To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Brief Synopsis

Please add a brief overview of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

Allusions

Allusions in Popular Music

Please add additional entries following the format modeled below.

"Sneaking Up on Boo Radley" by Bruce Hornsby

from Here Come the Noise Makers (2000)

Hornsby, a Grammy-winning musician, draws heavily upon Harper Lee's beloved novel on this track from his 2000 release. Hornsby clearly references the summer days Jem and Scout Finch spend exploring the neighborhood in Maycomb, Alabama and, specifically, the strange recluse known as Boo Radley. Hornsby writes:

They say he's crazy, they say he's gone / We play our tricks, make up funny songs / Sneaking around, feeling badly / Sneaking up on Boo Radley

By the end of the song it becomes evident that the events are told from Jem's perspective. Referencing the dramatic conclusion of the novel when Boo comes to the rescue of the Finch children and forever changes their perception of him, Hornsby writes:

Down the street walking sadly / Little sister loves him madly / Feeling like the man from Gladly

The Boo Radleys (Band Name)

A clear allusion to Harper Lee's classic is evident in the name chosen by a British alt-rock band. According to the official MySpace page of The Boo Radleys, "The name comes from the shady character in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, but was chosen (in a pub) just beacause they liked the sound of it."

Atticus (Band Name)

Another clear allusion in music to Lee's novel is the band Atticus, which formed in Knoxville, TN.  According to the official band website, the group is currently seperated physically, but still continues to share music.  According to the band's wikipedia site, "the band is named after the Atticus Finch character of To Kill a Mockingbird." 

Allusions in Popular Film

Almost Famous  (2000)

In the semi-autobiographical rock and roll film by Cameron Crowe, the opening scene features a conversation between 11-year old William Miller (the film's protagonist) and his mother about To Kill a Mockingbird.  William and his mother discuss Boo Radley being an interesting character and debate whether or not Atticus Finch raised the children on his own.  Another loose parallel that can be drawn between To Kill a Mockingbird and this movie scene is that William discovers that he's really 11 (he had previously believed himself to be 12) as he considers the physical differences between he and his classmates.  Viewers recognize William to be academically advanced just as readers will recognize Scout's academic advancements and the fact that she's not the average first grader, especially since she's literate as she starts to school.   

Allusions in Clothing

Atticus Clothing

According to the official website, the company was founded in 2001 and "the name Atticus came from several places. The literary classic 'To Kill a Mocking Bird', (which also influenced the bird logo), and patron of the arts Herodes Atticus, who spent the bulk of his fortune supporting the arts, building theaters for music and plays in ancient Greece."  The company's logo is an upside-down mockingbird which visually enhances the To Kill a Mockingbird allusion. 

Themes & Related Songs

Please add themes relevant to the literature and songs that address similar themes.

References

Please add relevant citations using MLA format as modeled below.

Almost Famous.  Dir. Crowe, Cameron.  Perf. Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, Kate Hudson, Jason Lee, and Patrick Fugit.  Columbia Pictures, 2000. 

Atticusclothing.com.  "About Atticus."  2 February 2010.  <http://www.atticusclothing.com/>. 

Hornsby, Bruce. "Sneaking Up on Boo Radley." Here Come the Noise Makers. RCA, 2000.

Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. New York: Harper Collins, 2002.

Myspace.com. "The Boo Radleys." 27 January 2008. 30 January 2008 <http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=78955129>.

Wikipedia.com.  "Atticus (band)." 30 January 2010.  2 February 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atticus_(band)>.