Comment on theme.

Consider bigotry and prejudice. The story is set in the years after World War II when civil rights issues were just beginning to be heard. Most readers will see the main example of this theme in the actions and attitudes of whites against blacks. Prejudice is common and many whites of this time and place believe that blacks are out of line with their demands for equality. The story is a work of fiction but the overall social setting is real. There were people across the South with attitudes similar to those expressed by characters in the book. There was a commitment by some to keep the social standards related to blacks unchanged. Similarly, there were people determined to force change. Both sides used reasonable arguments for their causes but there were also scare tactics aimed at creating emotional sympathy for each side. One of the arguments used by the whites against integration was that close relationships would form between black and white children, and that those friendships would lead to interracial marriages. The idea was foreign to the parents of this generation and many of the adults feared that this would come to pass. It was one argument used to promote segregation.