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To Kill a Mockingbird: Book Review, Summary & Analysis

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Introduction: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - Book Review, Summary & Analysis

Book:  to kill a mockingbird.

• Author: Harper Lee
• Publisher: Harper Collins
• Publication Year: 1960
• Binding: Paperback  

About the Author: Harper Lee  

Excerpts from the original text

There is no need to say everything you know. That's not a lady-besides, people don't like people around them who know more than they do. That will annoy them. No matter how correct you are, you can't change these people. Unless they want to learn, there is no way. You either close your mouth or use their language. —— Quoted from page 153.

Short Comment

Book Summary

Book review & analysis.

"The life that has not read this book is really different from the life after reading it." 

• How to get along with others? 
• How to handle complex interpersonal relationships in an honest manner? 
• How to be a friendly but self-persistent person? 

Main Storyline

How to get along with others?

• The reason why we don't get along well with a certain person (or a certain type of person) is that we disagree with this person's behavior style, and thus produce an overall negation of this person.
• If we always look at others from our own perspective, it is difficult to understand why others have such "weird" behavior;
• "Standing from the point of view of others": It is not simply imagining yourself as the other party, and guessing based on your own experience. It is to "get into someone else's body and wander around", which means that you have to really understand the person's past background and experience. If you still use your own experience to judge what this person is doing, you will not be able to achieve true transposition.
• If you have not been able to "get into someone else's body and wander around", at least, you should have such a belief in others: "After you finally understand them, you will find that most people are good people. ". This sentence is the last sentence that Father Atticus told Scott in the book. I think it is simply a well-known saying. Before we did not understand other people, at least we can first understand that "other people's actions are justified".

How to deal with dissent?

"Even if you didn't do those pranks, I would still let you read to Mrs. Du Boss to accompany her because I want you to take a good look at her. This is the bravest person I have ever seen. What did she explain? called the real courage. courage gas on hand is not a man with a gun. courage is when you embark on the field before you know you will be Tongzou meal, but you still on the field, and no matter what happens, you Persevere till the end. Most of the time you will fail, but sometimes, you will also succeed."

How to stick to yourself?

"Sometimes, I feel that I am a failure to be a parent, but I am everything they have. When Jim looks up to others, he looks up first. It’s me, I want to live upright so that I can face him calmly..."

"You may hear some bad comments in school, but please do one thing for me: raise your head and lower your fists. No matter what others say to you, don't get angry. Try to fight with your head. Don't because We had already failed for a hundred years before that, and though we had no reason to fight for victory."

"Be sensible about despicable things, and when things pass, you can look back with sympathy and understanding, and be grateful for not disappointing people at the time. When most people think they are right and you are wrong Of course, they have the right to think so, and their views are also entitled to be fully respected. But before they can get along with others, they must first get along. There is one thing that cannot follow the principle of conformity, and that is the conscience of people."

Self-photography in the mirror

"Uh, coming out of the court that night, Miss Gates-she walked in front of us when she descended the steps, you must have not seen her-she was talking to Miss Stephenson. I heard her say: It's time to teach them. They are becoming less and less aware of their identities. Will they think that they can marry us in the next step. Jim, a man who hates Hitler so much, is so vicious to the people of his hometown when he turns his face?"

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Lots of People Love ‘To Kill a Mockingbird.’ Roxane Gay Isn’t One of Them.

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By Roxane Gay

• June 18, 2018

WHY ‘TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD’ MATTERS What Harper Lee’s Book and the Iconic American Film Mean to Us Today By Tom Santopietro 305 pp. St. Martin’s Press. $26.99.

“To Kill a Mockingbird” is a book for which a great many people harbor reverence and nostalgia. I am not one of those people. Jean Louise “Scout” Finch, the narrator of Harper Lee’s coming-of-age novel set in the Depression-era South, tells the story of how her lawyer father, Atticus, defended Tom Robinson, a black man who has been falsely accused of raping a white woman in the fictional Alabama town of Maycomb. By the end of the novel, Robinson has been murdered while trying to escape prison. Scout has lost her innocence; for the first time, she truly understands the racial dynamics of her environment.

I don’t find “To Kill a Mockingbird” to be particularly engaging. There are moments throughout the narrative that are exquisitely drawn, and I appreciate Lee’s dry wit and intelligence. On the novel’s first page, she writes, “Being Southerners, it was a source of shame to some members of the family that we had no recorded ancestors on either side of the Battle of Hastings.” That one line says so much about the Finch family, the South and its ongoing relationship to the past. Scout is a memorable character, but such depth rarely extends to the others. Atticus is written as the platonic ideal of a father and crusader for justice. The black characters — Robinson and the family’s housekeeper, Calpurnia — are mostly there as figures onto which the white people around them can project various thoughts and feelings. They are narrative devices, not fully realized human beings.

The “n word” is used liberally throughout and there are some breathtaking instances of both casual and outright racism. The book is a “product of its time,” sure, so let me just say that said time and the people who lived in it were plain terrible. As for the story, I can take it or leave it. Perhaps I am ambivalent because I am black. I am not the target audience. I don’t need to read about a young white girl understanding the perniciousness of racism to actually understand the perniciousness of racism. I have ample firsthand experience.

Which brings us to “Why ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ Matters,” by Tom Santopietro, whose title makes the bold claim that Lee’s classic has endured over the past 58 years because it offers a message that stands the test of time. The book’s continued popularity, and the success of the author’s only other published work, “Go Set a Watchman,” certainly support this claim. Santopietro’s book, however, does not.

The title is misleading. I expected this text to offer a complex and sustained argument about the merits of the novel itself . Instead, much of the book is given over to a biography of Nelle Harper Lee and an extremely detailed history of the making of the 1962 movie. Some light literary analysis is thrown in for good measure. Never does this book take chances or make a persuasive argument for why “To Kill a Mockingbird” matters to anyone but white people who inexplicably still do not understand the ills of racism, and seemingly need this book to show them the light.

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'To Kill a Mockingbird' Overview

• B.A., English, Rutgers University

To Kill a Mockingbird is a searing portrayal of racial prejudice, justice, and innocence lost in a complex mixture of childish naiveté and mature observation. The novel explores the meaning of justice, the loss of innocence, and the realization that a place can be both a beloved childhood home and a source of evil.

Fast Facts: To Kill a Mockingbird

• Author : Harper Lee
• Publisher : J.B. Lippincott & Co.
• Year Published : 1960
• Genre : Fiction
• Type of Work : Novel
• Original Language : English
• Themes : Prejudice, justice, innocence
• Characters : Scout Finch, Atticus Finch, Jem Finch, Tom Robinson, Calpurnia
• Notable Adaptation : 1962 film adaptation starring Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch

Plot Summary

Scout Finch lives with her father, a lawyer and widower by the name of Atticus, and her brother, a young boy named Jem. The first part of To Kill a Mockingbird tells of one summer. Jem and Scout play, make new friends, and first learn of a shadowy figure by the name of Boo Radley, who lives in a neighboring house yet is never seen.

A young Black man named Tom Robinson is accused of raping a white woman. Atticus takes on the case, despite the vitriol this arouses in the largely white, racist townsfolk. When the time of the trial comes around, Atticus proves that the girl that Tom Robinson is accused of raping actually seduced him, and that the injuries to her face were caused by her father, angry that she had tried to sleep with a Black man. The all-white jury nevertheless convicts Robinson and he is later killed by a mob while trying to escape from jail.

The girl's father, who holds a grudge against Atticus because of some of the things he said in court, waylays Scout and Jem as they walk home one night. They are saved by the mysterious Boo, who disarms their attacker and kills him.

Major Characters

Scout Finch. Jean Louise "Scout" Finch is the narrator and main character of the novel. Scout is a "tomboy" who rejects traditional feminine roles and trappings. Scout initially believes that there is always a clear right and wrong in every situation; as she grows older, she begins to understand more about the world around her and begins to value reading and education more.

Atticus Finch. Scout’s widower father is an attorney. Atticus is a bit of an iconoclast. He values education and indulges his children, trusting their judgment despite their young age. He is an intelligent, moral man who believes strongly in the rule of law and the necessity of blind justice.

Jem Finch. Jeremy Atticus "Jem" Finch is Scout’s older brother. He is protective of his status and often uses his superior age to force Scout to do things his way. He has a rich imagination and an energetic approach to life, but displays difficulty dealing with other people who do not rise to his standard.

Boo Radley. A troubled recluse who lives next door to the Finches (but never leaves the house), Boo Radley is the subject of many rumors. Boo naturally fascinates the Finch children, and displays affection and kindness towards them, ultimately rescuing them from danger.

Tom Robinson. Tom Robinson is a Black man who supports his family by working as a field hand despite having a crippled left arm. He is charged with the rape of a white woman, and Atticus defends him.

Major Themes

Maturation. Scout and Jem are frequently confused about the motivations and reasoning of the adults around them. Lee explores the way that growing up and maturing into adults makes the world clearer while also less magical and more difficult, ultimately connecting racism with childish fears that adults ought not to experience.

Prejudice. Lee explores the effects of prejudice of all kinds—racism, classism, and sexism. Lee makes it clear that racism is inextricably linked to economics, politics, and self-image. Sexism is explored in the novel through Scout and her constant battle to engage in behaviors she finds interesting instead of "appropriate" behaviors for a girl.

Justice and Morality. In the earlier parts of the novel, Scout believes that morality and justice are the same thing. Tom Robinson’s trial and her observation of her father’s experiences teach her that there is often a stark difference between what is right and what is legal.

Literary Style

The novel utilizes subtly layered narration; it can be easy to forget that the story is actually being told by the adult Jenna Louise and not the 6-year old Scout. Lee also restricts the point-of-view to Scout's direct observations, creating an air of mystery for the reader that mimics the childish sense of not quite understanding what all the adults are up to.

About the Author

Harper Lee was born in 1926 in Monroeville, Alabama. She published To Kill a Mockingbird in 1960 to instant acclaim, winning the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. She then worked with her friend Truman Capote on what would become Capote’s "nonfiction novel," In Cold Blood . Lee retreated from public life afterwards, granting few interviews and making almost no public appearances—and publishing almost no new material. She passed away in 2016 at the age of 89.

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News, Notes, Talk

Read the very first reviews of To Kill a Mockingbird .

Sixty-three years ago today, a young Alabama writer by the name of Nelle Harper Lee published her debut novel: a Southern Gothic-adjacent bildungsroman about racial injustice and familial love in the American South.

In the months leading up to publication, Lee’s editors at Lippincott were keen to manage expectations, telling the author that her novel would probably sell only a few thousand copies.

Things, as we now know, played out a little differently.

Indisputably one of the best-loved American stories of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird has been translated into more than forty languages, sold more than forty million copies worldwide, served as the basis for an Oscar-winning film starring Gregory Peck, and consistently been voted one of the best novels of the twentieth century by librarians across the country. It has also become one of the country’s most frequently challenged and banned books .

To mark this publication anniversary, here’s a look back at the very first reviews of To Kill a Mockingbird .

You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.

