On February 19, 2016, author Harper Lee, famously known for her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, passed away at 89 in her sleep. Her work was an immediate success, and is considered a classic among modern American Literature.
Published in 1960, To Kill a Mockingbird was inspired by Lee’s childhood and family. Lee was born April 28, 1926 in Monroeville, Alabama. Being the youngest of four siblings, she grew up with a tomboyish personality (much like the character Scout) in a small town. Her father (whose characterization is much similar to Atticus), was a lawyer, a member of the state legislature, as well as own part of the town's local newspaper. Unfortunately, Lee’s mother was mentally unstable and hardly left the house. Her mother could have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. She had a close childhood friend, Truman Capote, another writer-to-be. Lee always went to his defense when Capote was being bullied by other boys, and was described as tougher than many of the boys.
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She then transferred into University of Alabama, and was later labeled as an individualist by her peers. However, Lee did make an attempt a social life as she joined a sorority for a short while. Prior to writing To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee originally planned on studying law however dropped out after her first semester when she discovered her true passion for writing. At 23, after struggling for several years working as a ticket agent, helping another writer with their story, Lee took a year off work to focus on her novel. A year later, To Kill a Mockingbird was published and won several literary awards, including the prestigious Pulitzer