Harper Lee's Life

Something this article helped me understand was that her family and the men in it were very smart such as her dad, "There he was a supremely respected man and, in fact, served in the Alabama state legislature for a dozen years, from 1927 to 1939.), this quote shows that her dad was a smart guy and served in the state legislature which you have to be very smart to do and he also went to law school. So part of the reason Harper was so smart could be partially because of her family tree. "Miss Caroline told me to tell my father not to teach me anymore, it would interfere with my reading."(19 Harper Lee), this quote is showing Harper getting punished for being smarter and having the ability to read because girls aren't supposed to be that smart they think. This is an example of sexism and the quote from the article shows her dad most likely taught her how to read and be smarter then the rest of the kids.

Learning the setting and what is going on in this book helps me better understand what she is going through and has been through at a young age. With Nelle now having a family reputation for her dads support to people of another color, she has a pathway that is unknown to her. Although, her father has created a good pathway for her in his father figure role in being a lawyer. The way this quote connects to Nelle is when Robert said, ¨Clearly this family remembrance made an impression on young Nelle. (Sullivan 2)¨ This shows  how it wasn't always a breeze for Nelle growing up. Nelle eventually became a well known writer for her book, ¨To Kill A Mockingbird.¨

What helped me understand is that she told us the backstory of her life and what happened and what happened was connected to the story “To kill a mockingbird “ . She took people in her life and added to her story but gave them different names in the story. “She wasn't always the only famous lee; she was related to Robert E. Lee .” “She was the first famous Lee in her family . “ ( Sullivan ) Atticus makes himself a famous single father . ageism  because he's a dad and he had to raise his kids all on his own without a mother to take care of her kids .

This helped me understand the background of Harper Lee’s life and what she was going through during her childhood, as well as her relations with other characters from her book "To Kill a Mockingbird", based on people she knew in real life. An example is when Robert Sullivan says: "she had a particular pal in her youth, and this fact will always fascinate." (Sullivan), as her brother and Dill would sometimes exclude and ignore her. This is a very clear example of sexism, because they don't like to play with her just because she is a girl.

A. This interesting article helped me understand the book better because it showed me how many characters and locations were based off of truth in Harper Lee's life.  Even the way Jean Louise goes by Scout is mirrored with how Harper Lee went by Nelle.  I know now that the book rings true because so much of it came from truth.

B. I was interested to learn about Harper Lee's father and the fact that he was the basis for Atticus.  The quote that said,
"he once defended two black men accused of killing a white storekeeper; both men were eventually convicted and hanged" (Sullivan) surprised me.  I didn't know Harper Lee's father had been involved in a case so similar to Tom Robinson's.  It explains how she was able to write about the court proceedings so well. 

C. One thing I loved reading about was that Truman Capote was the inspiration for Dill.  In the book Scout says, "summer was everything good to eat; it was a thousand colors in a parched landscape; but most of all, summer was Dill" (Lee 38). I love that this summer friendship is based on a real one and it again shows that when you write about what you know, the writing is better. 

D. An instance of sexism that stood out to me in the article was that Harper Lee was the first female recipient of the Pulitzer for Literature since 1942.  For centuries, women have been expected to stay in the home and take care of things there...which in fine, but it does mean that many women were unable to do things outside of the home that would see them recognized.  I'm glad women are now more often recognized for their works. 

This helped me get a better understanding of Harper's life story and everything she had to go through from a young age to now. The build up of this article shows me the real reason why the book to kill a mocking bird was written, and is fascinating to see the many different situations and actions she was put into throughout her life time and the challenges she was forced to face."Named, sort of, after one of her grandmothers (“Nelle” is “Ellen” backwards), she was the family’s youngest child and finally would survive brother Edwin (who died in 1951), sister Louise (who died in 2009) and sister Alice, who became a lawyer, took over their father’s practice and died in 2014." (Sullivan), On top of the great depression Harper Lee had outlived all of her siblings witch could cause some self abuse, weather its mentally or physically. 