“In her first novel, Harper Lee writes with gentle affection, rich humor, and deep understanding of small-town family life in Alabama … Macomb has its share of eccentrics and evil-doers but Miss Lee has not tried to satisfy the current lust for morbid, grotesque tales of Southern depravity … The dialogue of Miss Lee’s refreshingly varied characters is a constant delight in its authenticity and swift revelation of personality. The events connecting the Finches with the Ewell-Robinson lawsuit develop quietly and logically, unifying the plot and dramatizing the author’s level-headed plea for interracial understanding … it is no disparagement of Miss Lee’s winning book to say that it could be the basis of an excellent film.”

–The New York Times Book Review , July 10, 1960

“All the magic and truth that might seem deceptive or exaggerated in a factual account of a small town unfold beautifully in a new first novel called To Kill a Mockingbird . At a time when so many machine-tooled novels are simply documentaries disguised behind a few fictional changes, it is pleasing to recommend a book that shows what a novelist can accomplish with quite familiar situations … To Kill A Mockingbird opens the chrysalis of childhood quietly and dramatically … Miss Lee’s characters are people to cherish in this winning first novel by a fresh writer with something significant to say, south and north.”

– The New York Times , July 13, 1960

“Clearly, Scout Finch is no ordinary five-year-old girl—and not only because she amuses herself by reading the financial columns of the Mobile Register , but because her nine-year-old brother Jem allows her to tag along when he and Dill Harris try to make Boo Radley come out.

Boo is the Radley son who has not shown his face outside the creaky old family house for 30 years and more, probably because he has ‘shy ways,’ but possibly—an explanation the children much prefer—because his relatives have chained him to his bed. Dill has the notion that Boo might be lured out if a trail of lemon drops were made to lead away from his doorstep. Scout and Jem try a midnight invasion instead, and this stirs up so much commotion that Jem loses his pants skittering back under the fence.

Scout and her brother live in Maycomb, Alabama, where every family that amounts to anything has a streak—a peculiar streak, or a morbid streak, or one involving a little ladylike tippling at Lydia Pinkham bottles filled with gin. The Finch family streak is a good deal more serious—it is an overpowering disposition toward sanity. This is the flaw that makes Jem interrupt the boasting of a lineage-proud dowager to ask ‘Is this the Cousin Joshua who was locked up for so long?’ And it is what compels Lawyer Atticus Finch, the children’s father, to defend a Negro who is charged with raping a white woman. The rape trial, Jem’s helling, and even Boo Radley are deeply involved in the irregular and very effective education of Scout Finch. By the time she ends her first-person account at the age of nine, she has learned that people must be judged, but only slowly and thoughtfully.

Author Lee, 34, an Alabaman, has written her first novel with all of the tactile brilliance and none of the preciosity generally supposed to be standard swamp-warfare issue for Southern writers. The novel is an account of an awakening to good and evil, and a faint catechistic flavor may have been inevitable. But it is faint indeed; novelist Lee’s prose has an edge that cuts through cant, and she teaches the reader an astonishing number of useful truths about little girls and about Southern life. (A notable one: ‘Naming people after Confederate generals makes slow steady drinkers.’) All in all, Scout Finch is fiction’s most appealing child since Carson McCullers’ Frankie got left behind at the wedding.”

– TIME , August 1, 1960

“Almost all the elements of the ‘southern’ novel are to be found somewhere or other in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, but they seem to wear a look of innocence, an aura of freshness, as if we were encountering them for the very first time … there are memorable moments in this story, some vivid and candid portraits in black and white, a gentle, persuasive humor, and a glowing goodness in the central figures. There is a timelessness about them and Miss Lee’s novel leaves one feeling that they will prevail in the difficult and painful adjustments the South must inevitably make. At least one has hope, and is grateful for it.”

–The Los Angeles Times , August 7, 1960

“Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird is sugar-water served with humor … It is frankly and completely impossible, being told in the first person by a six-year-old girl with the prose style of a well-educated adult. Miss Lee has, to be sure, made an attempt to confine the information in the text to what Scout would actually know, but it is no more than a casual gesture toward plausibility … A variety of adults, mostly eccentric in Scout’s judgment, and a continual bubble of incident make To Kill A Mockingbird pleasant, undemanding reading.”

–The Atlantic , August, 1960

“…a wonderfully absorbing story … [it] will come under some fire in the Deep South … The fact is simply that she has written a wonderfully absorbing story, unencumbered by either of the gimmicks—the bedroom or bestiality—which are supposed to be the only things that sell fiction today.”

–The Mobile Press-Register , 1960

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To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

The Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, 1961

Author: Harper Lee

Publisher: J. B. Lippincott & Co.

Genre: Bildungsroman, Historical Fiction

First Publication: 1960

Language:  English

Major Characters: Scout Finch, Atticus Finch, Jem Finch, Arthur Radley, Mayella Ewell, Aunt Alexandra, Bob Ewell, Calpurnia (housekeeper), Tom Robinson, Miss Maudie Atkinson, Judge John Taylor, Dill Harris, Heck Tate, Stephanie Crawford

Setting Place: The fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama during the Great Depression

Theme:  Community and Convention, Female Sexuality and Friendship, Faith, Suffering, and God’s Will, Science and Superstition, Justice and Judgment

Narrator:  First person

Book Summary: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

The unforgettable novel of a childhood in a sleepy Southern town and the crisis of conscience that rocked it, To Kill A Mockingbird became both an instant bestseller and a critical success when it was first published in 1960. It went on to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and was later made into an Academy Award-winning film, also a classic.

Compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee takes readers to the roots of human behavior – to innocence and experience, kindness and cruelty, love and hatred, humor and pathos.

Now with over 18 million copies in print and translated into forty languages, this regional story by a young Alabama woman claims universal appeal. Harper Lee always considered her book to be a simple love story. Today it is regarded as a masterpiece of American literature.

Book Review: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

With endless books and infinitely more to be written in the future, it is rare occasion that I take the time to reread a novel. And this time it’s To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, a timeless classic. The first time I read this I was much, much younger and I remember loving it then. Over fifteen years later, it still held so much for me – wonderful language and characters that I never forgot about, profound themes explored , and relevancy even so many years later. Harper Lee is one of the best female authors.

The story in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is told from the point of view of Scout (Jean-Louise Finch), a six year old girl , through various events that happen in the town of Maycomb and in particular, the court case of Tom Robinson as her father Atticus Finch acts as Tom’s defence lawyer. Tom, a black man who has been accused of raping a young white woman, has to endure multiple racial attacks. Atticus, widely described as the “most enduring fictional image of racial heroism”, describes the events to Scout so that she sees that all people should be treated equally.

“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”

The narrator of this story is young tomboy Jean Louise (Scout), and her observations of Maycomb and people’s behavior are simple, honest, and visually very rich. I had no problem picturing Scout, Jem and Dill’s childish efforts to draw Boo Radley out of his house, or Calpurnia taking the kids to a colored church.

But when, after 128 pages, the court case begins and the plot really becomes intriguing, you immediately feel a rise in tension and excitement. Here Jem and Atticus become the main characters instead of Scout because they are more aware of the risks and importance of the case, although Scout’s moment with the mob was heartwrenchingly beautiful in it’s innocence.

“People generally see what they look for, and hear what they listen for.”

The last part of the book was less tense but never dull: it was important to show the aftermath and the effects of the case on different class – and races – of people to convey the impact of Atticus’ actions. Because back in 1935 and even now, in our current political situation, standing up for what’s right while the majority is against you, is an incredible brave and difficult thing to do.

One thing especially about this story that stood out to me, are the interesting gender roles in this book. We have Atticus who isn’t only presented as an amazing father but also as a great male character, because he’s patient, courteous, clever…but not traditionally masculine. In contrast with Bob Ewell, the main antagonist, Atticus isn’t physically strong, doesn’t use strong language, and hates violence (example: he keeps his shooting skills a secret from his children).

“The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.”

His sister, aunt Alexandra, is a very traditional female figure who wants Scout to behave more ‘lady like’, and because Scout doesn’t like her (at first), we as readers dislike her too. Acting as her opposites are Calpurnia and Miss Maudie, who neither show traditional feminine characteristics like politeness and charm, but both are presented as good and right.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a well-loved book for many good reasons, but I was very surprised by its diverse male and female characters, who make this story even richer than it already is.

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TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

by Harper Lee ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 11, 1960

A first novel, this is also a first person account of Scout's (Jean Louise) recall of the years that led to the ending of a mystery, the breaking of her brother Jem's elbow, the death of her father's enemy — and the close of childhood years. A widower, Atticus raises his children with legal dispassion and paternal intelligence, and is ably abetted by Calpurnia, the colored cook, while the Alabama town of Maycomb, in the 1930's, remains aloof to their divergence from its tribal patterns. Scout and Jem, with their summer-time companion, Dill, find their paths free from interference — but not from dangers; their curiosity about the imprisoned Boo, whose miserable past is incorporated in their play, results in a tentative friendliness; their fears of Atticus' lack of distinction is dissipated when he shoots a mad dog; his defense of a Negro accused of raping a white girl, Mayella Ewell, is followed with avid interest and turns the rabble whites against him. Scout is the means of averting an attack on Atticus but when he loses the case it is Boo who saves Jem and Scout by killing Mayella's father when he attempts to murder them. The shadows of a beginning for black-white understanding, the persistent fight that Scout carries on against school, Jem's emergence into adulthood, Calpurnia's quiet power, and all the incidents touching on the children's "growing outward" have an attractive starchiness that keeps this southern picture pert and provocative. There is much advance interest in this book; it has been selected by the Literary Guild and Reader's Digest; it should win many friends.

Pub Date: July 11, 1960

ISBN: 0060935464

Page Count: 323

Publisher: Lippincott

Review Posted Online: Oct. 7, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 1960

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A LITTLE LIFE

by Hanya Yanagihara ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 10, 2015

The phrase “tour de force” could have been invented for this audacious novel.

Four men who meet as college roommates move to New York and spend the next three decades gaining renown in their professions—as an architect, painter, actor and lawyer—and struggling with demons in their intertwined personal lives.

Yanagihara ( The People in the Trees , 2013) takes the still-bold leap of writing about characters who don’t share her background; in addition to being male, JB is African-American, Malcolm has a black father and white mother, Willem is white, and “Jude’s race was undetermined”—deserted at birth, he was raised in a monastery and had an unspeakably traumatic childhood that’s revealed slowly over the course of the book. Two of them are gay, one straight and one bisexual. There isn’t a single significant female character, and for a long novel, there isn’t much plot. There aren’t even many markers of what’s happening in the outside world; Jude moves to a loft in SoHo as a young man, but we don’t see the neighborhood change from gritty artists’ enclave to glitzy tourist destination. What we get instead is an intensely interior look at the friends’ psyches and relationships, and it’s utterly enthralling. The four men think about work and creativity and success and failure; they cook for each other, compete with each other and jostle for each other’s affection. JB bases his entire artistic career on painting portraits of his friends, while Malcolm takes care of them by designing their apartments and houses. When Jude, as an adult, is adopted by his favorite Harvard law professor, his friends join him for Thanksgiving in Cambridge every year. And when Willem becomes a movie star, they all bask in his glow. Eventually, the tone darkens and the story narrows to focus on Jude as the pain of his past cuts deep into his carefully constructed life.  

Pub Date: March 10, 2015

ISBN: 978-0-385-53925-8

Page Count: 720

Publisher: Doubleday

Review Posted Online: Dec. 21, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2015

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by Hanya Yanagihara

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THE CATCHER IN THE RYE

by J.D. Salinger ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 15, 1951

A strict report, worthy of sympathy.

