To Kill A Mockingbird Vs The Color Purple Essay

Throughout the time since it has been published, Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird has kept a strong place in American society, being a novel that has been read over many generations. To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel that came to be in the right place at the right time, while The Color Purple is a weaker novel that did not have the same level relevance, and did not receive the same public reaction. Even though To Kill a Mockingbird’s setting is 30 years before its publication date, it could not have been more applicable to the 1960s because of its uncanny resemblance to the Scottsboro Trial. The rapid buildup to the Civil Rights Movement allowed To Kill a Mockingbird to be an impeccable reminder of the inequality and discrimination of the

Alice Walker’s character Mr. _______ is thought to have no personality and is the stereotypical, aggressive black man known to society. This is the complete opposite of Harper Lee’s pure Tom Robinson, who is without any known motives or feelings other than the fear of his community. The Color Purple also differs from To Kill a Mockingbird because its main character, Celie, retreats from challenges rather than facing them like Scout or Atticus. If the novel had followed Nettie, who tells Celie to stand up and fight, The Color Purple would have focused on a stronger character who would be an inspiration and therefore be more readily accepted at the time of the novel’s release. In regards to The Color Purple’s ideas on gender equality, it may have been more widely read if it had been published at the time of To Kill a Mockingbird, when the women’s movements were beginning to be revamped. Overall, To Kill a Mockingbird continues to be a work that was a better fit for the original time it was published, and for that reason it became hugely widespread. Moreover, To Kill a Mockingbird contains stronger characters that appeal to the audience and continue to challenge the minds of its readers even