To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is one of the great all-time classics which almost every schoolboy inevitably reads. It tells the story of racism in Maycomb County, Alabama.The book was written in 1960, and was made to question the mistreatment of black people going on in society at that time.
It is told through the eyes of a young, six year-old girl named Scout. Scout observes the happenings of the town through the eyes of her father, Atticus Finch, a local lawyer who defends black people.
This is a very upsetting book to read. It does not have a happy ending, and is in fact quite sad. Although this book includes details of Scout’s play with her older brother Jem and his friend Dill, the book is really a sad tale and transports us to great suffering in our country just fifty years ago.
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Summary
The book starts off with Scout telling us a little about her family and the town. Before long Scout goes off to school for the first time. Lee includes a criticism of the school system, with the teacher being angry at Scout for already knowing how to read. Although Atticus forces Scout to go back to school, he says she can still read as much as she wants.
The story intertwines itself with fun play; for example, an expose of the Radley house. There is said to be a young man named Boo Radley living in that house, but no one has seen him in many years. There are various rumors about him, and Scout, Jem, and Dill are fascinated. They make many attempts to communicate with Boo, and frequently play and make fun of him. Still, he somehow always manages to elude them.
Although Scout and Jem are doubting their dad’s prowess, due to him being almost fifty, he discovers a way to teach them a lesson of real love. Although Mrs. Dubose is racist and yells at Atticus, Jem, and Scout for not discriminating against black people, Atticus has Jem and Scout go and read to Mrs. Dubose everyday for a month. Mrs. Dubose is dying and is easing off medications because she wants to die gracefully. Jem and Scout read to her during the most difficult time of her day and thus help her a lot in recovering from the withdrawal. Even though Mrs. Dubose is racist and opposes him, Atticus clearly still respects her.
While at church with their maid, Calpurnia, Jem and Scout first learn about the main focus of the story; the trial of Tom Robinson. Tom Robinson is a black man accused of raping a white woman. Unsurprisingly, Atticus is the only lawyer who will defend him. Everyone else believes Tom must be guilty merely because he is black, and Atticus begins to become unpopular with other citizens in the town.
The trial of Tom Robinson turns out to be the biggest trial in a long time. Atticus doesn’t desire for his kids to come, but of course they do anyways. Although everyone believes the plaintiff, they have a rather weak case. Atticus, being a smart lawyer, tears the case apart. Still, the death penalty looms glaringly over young Tom’s head.
Review
This story is possibly the easiest book to read among the “classics,” while at the same time having the power to transport you to a different world at a different time. The book is 384 pages long, and is well-written in a clear way that is easy for people to understand.
Although the story is told through the eyes of a girl who is six-years old at the beginning of the book and eight at the end, I wouldn’t advise someone to read it until they are the age of twelve or thirteen. Otherwise, the content may be too disturbing. Not only does Tom Robinson not meet a good end, but people go after not only Atticus for defending Tom, but also his young children.
I first read the book at fourteen, and I still didn’t quite get it. The undertones of the book are quite disturbing, and may take a lot of thinking and reflecting before you can come to terms with them. This is also compounded because the narrator, eight-year old Scout, certainly does not understand what is happening. Maybe we’re not supposed to, either.
There are really not many weaknesses in this story. I guess the only thing I’d say that would make it better would be if the narration was done in such a way to help the reader digest the racism, hatred, and violence portrayed in the book better. On the other hand, it would be hard to do that while maintaining the narrator as innocent Scout.
While writing this review I can feel my shoulders tense up and my brain start to feel clouded. A couple of years ago I asked my dad if he wanted to watch the movie version of To Kill a Mockingbird. He declined, not wanting to get too upset. I can understand now what he’s talking about.
Despite the emotional impact that comes with reading the book, I recommend it for sure. As I said, you learn a lot about what attitudes were prevalent at that time, and how that effects the world today. To Kill a Mockingbird is a part of America’s culture that everyone would be wise to take a look at.
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