A violent surfacing of adolescence (which has little in common with Tarkington's earlier, broadly comic, Seventeen ) has a compulsive impact.

"Nobody big except me" is the dream world of Holden Caulfield and his first person story is down to the basic, drab English of the pre-collegiate. For Holden is now being bounced from fancy prep, and, after a vicious evening with hall- and roommates, heads for New York to try to keep his latest failure from his parents. He tries to have a wild evening (all he does is pay the check), is terrorized by the hotel elevator man and his on-call whore, has a date with a girl he likes—and hates, sees his 10 year old sister, Phoebe. He also visits a sympathetic English teacher after trying on a drunken session, and when he keeps his date with Phoebe, who turns up with her suitcase to join him on his flight, he heads home to a hospital siege. This is tender and true, and impossible, in its picture of the old hells of young boys, the lonesomeness and tentative attempts to be mature and secure, the awful block between youth and being grown-up, the fright and sickness that humans and their behavior cause the challenging, the dramatization of the big bang. It is a sorry little worm's view of the off-beat of adult pressure, of contemporary strictures and conformity, of sentiment….

Pub Date: June 15, 1951

ISBN: 0316769177

Page Count: -

Publisher: Little, Brown

Review Posted Online: Nov. 2, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1951

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by J.D. Salinger

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Milam's Musings

“all you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”.

• Posted on June 29, 2024

Book Review: To Kill a Mockingbird

Spoilers! (lol)

To paraphrase Ta-Nehisi Coates, there is beauty in the struggle — sometimes, to struggle is all we can do, and truth be told, it’s more than most offer. Not that it assuages our sense of injustice, the breadth of it all, but if there weren’t Atticus Finches of the world struggling against it, then we’d be a lot worse off than we are. I’ve finally read Harper Lee’s seminal classic, 1960’s To Kill a Mockingbird , and it’s revelatory as a coming-of-age story — the shattering of innocence, i.e., to “kill a mockingbird,” who merely wants to sing for us — but it’s also a deeply resonate love story, of a father who aches to look his two children square in the eye with a clean conscience in a world replete with dirtying it.

To Kill a Mockingbird is told from the point-of-view of Atticus’ daughter of around 7, Jean Louise, who goes by Scout, who is bucking societal expectations herself as someone who belies the delicacies, desires, and manners of a “lady.” Set in the 1933-1935 Great Depression era Alabama in the fictional town of Maycomb, Scout comes to realize that fellow children and the townsfolk see her father as a “nigger lover” because he’s a defense lawyer defending Tom Robinson, a Black man accused of raping a white woman. Those are fighting words for Scout, not because she (at that point) has affection for Black people, but because she can ascertain the invective of the phrase and is defending Atticus’ honor.

Meanwhile, like the classic perspective of children in a small town, there is a small town boogeyman, Boo Radley, who is said to be deranged, snacks on cats and squirrels at night, and has been locked in the Radley house for decades. Scout, her older brother, Jem, and their friend, Dill, become enthralled with dragging Boo Radley out of his place. They want to see what he looks like. Their attempts don’t work, and even turn dangerous when Radley’s father attempts to shoot Jem, thinking Jem a “Negro.”

Back to the Robinson case, a group of white men form a mob intent on tearing Robinson out of the county jail and lynching him. Scout, Jem, and Dill happen across the scene when seeking out Atticus, and Scout recognizes one of the men immersed within the violent mob. Her plain talking to him is able to dissuade the mob from violence on that night. But think of it. A man who knows Atticus well was willing to initiate violence against him merely because he stood in the way of their ultimate violent desires. Such is how dangerous the mob mentality is, and the hatred wrought by racism.

Atticus is clear-eyed about the Robinson case, though. While he knows Robinson is innocent, and he’s going to give the most steadfast defense he can proffer, he also knows he can’t overcome the racism embedded in the hearts of the white men of the town (and indeed, men, because women weren’t allowed on the jury). An exchange between Atticus and Scout elucidates this point and it’s why I started out paraphrasing Coates about the “beautiful struggle.”

“Atticus, are we going to win it?”

“No, honey.”

“Then why—”

“Simply because were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win,” Atticus said.

That’s everything. When you’re morally right and righteousness, and you know the odds are against you, that you are perhaps even a minority of one, that you were “licked” before you started, you start and try anyway precisely because it is the right thing to do. To struggle against injustice and the wrongness of the thing. The real futility is to acquiesce to the licking. To stay silent. Atticus can’t stand for it, and eventually, as he teaches Scout and Jem through his actions, neither can Scout, Jem, Dill, and even a few others within the town, who I think through Atticus’ example, found their own voices in little ways.

Robinson is accused of raping 19-year-old Mayella, who comes from the Ewell clan, who would in today’s derogatory sense, be known as “white trash.” They live on welfare, the father, Bob, is a drunk, the children go hungry, stay dirty, and skip school. Yet, when you clear away the grime, they’re still white and that counts for more than being Black. So, if a white woman says Robinson raped her, even if it never happened and her injuries occurred because her father, Bob, witnessed her coming onto Robinson and beat her savagely, it doesn’t matter. The outcome was licked the moment Mayella hollered and Bob witnessed it. Robinson is found guilty, then later allegedly tries to escape and is shot and killed.

At first, Scout doesn’t understand a newspaper editorial criticizing the verdict. She thinks justice was done; after all, Robinson had her father’s defense through an open, public jury trial, and was convicted by a jury of 12 people (notably, not his peers). Then, it occurs to her:

“ Atticus had used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson, but in the secret courts of men’s hearts, Atticus had no case.” Agh, Lee with another gut punch. Scout later also questions how her teacher could understandably be aghast at Hitler’s actions toward Jewish people, while also having approved of Robinson’s conviction and that “his kind” had it coming. Which also echoes one of the reasons she can’t bring herself to become a “lady”: the hypocrisy.

Robinson’s conviction and death is not enough for Bob, however, because while he knows the town gave into its racist ways, they were looking down upon him and his clan. He threatens Atticus. He tries to go after the judge. Then, eventually, he tries to murder Jem and Scout on their way back home after a Halloween party. Who comes to their defense, if not Boo Radley, real name Arthur. What a lovely way for Lee to bring that story back around, to show that the children never had anything to fear from Arthur and that they shouldn’t have believed the “othering” of him.

Atticus, Scout, and Jem are instant classic characters, as the two children come-to-age within the world they actually live in, Atticus unwilling to lean into the veneer of “live and let live” one Southerner espouses as a philosophy with race relations. More like, they (white people) want to live, and if they feel like killing a Black person for any reason, they can and nobody ought to interfere with that. Atticus is stoic, steady, and steadfast, his own veneer of his convictions rarely slipping, albeit Scout remarks upon his age and seeing him sweat for the first time in defense of Robinson. He was not infallible, merely a man standing athwart history, at least the microcosm of Maycomb, Alabama, saying, “No.” Scout was scrappy, inquisitive, and full of heart. Jem so clearly idolizes his father and takes the verdict harder perhaps than Atticus did, and even as he ages into a teenager, he still loves and protects his sister.

I feel I could go on and on about Lee’s work here. It hit all my feels: rage, righteous approbation of the path Atticus chose, laughter at the childlike and sibling ways of Jem and Scout, sadness about the plight of the Robinsons of that time, and happiness that even in our darkest of hours, there are Atticus Finches around to provide a light, and to stop the bleeding of generational hate.

If you’ve avoided To Kill a Mockingbird because you think it’ll be unapproachable as a literary “classic,” I would advise against that notion. Again, it reads as a coming-of-age love story, and in that fashion, it is endlessly readable while being abundantly profound.

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To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - review

To Kill a Mockingbird is one of those books that almost everyone reads at some point in their lives. Whether you've been forced to read it at school, or you've had a look because everyone's been urging you to, most people have their own personal experience of reading Mockingbird.

The book is about Atticus Finch, who appears as an unconventional hero and role model due to his morality rather than his physical capabilities. The theme of morals is apparent throughout the whole novel, especially in relation to religion and perception of sin. Take Mrs Dubose, a recovering morphine addict: she vows that she'll die beholden to nothing and nobody. She's pursuing her own dream of being a free human being because she knows deep down that it's right.

To Kill a Mockingbird focuses on that gut instinct of right and wrong, and distinguishes it from just following the law. Even the titular quote: "Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird" is in itself an allegory for this message. Being in itself a generic message, the idea of 'doing what's right' obviously has a different meaning depending on when and where you're reading the book. If you take 1960, when the book was written, America was in a state of ethical development as social inequality was - very - gradually being overcome. Women's rights and black rights movements were beginning to emerge and some campaigned through violence. Would Atticus Finch condone this?

In the 1930s, when the book was set, America was in the midst of the Great Depression. This was a time when economic difficulties meant that the American Dream was receding further and further away. We could consider that Atticus Finch felt that his own dream of an equal, morally decent society was also heading in the wrong direction.

Without denying the constancy of the moral message, and the pure ingenuity of the book, it's still open to debate whether, as with all classics, schoolchildren should be forced to read the novel and go over it page-by-page. The beauty of literature and the reason why I love it so much is that a writer must eventually relinquish the meaning of his or her book. Therefore everyone who reads it can take something out of it which no one has before. I find that a beautiful notion myself, but it seems that looking for these life lessons has become a less and less popular exercise as the years have gone by. Let it not be forgotten that a true piece of literature, like To Kill a Mockingbird, is meaningful in every period and that today, Atticus Finch's message should be heard in the midst of all the global conflicts that we hear of on the news every night.

To think that children are suffering across the world because of a tyrannical regime or an unfair justice system is a depressing notion, and I think a modern Atticus Finch would agree. I don't think he would be comfortable knowing that innocent lives were suffering because of inequality. Atticus would now be defending issues that Harper Lee did not consider when writing the book, such as gay and lesbian rights, because what is at the heart of his character is an acceptance of who people are. That is a moral standpoint that you can hold whoever you are or wherever you are born. Atticus Finch is not xenophobic or homophobic. He's not racist or sexist. He's human and he sees everyone else in the same way. Who knows? Maybe Atticus Finch would even be an animal rights supporter.

Should it be analysed, taught in schools and pulled to pieces? I can't say, but what I will say is I'm not against anyone reading for the sake of reading. I've read many a book which I've enjoyed, put down and never thought about since. But I honestly feel that Mockingbird is a book which should be read, be it in school or in adult life (or both), without complete and utter absorption. It's a book with so many layers of meaning that you can get so much out of it. I for one know that To Kill a Mockingbird is a book that really has changed my life and that every time I go back over it, I find something new that I assimilate into my own code of ethics. Going over it, whilst being an arduous task, was in the long run worth all the time it took, and plenty more besides.

I would really advise picking up a copy of Harper Lee's magnificent novel and giving it a try. Because whatever happens, it will never stop being a good book, and it will never stop inspiring good people.

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Just How Good Is 'To Kill a Mockingbird'?

The novel's slogan-ready ethics have crowded out literary appreciation.

This piece is the second in a three-part series we’ll be publishing this week on Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Lee’s new novel, Go Set a Watchman. Here’s the first installment .

