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An Unfortunate Truth: To Kill a Mockingbird

Decent Essays
It has been over fifty years since Harper Lee wrote her classic book, To Kill a Mockingbird (TKM). “Harper Lee’s work is so powerful and popular that it has never been out of print,” (Price). Since then, the outside world has changed with significance. People wear jeans instead of slacks, pocket calculators have more computing power than the rocket that put humans on the moon, and culture is advancing faster than the rocket’s return. Through all these changes that have taken place since 1960, TKM remains ever present in the today’s competitive world and it “represents the best and the worst parts of American society” (TKM: Still Relevant). The symbolism and underlying messages of the book, specifically the illustration of the mockingbird in society, is extremely relevant in today’s world. When TKM was published, racism was a hotter issue than ever. Jim Crow Laws were in full effect in the South, preventing people of color from being possessing basic rights of other Americans, such as voting, up-to-par public facilities, a decent education or a seat on the bus. Interracial relationships were viewed as an unspeakable, unnatural act by much of the population. It was a mere thirty years earlier, the historic and controversial Scottsboro Trial, on which the book was loosely based, took place; one of many examples of African-Americans being wrongfully accused of crimes against White people in The South. Harper Lee wrote her book for African-Americans who were being persecuted. It
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