To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, book published 1960.
I recently read To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee for the first time and I can understand why it’s a Pulitzer Prize winner and considered a classic of modern American literature.
My haphazard thoughts and discussion below…
The novel focuses on the Finch family who live in the small fictitious town of Maycomb, Alabama during the 1930s American depression (1933 to 1935 to be precise). Atticus Finch (a lawyer) is the father of two children, 10 year old Jem and 6 year old Scout, the majority of the novel details the children’s life.
There are several strong themes running through the novel, racial injustice, class differences and even opiate dependence is touched upon.
Before reading the book I was aware of the storyline having watched the 1962 movie To Kill a Mockingbird starring Gregory Peck many years ago. I was expecting most of the novel to be about the court case involving a black man (Tom Robinson) accused of raping a white woman and the racial injustice at the time – the outcome was a foregone conclusion.
Though racism is a major theme in the book, I don’t think it’s really what the novel is about (not the main theme). I think the main theme revolves around Atticus setting a good example to his young children. Everything Atticus does is to teach his children through good example, how to be good people.
Atticus has a code of honor/ethics that few people can match.
Atticus defends a black man in court even though he knows it will result in trouble for him and his family.
He risked his life to stop a lynching.
He insists his children do not defend his honor when their friends call him a “nigger-lover”** for defending a black man!
** It saddens me that in the 21st century we still have people who think this way, if only they understood how little difference there is genetically between one race and another. Skin color is irrelevant, it’s like looking at different dog breeds and stating one is better than the other simply because of coat color or eye color!
Atticus doesn’t boast about his ability to fire a gun even though that would be an easy way to gain respect from his children.
He was willing to have Jem go through the court system (with all it’s failings) when he thought Jem had killed a man in self-defense.
When he realized it was Arthur (Bo) Radley who killed Bob Ewell, Atticus saved Bo from the legal system by agreeing to lie about how Bob Ewell died. He saved a Mockingbird.
Atticus Finch ALWAYS does the right thing, no matter what the cost. That’s what I took from reading To Kill a Mockingbird, oh, and tomboys like Scout are cool :-)
Highly recommended read, what did you think?
David Law