You know about the plot of To Kill a Mockingbird , the two-part architecture: the Wordsworthian childhood sublime of Scout, Jem, and Dill, their summertime beguilement by Boo Radley, followed by Atticus Finch’s defense of the wrongly accused black man Tom Robinson. And you know about the rabid popularity: the novel’s pervasiveness in American middle and high schools, its still yearly robust sales figures, the one-time efforts to ban it—efforts that always achieve the inverse effect. Twain said it: the best way to catapult a book into best-sellerdom is to tell people they can’t have it. And as for that slur against Ms. Lee, “one-hit wonder”: most novelists are no-hit wonders.

The narration of Mockingbird belongs to the adult Jean Louise Finch; the eyes, however, belong wholly to the child Scout. Jean Louise Finch is consistently shrewd: “I was confronted with the Impurity of Women doctrine that seemed to preoccupy all clergymen”—with that sentence and others, you see you aren’t dealing with an obedient and blindly pious Southern woman. And Scout: the ceaseless charisma and comedic lean of that little girl. I imagine every reader must have his Scout moment, that satisfying click in the mind, the paragraph or line in which she does or says something, after which he is helplessly hers: He’ll follow her not only to the end of her book but to the end of the earth. For me it happens in chapter seven (a bit later than most, maybe): “The second grade was grim.”

An unsigned Time magazine review in 1960 saw that “Lee’s prose has an edge that cuts through cant,” and that’s well put. Mockingbird is rich with fluvial prose: “The night-crawlers had retired, but ripe chinaberries drummed on the roof when the wind stirred, and the darkness was desolate with the barking of distant dogs.” See the expertly placed and surprising adverb here: “The remains of a picket drunkenly guarded the front yard.” Notice the near onomatopoetic richness of this line: “We bounded down the sidewalk on a spree of sheer relief, leaping and howling.” For a novel of almost 400 pages, it’s blessedly inoculated against common prose germs. There is only the occasional cough of cliché: “snow white,” “ramrod straight,” “blaze of glory.” As some novelists know better than others, keeping paragraphs free of knee-jerk jargon and toneless formulations is the work of round-the-clock vigilance, and Harper Lee has always deserved more applause for the stride of her style.                        

You won’t find much literary comment on Mockingbird , and what does exist doesn’t much care about how Lee carpenters her prose. A smattering of early critics and reviewers were irked by the plot’s bifurcation. The New York Herald Tribune complained: “The charm and wistful humor of the childhood recollections do not foreshadow the deeper, harsher note which pervades the later pages of the book.” That goes out of its way to miss the point, since the first act of the novel is the crucial imaginative prelude to the moral reckoning of the second act: The childhood sublime must be celebrated if its later defacing by adulthood horrors, its asphyxiation by injustice and race hatred, is to have any effect.

Since the appearance of Mockingbird in 1960, some have had a hard time taking it seriously. In a letter to a friend in October of that year, Flannery O’Connor had this to say: “For a child’s book it does all right. It’s interesting that all the folks that are buying it don’t know they’re reading a child’s book. Somebody ought to say what it is.” I’m loath ever to be at odds with Ms. O’Connor, but I’ve got to say: Those lines hit my ear as distinctly bitter. The one word that shows her hand? Buying.

Curiously, those most qualified to comment upon Mockingbird chose not to do so. James Baldwin lived 27 more years after Mockingbird was published and nowhere in his collected essays, and nowhere in any interview I could find, does he see fit even to mention it. Ralph Ellison lived another 34 years after Mockingbird was published and nowhere in his collected essays, all 900 pages of them, does he see fit to mention it either. Edmund Wilson’s final journal, also 900 pages, goes from 1960, the year Mockingbird was published, to 1972, and not a peep. In fact, upon the novel’s publication and in the ensuing decades, the best American critical minds seem not to know that it exists—Granville Hicks, at one time a relevant (albeit Marxist) critic, gave it three short paragraphs in the Saturday Review , and in the 1990s Harold Bloom penned an abbreviated introduction for the Mockingbird installment of his “Modern Critical Interpretations” series. Even Updike, who in five dreadnoughts and one slimmer volume of literary criticism hardly leaves a necessary book untouched by his golden pen, says nothing of it. Capote’s endorsement of his friend’s book read: “Someone rare has written this very fine first novel, a writer with the liveliest sense of life, and the warmest, most authentic humor. A touching book, and so funny, so likable”—a somewhat neutered statement for Capote, redundant if true, and perhaps worth as much as any blurb.

In 1966, a scholar with the unimprovable name of W. J. Stuckey, in a book about Pulitzer-winning novels, impugned Lee for Mockingbird ’s mobilizing of the child’s perspective in an adult’s language, tagging it a “rhetorical trick,” which gives those two terms quite a workout. “Whenever she gets into difficulties with one point of view,” wrote Stuckey, “she switches to the other”—but the point of view doesn’t switch, not in the way Stuckey suggests. As in the early books of Wordsworth’s Prelude , where the child’s vista is crooned in a poet’s tongue, the sophisticated Jean Louise Finch is free to summon and animate the Scout who breathes in her still. I don’t claim that as the ideal execution for a novel, nor that the liabilities of doing so aren’t legion, only that Lee’s method is consistent: There’s no clumsy juggling of the sort Stuckey perceives.

His suspicion is warranted but his diagnosis is wrong: One great flaw of Mockingbird is not an inconsistent point of view, but the fact that Scout can’t be the moral agent of her own story, an honor which goes to her father. That remains one of the pestering inevitabilities of the child-as-protagonist: Morality isn’t yet fully codified because apprehension and language are both constricted, which is precisely why so many child narrators must be cast as prodigies of verbiage and perception.

Scout isn’t cast as that—she’s not a child narrator and she’s not a prodigy. She’s an astute kid who can often apprehend the world’s oscillation from beauty to injustice and back again—and we get most of that apprehension in her dialogue, as we must—but the deepest seeing comes from the adult Jean Louise Finch: It is she who narrates Mockingbird , not her girlhood self, even though that girlhood self is the plot’s kindly tyrant. Harold Bloom puts it this way: “The crises of [Scout’s] book confirm her in her intrinsic strength and goodness, without wounding her sensibility or modifying her view of reality”—there’s the crux of the problem, and a problem not limited to Scout.

In 1957, the title of the book suggested by Lee’s first agent was Atticus , and you have no trouble seeing why: The portrait of Atticus Finch is a hymn of love to Harper Lee’s father, an attorney who in 1919 tried unsuccessfully to defend two black men from charges of murder. If Atticus strikes you as bloodless and wooden, that’s because he’s mostly a walking soapbox for moralistic bromides, incapable of talking to anyone without unburdening himself of some principled platitude. (Stuckey refers to the novel’s “simplistic moral,” to its being “self-consciously cute.”) It’s true that Atticus snaps to life in the courtroom while defending Tom Robinson—and it’s thrilling to watch him work on behalf of truth, even when you know the truth won’t matter—but that’s because the courtroom presents the perfect forum for his naturally grand exhortations.

The book’s superego, Atticus contains equal parts preternatural tolerance and rigid composure; he’s always hyperaware of showing his children all the upstanding ways to behave. Ever sunny toward the organic goodness of humanity—and ever Christic: “I do my best to love everybody,” he tells Scout—Atticus never suspects that his true moral duty might be to marshal an intolerance of intolerance. The day after Scout disperses the lynch mob on the steps of the jail, Atticus tells her and Jem that the leader, Mr. Cunningham, is “basically a good man … he just has his blind spots along with the rest of us.” That good man was about to murder an innocent human being—that’s quite a blind spot. The socially awakened Jem doesn’t let his father get away with such poltroon babble: “Don’t call that a blind spot,” he says. “He’da killed you last night.”

A vigilante and a bigot, Mr. Cunningham is not a good man, and Atticus’s refusal to say so, his refusal to acknowledge how the cretinous turn murderous, amounts to something of an intellectual crime against his children. He has all the right motions of the principled man but none of the fervor, the fed-up disgust required to assault the toxic tropisms of an entire segment of our society, those entrenched inequalities that cause the innocent to suffer. His courage is laudable—and never more so than on the steps of the jail when he blocks the lynch mob from reaching Tom Robinson—but without the stamina of a mobilizing conviction, courage counts for little, a mere gesture. This is part of what Twain means by: “We all live in the protection of certain cowardices which we call our principles.” In Twain’s 1923 essay "The United States of Lyncherdom," an objurgation of the unthinking imitator a human being can be, he writes: "Nothing but the martyr spirit can brave the lynching mob, and cow it and scatter it." If there’s such a thing as a passive martyr, Atticus is it.

Scout is frequently coupled with Huckleberry Finn—Twain’s influence on Lee was paramount—but look instead at Atticus and Huck, because Atticus is the moral nucleus of Mockingbird just as Huck is of his story. Huck's decision not to give up the slave Jim to the authorities, and to consign himself to hellfire as a result, is the transformative moment in American consciousness: After that display of mercy, of moral fearlessness, nothing can ever be the same. So if it's morally feel-good fiction we're looking for, you'd think we could do no better than Huckleberry Finn . But we don't have the same sentimental attachment to Twain's nation-shaking novel as we do to Mockingbird for the simple reason that Twain's book isn't sentimental. What Huck does takes much more courage than what Atticus does: Huck puts his own freedom in jeopardy—Atticus just follows his assignment.

Huckleberry Finn isn't feel-good because it demands action of us: It petitions us for sacrifice, and the typical American would rather not consider that. Mockingbird , meanwhile, doesn't ask us for anything so lofty: Just sit back and be charmed by that little girl, be pleased by the rectitude of her father. Loving and lauding Mockingbird assuages our self-blame, and in doing so, absolves us of responsibility. It feels good, it feels downright correct, to cherish this novel—it feels, come to think of it, rather like an honest day's work. It performs its magic first by suctioning itself to your own nostalgia and then by satisfying your limp conscience: As long as there are Atticuses in the world, all will be well, and you yourself can remain recumbent. We Americans prefer our morality reductive, and so the easily sloganized ethics of Mockingbird were and remain palatable for millions.

The debilitating flaw in Lee's construction of Atticus is having him assigned by the court to defend Tom Robinson rather than having him insist on serving as the innocent man's counsel—not because it’s his profession but because it’s his obligation. He tells Scout: “Every lawyer gets at least one case in his lifetime that affects him personally. This one’s mine, I guess.” Well, all right—but being affected is the least one should expect. Tom Robinson’s dooming by the jury should have shredded the very fabric of Atticus Finch. Where are the spiritual upheavals of this man, the vital defilements of his composure?

"Murder," wrote Graham Greene, "if you are going to treat it seriously at all, is a religious subject," and what are we talking about at the hub of Mockingbird if not murder? Hanged by a mob or hanged by the state, or shot attempting to escape, Tom Robinson is murdered. I’ve never believed the official line saying that Tom Robinson was killed trying to escape from the prison yard. Seventeen bullet wounds aren’t needed to keep a man from climbing a fence. “They didn’t have to shoot him that much,” Atticus says, but undergoes no religious quandary, no spiritual attrition, no weakening of his selfhood: He's dutifully upright and, in the final assessment, perfectly passive. Toni Morrison dismissed the novel as a “white savior” story, except that Atticus fails at saving Tom Robinson.

In the novel’s best known sentiment, Atticus says: “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view … until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” Already in chapter three you see the simplistic and naïve ethos that animates Atticus Finch: That use of “skin” is important, but otherwise, he doesn’t wish to admit that some points of view are pestiferous—they don’t need to be “considered,” they need to be quashed or else people suffer and die.

