When I picked up my tattered old copy of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee, I didn’t know what to expect. However, once I started reading and especially towards the end of the novel, I began to understand why it had sold over 40 million copies and won the Pulitzer Prize- it is simply incredible.
The story is set in the thirties in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama, USA. It is narrated by 6 year old tomboy Jean-Louise ‘Scout’ Finch and explores the attitudes and prejudices of the town when a black man is charged with the rape of a white girl.
The choice of narrator is only the start of the book’s successes. Through Scout, we are able to witness the opinions, views and prejudices of the townspeople from an innocent and neutral perspective. She has not been indoctrinated by her father; bar morality and common sense, and plays around the town with her brother Jem and friend Dill trying to make sense of the world. It is through Scout that we interpret the villagers and try and understand the mood of the town in the thirties, after the Great Depression has hit America.
The prejudices and hypocrisy of the townspeople are a major theme employed by Lee in the novel. For the 21st century reader, it is clear that due to the Depression, people are poor and only just starting to get jobs back. It also seems like there is a lack of trust between some of the townspeople and this intrigues the reader in the first half of the book. I find it interesting that the children are able to easily relate to the attitudes and pious opinions of the adults as they are so juvenile- especially with the deceitful nature of the Ewell family.
The Ewells are another key aspect of the novel. Bob and Mayella Ewell come from a large, poor and uneducated family who are desperate to improve their situation. However, they decide to do this by wrongly accusing married black man Tom Robinson of rape, with disastrous consequences for both parties. Lee uses the pair as the driving antagonistic forces as they are despised by the town and probably amongst each other as well- as it is revealed Bob is responsible for sexually and physically abusing Mayella- who is only 19 years old. In some ways, we are made to feel sorry for the girl, but her despicable accusation quells this feeling by the end of the novel.
On the other hand, lawyer Atticus Finch (Scout’s father) is a morally bright spark amongst the largely amoral town. He is an esteemed attorney, who is assigned the almost impossible case of defending Robinson but works hard to achieve justice. He sets a strong example is a good father to his children, and has a good understanding of the law and the attitudes of Maycomb. A conflict is set up in the courtroom between Atticus and Mr Ewell which has many parallels; good vs bad, new vs old attitudes, moral vs amoral, the truth vs lies and ultimately, black vs white. The showdown in the courtroom is a thrilling and gripping section of the novel, as we see first-hand how hard justice was to achieve amongst the prejudices and attitudes of the town in the thirties.
Another interesting character is Boo Radley- the strange recluse who rarely leaves his home and fascinates the children with his solitary life. As it turns out, Boo is not scary nor evil- he just wants to live his life away from the hypocrisy and lies of Maycomb Town. He forms an intriguing side story and symbolises some of the alternative adult attitudes in the town.
How the children felt when leaving the courtroom after the trial must feel similar to now, where we’re still seeing racial issues today. For me, Atticus Finch sets a good example of how we should react to these problems and live our lives now: to stick to our morals and to live a kind and just lifestyle. An exceptional read, I would recommend to anyone. 5*
Thanks Hal. An interesting review. I have never read it but feel I might be borrowing your copy xx
Interesting views on To Kill a Mocking Bird thanks Harry – re-read this fairly recently when Harper Lee published Go Set A Watchman. and remembered what a powerful and relevant book it still is. A definite favourite.