Harper Lee's Legacy: Her Mirror To Society
/Introduction
Once a young solitary with a growing passion for literature, Harper Lee was a Pulitzer-Prize winning author that focused on dialect, morality and social commentary. She’s the author of the renown, To Kill A Mockingbird (1960) and its prequel-sequel hybrid, Go Set a Watchman (2015).
Personal Events
Born Nelle Harper Lee on April 28th, 1926, in Monroeville, Alabama, she was the youngest of four siblings. Her mother was a homemaker, often battling mental health issues that were thought to be bipolar disorder. Since Lee was the youngest, she didn’t have much of a relationship with her mother, due to her mother’s mental illness. Her father was a lawyer, inspiring Lee to pursue law as a potential career.
Her passion for literature peaked in high school. Once in college for law, she became a member of the literary honor society and glee club, despite being known as a recluse. During her time alone, she focused on participating in the school’s newspaper and humour magazine. Subsequently, her efforts landed her the position as publication editor.
After one year of law school, Lee decided to pursue a writing career instead. It was, in hindsight, the best decision she ever made professionally. She went on to publish two novels and help colleagues with their publications. A year after her last publication, she passed away in her sleep at the age of eighty-nine.
Writing Style
Harper Lee’s writing style combines stream-of-consciousness techniques and personal prose with southern roots. Since her novels are inspired by her Southern family and hometown, she expertly sprinkled her writing with a Southern dialect. Consequently, the reader is absorbed in the story, plot, and diction. Lee maneuvers sensitive topics with finesse, such as morality, prejudice and racism. Readers aren’t overwhelmed by these subjects because Lee presents them as the characters’ thoughts and feelings. You feel like you’re talking to a friend about something serious, rather than reading something taboo.
Career
Harper Lee was known for two published novels. Her first novel, To Kill A Mockingbird (1960), won the Pulitzer Price in Fiction in 1961 — immediately becoming a Southern Gothic classic. Her second novel, Go Set a Watchman (2015), took place after the first novel and followed the same characters. However, the novel itself was written before To Kill a Mockingbird, as it was supposed to be the original release. Before that, the duology began as a series of short stories. It was Lee’s editor that helped her craft them into separate novels.
Harper lee accepts medal from president george bush in 2007 via wikicommons
Other less commonly known pieces, such as her collection of short stories and essays, also portray her literary prowess. In this list includes Romance and High Adventure (1983), which won her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2007.
Additionally, some unreleased short stories and essays were shared with the world, namely The Land of Sweet Forever (2025), after her death.
Career Obstacles
Harper Lee faced many obstacles in her career; stemming from acute success, mental health, and womanhood. Her first novel propelled her into stardom, which shook her solitary nature. She was often overwhelmed with the attention she received, choosing to shy away from the limelight. Sitting in front of a blank page, knowing what she had to top — she suffered severe anxiety just thinking about it. This often stopped her from writing. Moreso, Lee being a woman proved to be a challenge; female writers were not as professionally respected in the sixties.
Picture of a to kill a mockingbird first edition via wikicommons
More dangerously, Lee received major backlash from her conservative community, due to the stigmatizing racial themes she presented in her novels. Her first novel’s protagonist, Atticus Finch, is a Caucasian lawyer who tries to defend an innocent African American man from an assault conviction in the 1930’s. Although the novel was published thirty years after it took place, those with embedded racist roots made their dissatisfaction known to Lee. At this time, Harper Lee genuinely feared for her life.
Conclusion
Harper Lee went out into the world with the goal of working in law. She left this world, having made remarkable contributions to the literary world. Notably, To Kill a Mockingbird remains of the most consistently read books in secondary school curriculums. Lee persevered through her own anxieties and society's projected misogyny to remain true to herself and her voice. She had the courage to hold a mirror to those in her community and raise awareness of prejudice. Little did she know this mirror would be held up in front of the world.
Ana M. Quinn is a writer and storyteller based in Ottawa. She explores the topics of femininity, love, loss, grief and everything in between with poetry, literary fiction and narrative non-fiction. Her passion for writing began in the 5th grade, where she picked up a pen, wrote a poem and never stopped. She's used writing as a therapeutic escape, as much as a form of artistic expression. When she's not writing, she loves to read, coffeeshop-hop, spend time with her two cats and play musical instruments. Even then, she's still songwriting!