Jean Louise Finch says: “In the secret courts of men’s hearts Atticus had no case. Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed”—except that those secret inner courts aren’t so secret. When Mr. Raymond, the town’s pretend drunk, appears outside the courthouse with the children, he speaks of “the hell white people give colored folks, without even stopping to think that they’re people, too.” And after the trial, Atticus tell his children this: “There’s something in our world that makes men lose their heads—they couldn’t be fair if they tried. In our courts, when it’s a white man’s word against a black man’s, the white man always wins. They’re ugly, but those are the facts of life.”

As we had to witness recently with George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin, and with Darren Wilson and Michael Brown, those ugly facts from the 1930s have proven their loathsome durability, except in those cases we didn’t have the words of the black men (boys, really) because they’d been shot dead. Go Set a Watchman is being published during a summer when the wounds of Ferguson still suppurate, when the city of Chicago is a weekly hecatomb, when ashes still darken the air of Baltimore, when a South Carolina police officer awaits trial for the on-camera killing of Walter Scott.

It took an imbecilic warp (I will not utter his name) assassinating nine peaceful human beings at a church in Charleston in June for South Carolina’s leaders to sprout a conscience and pack up an omnibigoted and insurrectionist flag—a nauseating cost. That butcher, by the way, repeated the same inherited and scurrilous falsehood that dooms Tom Robinson in Mockingbird : “You rape our women,” he reportedly said before opening fire. In the aftermath of the Charleston disaster, we saw, as we've seen again and again across history, the coming-together of the decent and the loving and the determined—we saw that the depths to which the depraved can sink will always be outshone by the heights to which the humane can rise.

Near the end of Mockingbird , in a line that reveals what she’s known all along, Scout tells her brother: “I think there’s just one kind of folks. Folks.” And Jem says: “I think I’m beginning to understand why Boo Radley’s stayed shut up in the house all this time … it’s because he wants to stay inside”—because it’s hard to be alive, because the world is both too hideous and too sublime for a soul that sensitive.

This is the second part of a three-part series on Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Lee’s new novel, Go Set a Watchman. Read part one here . Check back later this week for part three.

William Giraldi is a contributing editor at the  New Republic .

Book Review: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

When it comes to iconic literature, few books have permeated the global consciousness quite like Harper Lee ‘s 1961 masterpiece, “To Kill a Mockingbird”.

This Pulitzer Prize -winning novel, which offers an unflinching child’s view of race and justice during the Depression-era South, had me riveted from the moment I picked it up. Its unique blend of raw storytelling, cultural commentary, and compelling characters continues to resonate with readers around the world, making it a must-read for anyone with an appreciation for powerful prose.

Book Summary of To Kill a Mockingbird

Set in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the Great Depression, “To Kill a Mockingbird” is narrated by the intelligent and unconventional Scout Finch, who grows from six to nine years old in the course of the novel. Scout and her brother, Jem, are raised by their widowed father, Atticus Finch, a prominent lawyer who instills in them values of empathy and justice.

“To Kill a Mockingbird” is renowned for its sensitive exploration of a child’s awakening to the racism and prejudice prevalent in the American South. It’s a powerful narrative that elegantly captures the complexities of morality, innocence, and the loss thereof, set against the backdrop of a deeply flawed society.

Book Review of To Kill a Mockingbird

“To Kill a Mockingbird” is more than just a book—it’s a cultural milestone. Its gritty depiction of racial prejudice and injustice in the American South offers a poignant commentary on the societal norms of its time. The characters are relatable and real, their struggles a mirror of the greater issues plaguing society.

Through the eyes of Scout, we see the world in its raw, unfiltered form, a world that is as beautiful as it is brutal. The courage of Atticus Finch, who fights against the tide of public opinion to stand up for justice, is inspiring and a timely reminder of the power of conviction and empathy.

To Kill a Mockingbird Rating

Amazon Rating : 4.7/5

About the Author: Harper Lee

Harper Lee , born in Monroeville, Alabama in 1926, is best known for her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “To Kill a Mockingbird”. Her early years were steeped in the rhythms of small-town life, which she later drew upon in her writings. She attended Huntingdon College and later studied law at the University of Alabama. However, her passion for writing led her to move to New York in 1949, where she would write one of the most influential books of the 20th century.

“To Kill a Mockingbird” was her first and, for a long time, her only book. Despite its immediate success, Lee shied away from the limelight and led a largely private life. In 2015, a second novel, “ Go Set a Watchman “, was published, stirring controversy due to its portrayal of an older, more racially bigoted Atticus Finch.

Harper Lee passed away in 2016, but her legacy lives on in the pages of “To Kill a Mockingbird”—a testament to the enduring power of literature to shed light on the darkest aspects of human nature and society.

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To Kill a Mockingbird #1

To kill a mockingbird.

323 pages, Paperback

First published July 11, 1960

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James Baldwin: I don't know what most white people in this country feel. But I can only conclude what they feel from the state of their institutions. I don't know if white Christians hate Negroes or not, but I know we have a Christian church which is white and a Christian church which is black. That says a great deal for me about a Christian nation. [...] I don't know whether the labor unions and their bosses really hate me - that doesn't matter - but I know I'm not [allowed] in their union. I don't know whether the real estate lobby has anything against black people, but I know the real estate lobby is keeping me in the ghetto. I don't know if the board of education hates black people, but I know the textbooks they give my children to read and the schools we have to go to. Now, this is the evidence. You want me to make an act of faith, risking myself, my wife, my woman, my sister, my children on some idealism which you assure me exists in America, which I have never seen.

He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against is really cooperating with it. - Martin Luther King, Jr.

It was times like these when I thought my father, who hated guns and had never been to any wars, was the bravest man who ever lived.

"They're certainly entitled to think that, and they're entitled to full respect for their opinions... but before I can live with other folks I've got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience."

I think there's just one kind of folks. Folks.

People generally see what they look for, and hear what they listen for.

I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.

As you grow older, you’ll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something and don’t you forget it—whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, that white man is trash

Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.

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To kill a mockingbird.

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 27 Reviews
• Kids Say 169 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Classic novel examines American racism and justice.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Harper Lee's 1960 novel To Kill a Mockingbird addresses the terrible impact of racism in America through a little girl's point of view. The story takes place in Depression-era Alabama, in the fictional town of Maycomb, which Lee patterned after her own hometown of Monroeville. The…

Why Age 12+?

A drunk breaks a kid's arm. A man is killed with a knife. Atticus and his childr

Frequent use of "damn," one "bastard," and one "son-of-a-bitch." The "N" word an

Mr. Raymond drinks Coke (though others think it's liquor) and gives some to Dill

Mrs. Dubose is secretly addicted to morphine. A man named Dolphus Raymond is bel

Any Positive Content?

Atticus Finch tells Scout, "You never really understand a person until you consi

Author Harper Lee offers a snapshot of small-town life in Alabama during the 193

Atticus Finch, Jem and Scout's father, courageously defends Tom Robinson in a to

Violence & Scariness

A drunk breaks a kid's arm. A man is killed with a knife. Atticus and his children face down a lynch mob in the middle of the night. Town gossip includes a story about a man stabbing a family member with scissors. A rabid dog is shot in the street. The trial at the center of the story involves a man accused of raping and beating a woman. A prisoner is shot trying to escape.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Frequent use of "damn," one "bastard," and one "son-of-a-bitch." The "N" word and "('N'-word)-lover" is used liberally by some residents of Maycomb as if it's perfectly commonplace, and by others as a weapon.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Mr. Raymond drinks Coke (though others think it's liquor) and gives some to Dill. Jem eats a Tootsie Roll.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Mrs. Dubose is secretly addicted to morphine. A man named Dolphus Raymond is believed to be the town drunk, because he drinks something hidden in a paper bag, but it turns out to be a bottle of Coca-Cola. Bob Ewell is said to spend his relief checks on green whiskey, letting his children go hungry. Scout smells stale whiskey on a man's breath.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Messages

Atticus Finch tells Scout, "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view -- until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."

Educational Value

Author Harper Lee offers a snapshot of small-town life in Alabama during the 1930s, including views about race and some information about events taking place in Europe leading up to world War II. Readers will also learn about 1930s gender roles, education, and divisions created by economic status.

Positive Role Models

Atticus Finch, Jem and Scout's father, courageously defends Tom Robinson in a town where racial prejudice is firmly entrenched. He risks not only public disapproval but also his own safety to make sure Tom receives as fair a trial as possible. He imparts many lessons to his children verbally, but his actions speak loudest, teaching them empathy, and to judge people by their actions rather than by the color of their skin.

Parents need to know that Harper Lee 's 1960 novel To Kill a Mockingbird addresses the terrible impact of racism in America through a little girl's point of view. The story takes place in Depression-era Alabama, in the fictional town of Maycomb, which Lee patterned after her own hometown of Monroeville. The narrator, 6-year-old Scout Finch, and her brother Jem and their friend Dill play children's games, but they also have a clear view of the adults in their world. Their youth and innocence contrasts with the prejudice, cruelty, and poverty they often observe. There's some threatened and real violence in this Pulitzer Prize winner: A man breaks a child's arm; a rabid dog is shot and killed; there is a stabbing death; the children and their father, Atticus Finch, confront a lynch mob; and the court case at the center of the novel involves a Black man who's been accused of raping and beating a white woman. Some of this violence is whiskey-fueled, as well. Profanity includes "damn," "bastard," and "son-of-a-bitch." The "N" word and "('N'-word)-lover" is used liberally by some residents of Maycomb as if it's perfectly commonplace, and by others as a weapon. The children in the novel learn powerful lessons about the impact of poverty and prejudice, and the importance of empathy, and so will those who read this classic. The 1962 film version starring Gregory Peck is one of those rare films that truly does justice to the original book. The audiobook read by Sissy Spacek is also note-perfect.

Where to Read

Parent and kid reviews.

• Parents say (27)
• Kids say (169)

Based on 27 parent reviews

So many levels to enjoy this book

What's the story.

Growing up in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the Great Depression, Scout Finch -- the narrator of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD -- and her brother, Jem, are being raised by their widowed father, Atticus. Some interesting characters live on their street, both seen and unseen. Dill Harris comes to stay with Scout and Jem's next-door neighbor Rachel Haverford every summer, and the three children develop a close friendship. Elderly Mrs. Dubose shouts insults at the neighbors from her porch. Miss Maudie offers the children friendly advice and baked goods. The young Finches are scared of the Radleys' house, as creepy stories are circulated about Mr. Radley and his sons, especially Arthur, also known as Boo. The children enjoy re-enacting make-believe versions of the stories they've heard about Boo. Scout goes through some growing pains in the story, as her first day of school goes poorly and Jem becomes less willing to play with his little sister. Atticus encourages his daughter to exhibit empathy and patience with others, and he warns both his children that tough times may be coming to their little family; they may hear things that upset them, and he wants them to keep cool. The children learn that Atticus, an attorney, has taken the case of a Black man who has been accused of raping and beating a White woman. The events that unfold surrounding the trial and its aftermath teach the children a lot about their father's inner strength and wisdom, and the effects of racism and poverty on their community.

Is It Any Good?

