To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
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Book Reviews of To Kill a Mockingbird
Book Review: Race Through the Eyes of a Girl
Summary: 5 Stars
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee tackles the moral and realistic views of racism in the story of a girl and her small southern town. Set in Maycomb, Alabama, during the 1930s, the book vividly depicts the issue of race and how a young girl overcomes the boundaries of color to show her community that there is more to someone than the color of their skin. Scout, the main character, lives with her brother Jem and father, whom she calls Atticus. Atticus teaches her and Jem that race really means nothing and that every person deserves the chance to be respected and treated fairly. Atticus is completely non-violent and will not even show the children how to fire a weapon. The family's black cook Calprunia tells the children to never kill a mockingbird, because they are only here to sing. During the summer Scout and Jem befriend a boy named Dill who becomes fascinated with an almost "haunted" house owned by Boo Radley. The children begin to trespass on the mysterious property and soon find little gifts left in a knot in one of the trees. They are shot at by Boo's father and in the chaotic events Jem loses his pants. He finds them days later mended lying on the fence. The children come to believe that Boo is behind all this confusion.
Meanwhile, Atticus is assigned to a case involving a black man named Tom Robinson, who has been accused of raping a white woman. Atticus tells his children that they might be taunted and treated unfairly because he was taking the case. The children take the criticism openly and even spend Christmas in a black community and become friends with everyone there. They attend a mass with Calprunia and become more comfortable with the open and accepting black community there. Sadly, Tom Robinson is found guilty by a racist, unfairly picked jury, even though Atticus proved that Tom did not rape the woman. While in prison an angry mob wants to kill Tom. Acting quickly and effectively Scout talks the huge crowd of adults into not killing him and letting the whole fiasco go. Imagine seeing a six year old talking a monstrous crowd out of killing an innocent man, whom she does not even, really know.
The father of the "raped" girl attacks Jem and Scout, but Boo is mysteriously there to help them and ends up killing the crazed man. Scout and Jem realize that Boo, even though different from them, is a truly caring and a good person.
Harper Lee relates that the Mockingbird symbolizes innocence, which includes Tom Robinson, Jem, and Boo Radley. These innocent characters have lost something or been almost destroyed by others. Needing help they unknowingly turn to Scout to recover what they have lost. Lee also reveals that race can be conquered by even a six year old girl like Scout. Scout shows the angry mob that what they are doing is wrong and is completely unnecessary, telling them they must treat everyone with respect. Lee also depicts the morals of a small southern town, by the hate and racists beliefs that fill almost everyone's minds. Through Scout, Harper Lee shows that the innocence of a child can overcome the terrible boundaries of race. Harper Lee wrote a meaningful and symbolic story revealing that race is ultimately nothing and that every human should treat all of mankind with the respect that everyone deserves. This is an outstanding novel that should be required reading for any child or adult. This novel can truly change the way you think about life and your fellow man.
Book Review: "Thank You For My Children, Arthur."
Summary: 5 Stars
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD is a Pulitzer Prize-winning classic of American literature. It may well be one of the five greatest books ever published in English (my other candidates are the King James Bible, anything by Shakespeare, MOBY DICK, and HUCKLEBERRY FINN).
Written in 1960, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD at first seems to be a young girl's first-person reminiscence of childhood in a sleepy Depression-era Southern town. Author Harper Lee has steadfastly denied that the book is formally autobiographical, though many autobiographic elements clearly exist (the character of Dill is the author Truman Capote in childhood, a lifelong friend of Miss Lee's).
The children spend much of the first half of the book whiling away their time at imaginative games and summer daydreams. Their waking world is peopled by a curiously colorful collection of neighbors who range from the sublime (Mrs. Dubose, a cantankerous Confederate widow quietly addicted to morphine) to the ridiculous (Miss Stephanie Crawford, the town's indefatigable gossip). Their waking nightmare consists of Boo Radley, a mysterious neighbor who they have never seen. The children construct elaborate fantasies of Boo, but as they grow older their deliciously terrifying imaginings of the man within the house at the end of the block become overshadowed by more frightening realities in the outside world.
The children (narrator Scout, her brother Jem, and their friend, Dill) become unjaded observers of the daily drama of ordinary human life when their father, Atticus Finch, the town attorney, is assigned to defend a black man accused of raping a white woman. The town becomes quietly inflamed as the submerged flotsam of prejudice floats to the surface of the residents' collective consciousness.
Scout, Jem and Dill, along with their lifelong friends and neighbors, are forced to confront issues of justice, injustice, and their own identities, first as Southerners, second as Americans, but lastly and most importantly, as human beings who have the power to choose.
