Lee was born on April 28, 1926, in
Monroeville, Alabama
. The youngest of four children, she grew up as a tomboy in a small town. Her father was a lawyer, a member of the Alabama state legislature and also owned part of the local newspaper.
What ethnicity was Harper Lee?
| Harper Lee | Nationality American | Education University of Alabama | Period 1960–2016 | Genre Literature, fiction |
|---|
What nationality was Harper Lee?
| Harper Lee | Nationality American | Education University of Alabama | Period 1960–2016 | Genre Literature, fiction |
|---|
Why did Harper Lee change her name?
Lee didn't want to have to continually hear her first name “Nelle” mispronounced as “Nellie.” And that is just another reason why Harper Lee was so incredible and why she will be dearly missed by the literary community and readers everywhere.
Did Harper Lee go to college?
Her father was a lawyer who also served in the state legislature from 1926–1938. As a child, Lee was a tomboy and a precocious reader. After she attended public school in Monroeville she attended
Huntingdon College
, a private school for women in Montgomery for a year and then transferred to the University of Alabama.
Why didn't Harper Lee write more books?
We only have partial answers. Lee was a famously private person, steering clear of journalists since the mid-1960s. Some of the rare statements Lee has made to the press have suggested that she didn't publish further books
because she felt overwhelmed by the success of To Kill a Mockingbird
.
Why was Harper Lee banned from a school board in 1966?
Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird was banned in 1966 by the Hanover County School Board
because it was deemed “immoral
.” The charge of immorality was due to the book's strong language, discussion of rape and sexuality, and exploration of racism.
What happened to Harper's mom?
Frances also
suffered from a “nervous disorder
,” most likely undiagnosed manic depression. By the time Nelle was born, Frances's mental illness rendered her emotionally inaccessible to Nelle. A.C. was the most present parent in Nelle's life and she adored him.
What was wrong with Harper Lee's mother?
Atticus Finch, the main character in Lee's novel takes his last name from her mother, Frances Cunningham Finch Lee. Lee's mother suffered from mental illness,
possibly bipolar disorder
, and rarely left the house.
Where did Harper Lee live in NYC?
Harper Lee's apartment building at
433 East 82nd Street
. It's little wonder that Lee continued to keep her ties to the city. It was here that she moved in 1949 to become a writer.
Who was Harper Lee inspired by?
It's believed that Harper Lee was
inspired by her own life growing up in Monroeville, Alabama
. The plot of To Kill a Mockingbird is reportedly based on a trial where Lee's father—a lawyer like Atticus Finch—served as a defense counsel for two African American men accused of murdering a white storekeeper.
Who is the real Atticus Finch?
It's true that Atticus was
based on Harper Lee's father, A.C. Lee
, and that her father, like Atticus, represented black defendants in a criminal trial.
What was Harper Lee's real name?
Harper Lee, in full
Nelle Harper Lee
, (born April 28, 1926, Monroeville, Alabama, U.S.—died February 19, 2016, Monroeville), American writer nationally acclaimed for her novel To Kill a Mockingbird (1960).
