Exploring To Kill a Mocking Bird

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Exploring the American Novel To Kill a Mocking Bird

Good Morning

I have been given the task of speaking to you about American

literature and the impact that specific books may have on Australian

readers. In particular my main focus today will concentrate on the

issue of racial prejudice. One of my favourite books comes to mind

when discussing this topic because it effectively argues for

multi-ethnicity from different vantage points.

“To Kill a Mocking Bird” is a Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Harper

Lee, based on the defence of an obviously innocent African-American

man, charged with raping a young white girl. One of the books

important themes involves the threat that hatred, prejudice and

ignorance poses to the innocent. Though society has changed greatly

since the release of this book, the strength of the issues relayed in

classics such as this one will never lose their appeal.

While reading the American novel “To Kill a Mocking Bird”, it was

obvious to me that this book was an example of one instance when right

does not triumph. As uncertain as the political climate may be in

parts of the world today, it was extremely more volatile in the 30’s,

which was when To Kill a Mocking Bird was set. The book takes place

in a small Alabama town, where racial equality was non-existent. The

novel begins with Scout Finch, who is now an adult remembering the

summer when her brother, Jem broke his arm and recalling the incidents

that led to this event. She introduces her hometown Maycomb Alabama,

her father Atticus Finch, attorney, Calpurnia their “Negro” cook and

housekeeper, Dill and various neighbours.

Despite the fact that Calpurnia was a Negro she was very influential

in the character building of the two children. She was like a mother

figure to them and taught them tolerance that took them beyond the

prejudices of Maycomb society. She treated the children as her equal,

rather than a black or white person. Calpurnia wanted the children to

experience a different attitude towards race and prejudice. Therefore

she took them to her church where and they sang and prayed. They felt

welcomed by the black community and knew that this acceptance was

probably due to the fact the their father, Atticus had supported Tom

and believed in his innocence.

While there are plenty of civil rights injustices to be found in the

news headlines today, our attitude towards race relations has changed

dramatically. The book however, reveals that to live in the 1930’s

and be black meant living a life as an inferior being. The attitude

of the townsfolk in this book was to let things stay as they had

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