Generations of young reviewers have attacked this book as "boring" and essentially incomprehensible. It is neither. However, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD has suffered the fate of being consigned to that seventh circle of hell known as "the assigned reading list" in most high schools. As a classroom project this book can be impenetrable. I recall being forced to endure TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD in my Junior year, and being unable to truly appreciate it at age 16. In part this is because it does not lend itself at all well to the usual straightforward teaching techniques of English class.
The fact is that many adolescents have neither the attention span nor the life experience to grasp the subtle fineries that underlie this book. This comment is not meant to be an indictment of teenagers. Nor is it meant to be off-putting to young readers. It is merely an observation of the price one pays to reach adulthood. This is an adult's book, though each reader must discover for themselves where that line of demarcation lies within.
I have always been of the opinion that literature should be enjoyed, not studied. I have returned to TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD every several years, and each time I revisit it I take away something more and deeper.
Book Review: An enlightening and beautifully narrated classic
Summary: 5 Stars
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD explores the injustice of racism in the small, sleepy town of Maycomb, Alabama. Lee's novel is narrated through the eyes of 8 year-old wise-beyond-her-years Scout Finch, a keen and extraordinarily observant child.The horizons of TO KILL... don't end at the explorations and explanations of racism in the South. Other themes include growing up and emotions involved, how people avoid what they do not understand, and friendships - how they evolve and blossom. One of Scout's close friends is dimunitive Dill, a "Beautiful Child" contest winner (a.k.a. Charles Baker Harris) who visits Maycomb to stay with his aunt over the summers. Compelled by mere curiosity, together, he and Scout plot to lure hermit and town bogeyman Boo Radley out into the open. Peculiar myths and legends surround his very existence, courtesy of the gossip mongers of Maycomb.
Lee demonstrates the true ugliness of racism. Racism, we see, is what causes a small Southern town to do a complete turn around. Scout, with the innocent heart of a child, balances out the misunderstandings. Atticus Finch, Scout's father, who is always known as "Atticus," is chosen to represent a black man who supposedly raped Mayella Ewell, a white farmer's daughter. This is truly what opens the reader's eyes to the evils of the town. Despite this, Scout Finch still adamantly believes that people are essentially good overall, "once you get to see them." Obviously, this isn't all true - Scout is mind-blowingly bright yet still exhibits realistic childlike qualities, her naivete being one of them.
Atticus can truly be regarded for his extreme heroism. Despite a cruel and uncaring town, he stood up for what he believed in, what he knew in his heart was right. He's possesses great wisdom, a heart of gold, great understanding, and considerable kindness. He treats his children, Jem and Scout, like they are mature adults. This is probably one of the main reasons why Scout is so keenly and constantly aware of her surroundings, as well as a reason for her innate intellect.
One of the best plot twists in TO KILL... involves a newfound hero that neither Jem and Scout, nor the reader, could have ever predicted would be so brazen and courageous. Boo Radley is one of the novel's pivotal characters, yet he doesn't appear all that much in the story. When Scout and company first discuss him and his myths, they speak of him as if he's some kind of hideous monster. In reality, he is as kind and caring as Atticus and has just as much hero potential, which finally rises to the surface towards the end of the novel for the reader (and Harper's characters) to see.
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD is laced with humor, yet it finds a comfortable balance between being both comedic and serious in the subject matter Harper chose to tackle. It also manages to be sentimental and heartbreaking, yet never even comes close to being borderline mushy and overly sappy. It's an inspirational tale regarded by generation after generation as a classic - a tale of respect for all human life in a society in which incessant misunderstandings are present within its people. Look at the world we live in today. Consider the mindset of various individuals and groups. I ask you, what person can't relate to this enlightening, eye-opening book?
Book Review: A classic book for middle school students to read.
