The novel is set in Alabama in the1930's. What appeal or interest does it have for readers today?

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The novel is set in Alabama in the1930’s. What appeal or interest does it have for readers today?

Harper Lees shows us a very interesting and honest perspective of life in the 1930’s. She has set the novel in Alabama, South America and merges the segregation of black and white, in with the main narratives in the book. She writes about racism, prejudice, injustice, discrimination, courage and tolerance, and uses believable characters to portray to the audience what it was like in South America in the 1930’s.

        In the small county of Maycomb, everyone knows everyone else’s business. This is show by everyone knowing all about Boo Radley and Tom Robinson. Racism is a huge issue in the novel and shows the readers how racist people really were in 1930’s. Take Tom Robinson’s case for example, he was accused of the rape of Mayella Ewell. In a situation like this the Ewell’s would not be believed by anyone in the county, but because they were up against a black man, the prejudice and racism of the jury found Tom guilty. This is a form if injustice shown in the novel.

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The chapter with Scout’s first day at school introduces us to key characters like the Ewell’s and Cunningham’s. We see their standards and the way they don’t care what is thought of them, also the way they respond to the teacher shows their complete lack of respect. Burris Ewell, ‘Ain’t no snot – nosed slut of a school teacher ever born c’n make me do nothin’!’

Harper Lee also shows the injustice in Maycomb through Boo Radley, a key character in the novel. The way everyone in Maycomb talks about him as if he is nothing, when they don’t even ...

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