Racism in To Kill a Mockingbird
In 1955 Martin Luther King Jr took leadership of the American Civil Rights Movement. In 1960 Harper Lee published her book To Kill a Mockingbird. In 1963 Martin Luther King Jr gave his famous I have a dream speech. While we all see the impacts that Martin Luther King Jr’s movement, the effects of Harper Lee’s book get less praise. Lee’s book was turned into a movie in 1962 and released on Christmas day, which brought the amazing to story to more people. This book had a major impact for racism in the south because it informed everyone what racism looked like through the eyes of a child.
For Harper Lee, as a 34-year-old female, writing about such a controversial issue was very dangerous. Even with her career and …show more content…
The answer is because there was less education in the south due to the way of life. Since the south is in a better geographical region for farming they needed more workers and less book smart. This reason would cause kids to drop out of school at young ages to work and learn the trades of their parents. Time quotes Wayne Flynt saying “People like her father (Lee) had grown up in churches. They were not threatened intellectually, economically or politically by blacks” (time). This is also the major reason that racism is not a big in the north, because there are higher education rates. Atticus Finch, a father and mother to his children, was a lawyer in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama who wanted to teach his children right and wrong. When Atticus was given the case of defending a colored man who was falsely accused of rape he “becomes the target of the town's bigotry while trying to show his kids the difference between right and wrong by example” (Nashawaty). Atticus was a great example of what a father should be like when teaching his children how to deal with racism and other issues. The first lesson that Atticus teaches scout is at the very beginning of the film when a man drops off a sack of hickory nuts for payment for legal work. When Scout, his young daughter, asks why the farmer was paying with nuts Atticus gently explains it’s because they are poor. Atticus does not sugar coat the real world but he …show more content…
The New York Times asked readers to share pieces that had left an impact on them throughout their life. One of the comments was by Sarah Twiest where she says, “To me, it beautifully captures both the hardships and oppressions of human being inflict on one another time and again… it also leaves us with a sense of hope that with a clear heart things may change” (Patel). For many people Atticus Finch has been a role model of the type of person we want in a non-racist society. James Roth another person who was impacted by the book states that “The book was part of my decision to become an activist and go to law school” (Patel). The book has opened the eyes of many people to see what racism and social injustices are really
In 1955 Martin Luther King Jr took leadership of the American Civil Rights Movement. In 1960 Harper Lee published her book To Kill a Mockingbird. In 1963 Martin Luther King Jr gave his famous I have a dream speech. While we all see the impacts that Martin Luther King Jr’s movement, the effects of Harper Lee’s book get less praise. Lee’s book was turned into a movie in 1962 and released on Christmas day, which brought the amazing to story to more people. This book had a major impact for racism in the south because it informed everyone what racism looked like through the eyes of a child.
For Harper Lee, as a 34-year-old female, writing about such a controversial issue was very dangerous. Even with her career and …show more content…
The answer is because there was less education in the south due to the way of life. Since the south is in a better geographical region for farming they needed more workers and less book smart. This reason would cause kids to drop out of school at young ages to work and learn the trades of their parents. Time quotes Wayne Flynt saying “People like her father (Lee) had grown up in churches. They were not threatened intellectually, economically or politically by blacks” (time). This is also the major reason that racism is not a big in the north, because there are higher education rates. Atticus Finch, a father and mother to his children, was a lawyer in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama who wanted to teach his children right and wrong. When Atticus was given the case of defending a colored man who was falsely accused of rape he “becomes the target of the town's bigotry while trying to show his kids the difference between right and wrong by example” (Nashawaty). Atticus was a great example of what a father should be like when teaching his children how to deal with racism and other issues. The first lesson that Atticus teaches scout is at the very beginning of the film when a man drops off a sack of hickory nuts for payment for legal work. When Scout, his young daughter, asks why the farmer was paying with nuts Atticus gently explains it’s because they are poor. Atticus does not sugar coat the real world but he …show more content…
The New York Times asked readers to share pieces that had left an impact on them throughout their life. One of the comments was by Sarah Twiest where she says, “To me, it beautifully captures both the hardships and oppressions of human being inflict on one another time and again… it also leaves us with a sense of hope that with a clear heart things may change” (Patel). For many people Atticus Finch has been a role model of the type of person we want in a non-racist society. James Roth another person who was impacted by the book states that “The book was part of my decision to become an activist and go to law school” (Patel). The book has opened the eyes of many people to see what racism and social injustices are really