The novel To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper lee gives the readers a look at racism through the eyes of children Jem and Scout Finch. The book is set in the 1930s, during the Great Depression. The narrator of the story is a young  girl named scout finch. Since a girl was the voice of the novel it was brutal to see such young children learning of racism in shocking ways.

     Since all 9th graders are required to read this book in a English class, it also taught the students about the reality of our history. The book takes place in a small town in Alabama, as scout tells the story of her father’s case, as a  honest lawyer defending a black man accused of raping a white girl.

     During the novel TKAM, Atticus and Miss Maudie tell the children that it is a sin to kill mockingbirds, “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing except make music for us to enjoy.” In the book several characters are mockingbirds. Tom Robinson was a mocking bird because he was just trying to help Mayella Ewell and his reward was getting killed. Tom Robinson prejudged by the jury because he was African American. Boo Radley was a mocking bird, all he wanted was to have privacy but instead the people of Maycomb made mean rumors about him and prejudged him without knowing the real story. Atticus was a mocking bird aswell he was a lawyer just doing his job but he was attacked because he fought for what he believed in.
       At the end of the story those who tried to hurt the mockingbirds got what they deserved.  The story teaches the reader not to hurt people who don’t deserve it. This is an important lesson and a good read for anyone of all ages.