Exploring the Timeless Themes of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird

[Music] To Kill a Mockingbird initially paints makem as a tired Old Town people move

slowly days seem longer than 24 hours and not much goes on but as the novel progresses make him is

caught in a whirlwind of events and Scout is exposed to racism Injustice and tragedy all this in a sleepy southern

town turns out Harper Lee's novel mirrors real events and social issues of her

time her context is reflected in her exploration of prejudice and racism Justice and morality courage and heroism

perspective and empathy and gender let's start off by meeting our critically acclaimed novelist

Nelly Harper Lee was born in Monroeville a small town in Alabama in 1926. her father Amisa Coleman Lee was a lawyer

and Her Mother Francis came from a distinguished Virginia family Lee was an enthusiastic reader and a

tomboy who spent most of her time playing outside sound familiar like Scout Lee's Playmates included her older

brother Edwin Coleman Lee and her neighbor Truman Capote he also became a famous novelist

Monroeville didn't have much in the way of entertainment so the kids were left to books and their own imaginations to

have fun they'd transfer everything they read into forms of drama Tarzan the Battle of Gettysburg you name it in the

evenings Lee's father read the newspaper to her and her siblings by the time she was attending the local public school

Lee had developed a love for adventure novels and a keen interest in news and current affairs

Harper Lee went on to study law at the University of Alabama but in 1949 she dropped out and moved to New York to

pursue writing she wrote several stories inspired by her childhood in Monroeville in 1960 one of these was published as

her first novel To Kill a Mockingbird was an instant best seller winningly the Pulitzer Prize

and millions of readers so what made this novel instantly resonate with so many people

To Kill a Mockingbird delves into social issues of prejudice and racism that were of critical importance when it was

published at the height of the Civil Rights Movement this movement saw Mass protests across the U.S as African

Americans spoke out to oppose racial discrimination and fight for equal rights

yet the oppression they faced was deeply ingrained until its abolition in 1890 slavery was

a major part of American life especially in the Deep South this region was dependent on African

slaves who often worked on plantations or as servants slaves were considered the property of

their owners who were allowed to imprison abuse and even kill them by 1860 the Deep South had become

America's wealthiest region built off the Blood Sweat and Tears of unpaid slaves

given one in three Southern families owned slaves it's no surprise that the finch family's wealth was also built

upon slave labor when Scouts and sister Simon Finch arrived in Alabama he bought three

slaves who helped establish his Riverside home so much for his Christian values

slavery had been abolished years before Harper Lee's childhood but racial Prejudice and white supremacy were

rampant Lee grew up during segregation when American society was separated along racial lines African Americans

attended different schools and churches to white Americans lived in different areas and were even buried in separate

graveyards segregation was enforced through the Jim Crow laws these policies allowed white

Americans to retain power and ensure that African Americans remained second-class citizens

segregation era attitudes are pervasive in To Kill a Mockingbird makim's Black Folk live separately in

the quarters outside town when Scout and Gem visit calpurnia's Church some churchgoers are shocked and

angered by the presence of the Caucasian children although others are more accepting and

treat the children as honored guests which hints at the racial hierarchy of the 1930s

but our novel's most shocking depiction of prejudice is Tom Robinson's trial there's barely any evidence suggesting

Tom committed a crime yet because of his race Poor Tom has the odds stacked against him

even Atticus macomb's best lawyer can't protect him from the racism of the all-white jury

after Tom's found guilty Atticus tells Scout and Gem those are 12 reasonable men but you saw something come between

them and reason clearly the jury's racism prevents them from making a fair decision they're

blinded by their own prejudices Tom Robinson's trial also exposes the inconsistency between Justice and

morality in 1930s America during Harper Lee's childhood the Scottsboro trial was widely publicized

the case involved nine African-American boys who were accused of raping two white women in Scottsboro Alabama

the women's claims were questionable yet the all-white jury found the entire group guilty and all except the youngest

who was only 12 were sentenced to death this case was one of the many wrongful convictions where racial biases in the

justice system produced an immoral result in atticus's closing statement he

declares that in our courts all men are created equal yet Tom Robinson is convicted that same

day by contrasting or showing a strong difference between atticus's ideals of

fairness and the jury's biases Harper Lee highlights how easily Justice can be divorced from morality

Scout comes face to face with this Insight when an angry Lynch Mob gathers outside Tom's jail cell

lynch mobs were commonplace in the 1930s South these gangs would take justice into their own hands if an

