‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ Book Review

There’s a reason ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ is a classic. Harper Lee created a truly timeless novel. Though it is set in the old Southern county of Maycomb (1934-1935), it is a representation of almost every modern day society. It weaved together a beautiful canvas of various social issues including gender role definitions, racism and its ramifications on society, social classes and structures, as well as delivers some deep moral lessons that I believe should be firmly planted in every young adult if there is ever hope for a functional and healthy society. It’s one of those books you just have to have on your reading list. It  will make you feel all warm inside and give you hope in humanity.

Narrated from a curious eight-year old’s perspective, you can’t help but feel the sweet innocence wrapping even the most troubling events of the novel. This did not degrade the seriousness of the issues discussed though, if anything, it provided a fresh and interesting perspective. There is just something about seeing things through the eyes of a young girl trying to figure out her world and construct her views about it. On some level, we are all that little girl, no matter how much we grow.

‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ is the story of a small family in Maycomb. The Finch family is made up of the father ‘Atticus’, and his two children ‘Scout’ and ‘Jim’. Atticus is a lawyer who gets assigned to the highly controversial case of rape against a black man filed by a white woman.

One of the main reasons I love this novel is Atticus Finch and all that he represents. The admiration and respect I have for that man are so deeply rooted that I kept thinking this is how I want to raise my children. Atticus, to me, represents everything that is moral. A truly honorable man who is not afraid to stand up for his values and convictions even if he stands alone. This is made particularly clear in the fact that he takes it upon himself to defend a black man in a rape case. As a white man in the old South, this act alone is enough to open the gates of hell upon yourself. Yet he did not back off or even flinch once in the face of it. He is such an integral pillar of the novel that it was originally intended to be named ‘Atticus’.

Though racism is a main theme, it’s not the only cause of controversy in the court case. Another aspect of it that it forced the public to discuss the delicate matter of rape and whether or not they should question the integrity of a woman’s claims. On more than one front, it forced the very conservative people of Maycomb to address their taboos. This case pushed the people of Maycomb to see each other for who they truly are and question their long held beliefs and misjudgements.

The other part that really interested me in the novel was Scout’s struggle with society’s definition of what ‘a good southern woman’ is and how she, as a young girl, should behave. This is something that I have struggled with myself and continue to do so in a society that has very strict definitions of what a ‘real woman’ is.  With Ms Dubose criticizing the way she dresses and Aunt Alexandra attempting to curb her ‘unfeminine’ attitude, scout is left confused as to what she’s doing wrong. So she finds consolation in Miss Maudie who gives no such comments and is not afraid to be who she is in a society that kills such individuality.

Yes, the pace was a bit slow for me at times. And yes, there were times when the book dragged on and I just felt like dropping it. But it was definitely worth the read, I cannot wait to read the sequel actually. Besides, I now have a new fictional role model.

“Atticus said to Jem one day, “I’d rather you shot at tin cans in the backyard, but I know you’ll go after birds. Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” That was the only time I ever heard Atticus say it was a sin to do something, and I asked Miss Maudie about it. “Your father’s right,” she said. “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing except make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.”

― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird