the extent to which race relations had changed during the first half of the 20th century. The hatred and fear that was installed into the white peoples head had caused them to turn to the lynch law. The story is told through the eyes of the main character, Jean Louise Finch, and the story introduces many other characters. VOCABULARY - To Kill A Mockingbird Chapters 15-17 . It's when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what." To Kill a Mockingbird is a story that takes place during the Great Depression in a small town located in southern Georgia in the 1930s. The main message of the text is the prominence of racial injustice, specifically in the 1930s, the era the novel takes place in. Are there any events in the early 21st century that cause the story to resonate with todays audience? After they find Atticus, Scout She and her brother, Jeremy Atticus ("Jem"), are raised by their widowed . Does awareness of those histories change your understanding of the place you call home? Atticus Finch's closing speech on behalf of the defense to the jury can be accessed in the To Kill a Mockingbird . The song opens in a high pitch tinkling piano, soft flute (that reminds me of the wind bowing) a soft distant sound of an electric guitar and the eerie background bass that has the feeling of darkness and fear. According to the Times editorial, the Equal Justice Initiative The Flowers by Alice Walker is a very well written yet short and sweet story that paints a very vivid picture of main problem the times. In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, siblings Jem and Scout Finch grow up in a small town called Maycomb, Alabama. Why? Harper Lee, whose first novel, " To Kill a Mockingbird ," about racial injustice in a small Alabama town, sold more than 40 million copies and became one of the most beloved and . At Facing History and Ourselves, we believe its best to acknowledge these sensitive topics with students and set norms for creating a respectful, reflective classroom environment. Are these issues also raised in the 1962. Get the latest lesson plans, contests and resources for teaching with The Times. 4. Like Scottsboro, the setting in To Kill a Mockingbird is a small town in Alabama, in the 1930s. Bryan Stevenson, a lawyer, is a contemporary upstander who founded the Equal Justice Initiative to challenge bias in Americas justice system. Using the Douglas Linder website, teachers may want students to first read through Linders full account for a comprehensive overview of , For Activity 2, direct students specifically to the biography section and the Linder essay entitled: , Another resource for background information on main characters in the 1933 trial is the companion website to the. In 1910, a group of men rushed into the courthouse, threw a rope around the neck of a black man accused of sexually assaulting a 3-year-old white girl, and threw the other end of the rope out a. How might you discover and explore unacknowledged histories Note: The passage, from Chapter 15, is far too long to excerpt here, but we have quoted both the opening paragraph and closing paragraph below. It was the word of a white girl against the word of a black man. The lessons of the infamous 1930s Scottsboro Boys case in which two young white women wrongfully accused nine African American youths of rape illustrate through fact what Harper Lee tried to instruct through her fiction. In Harper Lees fictional Maycomb, too, the climactic events of the trial, conviction and death of Tom Robinson appear to be quickly forgotten: In Chapter 27, Scout tells us that within a few months Maycomb custom of lynching? Last Updated: April 18, 2022 facebook sharing twitter sharing email sharing For example, Blood on the leaves and blood on the root, is a very descriptive example and puts an image in your mind of seeing a tree with African Americans hanging with blood dripping from their bodies (genius.com). Some of the articles from this page of Facing Historys Mockingbird teaching guide may help you to prepare. The term lynching means to be put to death by hanging by a mob action without legal sanction. Specific links from the Douglas Linder and the Scottsboro: An American Tragedy documentary websites are provided here to direct students to specific primary and secondary sources passages related to that character in the trial: Haywood Patterson, one of the Scottsboro boy defendants, For the comparative analysis of the corresponding three main trial characters in Tom Robinsons trial in To Kill a Mockingbird and its aftermath, students should review chapters 1722 in the novel. There was also the Great Depression, the whole country was poor and people living in the country had to trade and do other jobs for people to either pay them off or to buy something from them. Activity Sheets: As students read and discuss, they might take notes using one or more of the three graphic organizers (PDFs) we have created for our Text to Text feature: Text 1: Excerpt from To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Print. Is the summation for the defense by Samuel Leibowitz in the Scottsboro trial persuasive or not? Her argument is arguable, Wells,Lynch Law in America,) Over a hundred of African Americans were lynched every year. How does the profile for the defendant Haywood Pattersons differ from that of Tom Robinson? It was published in 1960 and was instantly successful. Cite evidence from both trials in your response. in the report, the fictional Tom Robinson survives a lynching attempt after being accused of raping a white woman. (PDF), documents the history of racial lynching in the United States and provides important context for Mockingbird. The report argues that this history has never been adequately confronted or memorialized, He does this by using ethos and pathos. Harper Lee uses a range of techniques to present the mob in a bad, and in cases a mocking light. demands? To Kill a Mockingbird is a story that takes place during the Great Depression in a small town located in southern Georgia in the 1930s. She repeats and the objectivity of the news proves that most black corpses killed black citizens are innocent and that their murders are not punished. Sign up for our free newsletter. In 1931, nine black youths, ranging in age from 13 to 19, were wrongfully convicted by all-white juries of raping two white women on a train in north Alabama. Throughout history, the conditions of the lynching, how it affected the legislators of the day, quickened the social equality development and keeps on shadowing the Georgia people group where these homicides occurred. At the same time, Scout's lack of life experience and knowledge about the world she inhabits leaves . Fifty-five years after Mockingbird first appeared, this surprise announcement created a literary sensation. In the activity, students interpret firsthand accounts of the fictional and historical trials as recorded by two different witnesses. Readers are left with little sense What other texts shaped your thinking about race and justice? Some of the reason that Scout and Jem . Worksheets 2.1 Part 1 Trial Characters Traits. This became extremely common in the southern regions of the United States during the 18th century as a way to reinforce Jim Crow Laws. Like the trials, the novel illustrates a time in the American South when Jim Crow was the law of the land, racial segregation was entrenched, and mob rule could chew up and spit out the individual. People in the town of Maycomb display their racist attitudes by convicting Tom Robinson for a crime they know he didn't commit, by treating the African Americans and people who associate with African Americans with no respect, and by trying to.
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