Part 1 of Book Analysis: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Introduction
“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.” This line from To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee captures the timeless wisdom within its pages. Since its publication in 1960, this book has sold millions of copies and remains a cornerstone of literature classrooms worldwide. Why? Because it tackles themes that resonate no matter when or where you read it—justice, equality, and the courage it takes to stand up for what’s right.
Now, think about the dark legacy of laws like Jim Crow in the United States—laws that legally supported discrimination against people of color. The concepts are pretty horrifying because they were backed by the very system meant to protect everyone. I still think these topics are relevant to us. While we’ve come a long way since the day of such horrible segregation, we still have discrimination issues. Really, the fight for equality and justice isn’t over.
I am super excited to dive into this book. To make it easy to explore, I want to break down the analysis into four parts so that we can really get to the heart of what makes this book so powerful. There are so many important things we can learn from the book.
First, we’ll examine the historical and cultural background—it sets the stage for everything Lee wants to share. Lee’s novel doesn’t just tell a story—it challenges us to be better. The question is: Are we ready to take up that challenge?
Plot Summary
Scout lives in Maycomb, a small town in Alabama, with her father, Atticus, and her brother, Jem. Atticus is a lawyer in Maycomb. Her mother passed away two years after Scout was born, so she has no memory of her. Don’t worry. She had her loving father, Atticus, and Calpurnia, a colored servant, taught her not only reading but also imparting life lessons.
It is the period right after the great depression hit. The story was set in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama. To Kill a Mockingbird tells the story of Scout Finch, a spunky and curious little girl who’s trying to make sense of a world full of contradictions. Scout and her older brother, Jem, spend their days exploring, asking questions, and occasionally getting into trouble. But their seemingly simple childhood takes a serious turn. One day, tensions arose in town because Atticus was appointed to defend Tom Robinson, a black person falsely accused of sexually assaulting a white woman.
Through Scout’s sharp eyes, we see the glaring inequalities of her small town. The trial becomes a centerpiece of the book, highlighting themes of racial injustice, prejudice, and the power (and limits) of empathy. As Scout witnesses the cruelty and kindness of people around her, she learns life lessons about standing up for what’s right—even when it’s not easy—and understanding others by “climbing into their skin and walking around in it.”
It’s not all heavy, though. There are heartwarming moments, quirky neighbors (hello, Boo Radley!), and plenty of mischief. But at its heart, this is a story about growing up, standing tall, and finding hope in a flawed world.
Historical and Cultural Context
To Kill a Mockingbird hit bookshelves in 1960, right in the middle of the Civil Rights Movement—a time when America was finally starting to face its long history of racial injustice. But the story takes us even further back to the 1930s South, where segregation wasn’t just accepted—it was the law. Racial discrimination wasn’t just widespread; policies like the Jim Crow laws legally backed it.
Scout Finch’s world isn’t just a fictional backdrop—Harper Lee’s own childhood in Monroeville, Alabama, inspires it. Like Atticus Finch, her father was a lawyer, and Maycomb closely resembles her hometown. The trial at the heart of the book reflects real-life cases Lee would have known about, where justice was anything but fair.
The 1930s were the height of the Jim Crow era, with laws designed to strip Black Americans of their rights and enforce second-class citizenship. According to the Jim Crow Museum, these laws were enforced across the Southern United States from the 1870s to the mid-1960s, segregating everything from schools to public bathrooms. Adding to the injustice, some Christian leaders preached that white people were “chosen” and that African Americans existed to serve them—an appalling misuse of religion.
Then there was the Ku Klux Klan. By Scout’s time, the Klan was in its third generation, violently opposing the Civil Rights Movement. The fear of this group even surfaces in the book. When Atticus decides to defend Tom Robinson, Jem worries about Atticus’s safety and talks about it to Scout. Sadly, this organization still exists today, a chilling reminder of the dangers of hate.
When To Kill a Mockingbird was published, it didn’t just create a ripple—it made a tidal wave. While the book won the Pulitzer Prize, it still got a fair amount of backlash. The novel was overly moralistic from the 9-year-old girl’s perspective. Honestly, I’m glad Harper Lee chose to tell this story from a young girl’s perspective. It adds a little lightness to a book that tackles some pretty heavy topics. Sure, the book has faced its fair share of criticism over the years, but it’s stood the test of time for a reason. To Kill a Mockingbird continues to remind us why justice, empathy, and the courage to stand up against prejudice are so important—and those are lessons that never get old.
Why This Book?
To Kill a Mockingbird has long been a favorite read for high school students across the United States, and it is also in the top 10 great read list—and for good reason! It’s packed with universal lessons about justice, empathy, and standing up for what’s right. No wonder it’s been a cornerstone of school reading lists worldwide.
That said, it’s not without controversy. Recently, some schools in the United States have banned the book because of its use of racial slurs and sensitive themes. But here’s the thing: those tough topics are part of what makes this book so important. There is something that happened in the United States we cannot ignore. Understanding the issues from the mistakes in the past is important so we don’t repeat the same error. This book initiates the conversations about history, racism, and moral courage that we still need to have today.
Join the Conversation!
I’ve touched on the introduction and historical context of the book. Since not everyone is familiar with U.S. history, I thought it was important to dive into the background. Imagine living in a world where laws were created to discriminate against people based on race—it’s unthinkable, right? Unfortunately, it wasn’t so long ago. I want you to take the time to investigate Jim Crow laws more. Then, think about what Atticus did.
For the next part, I am going to introduce the Key Themes and motifs of the books.
Share your thoughts in the comments! What themes or characters stood out to you the most? Let’s keep the conversation going and learn from each other.
Happy Reading!
References
What was Jim Crow—Jim Crow Museum. (n.d.). Retrieved September 28, 2024, from https://jimcrowmuseum.ferris.edu/what.htm