"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee

Examines several incidents of conflict between society and its norms and individuality. Would it be fair to say the society conquers the individual in the novel?The novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” treats with the society of Maycomb, in South Alabama 1930; years in which the black community suffered a lot from prejudice and racism. People in Maycomb were extremely narrow-minded, and their society had these norms which cannot be broken or a conflict in the close society will arise. After several incidents which happen throughout the novel, we see the reactions of this society. However, the reactions in the different characters differ as some are conquered by their society and some decide to follow their own point of view not feeling restricted by their society.

The first incident that we see in the novel which causes a conflict with the society is the story of Boo Radley. The society of Maycomb did not tolerate what our society nowadays perceives as “normal teenage behavior”.

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This is shown in the book by the quote that says the Cunninghams “formed the nearest thing to a gang ever seen in Maycomb. They did little but enough to be discussed by the town.” In this case, the society has conquered Boo Radley’s father; who was told that “his boy was in the wrong crowd”; making him commit the extreme act of locking his son inside the house for fifteen years as a punishment for conflicting with society and its norms.

The second incident we see in the novel which causes a conflict with the society of Maycomb is the trial of Tom Robinson. The case makes Maycomb the reader aware of the magnitude of the prejudice which goes on since although Atticus clearly proved that Tom Robinson was innocent, the jury still found...