Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird"

Paper Summary:

This paper introduces, discusses, and analyzes the novel, "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. Specifically the paper discusses racism in the novel and relates that, in the story, racism rears its ugly head in the form of hatred, prejudice, and misunderstanding. The paper states that Lee has crafted a magnificent book that shows just how large a gap existed between whites and blacks in the South during the 1930s, and how some people tried to bridge that gap.

From the Paper:

"Everyone knows racism existed (and still exists) in much of the South. Blacks were pitted against whites, and the whites usually came out on top, just as they ultimately do in this memorable novel. What is not so well known is that some whites, like the fictional Atticus Finch in the novel, did stand up against bigotry and racism. They did not always succeed, but they did bring attention to the problem, and they did stand up for what they believed in. Atticus does this by representing Tom in court, and attempting to get him the fairest trial he possibly can. He does not succeed, but his strength and courage do make him stand out. He tells Scout, "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, that white man is trash" (Lee 233). He is a fair man living in an unfair time, and he passes his strength down to Scout, to make sure she never treats people with bigotry and prejudice."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Bawer, Bruce. "The Other Sixties." The Wilson Quarterly Spring 2004: 64+.
• Dorr, Lisa Lindquist. "Black-on-White Rape and Retribution in Twentieth-Century Virginia: 'Men, Even Negroes, Must Have Some Protection'." Journal of Southern History 66.4 (2000): 711.
• Hertz, Karl V. "Seize the Teaching Moment in Behalf of Goodness." School Administrator Mar. 1995: 54.
• Johnson, Claudia Durst. Understanding to Kill a Mockingbird A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historic Documents. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1994.
• Kasper, Annie. "General Semantics in to Kill a Mockingbird." ETC.: A Review of General Semantics 63.3 (2006): 272+.

More papers on Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird":

• Analytical Essay # 31577 : "To Kill a Mockingbird"
• Analytical Essay # 125600 : "Essays on "To Kill A Mockingbird"
• Essay # 43613 : "Ulysses" and "To Kill A Mockingbird"
• Book Review # 113766 : "Literature Analysis: "To Kill a Mockingbird"

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