Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird, written by the very talented and influential author Harper Lee, was published in the 1960’s. This novel was immediately successful. It won the Pulitzer Prize, and has become a popular book read throughout American literature. Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird tells the story of a family growing up during the Great Depression through a series of symbolic events. “Symbolism is, indeed, used extensively by Harper Lee in her timeless classic, To Kill a Mockingbird. The symbolism reveals the prejudice and narrow-mindedness of the common citizens of Maycomb County, the fears they have, and all of the immoral things they do” (Symkowski). It introduces character such as Atticus, a lawyer, and father of two children, Jem and Scout Finch. Atticus attempts to defend a falsely accused black man, Tom Robinson, in an important trial, against Mayella Ewell, the accuser. Atticus, a white man, was up against the racism throughout Maybcomb in the 1930’s. He struggled to both emotionally and logically demonstrate that Tom Robinson could not have committed such a crime. Atticus says to Jem, ‘”As you grow older, you’ll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something and don’t you forget it- whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, he is trash”’ (Lee 224). This is said right after the Tom Robinson trial. This trial raises a very important question. Can one race of people stand out to be more superior to the other? In the 1930’s the answer would be yes, due to the discrimination of black people. Whites were known to be superior, which is why racism was such an issue. Yes, racism does still exist in society today, so...

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...1930’s. Harper Lee faced these issues herself while growing up during this time period, which had a great effect on how she chose to write her only novel; To Kill a Mockingbird. We learn that the title has a significance in which we learn that Tom Robinson and Boo Radley represent these “mockingbirds”. We also learn the harsh effects that racism and judgment can have on a person, and how it plays into the theme loss of innocence, which is shown by Jem and Scout as they mature within the novel. Imagery is shown to the reader to reveal how horrendously some people were actually treated just due to the color of their skin. Harper Lee’s use of symbolism helps to create the theme loss of innocence as the main characters experience extreme prejudice from their childhood town, and learn through the hardships endured while maturing, that racism turns a blind eye to justice.