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Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

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In the 1950’s Harper Lee wrote a novel that would eventually change how people looked at literature. Her masterpiece, To Kill A Mockingbird, started much controversy. Some people looked at it as one of the best novels ever written, while others despised it calling it inappropriate and racist. The arguments dragged on for years and still continue to this day. This novel, which tells a story about a white man defending an African American and his children, goes beyond race. If you look deep enough into the background of the novel you can see a connection with childhood. Not only does it focus on how the children grow up, but it focuses on the connection the children have with the adults. Jean Louise Finch, also known as Scout, is the narrator and protagonist of the novel. She tells the story from first person point of view. She begins explaining how her brother, Jem, broke his arm. The whole novel leads up to this very point. She lives with her dad, Atticus; her brother, Jem; and her black cook, Calpurnia. They live in the small town of Maycomb in the deep south in Alabama. It is said to be a “safe and secure” town in the 1930’s. It’s suffering from the Great Depression and the outlooks people have on society and race. In Maycomb, Scout interacts with people of all age groups. This is where childhood steps in. One summer, Scout and Jem befriend a boy named Dill. Dill moves in next door with his aunt. He has a very active imagination and likes to join the Finch’s on all

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