What helped understand the book better is in the article it says she was funny,smart and happy and when i read how scout is even though she's young she still has some characteristics of harper lee in her. A quote from the article that stood out as important to my understanding is “She was not the first famous Lee from the South, of course, and it is fascinating that she was in fact related to Robert E. Lee.” I feel like this quote stood out to me because I think she grew up knowing someone famous and she just also wanted to be at that level. I think this connects to the book because if you read on page 4 towards the end she talks about her father and his younger brother and his sister about how they all were kinda famous, working people. She says (harper lee) “My father, Atticus Finch, went to Montgomery to read law,and his younger brother went to Boston to study medicine” (pg.4). I think this relates to ageism because she was young and just wanted to be someone known.

This Article helped me better understand the book and characters because they're based on people she knows and locations. The book mirrors her life by using the same nicknames for some characters such as scout,nelle,etc. 

I found it interesting her book was such a success without writing that much ("Lee wrote her novel. It quickly became the phenomenon it remains. And then she wrote no more") and how her father defended 2 black men accused of killing a white store keeper  ("he once defended two black men accused of killing a white storekeeper").

This relates to the book when the father says, ("Atticus sighed. I'm simply defending a negro his names Tom Robinson.”) Harper 86. This obviously relates to racism because of the stigma around black people.

Harper Lee’s before To Kill a Mockingbird helps me better understand the book because it explains her life before, and how it related to the book in a way like no other. Not necessarily the events in her life related to the story but the relationships she had with one another are showed in the book between Scout and Dill. These character in the book mirror her experiences growing up, especially between her and Truman Capote. A quote from the article that shows this relationship is when she talks about the “particular pal” in her youth, “She had a particular pal in her youth, and this fact will always fascinate. The boy name Truman Streckfus Persons had moved to Monroeville in 1928 to live with his aunts, whos house was right over the stone wall from Lees’ property. Nelle and Truman became close friends; much later, she would become commemorated as a character in his novel Other Voices, Other Rooms, and he, now named Truman Capote, would be, as already noted, immortalized as Dill in Mockingbird. They stayed in touch after moving on from Monroeville. Both continued to write—to each other, and then for millions of others.” (Sullivan). This shows the relationship between her and Capote- Scout and Dill because they grew up together in Monroeville, Alabama, much like Scout and Dill in the fictional town of Maycomb. Dill’s character is believed to be inspired by Capote, reflecting his imaginative and adventurous nature. Their bond in the novel mirrors the close and enduring friendship Lee and Capote shared in real life. One specific moment in the book that shows this is when Dill runs away from home and hides under Scout’s bed. This moment highlights the deep bond and trust between Scout and Dill, similar to the real-life friendship between Lee and Capote. Just like Dill seeks comfort and safety with Scout, Capote often found a sense of belonging with Lee during their childhood. This occurs in the book when it says, “Dill’s eyes flickered at Jem, and Jem looked at the floor. Then he rose and broke the remaining code of our childhood. He went out of the room and down the hall. ‘Atticus,’ his voice was distant, ‘can you come here a minute, sir?’ Beneath its sweat-streajed dirt Dill’s face went white. I felt sick.” (Lee 159). This interaction between Scout and Dill when he runs away and hides under her bed show issues of family dynamics and emotional regret, which comes down to abuse. Dill runs away because he feels neglected by his mother and stepfather, reflecting how children can be affected by the emotional and physical environments created by adults. This moment subtly expresses the novel’s exploration of how societal issues impact individuals on a personal level as a form of abuse.

The Article helped make me understand the characters and book because it's based on people she knows and locations. The book explains her life by using the same nicknames for some characters like  scout,nelle,etc. I find it interesting the  book was successful  without writing much  "Lee wrote her novel. It quickly became the phenomenon it remains. And then she wrote no more" and how Atticus defended 2 black men accused of killing a white store owner "he once defended two black men accused of killing a white storekeeper".This relates to the book when the father says, "Atticus sighed. I'm simply defending a negro his names Tom Robinson.” Harper 86. This  relates to racism because of the stigma around the black people.