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July 11, 1960, Harper Lee
Novel; Thriller, Southern Gothic, Domestic Fiction, Legal Story, Bildungsroman
Atticus Finch, Scout Finch, Jem Finch, Dill Harris, Calpurnia, Aunt Alexandria, John Finch, Arthur Radley
It is partially based on Lee Harper's childhood, which is why the story is told by the child protagonist.
The loss of innocence, prejudice, racial challenges, honor, childhood, friendship, loss of innocence. The most powerful aspect is the very meaning behind "to kill a mockingbird", which means to destroy the innocence. It is made clear by Scout when he asks to "remember [that] it's a sin to kill a mockingbird". The flowers also symbolize patience and understanding, which are reflected by the white camellia flower.
To Kill a Mockingbird is not an easy book to read, yet it quickly became a symbol for the Civil Rights Movement all over the world. It teaches us about being brave, about injustice that must not be ignored, inequality around us, poverty, racism, corruption, anger control, innocence, oppression, hatred, and judging others. Reading this book reminds us of hope, patience, being equal to each other, and fighting for being brave and true.
The story starts when Tom Robinson, an African American male is accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a white woman, the local lawyer called Atticus agrees to defend Tom even though he receives threats from the community. Even when things are quickly getting dangerous, Atticus refuses to leave his client. His young son Scout unwittingly helps to settle down the challenge.
The book has almost been called "Atticus" instead of the famous title that we know so well.
Harper Lee was writing only one manuscript page per day even though she worked for about 12 hours a day.
The character of Atticus Finch has been inspired by Lee's father who also worked as the lawyer and defended African American clients.
The book has helped to create a cottage industry in the author's hometown, which has started with a museum.
Lee Harper decided to choose her middle name instead of "Nelle", which she was afraid could be mispronounced.
To Kill a Mockingbird became one of the most beloved books in the American literary history.
The character of Dill has been based on author's childhood friend Truman Capote who has also used her personality's character in his "Other Voices, Other Rooms" novel that has been published in 1948.
"The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience."
"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view. Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it."
"Mockingbirds don't do one thing except make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corn cribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird."
"It's never an insult to be called what somebody thinks is a bad name. It just shows you how poor that person is, it doesn't hurt you."
"I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what."
The main factor in To Kill a Mockingbird is teaching one's children and reminding each other about the dangers of prejudice and judging others. Providing an example of defending a black male in the American South shows that one must always keep the faith and seek the truth regardless of the conditions.
It is one of the most influential civil rights movement works in English literature and a symbolism of social challenge, culture, courage, defense of truth, and justice. It is also an essay topic where a person learns about prejudice and understanding that one has to be in another person's shoes to see and understand what it is like. Choosing this book as an essay topic, middle school, high school, and college students learn about justice, honor, and courage.
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4. Stiltner, M. A. (2002). Don't put your shoes on the bed: A moral analysis of “To Kill a Mockingbird”. East Tennessee State University.(https://www.proquest.com/openview/fa19ac9b0047942ce79bc14a55116582/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y)
5. Khokhar, M. I., & Mashori, G. M. (2018). Marxist Analysis of to Kill A Mockingbird According To Peter Barry. Journal of Grassroot, 52(2). (https://www.prdb.pk/article/marxist-analysis-of-to-kill-a-mockingbird-according-to-peter-2526)
6. Shackelford, D. (1996). The Female Voice in" To Kill a Mockingbird": Narrative Strategies in Film and Novel. The Mississippi Quarterly, 50(1), 101-113. (https://www.jstor.org/stable/26475781)
7. Sastrawijaya, M. D. (2021). The Character and Moral Values in “to Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. INFERENCE: Journal of English Language Teaching, 3(1), 81-87. (https://journal.lppmunindra.ac.id/index.php/inference/article/view/6070)
8. Winarni, B., Nugroho, A., & Fatimah, S. (2013). Affection And Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird Novel By Harper Lee (1960): A Psychoanalytic Approach (Doctoral dissertation, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta). (http://eprints.ums.ac.id/26577/)
