Harper Lee published To Kill a Mimickingbird in 1960. The book was a bestseller and provides valuable information. The lessons and stories in the book, despite being published fifty years ago, have remained relevant even after all these years. To kill A Mockingbird is an excellent example of American’s culture during the great Depression. The Ewells are a symbol for the white prejudice and pride towards African Americans. Tom Robinson’s character represents the exploited Negro. He is found guilty for a criminal offense because of his complexion, rather than his actions. The Great Depression causes divisions among social classes, creating inequalities within society. Lee’s book is still highly valued today because it portrays the American life of the 1930s.
Lee uses the theme in To Kill a Mockingbird of inequality as a starting point. This concept is common throughout history. Tom Robinson is charged with a crime he did not commit, and because of this no one will trust a man who is black over a man who is white. Due to their poverty, the Cunninghams must deal with discrimination. Scout also faces inequality while playing with Jem or Dill. Lee’s book contains strong themes about inequality. Lee doesn’t just use inequality to define racism. She also uses it to describe discrimination based on gender and wealth. Unjust discrimination resulted in African Americans losing all their rights. In fact, white people won’t accept blacks to be equals. Tom Robinson, an innocent and benevolent black man, was accused of raping Malay Lowell (a white woman) who made advances towards a black man. Furthermore, sexual relationships between blacks and whites was strictly forbidden. Bob Lowell knows these unwritten laws well and doesn’t want to see his daughter be cast aside for refusing to follow molly accepted social customs. Bob puts the blame on time Robinson and knows that Tom will be found guilty despite being innocent. Tom is found guilty of murder by an all-white jury. This is due to Tom’s race and because the jury was too prejudiced and prejudged not to believe the testimony of a black person. It is clear that social inequality is illustrated through Macomb, where one’s social standing determines how they live their lives. Harper Lee shows that even though Macomb may appear perfect, there are many flaws in the town. Social status determines what kind of life one leads. Scout and Jem are shown a transition from childhood innocence to adulthood. In this perspective, they believe people are good simply because they haven’t seen evil in their lives and still care about society. They now see evil as a fact and must embrace it in their worldview. One of the most important subthemes of the book concerns the danger emotion, prejudice, mental object and fear create for innocent people. People like Tom Robinson, Boo Radley, are not ready to confront the evil and they become disillusioned from the social world. Jem is also affected by the fact that he discovered the evils of racism during and after his trial. Scout is able to care for her basic faith that human nature is real, while Jem is unable. He retreats into despair. “I wanted to show you what courage really looks like. I don’t want you to think courage is just a man carrying a gun in his hands. It’s when the pain is gone before you can start. But, you go on anyway. Atticus discloses that Mrs. Dubose was addicted and determined to quit painkillers before her death. Jem began to read aloud to her in pain. Jem’s view of courage is distorted by this vision. Instead of seeing courage as a struggle through difficult times, he sees it as perseverance. To Kill A Mockingbird is full of examples of bravery. Atticus, who defends a black man against threats and criticisms, is depicted in the book as brave. Atticus encourages Scout not to criticize anyone or anything in the face danger. Scout also shows bravery when Miss Maudie, The Finches neighbor, shares her wisdom. Scout questions why Atticus told Jem to not shoot his new air rifle towards mockingbirds. They don’t eat up gardens, nest in corncribs and don’t sing to us. Scout inquires about the wisdom of Miss Maudie, the Finches’ neighbor. She shares her knowledge with Scout when she asks Atticus why he told Jem to not shoot at mockingbirds with his new air rifle. This quote gives the title of the novel its title. It states that innocents must be protected, and should be treated with respect. Lee explicitly names Tom Robinson one of the “mockingbirds” and suggests that Scout, as well as the other children, are innocent. Overall, To Kill a Mockingbird is a complex work. It shows how the Great Depression impacted the southern regions of America, as well as the impact on blacks and society. The book examines morality in human beings, including social inequality, bravery, and hardships. Harper Lee uses Atticus’s defense of Tom Robinson to show bravery, despite knowing that Macomb will treat him differently for his support of a black person. Lee uses Scout and Jem as characters to discuss the differences between good and evil and how they impact individuals in Macomb. This makes the book unique and shows why it is one of the best books of all time.
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