Instant Access To 100,000+ Essays!

Each era of history is remembered for something significant that took place during that era. Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird is a story of the coming of age of two children who begin to realize the cruelty of people in the world. In particular, the racism in the town plays a large part in their loss of innocence. The story is told from the perspective of Jean Louise Finch, a six-year-old girl, nicknamed “Scout.” Her and her brother Jem observe the three-year trial and all of the events surrounding it. They are exposed to the prejudiced views of the town as their father defends Tom Robinson, a black man who is wrongly accused of raping a white woman. Jean Louise and Jem have been brought up by their father, Atticus Finch, because their mother is dead. Their father fights to raise them as unprejudiced members of society, which forms the main conflict of the novel. A small town girl named Scout is subject to the savageness of the townspeople as her father Atticus Finch tries to defend a black man named Tom Robinson. The opinion and influence of Scout’s peers, elders, and her father all play a huge role in her and her brother’s growing up. The setting of the story is reflective and accurate of the time p