“You see, more than just a matter of writing words, writing is a process of self-discipline that you must learn before you can call yourself a writer » (Harper Lee). According to Laura Fine (2016), Harper Lee, born as Nelle Harper Lee, grew up in Monroeville, Alabama with a well-known lawyer as her father. His most famous novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, features Atticus Finch, a father and well-known lawyer who defends an African-American. Her father and the changing times of the 1950s during which she composed the novel are strongly expressed through her work. At the time, the civil rights movement became an important aspect of American society, as leaders such as Martin Luther King became famous for their fight for racial equality. The novel reflects the racist era in which it was written through the main conflict, in which an African-American man is accused of raping a young white woman. According to Audrey Clinton (2016), to Harper Lee's surprise, the novel won a Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and sold over thirty million copies. Clinton also said that Lee's novel brought a sense of unity within the nation, as evidenced by the thousands of letters she received from states across the country sharing that they saw the ideas expressed on racism. This was unexpected, because Lee based his plot on his experiences in the South, as Clinton expressed it. This reflects the impact of his work. Harper Lee was one of the most influential writers of his time and still today in American culture. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Harper Lee was born in Monroeville, AL on April 28, 1926. Harper Lee was raised primarily by her father, according to Laura Fine (nd) “Harper Lee is the daughter of Amasa Coleman Lee, a lawyer who, in all respects, apparently rather resembles the hero-father of his novel in his healthy citizenship and his warm heart” (Fine, nd). Lee's father's profession as a lawyer in Monroeville, AL, during the period in which she grew up, is essential to understanding her childhood, as she was raised primarily in the 1930s, a time when there were few of national improvement. As Shields (2008) explains: “It was the 1930s, during the Great Depression, when children went to school in hand-me-down clothes that had been repeatedly repaired and altered. Many children came to school without shoes, their dirty heels banging on the pine floor.” During this period following the stock market crash, the country experienced economic and social difficulties as racial tensions increased. Shields (2008) goes on to say, “The only topic ever discussed, in my experience, was race relations. The prevailing view was that there was no reason to upset the status quo, and most were prepared to maintain existing conditions indefinitely” (Shields, 2008). The combination of racial inequality and economic depression had a great influence on Lee's life, expressed by the appearance of both in his novels. According to Shields, Lee went to a high school in Alabama, instead of an industrial school for girls, which her mother hoped she would attend. According to Youngzine (2016), “After high school, Lee joined the University of Alabama where she became editor-in-chief of the university magazine. She was accepted into the law program, but dropped out before her senior year to become a writer.” Although her first novel was not released until 1960, Lee had been writing since she was a child. Harper Lee's childhood impacted her ability to have aimpact on society through his works To Kill a Mockingbird and Go Set a Watchman. Throughout Harper Lee's writing career, she published only two well-known novels, but she kept many short stories private. Lee's works are often assumed to be based on his childhood due to the setting of his novels having similarities to his personal childhood. However, Lee says, according to Clinton, "It's all fiction, only autobiographical in the sense that it's about a small town." None of the incidents in the book happened to me when I was a child. I didn't have a turbulent childhood,” she said, explaining that most critics make the mistake of mistaking the story for one's own life” (Clinton, 2016). To Kill a Mockingbird and Go Set a Watchman are both heavily tied to the issues of the era in which they were written, but still have the same impact. The online periodical "The Life, Death, and Career of Harper Lee" (2018) states: "In an age when so many computer novels are merely documentaries disguised behind a few fictional changes, it is nice to recommend a book that shows what a novelist can accomplish with very familiar situations.” Lee's work is often shared at school because of the relevance his work continues to demonstrate today. The online periodical "To Kill a Mockingbird Returns to Mississippi School's Reading List After Outcry" (2017) shares "Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel has been taught in countless classrooms and influenced generations of readers" . Although his novels are recommended for young adults, the countless lessons in his writing are for people of all ages. To Kill a Mockingbird was Lee's first novel, marking the beginning of his legacy. One of Lee's most famous novels is To Kill a Mockingbird. The novel explores the morality of humans through a highly controversial court case in the 1930s. Lee is often recognized for his correct depiction of the setting. According to Clinton (2016), “the book is a record of the general spirit of something. That was life in the '30s. That's how it was with the kids in the South." Lee was able to capture the details so accurately for his own experiences growing up during this time in the South. The novel expresses the racial injustice of the time through a trial, with Scout, the main character's father defending a black man in the case. Fine (nd) states that "Scout and her brother Jim learn the principles of racial justice and open-mindedness from their father, whose righteous and compassionate actions include the unpopular defense of a black man falsely accused of raped a white girl.” The novel is sometimes controversial due to its heavy-handed use of racial words and situations. Referring to a Mississippi high school, the periodical "To Kill a Mockingbird Returns to Mississippi School's Reading List After Outcry" states: "The book was still available at the library, but the eighth grade program would use another book because some of the the language “makes people uncomfortable.” (Hauser, 2017). Although his novel is not liked by everyone, the novel has received many awards for its excellence, including the Pulitzer Prize. The new sequel to To Kill a Mockingbird, Go Set a Watchman continues Lee's story and legacy. Although Lee's most famous work was To Kill a Mockingbird, a sequel called Go Set a Watchman was released 55 years later. The novel picks up the story several years later, but with a twist: "Atticus, who was known for his efforts for racial equality, became a segregationist!" » according to the periodical “Goodbye Harper Lee…”. Although Lee's first novel was a great success,.”