To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee: A Literary Analysis

Literature has been defined in our society since the beginning of time. It provides us with knowledge beyond our years and entertainment for all ages. American Literature lets us put into perspective the history behind many eras through poems, short stories, and novels. These works of literature acknowledge all the good and the bad that era represents. The Great Depression, for example, opened with a stock market crash on October 29, 1929, which troubled the U.S. economy. It was so impactful in the 1930’s that anyone that grew up during this time struggled. Harper Lee, an American author, was born in 1926 when the government was following the Laissez-faire approach (“Causes of the”). She started writing to tell her own story, and several of

The story is set in a fictional town called Maycomb, where the depression-era was thriving. After witnessing the trial of the convicted African-American, Tom Robinson, Scout gets a new insight into the trial and all the backlash that she and her family are receiving from the community. The inspiration of her book comes from Harper Lee’s, Nelle, childhood life in Monroeville, Alabama, where she had the creativeness to write a book similar to her days as a young girl. Harper Lee was born to a civil war veteran turned attorney and a mother, who was a housewife. Nelle grew up with three older siblings and a mother with bipolar disorder, which is a rumored reason that Scout didn’t have a mother present in the book To Kill a Mockingbird (Shields). Nelle Harper Lee was a very strong minded young girl and went to college hoping with dreams of becoming a journalist. After several generations of attorneys, Nelle decided to study law at Oxford University. (“Harper”) After the first semester, however, she dropped out after realizing that writing was more of her passion. To Kill a Mockingbird was really her only piece of work, but the writing was quite popular and ended up being very famous in all parts of the world. To Kill a Mockingbird won

Even though throughout the text, family members are trying to tell her that she needs to start learning how to become a lady. The first example is when Scout’s aunt, Alexandra, is talking to her about why she should wear a dress, but Scout snaps back with the point that you can’t do much in a dress, and it just isn’t practical, “I could not possibly hope to be a lady if I wore breeches…” (Pg.86, Lee). This clarifies that Scout knows that other people believe that she should act like a girl, but she just doesn’t want to. Another example is, “You want to grow up to be a lady, don’t’ you?” (Pg. 84, Lee). This is when her Uncle Jack is talking to her and presents her the pressure to become a lady. With that answer, however, she responds with “I said not particularly,” which shows the reader that, in fact, she wants to be something else, more than just a girl. The last example is quote is when Jem is having a heart-to-heart conversation with Scout about their Aunt Alexandra, which she is trying to change how they act. He goes on to tell her that she doesn’t need to change anything about herself, and that their aunt just isn’t use to girls like her. “She’s trying to make you a lady. Can’t you take up sewin’ or somethin’?” (Pg. 228, Lee). Therefore, throughout this story, Scout certainly demonstrates traits of a tomboy and her determination to keep that reputation of being one, and not becoming a lady though that is what