Told through the eyes of a child, Harper Lee's magnum opus may seem to take a simplistic point of view, but Scout's world is rich and complex. And the author doesn't stint when it comes to the realities Black people face in a racist society -- and the pressures that poverty puts on the Maycomb community. All of that said, Lee's story is about a White family and is told from a White perspective. The reader learns much about the history of the Finch family and very little about Tom Robinson's life other than what's revealed through Scout and her father. This is a beautifully written book, with important lessons to teach, but readers should also be encouraged to read great writing by Black Americans, such as Richard Wright and Toni Morrison .

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the prejudice exhibited by some characters in To Kill a Mockingbird . Could this story take place today? How have American attitudes about race changed since the 1930s? How have they remained the same?

This story is told through the eyes of a little girl. What does the author achieve by making Scout the narrator? How does this affect the way the story unfolds?

What does Boo Radley represent in the story? Why do you think the children enjoy re-creating stories they've heard about him?

Book Details

• Author : Harper Lee
• Genre : Literary Fiction
• Topics : Activism , Brothers and Sisters , Friendship , Great Boy Role Models , Great Girl Role Models
• Book type : Fiction
• Publisher : Time Warner Books
• Publication date : July 11, 1960
• Publisher's recommended age(s) : 11 - 18
• Number of pages : 281
• Available on : Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
• Last updated : August 11, 2020

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What to read next.

The Bluest Eye

The Color Purple

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A 1960 Review of To Kill a Mockingbird

Time 's original review of harper lee's beloved coming-of-age novel.

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You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.

“ Clearly, Scout Finch is no ordinary five-year-old girl—and not only because she amuses herself by reading the financial columns of the Mobile Register , but because her nine-year-old brother Jem allows her to tag along when he and Dill Harris try to make Boo Radley come out.

Boo is the Radley son who has not shown his face outside the creaky old family house for 30 years and more, probably because he has ‘shy ways,’ but possibly—an explanation the children much prefer—because his relatives have chained him to his bed. Dill has the notion that Boo might be lured out if a trail of lemon drops were made to lead away from his doorstep. Scout and Jem try a midnight invasion instead, and this stirs up so much commotion that Jem loses his pants skittering back under the fence.

Scout and her brother live in Maycomb, Alabama, where every family that amounts to anything has a streak—a peculiar streak, or a morbid streak, or one involving a little ladylike tippling at Lydia Pinkham bottles filled with gin. The Finch family streak is a good deal more serious—it is an overpowering disposition toward sanity. This is the flaw that makes Jem interrupt the boasting of a lineage-proud dowager to ask ‘Is this the Cousin Joshua who was locked up for so long?’ And it is what compels Lawyer Atticus Finch, the children’s father, to defend a Negro who is charged with raping a white woman. The rape trial, Jem’s helling, and even Boo Radley are deeply involved in the irregular and very effective education of Scout Finch. By the time she ends her first-person account at the age of nine, she has learned that people must be judged, but only slowly and thoughtfully.

Author Lee, 34, an Alabaman, has written her first novel with all of the tactile brilliance and none of the preciosity generally supposed to be standard swamp-warfare issue for Southern writers. The novel is an account of an awakening to good and evil, and a faint catechistic flavor may have been inevitable. But it is faint indeed; novelist Lee’s prose has an edge that cuts through cant, and she teaches the reader an astonishing number of useful truths about little girls and about Southern life. (A notable one: ‘Naming people after Confederate generals makes slow steady drinkers.’) All in all, Scout Finch is fiction’s most appealing child since Carson McCullers’ Frankie got left behind at the wedding.”

– TIME , August 1, 1960

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To Kill a Mockingbird

Ask LitCharts AI: The answer to your questions

Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

To Kill a Mockingbird: Introduction

To kill a mockingbird: plot summary, to kill a mockingbird: detailed summary & analysis, to kill a mockingbird: themes, to kill a mockingbird: quotes, to kill a mockingbird: characters, to kill a mockingbird: symbols, to kill a mockingbird: literary devices, to kill a mockingbird: theme wheel, brief biography of harper lee.

Historical Context of To Kill a Mockingbird

Other books related to to kill a mockingbird.

• Full Title: To Kill a Mockingbird
• When Written: 1950-1960
• Where Written: New York City and Monroeville, Alabama
• When Published: 1960
• Literary Period: Modernism
• Genre: Bildungsroman; Social Novel
• Setting: The fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama during the Great Depression
• Climax: The trial of Tom Robinson; or when Bob Ewell attacks Scout and Jem
• Antagonist: Bob Ewell; more broadly, racism and mob mentality
• Point of View: First Person

Extra Credit for To Kill a Mockingbird

“Dill” Capote. The character of Dill is based on Harper Lee’s real-life childhood friend, Truman Capote, who went on to become a national literary star in his own right. He wrote the bestselling true crime book In Cold Blood .

Atticus in Real Life. Harper Lee became close friends with Gregory Peck, the actor who played Atticus in the Academy Award-winning film adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird . She remained close with his family after Peck died, and Peck’s grandson is even named Harper after her.

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To Kill a Mockingbird

By harper lee.

'To Kill A Mockingbird' is a 1960 novel by American writer Harper Lee. It is a classic that exposes the folly and injustice of racism in the Deep South through the lens of childhood innocence.

About the Book

Article written by Onyekachi Osuji

B.A. in Public Administration and certified in Creative Writing (Fiction and Non-Fiction)

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee begins with Scout Finch, who reminisces on events that took place in her hometown from when she was six years to nine years old. Scout, with her brother Jem, and their friend Dill undertake many childish ventures in a bid to unravel the phantom of a reclusive neighbor known as Boo Radley. As she grows older, Scout begins to see the sheer injustice of racial discrimination and prejudice in her society when her father Atticus Finch, who is a lawyer, defends a black man falsely accused of raping a white woman. Having seen what an unjust society they live in, the children begin to reason that perhaps Boo is right in shutting himself away from the world.

Key Facts about To Kill a Mockingbird

• Title : To Kill a Mockingbird
• Publication Year : 1960
• Number of Pages : 273
• Literary Period : Modern
• Genre : Bildungsroman
• Point of View : First-person Narration
• Setting : 1930s  Alabama, USA
• Climax : Boo Radley fends off Bob Ewell as he attacks Jem and Scout
• Protagonists : Scout; Atticus Finch
• Antagonists : Bob Ewell; the racist people of Maycomb County

Harper Lee and To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird is the centerpiece of Harper Lee’s career as a novelist . It was her first novel, published in July 1960 when she was thirty-four years old, and was her only published novel for most of her life until July 2015, when she published a second novel at eighty-nine years old. The second novel was titled Go Set a Watchman and was an earlier draft of To Kill a Mockingbird, with some chapters of the two novels being the same.

Harper Lee was pursuing a Law degree at the University of Alabama but dropped out without obtaining the degree and moved to New York in 1949 to pursue a career as a writer. However, her move to New York was not without challenges, as she had to work to make ends meet and could only write in her spare time. For many years, Lee worked as a ticket reservation agent for an airline, which dampened her productivity as a writer. Then on the Christmas of 1956, Lee’s friends, Micheal Martin Brown, who was a Broadway composer and lyricist, and his wife Joy Brown gave Harper Lee a year’s worth of her wages as a Christmas gift with a note that read: ”You have one year off from your job to write whatever you please. Merry Christmas”.

Harper Lee promptly focused on her writing after receiving the gift, and by the spring of 1957, she had produced a manuscript that was sent to various publishers.  J.B Lippincott Company bought the manuscript, and a member of the company, Tay Hohoff began to work on the script as editor. In Hoff’s opinion, the script was more of a series of anecdotes than a fully conceived novel, and it took both author and editor about three years of dedicated hard work to restructure the script and produce the finished work that the world now knows as To Kill a Mockingbird . Within those years, Lee had despaired and almost given up on the script. It is said that she had once tossed the script out of the window on a winter night and had called her editor in tears. It is a good thing that Harper Lee did not give up on the script at the end because the novel became a gift to many readers and the world at large.

To Kill a Mockingbird earned its author Harper Lee the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1961 and many other awards and recognition, including the Medal of Freedom from two presidents of the United States and appointment to the National Council on the Arts.

Harper Lee included numerous autobiographical details in To Kill a Mockingbird . The narrator Scout Finch had many similarities with Harper Lee as a child, the character Dill was based on Harper’s childhood friend Truman Capote, the morally upright lawyer Atticus Finch was based on Harper Lee’s father Amasa Coleman Lee, and many other characters in the To Kill a Mockingbird were based on real-life family, friends, and neighbors of Harper Lee. The fictional location of Maycomb County in To Kill a Mockingbird is based on Lee’s hometown of Monroeville, Alabama.

Although To Kill a Mockingbird was a bestseller that garnered public attention to the author, Harper Lee was reclusive and did not bask in the public attention. Asides from some interviews in the first few years after the publication, she turned down many requests to grant interviews and make public appearances and lived a relatively private life, shuttling between Manhattan New York, and her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama.

Books Related to To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a novel that showcases many aspects of the culture of the Deep South in the United States—small-town lifestyle where everyone knows everyone else, men with an exaggerated sense of gallantry towards their women, social class distinctions and racial discrimination. Below are some other novels with similar qualities.

• Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (1936). This historical novel by Margaret Mitchell narrates the struggles of a sheltered white girl Scarlett O’Hara as she witnesses the ordeals of the American Civil War and the new age of the Reconstruction Era in the southern state of Georgia, USA. It is similar to To Kill a Mockingbird in being a classic storytelling from a Southerner that depicts the class, gender, and racial discrimination in the South.
• Other Voices, Other Rooms by Truman Capote (1948). This Gothic novel was written by Truman Capote, who was Harper Lee’s close childhood friend . The protagonist of the novel is a 13-year-old boy named Joel Harrison Knox, whose life takes a new turn after the death of his mother. Joel moves to a new home rife with decay and strange appearances but finds friendship with a tomboy around his age called Idabel.

Other Voices, Other Rooms, and To Kill a Mockingbird both have children as major characters and are similar in addressing themes of childhood, coming of age, and parental dynamics, along with issues of gender and race. Both authors also modeled a character after each other in the two respective novels— Truman Capote modeled the character Idabel in Other Voices, Other Rooms after memories of Harper Lee as a child, and Harper Lee modeled the character Dill in To Kill a Mockingbird after Truman Capote as a child.

• Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee (2015). This is Harper Lee’s only published novel besides To Kill a Mockingbird. Go Set a Watchman is an earlier draft of To Kill a Mockingbird submitted to publishers in 1957 but was published fifty-eight years later in 2015. Go Set A Watchman follows the later lives of characters in To Kill a Mockingbird as the South continues to face tensions around the issue of race and discrimination. Go Set a Watchman places controversies around the morally upright Atticus Finch of To Kill a Mockingbird . Scout Finch as a single lady in her twenties becomes disillusioned with her idolization of her father as she senses that like many other Southern men, her father might also have racial prejudice.

Lasting Impact of To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird caused a sensation from the moment it was published in July 1960. It quickly became a bestseller and was translated to ten languages just within the first year of its publication. And in 1961, it won Harper Lee the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

To Kill a Mockingbird was adapted into a film of the same title in 1962. The film adaptation, directed by Robert Mulligan with a screenplay by Horton Foote, also got a successful reception, grossing over 20 million US dollars from a 2 million dollar budget and getting numerous Academy awards and nominations. The film got eight Oscar nominations and won three out of them, including Best Actor for Gregory Peck, who played the character Atticus Finch.

