"Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." Harper Lee is an author most famously known for her novel, To Kill A Mockingbird. Lee was born on April 28, 1926 in the small town of Monroeville, Alabama. Everyone in the town knew everyone else. As a child she preferred to play around with the boys, just as is reflected through her character Scout in To Kill A Mockingbird.
An interesting factor in Lee's life was her parents. Her father was a social man who had been a newspaper editor, a lawyer, and a state senator. On the other hand, Lee's mother was believed to have a type of mental illness, most likely bi polar disorder. She was very unsocial and preferred to stay in her home. It is interesting to see how each of the parents influenced Lee throughout her life. Her writing skills one could assume developed from her father. Harper Lee discovered this talent through the quick fame of To Kill a Mockingbird. However, this fame must have set off the side of Lee that she developed from her mother because she quickly retreated to her home right after fame had come upon her. Afterwards, she was rarely seen.
References:
http://www.teenreads.com/authors/au-lee-harper.asp
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1825.Harper_Lee
The quote you put at the beginning of the blog is a great connection. It really explains the idea behind the title of the book, as well as the overall idea and theme of To Kill a Mockingbird. It is interesting that you found the connection between how her parents were such opposites and their affect on Harper Lee. It also to me seems that Harper Lee may have developed her mother's bi polar disorder through her actions and desired to stay out of the limelight after her book's success.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Shannon, the quote describe the overall theme of To Kill a Mockingbird and is a great connection. This post is very interesting and creative. I can tell that you used the best of your recourses and thought about what you wanted to say. I really like the fact that you told us and gave examples of how Harper Lee’s parents influenced her. I also noticed that you took time to learn and research about Harper Lee’s parents and briefly described them.
ReplyDeleteI really liked the way you started this entry with a quote. That aspect showed how the story in itself holds relevance in the authors life. And how true that is! Like you I found so many reference's to Lee's childhood in the novel. Also, I found it very interesting how you brought up that her mother was bipolar. Maybe this could have influenced her strange behavior after the fame of her book. Overall nice job!
ReplyDeleteYour blog helps show all the parallels between Harper Lee's life and her book, To Kill a Mockingbird. Atticus in the story and Harper Lee's father seem very similar as a influential figure in the town who was very successful. The only thing she seemed to make different was that her dad was pro segregation and Atticus in the story was against segregation. Also it seems that Harper takes a lot after her mother for not wanting the leave the house and having a hermit-like existence.
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