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the theme of social class in literature
argument of sociology
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America is the proud author of many timeless novels. Fitzegerald’s The Great Gatsby, Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, and Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men all reveal a glimpse into previously unseen worlds to their audiences. But few of them has so profound an impact as Nelle “Harper” Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. This captivating novel enthralled the country and made it reexamine its preexisting perceptions about childhood, bravery, and morality. In spite of the importance of these concepts, the most far-reaching theme is how prejudice and education coincide, or, more accurately, how prejudice and a lack of education coincide (Theme 1). In To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee explores how a normally rational person’s ability to reason can be tainted by prejudice, even subconsciously. Rarely do the characters in Lee’s novel make an effort to be cruel, but in the 1930s South, prejudice was less about an active effort to hurt others, but instead was an affliction brought about by an unconscious combination of upbringing, culture, and social or economic status. In a fashion typical for commercial and literary authors alike, Lee did not blatantly state her observations. An author’s writing is more than ink on paper, so authors like Lee use writing as an advocate for their convictions or to explore the extent of human beliefs. Lee calls on her own childhood experiences to provide both background and inspiration for her writing. The discoveries of her youth influence the primary theme of her only novel because living in Southern Alabama in the 1930s showed her that while there are no absolutes when is comes to morality human reasoning, there are patterns that the people of her early childhood followed (Madden 12). Not only did her early life influe... ... middle of paper ... ...960, when racial tensions were running high and while some people were pushing for equality, others were pushing back just as hard. This novel allowed readers to step into the shoes of a child, whose mind was untainted by hate or fear, and understand that prejudice is an unfounded school of thought that cannot stand up to higher thinking. This unique insight into how prejudice and a lack of education coincide is how Nelle “Harper” Lee wrote a novel that is still impacting American lives. Works Cited “Lett Negro Saved from Electric Chair.” Monroe Journal, 12 July 1934 Madden, Kerry. “Harper Lee: a twentieth-century life.” New York: Viking, 2009. E-book. “To Kill A Mockingbird: Theme Analysis.” novelguide.com. Novelguide.com. 2012 Web. 17 March 2014. Shields, Charles J. I am Scout: The Biography of Harper Lee. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2008. Print.
Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, published in 1960, is a novel which explores the theme of challenging racial prejudice. Within this novel, Lee has portrayed unintentional racial prejudice through the characters Atticus Finch, Link Deas and Scout Finch. With these characters, and their roles in exploring the theme of racial prejudice, Harper Lee has set unintentional boundaries for readers, as result, racial prejudicial thinking from contemporary perspective, in comparison to historical views, is challenged to a small extent.
As the American people’s standards and principles has evolved over time, it’s easy to forget the pain we’ve caused. However, this growth doesn’t excuse the racism and violence that thrived within our young country not even a century previous. This discrimination, based solely on an ideology that one’s race is superior to another, is what put many people of color in miserable places and situations we couldn’t even imagine today. It allowed many Caucasian individuals to inflict pain, through both physical and verbal attacks, and even take away African Americans ' God given rights. In an effort to expose upcoming generations to these mass amounts of prejudice and wrongdoing, Harper Lee 's classic novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, tells the story of
Harper Lee wrote a story to express the different kinds of prejudice in the 1930’s in Maycomb County, Alabama. The thesis has been explained by using actual quotes from To Kill a Mockingbird, and then gave logical explanation on how it was relevant. Prejudices affect the world even today and still they are something that is a horrible thing.
Shaw-Thornburg, Angela. “On Reading To Kill a Mockingbird: Fifty Years Later.” Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird: New Essays. Meyer, Michael J. Lanham, Md: Scarecrow Press, 2010. 113-127. Print.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a world where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character” (“Quotes About”). Dr. King fought against prejudice for a number of years and was victorious in bringing awareness to the issue. However, there are many forms of prejudice and racism is only one of those forms. Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, brings an abundance of social injustices to light, such as racism, gender rights, and lacking respect to others based on their family history and background. Lee uses her book to illustrate that prejudice and racism are constantly harming society and have done so for a seemingly endless amount
“Prejudice is a learned trait. You’re not born prejudice; you’re taught it” –Charles R Swindoll. The novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is about a young girl named Scout who lives in a world filled with prejudice. There are many instances and types of prejudice in the novel. A man named Tom Robinson was convicted for doing a crime he never did because of the color of his skin. To this day, Tom would have never been tried because the evidence assuredly shows he is not guilty. One only becomes prejudice if you are taught it from other prejudice people. Harper Lee shows this idea throughout her novel through her characters, dialogue and theme.
