Examining Instances of Colour-Based Discrimination in Harper Lee's Novels "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "Go Set a Watchman"

Academic Paper from the year 2023 in the subject American Studies - Miscellaneous, grade: 7.0, , course: MA, language: English, abstract: This research paper examines racial prejudice in 1930s-1950s America, drawing references from the novels To Kill a Mockingbird and Go Set a Watchman. It explores how Tom Robinson, a black man in To Kill a Mockingbird, was denied justice due to the biased white society and its inability to challenge the allegations of a white woman against a black man. The paper also highlights the challenges faced by Atticus Finch, a lawyer defending an innocent black man, and the hostility he encounters from the prejudiced townsfolk. It aims to demonstrate that white attitudes towards black individuals are not fixed and can change over time. The protagonist, Jean Louis Finch, undergoes a transformation, realizing her father's racist beliefs in the second novel. In Go Set a Watchman, systematic and political discrimination against black characters is portrayed, illustrating how Atticus Finch's mindset has shifted towards social racism. The author, Lee, skilfully presents these narratives in a linear manner to convey her views on racial discrimination.