Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird is taught in classrooms nationwide and is widely hailed as one of literature's most compelling depictions of racism in the South. This informative edition presents essays that examine racism and other related issues in To Kill a Mockingbird, discussing such topics as new and old Southern values, and the connection between class, gender, and racial prejudice. Modern perspectives on race issues are presented as well, allowing the reader to create a link between the themes of the text and the realities of today's world.