Thirteen historical photographs complement the text. Following a literary analysis of issues raised by the novel, the casebook opens with testimony and newspaper articles from the 1930s Alabama Scottsboro Case. The significant parallels of this case to the novel paint a social and historical background of the novel. Memoirs and interviews with African Americans and whites who grew up in Alabama in the 1930s further complete the historical landscape. Articles and news stories from the 1950s depict the increasingly tense, volatile environment in which the novel was written and published.
More current articles examine the legal, literary, and ethical ramifications of the novel.
These articles include a debate between lawyers over whether Atticus Finch was a hero, and discussion of attempts to censor the novel. Will be useful to teachers and student researchers, as both journey toward a richer understanding of Lee's novel and the complex ideas society is still exploring. Inc. All rights reserved.