Harper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird :: To Kill a Mockingbird Essays

To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel written by Harper Lee. It was published in 1960 by J.B. Lippincott Company in Philadelphia & New York. This is the only book that Harper Lee has ever written. It is also one of the best-loved novels in American literature, winning the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Lee is a very private person who doesn’t grant interviews, although her literary agent says she divides her time between her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama and New York. She also enjoys reading, and her favorite authors are Jane Austen, Charles Lamb, and Robert Louis Stevenson. She has said that her novel about a white southern lawyer defending an innocent black man is not autobiographical. But her father was a lawyer, and the inspiration for the character Atticus Finch.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To Kill a Mockingbird is about a young girl named Jean-Louise Finch, who they call Scout, her brother Jeremy, nick-named Jem, and many other characters. Their father Atticus, who is a lawyer, had been given a case to handle and did not have a choice but to receive it and work his best for his client. The case was about an African man, named Tom Robinson, who was accused of raping a white woman. This case causes many problems that they have to deal with everyday. The entire town turns against them saying that Atticus is a â€Å"nigger-lover.† Even Atticus’ family turned against them, which really hurts Scout, especially when her cousin Francis says â€Å"I guess it ain’t your fault if Uncle Atticus is a nigger-lover besides, but I’m here to tell you it certainly does mortify the rest of the family-† (Harper 91).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Racism is a major theme in this story along with growing up. Throughout the story the reader sees how Scout and Jem are afraid of Boo Radley because they think he is a monster and try to tease him. Later in the novel they are no longer afraid of him and no longer interested in teasing him. Another example of their maturity is how they view people. When Scout and Jem see how Tom Robinson is treated just because he is black, they begin to understand the meaning of prejudice. Throughout the trial Scout watched and believed that Tom will be found innocent. Instead he is found guilty. Her disappointment in the verdict makes Scout question the idea of justice. Scout and Jem also think that their dad isn’t like any other fathers in school, but as the book goes on, their attitude towards their father has changed, which is another sign of maturity.