To Kill a Mockingbird Provides Insight into the Past

Historically based novels give people insight into how things were many years ago. For example To Kill a Mocking-Bird by Harper Lee would be relevant to a person studying America in the early twentieth century. The story is set in Maycomb County, Alabama in the 1930’s around the time that the author herself was growing up and while the book is based on her life, she found inspiration for the setting, characters and storyline in event s that took place in her own childhood. For example in 1931 when Harper Lee was five, nine black men were accused of Raping two white women. Five out of the nine men were given long prison sentences. Also the character Dill is based on Harper Lee’s childhood friend Truman Capote. At the time when To Kill a Mocking-Bird was released at a time when in Alabama, Harper Lee’s home state there was still a lot of racial tension. The south was still segregated and black people were not allowed to use the same facilities as the white people and the Civil rights movement was becoming bigger.

To Kill a Mocking-Bird is narrated by Jean Louise “Scout” Finch. Scout’s father, Atticus Finch, is a lawyer. Scout, her brother Jem and their cousin Dill are fascinated by the house opposite theirs, Nathan Radley’s house, and the stories that go with it about Nathan’s brother Arthur “Boo” Radley who has lived inside for many years without coming out. One night at the end of summer the children sneak onto the Radley property and are shot at by Nathan Radley who mistakenly believes them to be thieves, while running away Jem’s pants are caught on a fence and they are forced to leave them behind. The next day when he returns to collect them, they are neatly and folded and fixed. Later, in winter, Jem and Scout are standin...

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...g-Bird is loosely based on Harper Lee’s childhood. By reading it we learn a lot about how Harper Lee grew up and how she viewed the events that took place during her childhood.

The only criticism of To Kill a Mocking Bird is that the narrator, Scout, did not act, speak, or think like a six year old. The story is only based in truth and Harper Lee has only got inspiration from events and people from the past for her story, none of the events or people in the story ever existed.

Historical novels can provide a very good source of information to people who are studying the past. To Kill a Mocking-Bird is only roughly based on and inspired by events and a person of the past, but still provides valuable insight into the time in which it was set. By reading a historical novel such as To Kill a Mocking-Bird it is possible to better understand the events of the past.