How Did Harper Lee Influence Writers

Harper Lee, one of the greatest influences of literature brought the idea of racial segregation to life throughout her works. She grew up in a time period in which Southerners suffered segregation and discrimination, this played a part in her political standpoints and inspired her to take a stand on issues such as discrimination. Her works became prominent in the Civil Rights Movement because she addressed topics such as blacks being falsely accused of crimes and false assertions against people of that race. Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, released in 1960, brought to life the ongoing racial problems that lived in America during the time of the Civil Rights Movement. Her life directly paralleled her novel, her father took on an occupation

When talking about To Kill a Mockingbird, she stated “as a writer, I realized that you can tell a story that’s entertaining but doesn’t dodge political issues. Righteous anger can motivate people to action, and that’s one of the values of the book” (Winslet 1) Her writings portrayed many political standpoints which influenced many famous people, including Martin Luther King Jr. in his book Why We Can 't Wait, he even mentions Atticus Finch and his “strength of moral force and how nonviolence could symbolize a gold badge of heroism.” (Levy 1) Lee’s character, Atticus, greatly influenced people and authors of that time, his attitude of “having to make the best of things, and the way he conducted himself when the chips are down” (Lee 75) showed a character that many people tried to reflect in their everyday

Releasing her novel into classrooms around the nation taught the students about the Southern views and their oppression which helped bring to light the reasons for the movement. Her novel kept up a popular status to his day and her ideas of hope and justice still empower classrooms. When talking to a teacher here at Pilot Grove about her stance on the book she stated that “if she had to choose a book to teach in classrooms, it would be this one because of its literary variations and its overarching sense of hope.”

Another schoolteacher noted that “Harper Lee’s greatest contribution to our culture was that she found a way to make people listen who weren’t listening. To help people see who would have rather turned away.” (Crum 1)Her writing made the idea of racial segregation and stereotyping come to light by addressing it in her widely popular novel. Lee’s greatest feat in American literature, her contribution to the Civil Rights Movement through her book To Kill a Mockingbird, impacted the way that not only authors, but the way people of this day