The American national motto 'e pluribus unum', suggests a culturally diverse melting pot of people with different religions, ethnicities and ancestries emerging as one unified body. This however is debatable, whether this is the current situation of feelings towards one another. As the minority groups gathered confidence through the Civil Rights Movement, their fight against discrimination and their overall refusal of cultural absorption has changed this outlook into more of a 'salad bowl', where you will find a mix of distinctive identities.
 The reknowned author of 'To Kill a Mockingbird', Harper Lee in 2007 was cheated of her royalities from her successful book. She sued her literary agent Samuel Pinkus for deprivation of copyright due to her infirmities that made it difficult for her to read and see. It is an ongoing lawsuit and despite the reassignment of the rights to her Pinkus was still receiving royalities from the novel as of this year. The popularity of the book goes to show how such a classic of American literature is so prized today.
As the 50th anniversary of the famous 'I Have a Dream' speech ticks over, the attention on the rights and development of the African-Americans as a race is emphasised. In 'To Kill A Mockingbird', we saw the unjust treatment of the 'mockingbird', Tom Robinson in a courtroom situation where there was an all-white jury. As this was a clear representation of what life was like for the blacks, we can see how far they have come and the world recognises how both the novel and speech helped shape the modern view on equality. |
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