A town learns a lesson in reality and injustice while one little girl's life changes forever
Reviewed by: Beth Williams
It’s a sin to kill a mockingbird. Scout Finch learns that lesson early in her life, but it takes tragedy and a near death experience for her to realize that what you see isn’t always what you get.
Scout’s a happy girl, happiest when she’s in her overalls and outside playing with her older brother, Jem, and her best friend Dill, who has sworn he will marry her when they grow up. The trio is passionately consumed by the old Radley house. Surrounded by myths and folklore, the Radley clan is rarely seen, but Boo Radley is the most illusive of the family. Townsfolk tell tales of his lurking the dark streets throughout the night, peaking into windows, and of attacking his father with scissors. The neighborhood kids are deathly afraid of him, and no one dares go near his house. Jem has gotten close, right up close, in fact, after Dill challenged him to run and touch the front of the Radley house. But, no one has ever been inside, and Jem, Dill and Scout have never even seen Boo.
Childhood passes blissfully—as childhood should—until one year it is sharply stolen from Scout when her father, Atticus, is appointed to defend Tom Robinson, a local black man accused of raping a white girl. The whole town is in an uproar, and Atticus and his client are at the end of their fury. It is during the time leading to the trial that Scout’s Aunt Alexandra has decided it will be best to stay with the family since they do, of course, need a "mother-figure." Scout balks at this idea, knowing that she will have to endure countless reprimands for not being a lady. Aunt Alexandra and Scout immediately come to odds almost over everything, but it is when she forbids Scout from going to Calpurnia's (the family's housekeeper) house that Scout becomes most upset.
Scout must not only learn to deal with the demeaning comments of her fellow classmates and the whispers about her father from the townspeople, but she must deal with the crude remarks from her own family as well. During what should have been a joyous Christmas celebration, Scout's foul-mouthed cousin, Francis, starts picking on Scout, calling her father cruel names. Scout defends her father's honor, as she does many times, but in the end, her attempts are only in vain.
The trial of Tom Robinson occupies the towns' every conversation until the trial date begins. While the prosecution puts on a flimsy case, Atticus fights for Tom Robinson's rights, remaining true to his ethics and morals. He builds a case that would give any rational person on the jury reasonable doubt--in fact, more than reasonable doubt. But, Tom Robinson's jury is made up of white folks, certainly not a jury of his peers, and things end as one would expect with a few tragic twists and turns.
After the Robinson case is finally over, death almost grabs Scout. It is during one frightening yet life changing moment that Scout will come to learn that judging people before she knows the real story just doesn't make much sense. The experience will bring her face-to-face with Boo Radley, and perhaps it is in that moment, Scout Finch grows up.
"To Kill A Mockingbird" is just one of those books that you'll want to read over and over again. Harper Lee has created such vivid characters that they become real people with whom we can relate and we can share their anger and their pain. Sure, that all sounds cliche. I know it does, but "To Kill A Mockingbird" is just one of the best reads you'll ever enjoy. Pick it up and read it. If you've already read it but it's been awhile, read it again. With every read, you'll always discover something new and unique.
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It’s a sin to kill a mockingbird. Scout Finch learns that lesson early in her life, but it takes tragedy and a near death experience for her to realize that what you see isn’t always what you get.