Use of Literature To Address Social Issues

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Throughout time, authors have used their literary works to reflect on the world in which they live in. Prevalent time periods that have cause for reaction include World War I, World War II, the Holocaust, racism and segregation in the deep South, September 11th terrorist attacks, and even natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina. Authors use literature as an effective medium in which they can voice their thoughts, opinions, beliefs, and apprehensions about their lives as affected by global events. They believe that by communicating a story or tale they will be able to understand and relate to the situation at hand.

Outstanding authors such as Harper Lee, Charles Dickens, and Arthur Miller demonstrate the reflection of anxieties about their own affairs as well as the world’s in their writing. In Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, she

Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird is set during three years of the Great Depression, beginning in 1933 and ending in 1936, and the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama. During this time, Harper Lee witnessed excessive, unnecessary racism. In the beginning of the novel, Atticus is appointed, by the court, to defend a black man named Tom Robinson. During a time where blacks were beneath whites in society, Atticus Finch taking the case signifies that he, and therefore Harper Lee, wish to fight racism. The novel successfully portrays Southern life in the 1930’s. It creates a model of tolerance and courage in the character of Atticus Finch. At various points in the novel, Atticus is branded a “nigger-lover” because he has agreed to help a member of a lower class, a class not accepted by society. Scout, who is oblivious to certain things, stands up for her father's honor by fighting, even though h...

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...le, 2003. Discovering Collection. Web.

Dickens, Charles. A Tale of Two Cities. New York: Allyn and Bacon, 2003. Print.

“Harper Lee”. Schuster, Edgar H. Gale Contextual Encyclopedia of American Literature.

Vol. 3. Detroit: Gale, 2009. 952-955. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web.

Lee, Harper. To Kill A Mockingbird. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Company, 1990: Print.

Miller, Arthur. Death of A Salesman. New York: Penguin Group, 1976. Print.

Moss, Leonard. Arthur Miller. United States: Twayne Publishers, 1980. Print.

Petit, Dan. “A Tale of Two Cities”. Calliope, April 2007: 30. Elite 500. Web

Priestly, J.B. Charles Dickens and His World. New York: Viking Press, 1969. Print.

Schlueter, June, and James K. Flanagan. Arthur Miller. New York:

Unger Publishing Company, 1987. Print.

Vickery, Lucy. “Dickens on Dickens”. Spectator 8 Dec. 2007: 72. Elite 500. Web.

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