Sociology

When To Kill a Mockingbird was published in 1960, its young and vibrant author, Harper Lee, garnered considerable attention and notoriety. The novel became an instant sensation and a bestseller, and it won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. The whole story revolves around the narration of Scout Finch who is the young daughter of Atticus Finch, Alabamas principled lawyer. Scout relays how she and her brother, Jem, battle against prejudice and racism and uphold human dignity through the example set by their father. Atticus Finch has taken on a legal defense of a black man who has been falsely charged of raping a white woman. Lee was admired for his accurate portrayal of the life in the Southern states during the 1930s through the events that are surrounding the trial.

At the first part of the novel, Lee (1970) constructs a sweet and beautiful portrayal of the hometown Alabama which, but at the second part, the novel is dismantled to reveal the rotten and unresolved social issues that hover the society. Every character in the story portrays a human weaknesses and flaws, and as the story unfolds, it reveals how these flawed characters influence and are influenced by the major themes in the novel. The novel deals with mundane themes and issues of education, courage, and prejudice, which impact the characters in the story. To Kill a Mockingbird is a magnificent work that combines popularity and excellence to ensure its immeasurable and timeless place in the field of American literature.

Education is one of the themes discussed in the early part of the novel, where it is shown how important education is to Atticus and to his children (Lee, 1970). Atticus reads to his children newspapers and magazines like they are adults who can understand the issues of the society at his level. Hence, when Scout started school, she is already highly literate, surpassing the capabilities of other children her age. The importance of education to Atticus is also reflected in his closing arguments during the trial wherein he explains that ignorance is blinding the peoples minds and hearts the witnesses for the state have presented themselves to you gentlemen in the cynica confidence that their testimony would not be doubted, confident that you gentlemen  would go along with them on the evil assumption that all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are basically immoral beings, that all Negro men are not to be trusted around our  women, an assumption one associates with minds of their caliber. (Lee, 1970, p. 217) This suggests that ignorance or lack of education is one of the main causes of the prevalence of prejudice in the society. For Atticus, education is the key to end ignorance that is a cause of prejudice. This is also realized by Jem at the end of the book when he wonders if family status could be based on educational attainment instead of race (Lee, 1970).

Bravery is also one of the pervasive themes in the book. The story exemplifies true bravery in the character of Mrs. Dubose who is struggling to end her morphine addiction before she dies. The novel also imparts the meaning of true bravery through Atticus. His children learn about bravery and cowardice through Atticus as he tells his children that they must be brave in all situations and circumstances. Thus, despite knowing the fact that his whole town will turn against him and his family, he still took the case of Robinson. He also displayed his bravery when he refused to carry a gun to protect Tom Robinson and himself against the angry farmers and Bob Ewell. He does not agree with the use of guns for he believes that it does not make men braver (Lee, 1970).

The most important theme of the novel is prejudice in all its forms. One of these forms of prejudice is racism. The blacks occupy the lowest social class in Atticus hometown, and they are mocked throughout the story by referring to them as nigger, a nickname meant to insult them. In the trial of Tom, racial prejudice is also portrayed from the very start till the end, and Atticus realization that he has no chance of winning Toms case because Tom is black reflects the deep-rooted racism in the society.

In the novel, Lee also managed to show that prejudice and discrimination also pertain to social class through the character of Aunt Alexandra. Aunt Alexandra plays one of the major roles in reinforcing the class traditions throughout the book. Alexandra believes that because the family of Atticus Finch comes from the long line and generations of landowners who have been in the town for many years, they should be served with greater respect and the Finch family should comport themselves according to this notion. Alexandra refuses to mingle with both blacks and whites as she thinks that they do not occupy the same social status. Atticus, on the other hand, encourages his children to mingle themselves with other children regardless of race and ethnicity. He always reminds them to look at themselves first before they judge or criticize other people (Lee, 1970).

Although the book does not entirely deal with gender issues, the author also offers insights on the stereotypical gender roles in the Southern society through the several characters in the book. Moreover, this is to show the different facets of prejudice and discrimination that it does not only happen according to racial and cultural background. The character of Scout, for instance, reflects the prejudices attached to the female gender. As a woman, Scout suffers greatly from the stereotypes because of the rigid sexism and gender rules prevalent in the Southern states. Scout despises wearing dresses and is offended when others comment that she acts like a girl (Lee, 1970).

Harper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the best and highly-acclaimed novels published that deal with prejudice, racism, and discrimination which are very sensitive issues in the American society. It is a novel that is blatant in its arguments against the underlying social issues that concern the Americans. The story is very exciting and highly intellectual as it illustrates the themes in a trial of an underdog. The three main themes of the novel are education, courage and prejudice. The novel strongly argues that these three are vital issues in the society that the citizens should address.