The Story of To Kill The Mockingbord by Harper Lee (Book Review Sample)

To Kill a Mockingbird
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To Kill a Mockingbird
Harper Lee wrote her only novel, To Kill a Mockingbird in 1960. At that time, she was an unknown author with no previous experience. Many publishers had rejected the book before finally being accepted by Lippincott. In fact, Lee had to fight for publication because of its controversial themes. This ended up being one of her best decisions as it won her both critical and commercial success, selling over 30 million copies in 40 years. However, what is the book, To Kill a Mockingbird all about? The story follows the trials and tribulations of Jean Louise Finch (known as Scout), her brother Jem, their childhood friend Dill and their father Atticus as they live in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama during the Great Depression. Throughout the course of the book, Scout and Jem learn to deal with issues such as rape culture; racism and gender roles through witnessing the small-town drama unfold around them while remaining largely oblivious to its magnitude. In this paper, we will be looking at Lee’s life and how her life is reflected in the book. 
The Author
Harper Lee wrote her only novel, To Kill a Mockingbird in 1960. At that time, she was an unknown author with no previous experience. It became so popular that it was made into a movie that won three Academy Awards including Best Actor Gregory Peck who played Atticus Finch. It is also required reading in most high schools across America. Lee’s personal life is shrouded in mystery. She has never given any interviews or revealed any information about herself. Lee was born in Monroeville, Alabama in 1926; she was the youngest of four children and grew up in a tiny town as a tomboy. Her father was a lawyer who also owned a portion of the local newspaper and was a member of the Alabama state government. She attended Huntingdon College in Montgomery Alabama. She partly studied law at the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa but did not finish. After dropping out she moved back home where she worked at various jobs such as bank teller, and reservation clerk at Eastern Airlines and eventually returned to college but never finished school. One of her major influences on writing was Truman Capote whom she met while attending a Christmas party hosted by mutual friends. They quickly became close friends and began writing short stories together. In 1959, Capote introduced Lee to his agent Maurice Crain who took on Lee as a client. 
How Lee’s life is reflected in “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
Reading the book, one can easily see the reflections of Lee’s life on many pages of the book. Starting from the place, the time, the character and the happenings. 
The period
The story takes place in Alabama during some of its most tense and turbulent years, this was the same place Lee was born and lived during this period. The Great Depression hit rural America especially hard, and many had to travel far away for work. This economic hardship meant that racial issues were even more acute in small Southern towns like Maycomb. Although times have changed dramatically since World War II, we still have racial issues today, and that is why it is still so important to learn from Harper Lee’s classic novel.
The main characters
Atticus Finch, his daughter, Scout Finch, and his son, Jem Finch. In addition to these family members, there are many other important characters in To Kill A Mockingbird. Atticus’s law partner, Tom Robinson was falsely accused of raping Mayella Ewell. Mayella herself plays an essential role in carrying out Atticus’s defense strategy. The main antagonist of To Kill A Mockingbird is Bob Ewell, who was determined to get revenge on Atticus for defending his honor by attacking him at every opportunity. Boo Radley plays a crucial role as well; although he never appears on stage, it becomes clear that he watches over Jem and Scout from afar. Finally, Calpurnia serves as a caretaker for both children and helps them understand what it means to be black in 1930s Alabama. Lee’s choice of character was not surprising, her father was a lawyer, she also studied law at some point, and she saw her father represent black people at the time.
Mapping out the plot
The plot of To Kill a Mockingbird follows several characters as they deal with issues of race and class in their small Alabama town. When Scout, one of two narrators, returns from school for summer vacation, she finds her lawyer father Atticus has agreed to represent Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a white woman. She learns about racism from her friend Dill, who loses his innocent view of racial differences by discovering that his black friend has been killed. As Atticus tries to prove Tom’s innocence, he comes up against many obstacles, including prejudiced neighbors, an uncooperative police force and even members of his own family. As Scout struggles to understand what is happening around her, she also tries to navigate friendships and relationships within her own family. By looking at these various conflicts, you can see how Lee successfully weaves together complex social issues into a single narrative thread. This is another part of the book that reflects