The impact that a piece of literature has on me Essay

The impact that a piece of literature has on me - Essay Example The story for To Kill a Mockingbird is set in 1930s Alabama, during the Great Depression and is told by six-year old Scout. She and her brother, Jem, deal with the issue of racism in their little town of Maycomb and it is with this backdrop that Scout learns a lot about herself and dealing with others. She is taught by her father to treat everyone equally and fairly but witnesses the unfair treatment of blacks in her town. Her father decides to take a case defending a black man accused of raping and beating a white lower class or "white trash" girl. When the town opposes Atticus for taking the case, Scout and Jem react negatively to the taunts from neighbors and family. As could be predicted, Atticus loses the case despite the evidence in the defendant's favor, but succeeded in challenging the jury to face their preconceived ideas. It takes courage to resist societal or peer pressure. Atticus goes against the grain and chooses to defend a black man. He also risks his health and maybe his life by standing out in front of the jail to protect the accused from being lynched. Facing danger squarely and yet standing your It is hard enough to be courageous in life and it isn't always easy to put emotions aside to look at the world from another's point of view. Atticus taught Scout that by learning this one trick, she would learn how to deal with others.