Olivia Doreste 

Professor Hammond 

Mass Media and Society 

10 February 2020

Did Truman Capote write “To Kill A Mockingbird?”

    The book To Kill A Mockingbird has been a desired phenomenon around the world and to this day still goes down as one of the most beloved books of all time. To Kill A Mockingbird has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide and has been translated into 40 different languages. This book is so important because it touches so many crucial topics that we still are challenged with today; it explores themes of racial prejudice, social rankings, and sexism. It was published during the time of the Civil War when women didn't have a voice, people who had less money than others were frowned upon and black and white people were treated differently.  Elegidely Harper Lee is the author of To Kill A Mockingbird but there have been many theories that Truman Capote is the author. Evidence proves that Capote very much so could have been the author of To Kill A Mockingbird and Harper Lee just made the final edits. To this day we are not 100% sure but the evidence shows that Capote at least had a big part in this book. 

“About a decade ago, a letter written by Truman Capote to his aunt was discovered. In the letter, dated July 9, 1959—one year before Mockingbird’s publication—Capote tells his aunt he had seen Lee’s book, read it, and enjoyed it very much. There is no reference to any collaboration on the book.” This makes us think maybe Truman really did have a major part in this book and just didn't want any recognition? This was one of the first books to tackle major problems and cracks in society and the justice system. There are so many questions because the time frame of this letter does not add up. Later on “Capote and members of his family appear to have suggested that Capote was very much involved in the writing of Mockingbird. Why would Capote have done this?” I truly believe Capote was involved in this book maybe more than we think but what doesn't make sense is why he wouldn't want any recognition? There also is a very strange fact that after To Kill A Mockingbird it took Harper 65 years to publish her next book. There isn't enough evidence for me to 100% believe that Capote wrote this book but I truly believe he had a big part in this. 

This book broke the media when it was published, everyone was talking about it because someone finally spoke up proved how corrupt our society was. I think we can all agree that society has gotten better.  

works cited:

Tom Leonard In New York For The Daily Mail. “A Dispute over Who Wrote Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird Sequel Re-Emerges.” Daily Mail Online, Associated Newspapers, 6 Feb. 2015, www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2942073/Jealousy-lies-troubling-questions-book-inspired-world-Kill-Mockingbird-author-unveils-sequel-55-years-dispute-wrote-novel-emerges.html.