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What would be a good topic and thesis statement from Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird that relates to modern society?

Thesis Statement:



Harper Lee explores the theme of prejudice, which is a significant and relevant topic in today's society, throughout her novel To Kill a Mockingbird to comment on America's deep-seeded race and class issues.



A good thesis statement should make a judgment or claim about the main idea that can be supported throughout the remainder of the essay. Harper Lee examines prejudice through the eyes of the naive narrator, Scout Finch. The majority of the town of Maycomb, Alabama is prejudiced against black people, and there are many examples of characters criticizing Atticus Finch for defending Tom Robinson throughout the novel. A few instances include Cecil Jacobs and Francis Hancock's comments to Scout in Chapter 9 and Mrs. Dubose's racially motivated insults in Chapter 11. Tom Robinson also becomes a victim of racial injustice because of the prejudiced jury's decision to convict him. In addition to racial prejudice, Lee also examines prejudiced feelings towards individuals from lower social classes. In Chapter 23, Aunt Alexandra tells Scout that she cannot play with Walter Cunningham Jr. because she considers him trash based on the fact that his family is poor and lives out in the woods.


In today's society, racial prejudice remains prevalent. The recent events regarding white police officers and black males have incited protests in Missouri, New York, and Washington, D.C. One of the major goals of the Black Lives Matter movement is to end racial profiling, which is rooted in prejudice, and demand justice for African Americans who have been killed in altercations with police. Also, one of the major issues being discussed throughout the Democratic primaries deals with the economic disparity between the upper and lower class. Citizens from both the upper and lower classes view each other with contempt and hold prejudiced views towards one another. Lower class citizens sometimes feel that wealthy individuals take advantage of the system via tax breaks while members of the upper class feel that less wealthy citizens "freeload." These are just a few examples that one could explore in order to examine modern-day prejudice.

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