How Does Harper Lee Affect Society

Improved Essays
Society affected Harper Lee

Society should not judge one by the color of their skin. “Hating people because of their color is wrong. And it doesn't matter which color does the hating. It's just plain wrong,” says Muhammad Ali. For example, discrimination is unfair and affects someone for life. More specifically, living with racism and knowing of lynchings has affected Harper Lee.
First of all, not only did racism affect Harper Lee, but it affected the blacks from going to the same church as whites. “You ain't got no business bringin’ white chillun here--they got their church and we got our’n” (To Kill a Mockingbird 120). Scout has never heard of a black snowman. “Jem, I ain't ever heard of a n***** snowman” (To Kill a Mockingbird 68).
In

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    The first influence on Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is the Jim Crow laws. Jim Crow laws preserved segregation. For example, Pilgrim writes the laws made sure the Whites were always above Blacks. White people thought God thought segregation was good and that there was danger in bringing together the two races and making them equal (Pilgrim). Whites also thought if it was necessary they could use violence (Pilgrim).…

    • 511 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Throughout the course of the book To Kill a Mockingbird, the main characters, Jem and Scout, change their views on the not so fair world they thought they lived in. In the beginning of the book, both Jem and Scout thought everyone was treated fairly and are as innocent as they are. The author, Harper Lee creates crazy events for Jem and Scout to face, that ultimately change their views on the world and also help them grow as people. Through the use of child-like innocence and point of view, Harper Lee shows that the events in someone’s life, can lead to an early coming of age.…

    • 579 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Calpurnia Racist Quotes

    • 632 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Racism in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird affects the events in the novel by pointing out how chaotic and rude people were in the 1930s. Mr. Atticus Finch, the father of Jem and Scout Finch, was away on business on weekend. Calpurnia, the caretaker, invited Jem and Scout to go to church with her for the morning. Calpurnia, being a Negro, went to First Purchase African M.E. Church.…

    • 632 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Racism In Tkam

    • 1053 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Through the use of characterization and man vs society conflict, Harper Lee communicates the theme that in a racist, segregated, discriminatory society, tolerance of…

    • 1053 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Scottsboro Trials

    • 757 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Racism is a way for a certain group to show power over another group. “To have a hierarchy, there must be status differences between people” (Schaefer). In conclusion, there were a lot of historical events such as the Jim Crow laws, mob mentality, and Scottsboro trials that occurred during the time period of To Kill a Mockingbird. The Great Depression had a huge affect on relationships between humans, community, and countries during the 1930s. Harper Lee did an amazing job of incorporating these events into her writing.…

    • 757 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird: A Blow To Racism Beginning in the mid-1950s, the civil rights movement began to gain traction. There was an uproar aimed at addressing the racism and segregation that was prevalent and widespread in the United States. During this time, some activists—authors and public speakers—gained notoriety for their work with civil rights.…

    • 919 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Grant Harper Mrs. Murray Pre-AP English 9-Block 1 27 November 2017 Race Relations Then & Now “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” “I have a dream” by Martin Luther King Jr. is a convincing speech that shows that he wants to end racism and live in harmony with all skin colors. The black community in To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is not treated well at all because of their skin color. Even though African Americans are still being treated wrong, there has been a huge improvement in the treatment of African Americans from 1930 to today. African Americans contributed to numerous roles in the community of Maycomb Harper Lee’s…

    • 959 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Racism was described as a living depression, although segregation was fought in the 20th century few people realized it was a dreadful thing to do for a person. The majority of the blacks were not respected in 1900’s. Harper Lee expresses how racism and segregation effect people, through the eyes of Jean Louise, also known as Scout. Atticus, who is Scout’s father,is an attorney at Maycomb court. Atticus is selected as the lawyer for Tom Robinson.…

    • 1084 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Harper Lee uses the topic of racism/prejudice to demonstrate the idea that characters in Maycomb society faced discrimination based on their race, class and gender as shown through Scout, Atticus and the Robinson Family. In the novel…

    • 1016 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Histories impact on To Kill a Mockingbird During the 1930’s the United States was in a time of great poverty and segregation. The Great Depression was in full swing and the town of Maycomb, Alabama was right in the middle of it. Harper Lee integrated real-life events as stimulus for her novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. In the novel, there are connections to the Jim Crow laws, mob/herd mentality, and the Scottsboro trials. The Jim Crow laws were written to limit the rights of black people, and to repress their role and place in society.…

    • 1270 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Harper Lee uses the themes of her novel to teach invaluable life lessons to both her characters and readers. Such lessons still prove useful in today’s society where racism is ongoing and seriously harmful, and people are still looking for the courage and overall goodness to stand up against…

    • 1046 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Scout might not be a racist but because she lives in an area where the word nigger is used commonly she also says it. This example also relates to the beginning quote. If Scout was raised in an environment where nobody was racist, she would probably not be so prone to saying nigger. Another example of racism in the book is in chapter 12, when Calpurnia, the Finches maid, brought Scout and Jem to the first purchase church. The first purchase church was an all black church that was paid for by freed slaves.…

    • 713 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The argument made by Harper Lee in “To Kill a Mockingbird” mentions that social inequality is increasing; it is difficult and it affects everyone. The inequalities the occurred during the time period of the book took place in shows the amount of racism the blacks had faced. They ruined all the human nature laws and principles that are lived by. “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…

    • 797 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Harper Lee’s Influences for To Kill a Mockingbird Born in Monroeville, Alabama, on April 28, 1926, Nelle Harper Lee was destined to become a legend. When Harper Lee published her first, and only novel To Kill a Mockingbird, she had no idea the impact it would have not only on her generation, but generations to come. Harper Lee grew up in the small town of Monroeville, Alabama, and from her experiences and relationships in the town she drew inspiration for what would come to be known as “One of America’s Greatest Novels” Harper Lee, born Nelle Harper Lee, was the youngest of four children to Amasa Coleman Lee and Frances Finch. Her father Amasa Coleman Lee served as a member of the Alabama State of Representatives from 1927-1939; he was the…

    • 1061 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    To begin with, Scout sees discrimination in contradiction of race, specifically black race the town Maycomb has against. In the…

    • 1476 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays