Abstract：American racial conflict is one of the great tragedies in the history of human development. After many centuries of effort, no doubt the great improvements have been achieved. On the road, however, toward the complete elimination of racial discrimination, there is still a long way to go. To Kill the Mockingbird, Harper Lee's most outstanding book, outlines a society with racial discriminations during the era of the U.S. Great Depression when the conflicts between the blacks and whites were getting intensified. This novel tells a story of a lawyer of South America named Atticus Fench. He spoke for the black Robinson who was accused of raping a white woman. So his behavior caused dissatisfactions of people who held the idea of racial discrimination. At last, Robinson was convicted by the jury had the concept of racial prejudice. Robinson felt isolated and was killed when he was escaping. The novel truly presents social faults in American society and classes, which had been the long existing and unresolved issues since the Independence of the United States. Based on an analysis of the novel, this thesis touches upon the origin, history and current situation of American racial conflict. Based on an analysis of the novel, this thesis touches upon the origin, history and current situation of American racial conflict.
Key words: To Kill a Mockingbird; the white; the black; American racial conflict
中文摘要：美国种族冲突是人类发展历史上的一大悲剧，经过多个世纪的努力，在现今无疑取得了巨大的改观和进步。这也启示我们在彻底消除种族歧视这一道路上，人类还要走得更加远。《百舌鸟之死》是哈帕•李的杰出著作，该小说通过讲述美国南方小镇梅岗镇的律师芬奇，为被控强暴白人女子的黑人罗宾逊辩护，因此，他的行为引起了小镇上许多存有种族歧视观念的白人的不满，她们极力阻挠芬奇的工作，但最终因怀有种族偏见的陪审团而判罗宾逊罪名成立。感觉自己孤立的罗宾逊在逃跑时被误杀。小说勾勒了正值美国经济大萧条与种族歧视，黑人与白人之间的矛盾尖锐的时代，真实再现了种族歧视是美国建国以来一直没有解决的严重问题，是美国社会和阶级真正的断层线。基于此，本文试图从中探析美国种族冲突的起源、历史和现状。
关键词：《百舌鸟之死》；白人；黑人；美国种族冲突
