Lee Before Fame

Harper Lee Before Fame

The book, To Kill a Mockingbird has become a classic in English literature. It was written by Harper Lee in the 1960s. She was smart, witty and loved to spend time with her friends. But who was Harper Lee before her social debut that has made her a household name? Her book is set back during times of segregation in America and at the time of the Civil Rights Movement. It is about a girl named Scout who is much like Lee herself. To Kill a Mockingbird is based on a real event that is closely related to this time of history in the USA during Lee’s life.

Born in Monroeville, Alabama on April 28 of 1926, Nelle Harper Lee was born into a family of 4 children, with her being the youngest (Biography.com). She was named Nelle

He was understanding, and Harper loved to sit in his lap and listen to him read her books. But unfortunately, her mother hadn’t played a big role in her life. The children were taken care of by a black maid named Hattie Clausell, who would also clean and cook. Harper did have a best friend though, and his name was Truman Persons and he moved to Monroeville in 1928 so that he could live with his aunts because his parents abandoned him. Truman and Harper instantly became friends. Both being different but sharing sad home lives. Lee was known for being tougher than a lot of boys, which is why she always defended Truman from the other boys that picked on him. He was picked on because he didn’t share the common interests as many boys his age. Nelle’s friend was also bullied because he was a sensitive boy and wore fancy clothes since it was uncommon during the Great Depression. Together, Lee being 5 and Truman 6, they would swim together, play outside, and eventually went to school together (Shields). Nelle was considered, “Too rough for the girls” and Truman being, “Too soft for the boys” (Shields 22). And even as a kid, Lee had loved reading books. She did this often with Truman in their treehouse, they always read Sherlock Holmes then discus what might happen later in a story and who the culprit was. Mr. Lee saw that the kids loved reading and gifted them with a special gift. It was a typewriter which they wrote stories on. But then in the mid-nineteen thirties, Truman’s mom had decided to take him back with her to New York to live with her. He didn’t come back to Monroeville until he was about eighteen years old. And during this time, Lee was growing into a, “Strong-willed, independent young person” (Shields