To Kill a Mockingbird Research PaperIn To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee, it is very evident that her life experiences, associated with the times in which she lived , helped her develop this iconic piece of American literature. The themes and subtle critiques of the society she grew up in are reflected in To Kill a MockingBird, making this book one of the greatest literary works of all time. She grew up in a time of great social inequality and prejudice against African Americans. This is one of many examples from his life that formed a major theme of this book, his most popular work. Nelle Harper Lee was born on April 28 in the year 1926. She grew up in the small town of Monroeville, Alabama. Racism and segregation were and still are prevalent in the South even though the Civil War ended more than 60 years ago. Harper Lee is the descendant of Robert E Lee, a Confederate general during the Civil War. Although he was a Confederate, Robert E Lee was against slavery. Having such an influential family member opposed to slavery likely influenced her own ideas about racism. He wasn't the only member of his family who influenced his writing of To Kill a Mockingbird. Lee's father was a very important figure in her life, whom she often admired. She confirmed that her father inspired the protagonist of To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch (Finch was her father's nickname) ("Harper Lee"). In the book, Atticus is portrayed as a wise and fair father figure who always knows what is best to do. His father was a lawyer, just like Atticus in the book. His father defended two black men accused of murder, the same way Atticus defended Tom Robinson. Although H...... middle of paper ...... the message now embraces him. Crespino, author of “The Curious Career of Atticus Finch,” states that racism is an individual problem and must be addressed on an individual basis (Hacht 480). There is no doubt that To Kill a Mockingbird was a very controversial novel for its time. Harper Lee is an excellent author. She was able to take many elements from her personal life and reflect them in her greatest masterpiece To Kill a Mockingbird. She not only took on the aspects of her life that she enjoyed, but also those that she didn't like, like racial inequality. Lee was able to endure this negative that was not only present in his life but in the lives of millions of Americans at that time. She was able to criticize this injustice in a subtle but obvious way, earning her many well-deserved accolades for writing this quintessential American literature..