Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

Michael J. Meyer (DePaul University)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 3.2.4: American (US) Writing and Culture: Postwar and Contemporary, 1945-present.
Vol. editors: Sofia Ahlberg (Uppsala University), Patrick Chura (University of Akron), Emory Elliott (University of California, Riverside), Dale Enggass (University of Utah), Christopher Hugh Gair (University of Glasgow), Matthew Hofer (University of New Mexico), Stephen E. Meats (Pittsburg State University), Kerry Myler (Birmingham Newman University), Justin Parks (UiT - The Arctic University of Norway), Nick Selby (University of East Anglia)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1960

Places

United States (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Novel

Resources

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To Kill a Mockingbird

, Harper Lee's first and only novel, was published in 1960 and almost overnight became a classic of American fiction. Despite the fact that it deals with the serious issues of racial inequity, mental illness, and rape, the novel is renowned not only for its warmth and humor and for its very accurate reproduction of Southern dialect, but also for its delightful narration by Jean Louise Finch, also known as Scout. Lee's depiction of the naïve and humorous observations of a six-year old tomboy's confusion over the complexities of life's relationships and the flaws she perceives in the adult world not only charms the reader but also successfully captures a wide range of childhood emotions. Most consider the novel an endearing portrait of the dilemmas of growing up in a…

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3223 words

Citation: Meyer, Michael J.. "To Kill a Mockingbird". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 07 April 2009 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=15803, accessed 19 April 2024.]

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