Since 1990, a play based on the novel has been performed annually in Harper Lee’s hometown of Monroeville, Alabama.

In a 1999 poll by the Library Journal, To Kill a Mockingbird was voted the Best Novel of the Century.

In 2006, it ranked ahead of the Bible in Britain in a poll of ”books an adult must read before they die”.

In 2008, the novel emerged in a US survey as the most widely read novel by students in grades 9-12 in the United States.

The novel has currently sold over 30 million copies in hardcover and paperback and has been translated to over 40 languages. Many consider To Kill a Mockingbird as the Great American Novel, and it continues to be a sensation and a topic of both academic and socio-political conversations in the US and across the globe.

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Book Review: To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

To Kill A Mockingbird is up there with some of the all-time classic books recommended to anybody who wants to consider themself “well-read”. It’s a book that takes you through all the range of emotions, teaching you morality and pure kindness along the way.

Originally published in 1960, To Kill A Mockingbird was Harper Lee’s first of two books she ever wrote. It is set in Southern America, in Alabama and follows the lives of Jean Louise, the daughter of Atticus Finch and her family and friends. It discusses and covers prejudice in a very gritty and down-to-earth manner and takes you through a story that will see you experience all the emotions.

To Kill A Mockingbird follows the story of Jean Louise, a young girl who lives in sleepy Maycomb, Alabama from 1933-1935 during The Great Depression. We follow Jean Louise’s experiences as she learns about the world. She learns what’s expected of women, how certain families come from “good blood” and “bad blood”, how poverty or wealth can affect a family’s standing. She learns most importantly about morality, mostly via guidance from her father Atticus Finch, the town’s lawyer. Most of the story is set around Atticus Finch’s defence of a black man within the town who has been accused of raping one of the young women. From this one trial, Jean Louise learns so much about people’s beliefs at the time – a time when black people were wrongly seen as far inferior to white people and were supposed to work for white people.

I’ll be honest, I absolutely loved every single word written in this book. Harper Lee writes from the point of a child in such a pure and believable way. Jean Louise questions everything – she hasn’t been brought up to hate black people – their housemaid is black and she is one of the family, she’s loved equally to everyone as that’s how she’s been brought up. So when people show displeasure and prejudice, Jean Louise asks her father, she asks her older brother Jim and she questions everyone as she’s not sure why they do. With these questions, Atticus consistently gives her a balanced and morally right view of the situation. He tells her why, he tells her his views and he explains that she should develop her own views based on how people treat her, not the colour of their skin, their gender or anything otherwise.

It’s a story that will leave your heart feeling whole and pure. Atticus Finch is the perfect father figure and Jean Louise is the perfect blank canvas with Harper Lee uses to ask the real questions that would have been asked by so many young in the 1930s and prior. I could go on for many more paragraphs about how this book can teach children and those with prejudice views a smarter, more simple way to view everyone but I’ll stop here before this begins to become an ethics essay.

Characters – 5/5 

Jean Louise is brilliant – she’s a young feisty girl who defies everything that society expects her to be. During the period, women were expected to behave like “women”. This meant wearing dresses, understanding your role as a man’s aid, speaking properly, curtsying to everybody etc. However, as I mentioned above, Jean Louise has been brought up by a man that’s never taught her what she should or shouldn’t be and so having an older brother has left her as a bit of a tom-boy. She loves to get muddy, she gets into fist-fights at school and she’s not afraid to answer back if she genuinely doesn’t believe what’s being asked of her is what she should do. She’s strong, incredibly intelligent and utterly lovable throughout – despite her quite obvious flaws as a child growing up in a fairly backwards society.

Atticus Finch is written as a true hero. He’s a well-educated, well-read white man who always says and does the right thing. He always knows the best way to phrase tricky topics and he never fights or argues, even in situations where he has every right to do so. There’s an element to Atticus of wanting so hard for his children to be genuinely good people that the choices he makes and things he says are possibly not what he’d always say or do out of the earshot of the children.

The supporting characters throughout the novel are all fantastic too. You have those who are racist, those who are sexist, those who come from more affluent backgrounds and those who come from poorer backgrounds. These all meld into creating such a broad stroke of different characters.

To Kill A Mockingbird summary – 5/5

I listened to To Kill a Mockingbird via audiobook and I read the kindle version too and whichever I was choosing to do, I found myself absolutely obsessed and invested by the story and the characters. When I pick up a classic, I always go into it with hesitancy as I worry I won’t grasp why  it’s received the acclaim it has and to have endured for such a long time. But I can 100% see why To Kill A Mockingbird is considered one of the greatest novels ever written. It gives you an utterly pure look into prejudice and the beginnings of the questions of whether it’s right the way people of colour were treated back then and whilst doing so writes in some utterly loveable characters, a gripping story and the feeling of completion when finished.

If you’ve not read To Kill A Mockingbird , I would highly recommend it to absolutely everyone. Usually, I pick a genre so I can link it to those genre reviews on my blog but I have to recommend this book to everybody. It’s fantastic and possibly up there with one of my favourite novels I’ve ever read.

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Comprehensive Review of “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee

04 Mar Comprehensive Review of “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee

Short Overview

Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird,” published in 1960, remains an essential part of the American literary canon. This Pulitzer Prize-winning novel is not just a story; it’s a profound exploration of morality, racial injustice, and the loss of innocence. Set in the 1930s in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama, it’s narrated by a young girl named Scout Finch. The book brilliantly weaves a tale of her and her brother, Jem’s, coming of age against the backdrop of their father, Atticus Finch’s, defense of a black man, Tom Robinson, accused of raping a white woman.

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Summary of the Plot

“To Kill a Mockingbird” opens with Scout recounting events leading up to her brother Jem’s injury. Scout and Jem live with their widowed father, Atticus, a respected lawyer. They befriend a boy named Dill, and the trio becomes fascinated with their reclusive neighbor, Boo Radley.

The heart of the story lies in Atticus’s moral stand. He takes up the case of Tom Robinson, who’s falsely accused of raping Mayella Ewell. The trial exposes the deep-seated racism of the town. Despite proving Tom’s innocence, the all-white jury convicts him. The verdict devastates the Finch family, highlighting the injustice of the legal system.

The novel also touches on themes of childhood and growing up. Scout and Jem’s perceptions of right and wrong evolve, especially after witnessing the trial’s outcome. The story culminates in a dramatic encounter where Boo Radley saves Scout and Jem from an attack by Bob Ewell, Mayella’s father, who sought revenge on Atticus.

Main Characters

• Scout Finch : Jean Louise “Scout” Finch, the narrator, is a tomboyish, curious, and intelligent young girl. She grows significantly throughout the novel, moving from innocence to a deeper understanding of her community and the complexities of human nature.
• Jem Finch : Jeremy “Jem” Finch, Scout’s older brother, is more idealistic and sensitive. His journey from childhood to adolescence is marked by his grappling with the harsh realities of the world, especially after witnessing the injustice of Tom Robinson’s trial.
• Atticus Finch : Atticus Finch, the father of Scout and Jem, is a lawyer and a symbol of morality and justice. His commitment to equality and his belief in doing what is right, regardless of public opinion, make him one of literature’s most revered moral heroes.
• Tom Robinson : Tom Robinson, a black man falsely accused of raping a white woman, is central to the novel’s exploration of racial injustice. His character and the trial he faces highlight the deep-rooted prejudices and moral failures of the society.
• Boo Radley : Arthur “Boo” Radley, a reclusive neighbor, is shrouded in mystery and rumors. His character represents the unknown and the unfairly judged. The revelation of his true, kind nature underscores one of the novel’s key messages about empathy and understanding.

Boo Radley stands out as one of the most important characters in the story.  More on Boo Radley:

Arthur “Boo” Radley serves several pivotal roles that are central to the novel’s themes and its overall narrative structure. Here’s an in-depth look at Boo Radley’s significance:

• Boo Radley initially represents the unknown and the feared. He is a subject of local myths and children’s ghost stories, embodying the idea of the mysterious recluse. His character demonstrates how society fears and ostracizes what it does not understand.

• The children’s fascination with Boo Radley and their subsequent discoveries about him serve as critical elements in their moral and emotional growth. Through Boo, they learn important lessons about kindness, courage, and the importance of judging people by their actions, not rumors or appearances.
• Despite being an object of fear, Boo is one of the novel’s “mockingbirds,” a symbol of innocence and goodness. He leaves gifts for the children in the knothole of a tree, repairs Jem’s torn pants, and eventually saves Scout and Jem from Bob Ewell’s attack. These acts reveal his true nature as a kind-hearted and protective figure.
• Boo’s intervention when Bob Ewell attacks Scout and Jem is crucial. He not only protects the children but also inadvertently brings about a form of justice. Boo, the feared and misunderstood recluse, emerges as an unlikely hero, turning the community’s perception of him upside down.
• Through Boo, Lee conveys the importance of empathy. Scout’s final understanding and acceptance of Boo as a real person, not a mythical figure, signify her own maturation. When she stands on Boo’s porch and views the world from his perspective, it symbolizes her new ability to empathize and understand others’ experiences.
• Boo Radley is a powerful commentary on human nature and societal tendencies to stigmatize and alienate those who are different. His character challenges readers to question their own prejudices and to recognize the dignity and humanity in everyone, even those who are marginalized or misunderstood.

In summary, Boo Radley’s role is multifaceted, enriching the novel’s exploration of themes such as innocence, justice, empathy, and the human tendency to fear what is not understood. He transforms from a mysterious figure into a symbol of goodness and an instrument for the children’s moral awakening, making him a crucial character in Harper Lee’s narrative.

In-Depth Analysis

“To Kill a Mockingbird” is renowned for its insightful portrayal of racial injustice, the innocence of childhood, and the moral growth of its characters. Lee’s use of a child narrator provides a unique perspective, offering both naivety and intuitive wisdom about the events unfolding. The narrative style is both straightforward and profound, with Scout’s innocence highlighting the complexities and hypocrisies of adult society.

The novel’s strengths lie in its vivid characters and the realistic portrayal of the Deep South during the Great Depression. Through Atticus Finch, Harper Lee presents an idealistic but not unrealistic beacon of morality. His character challenges readers to consider their own moral beliefs and their stands on issues of justice and equality.

However, the novel is not without its criticisms. Some argue that it presents a romanticized view of the white savior complex through Atticus Finch. Additionally, the African American characters, while pivotal to the story, are not as deeply developed as their white counterparts.

The novel also employs various literary devices, including symbolism and foreshadowing. The mockingbird, as a symbol of innocence and harmlessness, is central to the theme of moral wrongness in harming those who are innocent. The foreboding elements, like the children’s fascination with Boo Radley and the circumstances surrounding the trial, add depth to the narrative.

Lee’s work has a profound connection to broader societal issues, particularly in its examination of prejudice, moral courage, and the struggle for justice. It encourages readers to confront their own prejudices and understand the importance of empathy and moral courage in confronting societal ills.

Evaluation and Recommendations

“To Kill a Mockingbird” is essential reading for those interested in American literature, social justice, and moral philosophy. It’s particularly recommended for young adults and older, as it provides a crucial perspective on racial and ethical issues. While the novel is set in the 1930s, its themes remain relevant, making it a timeless piece.