African-American did something to offend them they would often torture and kill their victims before displaying them

publicly as a warning to other black people thankfully lynchings were uncommon by

the time Harper Lee published her novel yet the gaps between Justice and morality continue to dominate headlines

and Spark debate to this day do you think we've reached the point where all people are treated fairly and

equally To Kill a Mockingbird also raises questions about the meaning of courage

and heroism for folks in the 1930s South the stereotypical hero was a white man with

a gun popular children's adventure books like the Rover boys series depicted boys battling their adversaries with daring

bravery and of course a shotgun or rifle no wonder Scout and Gem can't wait to get their hands on some air rifles for

Christmas in 1791 the right to bear arms or to possess a gun was included in the U.S

Constitution as a fundamental right one that still hotly debated today from that time and particularly since

the American Civil War guns have been associated with Southern bravery and heroism

through Atticus Lee offers her readers a different perspective on what it means to be a hero

Atticus teaches the children that real courage isn't a man with a gun in his hand

this is interesting coming from a sharpshooter known as One-Shot Finch but Atticus isn't impressed by guns

instead he believes that courage is when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and see it through

no matter what in other words it's facing your fears even though there's a big chance you'll

lose in fact atticus's role model for courage is a cranky bedridden drug addict called Mrs Dubose

the way she overcomes her addiction to opiates just before she dies is inspiring for Atticus in the same way

Atticus bravely defends Tom Robinson in the knowledge that he's probably licked before he begins

it's a memorable lesson for anyone who decides to take on a formidable opponent like an addiction or an entire Justice

System if you win that's fantastic if not you'll likely pave the way for someone

else who will either way all you need is a sharp mind not a gun

through atticus's teachings Scout also learns the value of perspective and empathy qualities in short supply in

makeup not only is the town riddled with racism but the novel takes place during the worst economic recession in history

the Great Depression when the New York Stock Exchange crashed in 1929 the U.S economy spiraled people

stopped spending and investment fell causing businesses across the country to fail and lay off their workers by 1932

98 million Americans were living in poverty that's nearly 80 percent of the country

Harper Lee reveals the hardships of the Great Depression through characters like Scout's classmate Walter Cunningham

Walter's family is dirt poor he comes to school Barefoot and never brings lunch when he joins the finches for dinner

Walter piles food on his plate and pours molasses a sugary syrup all over it Scout is shocked and calls Walter Out

Boy does she copper talking to from Calpurnia for that but as Atticus explains to scout farming

families like the cunninghams were hit hardest by the depression with no money or food to go around many became

malnourished Walter isn't stuffing his face with syrup out of greed he's starving

this is an important lesson for scout she learns not to judge others so quickly later when she sees Walter's

father with the mob outside Tom Robinson's cell Scout tells Mr Cunningham that his son is a real nice

boy and asks him to say hi from her not only has Scout developed some empathy but her innocent kindness brings

the gang to their senses and they head home through moments like these Lee positions

perspective and empathy as antidotes to the Social and economic problems of her time

being female was another challenge in the 1930s South women were expected to conform to strict expectations and had

fewer opportunities than men they'd only recently been granted the right to vote and they weren't allowed to serve on

juries in case their feminine sensitivity affected their judgment seems Rich coming from the men

but women weren't always so boxed in during World War One the loss of male workers fighting overseas allowed many

women to enter workplaces women worked in factories and construction and some even joined the Armed Forces but when

the war ended women were ushered back into the domestic sphere just when wearing trousers was getting comfy ain't

that right Scout so by the 1930s traditional expectations of Womanhood returned

even as children middle and upper class girls like young Lee had stricter behavioral codes than boys

they were expected to behave politely wear dresses and eventually become ladies of society dedicated to their

husbands children and community Lee encapsulates these expectations in Scout's Aunt Alexandra she represents

the ideal Southern woman she's conservative family oriented and determined to exert some feminine

influence over Scout she relentlessly nitpicks Scout's boyish clothing telling her to wear dresses and act like a lady

but Scout has different aspirations she wants to have adventures and make real change in the world

during Tom Robinson's trial she wishes she was the governor of Alabama for one day she'd let Tom Robinson go so quick

Scout's characterization or depiction undoubtedly mirrors Harper Lee's experience growing up as an opinionated

tomboy in a conservative Southern community yet societal changes over the following

decades allowed Lee and many more women to study at University and pursue a career after all Lee went on to write a

novel that has impacted America's cultural landscape forever talk about defying expectations

great work team in this lesson we've covered how Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird tackles the major issues of

her context Prejudice and racism Justice and morality courage and heroism perspective and empathy and gender

the magic of this novel is that its messages about these themes are just as relevant and urgent as ever

if you were to pick one of these issues to Champion which would it be we hope you enjoyed this schooling

online production for more easy lessons check out our other videos

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