To Kill a Mockingbird
question: In three pages, analyze the implications of knowing the backstory to To Kill a Mockingbird, as presented by historian Joseph Crespino through his extensive primary source research. Does knowing the real life story of A.C. Lee and the historical context behind Maycomb, Alabama, change our understanding of To Kill a Mockingbird, its narrative, and key themes? If so, how does that knowledge and context alter that understanding? If not, what enables the story to continue to stand on its own?
In other words, the big question you are addressing here is: How important is historical context to the way we read, think about, and understand a piece of literature?
Guidelines
Do not use outside sources. Only use the materials provided in our class. The paper must be submitted through the Turnitin tool, which is enabled here. I will be looking closely at AI usage. The paper is to consist of your words, thoughts, and analysis not those of others.
Your essay must have in-text citations based on your preferred style (MLA, APA, Chicago). See this resource for details and examples of in-text citations:
Links to an external site.
Do not provide a title page or works cited page at the end of your essay. When I speak of MLA, APA, and Chicago styles, I am referring primarily to the use of citations within the paper.
Do not use first person. Write only in the third person.
Work diligently to stay in the active voice rather than devolving into excessive use of passive voice. To stay in the active voice as much as possible, use strong action verbs and make sparing use of forms of “to be” (was, were).
Use italics for titles of works such as
Atticus Finch: The Biography and To Kill a Mockingbird.