This essay will focus on exploring the theme of prejudice in Harper Lee’s novel - ‘To kill a mockingbird’ , published in the four years after the renowned bus boycott of Montgomery, , it resonates with the feelings and attitudes prevalent at the time. A variety of different types of prejudice are exposed to us throughout the progression of the novel, arguably the most significant being racial and class prejudice. I shall focus my essay on exploring how these types of prejudice are explored in the novel.
Many students believe that Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is a commentary on social issues in 1930’s America. However, over time new themes for discussion have grown from the novel. The courage and leadership of characters in To Kill a Mockingbird have become common subjects discussed by today’s students. In this way, Lee’s novel has evolved to meet the changing ideology of humanity. At the time of the novel, standing up against common customs and beliefs was unacceptable, a violation of societal rules. Several characters in To Kill a Mockingbird express outrage at the collective belief system of their community and show resilience in the face of persecution, much as many current leaders face when espousing unconventional views or actions.
Baxter, Roberta. "Harper Lee." Harper Lee (2006): 1-2. History Reference Center. Web. 21 Mar. 2013.
Nelle Harper Lee, an American writer, has become an international bookseller for her first and only book, To Kill a Mockingbird. She was born in Monroeville, Alabama on April 28, 1926. Harper enjoyed many friendships in her small southwestern town. She had one older sibling, Alice Lee. Harper’s mother, Frances Cunningham Finch Lee, was a homemaker. She was intellectually brilliant and attended a private school for girls. But, she also suffered from a “nervous disorder.” This made Frances not a big part of Harper’s life due to mental illness. Because of this, Harper’s father, Amasa Coleman (A.C.) Lee, became the one Harper looked up to and adored. A.C. Lee was greatly devoted to helping others in his lifetime. He had numerous careers including a country school teacher, bookkeeper, and newspaper editor, but his main job was a lawyer. Before he became a lawyer, he defended two African American men who were accused of murdering a white. They lost the case and the two men were punished with death. Harper was greatly influenced by her father and wanted to pursue his career as a ...
Many students believe that Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird displays social issues in early America. In this time standing against common customs was unacceptable, a violation of society. People believe that today courage has overcome adversity that was displayed in early America. Courage is the common subject of To Kill a Mockingbird, which allows Lee’s novel to defy the changing times of humanity. These morals are bound to the “impartiality” and “fairness” taught to people as children, but become unavoidably invisible though selfish actions. The characters in To Kill a Mockingbird express audacity along with resilience in the face of cowardice.
Harper Lee sheds light upon the controversy of racism and justice in his classic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. The notion of equality in accordance to the law and the pursuit of justice are hindered by racial discrimination. The essential essence of human nature is pondered. Are we inclined to be good or in the wrath of evil? The novel reflects on the contrasting nature of appearance versus reality.
Lee, Harper. "Chapter 11." To Kill a Mockingbird. Philadelphia: Harper & Row, 1960. 113. Print.
The novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is set in Alabama in the 1930s, and concerns itself primarily with the interrelated themes of prejudice and empathy. These themes are explored as the story follows Scout Finch as she learns lessons in empathy, ultimately rejecting prejudice. While all characters in Lee’s novel learn from their experiences, not all are able to grow in the same manner as Scout. The idea of a positive role model, typified by the character of Atticus Finch, and the ramifications of its absence, is a concept that Lee places much emphasis on. The isolated setting is also pivotal in the development of characters. Lee uses the contrast between characters that learn lessons in empathy and compassion, and characters that cling to the ideals of a small town, to explore factors that nurture or diminish prejudice.
In order to analyze each section thoroughly, I have divided my paper into many sections. My sections will include the summary of the book by Harper Lee followed by a theme analysis. Next, the same elements will make up the following sections except involving A Raisin in the Sun. Finally, I will conclude with a paragraph of comparison of the impacts of the themes in both works. However, I will first need to summarize the books and the themes throughout, and it is to this that I now turn.