African Americans During Harper example essay topic

Reflection - To kill A Mockingbird / Context The 1960's was the era of the Civil Rights Movement when the African Americans began to fight for justice and for equality in the American society. It was an important time in history when discrimination, which was accepted for so long in the society, began to face the public's eyes as an issue that was worth to fight for 20 years. I was distraught when I heard my fellow classmates deliver their speeches on various events that occurred during Harper Lee's context. It made me realise the significance of each of these events as to how it was reflected in Harper Lee's novel, To Kill A Mockingbird. In her novel, Harper Lee faces and challenges the prejudice that has occupied her society for so many decades.

Tom Robinson's trial reflects The Scottsboro Trial that took place in the 1930's. It made me realise how the injustice and racial discrimination was not only the beliefs of the society but also evolved around the unjust law. The decisions of such cases were based on the idea that white men were more superior to black men. The trial gave us insights to Harper Lee's context, where there was no equality for black men.

I realised that the American society saw the threat of them losing their supremacy and thus could not allow the 'negroes' to win or to gain power above the white people. The Scottsboro Trial is evidence to the American society's fear, where the nine black men were found guilty to the rape of two white women even though there was significant evidence suggesting that the women were in fact lying. Not only did the jury fail to include any African Americans but they were also white men who had been affected and brought up to be prejudiced without realising the cruelty of their judgments. The judge of the Scottsboro Trial played an important role in attempting to protect the rights of the African American defendants. The judge was reflected in the novel as Atticus who symbolized the guidance and hope that was brought to the African Americans during Harper Lee's context.

I realised Atticus was characterised as a lawyer, which was a figure of power and respect in the eyes of the townspeople, that allowed him to become the leader of the African Americans alike the leader of this era, Martin Luther King. The issue of segregation was the cause of some of the greatest feuds during this era of the Civil Rights Movement. I felt that segregation was an aspect of the novel that was influenced by Harper Lee's own context. After hearing about the segregation on buses, I realised that the African Americans were never given the opportunity of being able to be treated like an equal.

Segregation did not only apply to buses but also to education. It is overwhelming to know that the white men justified their actions by claiming that the black and white men had different needs that should be met differently. However, after hearing the class speeches, it became evident that segregation was a way of denying the rights of the African Americans to having equal opportunities and equal rights. This issue is reflected in the novel where I noticed that Scout never mentions any 'negroes' at her school.

This pointed out to me that children at this era were brought up to learn that racism and inequality of the black people was the right way in American society. The beliefs and values of Harper Lee's context is reflected in her novel. During this time of the Civil Rights movement it is evident that the conflict of the injustice and segregation laws led the African Americans to a tough battle. The large amounts of conflict in the American society influenced the novel through its characters and its storyline that the novel is based on.