Summary: 5 Stars
To Kill A Mockingbird, J.B. Lippincott & Co., Harper Lee, July 11, 1960
Reading Level: Ranges: Young Adult, eighth grade, 13 years or so
Number of pages: 296
Genre: Southern Gothic drama
Synopsis of Plot:
This book takes place in a small town in the south; Maycomb, Alabama during the Great Depression. The main character of the book is a five year old girl nicknamed Scout and she tells the story from her point of view. Scout and her brother Jem, live with their father, Atticus Finch, who is a prominent lawyer in town. In the summer, Scout and Jem become fascinated with a recluse neighbor, Boo Radley. Life is dramatically changed when their father, Atticus, takes on a controversial case. A white woman, Mayella Ewell, accuses an innocent black man named Tom Robinson of raping her. It is obvious that he is innocent as the trial goes on due to Atticus' questioning. Nonetheless, in a small southern town still full of prejudice, the all white jury finds Tom Robinson guilty. Due to Atticus taking on the case, his family and children are faced with many threats and scorn from the angry white people in Maycomb. Atticus stands constant in his conviction to fight racial inequality and teaches this good to Scout and Jem. Near the end Tom Robinson is shot as he attempted to escape from jail. This is a hard lesson for Scout and Jem to learn as they feel the injustice of Robinson's position. Mayella's evil father, Bob Ewell vows revenge on the Finch's since Atticus made him appear a fool during the trial. The book ends with him attacking Scout and Jem on their way home from a school play. The children are saved by their recluse neighbor, Boo Radley. Boo stabs Bob Ewell and is luckily saved from punishment by the police officer who claims that he saw Bob Ewell fall on his own knife. The Finch children, Scout and Jem grow up during the entire process of the trial. They are faced with many examples of evil and good in people and lose their innocence through the trial.
Address negative aspects of the book:
One of the main themes of this book is forgiveness. Atticus always forgives people for their evil traits. For example, Atticus is able to forgive people for being racist and chose to admire them instead for their positive traits, such as courage or love. While I think it is good that Atticus teaches readers forgiveness, I think that it can be frustrating. Some people and acts do not necessarily deserve forgiveness, like the character Bob Ewell. I think that it is important to make sure that the seriousness of the racism in the south during those times is not taken lightly and forgiven, but remembered for the giant mistake it was.
Your appraisal of the book:
I would definitely recommend reading this book. When I read this book in fourth grade, it changed my life. Being able to discuss such serious issues and get new viewpoints and a history lesson at the same time is an amazing part of this book. I think this book should be read by every student in America. We can only learn from our mistakes in history by discussing them and learning about them in literary works. This is a perfect book that can address that lesson for students today. Buy this book and read it for all of these reasons.
Book Review: i found myself laughing
Summary: 5 Stars
--I just recently read this book and i must say i am very delighted that i did. I have meant to read it for a few years now, but never had the chance. Not knowing exactly what it was about except for the rape of a white girl and the charge of a black man it sounded like "a time to kill" to me, but it is anything but that book. i found myself laughing at this novel because of Lee's quick wit and clever characters. Calpurnia i found made me laugh the most. She was so blunt and hard on the children and always had something smart to say to them.
Beginning the book i thought the two children were boys. Lee never mentions (or at least i didn't notice) that Jean was was a girl. They called her scout and she didn't want to seem like a girl when she played with Dill and Jem. I was pretty amazed to find out she was a girl and i loved the way she acted. Always wanting to follow her older brothers lead and wanting to marry dill.
Boo Radley (the scary man that haunts the town of Maycomb, who never leaves his house and might be dead) fueled the beginning of the book. Lee writes amazingly about children and their comical antics. It reminded me of the way i used to be.
While the town of Maycomb thought Atticus (the children's father) was not fathering his children right, i came to love him. His sence of reasoning and hearing each of the children out before making any rash decisions. He was always so calm no matter what happened and could never be seen without reading. he was an intelligent man that the town should have looked up to instead of looking down on him. He let his children do what they wanted, but for their own good. With this freedom the children could learn right from wrong (of course with guidance) and be who they wanted.
To Kill a Mockingbird is also about the hypocrisy that faces us. During the middle of the book it is brought to Scout's attention by her teacher that it is wrong to kill Jews because they are so law abiding, faithful and help out their communities so well, but Scout wonders why her teacher could feel this way about Jews and not feel this way about blacks.
This novel reaffirmed my appreciation for how far we have come with civil rights. The book does not only deal with this, but it is a strong vaild point. In order to get where we are now (and we still have a long way to go) we needed people in communities like Atticus who would take the looks and stares from his neighbors in order to defend what he thought was right. He defended a black man when the town said he shouldn't have just so he was able to look in his children's eyes. He wanted them to see that everyone is equal and sometimes the right thing is the hardest thing to do.
OVERALL: To kill a mockingbird is a novel everyone should read. Its wit and humor make the message of this book even more brighter to see. While i did not find this book suspensful till the end (which i must add had a GREAT ending) i found myself wanting to turn each page because i was enjoying myself while reading about the city of Maycomb. Lee makes you feel as though you live right next to the Fitch's and are sitting on your portch watching the summer days go by.