This novel can be compared to other works like “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett and “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain, which also explore themes

Possible High School Test Questions on “To Kill a Mockingbird”

1. what is the significance of the title “to kill a mockingbird”.

The title symbolizes the innocence and purity of characters like Tom Robinson and Boo Radley, who, like mockingbirds, only wish to do good. The novel suggests that killing a mockingbird is a sin because they cause no harm and bring only joy and music. This metaphor extends to the idea that judging or harming innocent people is morally wrong.

2. How does Harper Lee use the character of Atticus Finch to explore the theme of justice?

Atticus Finch represents the moral voice of the novel. He is a figure of integrity and justice, standing up against racial prejudice. His defense of Tom Robinson, an innocent black man, in a deeply racist society, and his teachings to his children about empathy and moral courage, highlight the theme of justice in the novel.

3. Describe Scout’s character development throughout the novel.

Scout begins as a naive and tomboyish girl, unaware of the deep-seated prejudices in her town. Throughout the novel, she matures and gains a deeper understanding of the complexities of human nature and society, especially through the events surrounding Tom Robinson’s trial and her interactions with Boo Radley. By the end, Scout develops a greater sense of empathy and moral insight.

4. What role does the setting play in “To Kill a Mockingbird”?

The setting in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the 1930s is crucial. It provides a backdrop of racial tensions and societal norms of the Deep South during the Great Depression. This setting creates a realistic environment where the themes of racism, social inequality, and moral dilemmas are played out.

5. How does the novel address the theme of racial injustice?

Racial injustice is a central theme, depicted most prominently through the trial of Tom Robinson, a black man wrongfully accused of raping a white woman. The prejudice and bias of the legal system and the town’s residents, as well as the impact of these attitudes on individuals like Tom and the Finch family, highlight the deep-rooted issues of racial inequality.

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How does it end – spoilers ahead.

The climax of “To Kill a Mockingbird” brings a blend of tragedy and a glimmer of hope. After the unjust conviction of Tom Robinson, he attempts to escape prison and is tragically shot dead. This event deeply impacts the Finch family and further exposes the profound racial injustices of the time.

The story takes a dramatic turn when Bob Ewell, seeking revenge for Atticus’s defense of Tom and the humiliation he faced in court, attacks Scout and Jem on their way home from a school event. In a surprising twist, Boo Radley, the mysterious neighbor who had been a source of fascination and fear for the children throughout the novel, emerges as the unlikely hero. He rescues Scout and Jem from Ewell’s attack, fatally wounding Ewell in the process.

The novel concludes with Scout finally meeting Boo Radley, not as the fearful figure of local myths, but as a real, kind-hearted individual who had been watching over her and Jem all along. This meeting signifies Scout’s growth in understanding and empathy, as she recognizes the good in Boo Radley, despite the rumors and fear surrounding him.

Sheriff Tate, understanding the situation, decides to report that Bob Ewell fell on his own knife, thus protecting Boo Radley from legal consequences and public attention. Scout walks Boo home, never to see him again. She stands on his porch, reflecting on the events that have unfolded and gaining a new perspective on her neighborhood and its inhabitants.

The novel closes with Atticus reading to Scout before she falls asleep, symbolizing a return to normalcy but with a newfound understanding and maturity in Scout’s outlook on life and humanity.

What to consider when writing an essay about To Kill A Mockingbird:

When writing a college-level essay on “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, it is crucial to delve into the more complex and nuanced aspects of the novel. Here are key elements that should be considered:

• Examine the historical setting of the novel (the Great Depression, the South of the United States, and the Jim Crow era). Discuss how this context shapes the narrative and the characters’ experiences.
• Explore the relevance of the novel in contemporary society, particularly in the context of ongoing discussions about racial inequality and justice.
• Analyze the theme of racial injustice, particularly through the trial of Tom Robinson. Discuss how Lee portrays the systemic racism of the time and its impact on individual lives and the community.
• Examine the moral and ethical growth of characters, especially Scout and Jem, as they confront harsh realities of their society.
• Provide a detailed analysis of key characters, including their development and significance. Focus on Scout, Jem, Atticus Finch, Tom Robinson, and Boo Radley.
• Discuss Atticus Finch’s role as a moral hero and a symbol of integrity, and critique any complexities or contradictions in his character.
• Explore the significance of the narrative being told from the perspective of a child (Scout Finch). Discuss how this perspective adds depth to the portrayal of social issues and affects the reader’s engagement with the themes.
• Analyze Lee’s storytelling techniques, including her use of language, symbolism, and foreshadowing.
• Delve into key symbols such as the mockingbird, which represents innocence and harmlessness. Discuss how this symbolism extends to various characters and situations in the novel.
• Explore other motifs such as childhood, empathy, and the concept of the “Other” (the mysterious and misunderstood Boo Radley).
• Critically assess the novel’s portrayal of racial dynamics, including critiques of the “white savior” complex and the depth of African American characters.
• Address counter-narratives or alternative interpretations of the novel’s themes and messages.
• Place the novel within the broader context of American literature and its relation to movements such as Southern Gothic or Civil Rights literature.
• Discuss how the novel has influenced or been in dialogue with other works of literature and cultural products.
• Reflect on the personal impact of the novel and its relevance to modern issues of justice, morality, and social responsibility.
• Analyze how the novel challenges or reinforces the reader’s perceptions of race, justice, and morality.

In a college-level essay, it’s important to not only summarize the book but to provide in-depth analysis and critical thinking, supported by evidence from the text. Engage with scholarly sources for a more robust discussion and to demonstrate a deeper understanding of the novel’s place in American literature and cultural history.

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Plot summary

• Analysis, adaptations, and Go Set a Watchman

What is To Kill a Mockingbird about?

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To Kill a Mockingbird

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• National Endowment for the Arts - To Kill a Mockingbird
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• Table Of Contents

To Kill a Mockingbird is set in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the Great Depression (1929–39). The story centres on Jean Louise (“Scout”) Finch, an unusually intelligent girl who ages from six to nine years old during the novel. She and her brother, Jeremy Atticus (“Jem”), are raised by their widowed father, Atticus Finch. Atticus is a well-known and respected lawyer. He teaches his children to be empathetic and just, always leading by example.

When Tom Robinson, one of the town’s Black residents, is falsely accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a young white woman, Atticus agrees to defend him despite threats from the community. Although Atticus presents a defense that gives a more plausible interpretation of the evidence—that Mayella was attacked by her father, Bob Ewell—Tom is convicted. He is later killed while trying to escape custody. The children, meanwhile, play out their own miniaturized drama. Scout and Jem become especially interested in the town recluse, Arthur (“Boo”) Radley, who interacts with them by leaving them small gifts in a tree. On Halloween, when Bob Ewell tries to attack Scout and Jem, Boo intervenes and saves them. Boo ultimately kills Ewell. The sheriff, however, decides to tell the community that Ewell’s death was an accident.

It is widely believed that Harper Lee based the character of Atticus Finch on her father, Amasa Coleman Lee, a compassionate and dedicated lawyer. The plot of To Kill a Mockingbird was reportedly inspired in part by his unsuccessful defense of two African American men—a father and a son—accused of murdering a white storekeeper. The fictional character of Charles Baker (“Dill”) Harris also has a real-life counterpart. Dill is based on the author Truman Capote , Lee’s childhood friend and next-door neighbour in Monroeville, Alabama. (After the spectacular success of To Kill a Mockingbird , some speculated that Capote was the actual author of Lee’s work. This rumour was not put to rest until 2006.) There is some anecdotal evidence that the town recluse, Arthur (“Boo”) Radley, was based on Lee and Capote’s childhood neighbour, Son Boulware. According to Capote, Boo “was a real man, and he lived just down the road from us.…Everything [Lee] wrote about it is absolutely true.”

Harper Lee began writing To Kill a Mockingbird in the mid-1950s. It was published in 1960, just before the peak of the American civil rights movement . Initial critical responses to the novel were mixed. Many critics praised Lee for her sensitive treatment of a child’s awakening to racism and prejudice. Others, however, criticized the novel’s tendency to sermonize. Some reviewers argued that the narrative voice was unconvincing. The novel was nonetheless enormously popular with contemporary audiences. To Kill a Mockingbird flourished in the racially charged environment of the United States in the early 1960s. In its first year it sold about 500,000 copies. A year after the publication of the novel, Lee was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for fiction.

Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the best-known and most widely read books in the United States. Since its publication in 1960, the novel has been translated into some 40 languages and has sold more than 40 million copies worldwide. A staple on American high- school reading lists, the novel has inspired numerous stage and film adaptations, the most notable of which was the 1962 film starring Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch. Lee’s novel continues to resonate with audiences today; in 2018 a stage adaptation of the novel debuted to rave reviews on Broadway.

In 2015 Harper Lee published a second novel titled Go Set a Watchman . Although it was technically written before To Kill a Mockingbird , the novel is essentially a sequel. Go Set a Watchman is set 20 years after the events of To Kill a Mockingbird . In the novel, Jean Louise (”Scout”) Finch—now a grown woman living in New York City—returns to her childhood home in Alabama to visit her aging father, who has embraced racist views. Despite the controversy surrounding its publication (some believe the novel is actually an early draft of To Kill a Mockingbird ), the novel reportedly sold 1.1 million copies in its first week.

To Kill a Mockingbird , novel by American author Harper Lee , published in 1960. Enormously popular, it was translated into some 40 languages, sold more than 40 million copies worldwide , and is one of the most-assigned novels in American schools. In 1961 it won a Pulitzer Prize . The novel was praised for its sensitive treatment of a child’s awakening to racism and prejudice in the American South .

To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the Great Depression . The protagonist is Jean Louise (“Scout”) Finch, an intelligent though unconventional girl who ages from six to nine years old during the course of the novel. She is raised with her brother, Jeremy Atticus (“Jem”), by their widowed father, Atticus Finch . He is a prominent lawyer who encourages his children to be empathetic and just. He notably tells them that it is “a sin to kill a mockingbird ,” alluding to the fact that the birds are innocent and harmless.

When Tom Robinson, one of the town’s Black residents, is falsely accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a white woman, Atticus agrees to defend him despite threats from the community . At one point he faces a mob intent on lynching his client but refuses to abandon him. Scout unwittingly diffuses the situation. Although Atticus presents a defense that gives a more plausible interpretation of the evidence—that Mayella was attacked by her father, Bob Ewell—Tom is convicted, and he is later killed while trying to escape custody. A character compares his death to “the senseless slaughter of songbirds,” paralleling Atticus’s saying about the mockingbird.

The children, meanwhile, play out their own miniaturized drama of prejudice and superstition as they become interested in Arthur (“Boo”) Radley , a reclusive neighbour who is a local legend . They have their own ideas about him and cannot resist the allure of trespassing on the Radley property. Their speculations thrive on the dehumanization perpetuated by their elders. Atticus, however, reprimands them and tries to encourage a more sensitive attitude. Boo makes his presence felt indirectly through a series of benevolent acts, finally intervening when Bob Ewell attacks Jem and Scout. Boo kills Ewell, but Heck Tate, the sheriff, believes it is better to say that Ewell’s death occurred when he fell on his own knife, sparing the shy Boo from unwanted attention. Scout agrees, noting that to do otherwise would be “sort of like shootin’ a mockingbird.”