To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel written by Harper Lee. It shows the three years of growth in Jean Louise's, or Scout's, perspective from ages 6 to 9 in the town of Maycomb, Alabama. Scout's perspective is abundantly shown across the whole book, with her innocence contrasting with the harsh realities of the world.
The story has many central themes and ideas, and it is really beautiful to see how these themes seem to connect to each other and how they add to the experiences of Scout and her perspective on the world. There are a lot of ideas about social life that Scout learns in the story, including racism, social class, suffering, etc. An example of this is Walter Cunningham at the beginning of the story, where her father tells Scout how Walter’s family, however poor, is a family of integrity, and tells her how integrity and wealth both affect social class. Another example is the flaws of the legal system, which Scout experiences and finds that the legal and justice system is also affected by racial preferences during the trial of Tom Robinson.
The book ends in an interesting addition of Boo Radley saving Scout and Jem from Bob Ewell, who has a grudge against her father for the mess he has made of his public image with the trial, and how he has ruined it for the worse. The picture that came from this of Boo Radley differs greatly from the one Scout had painted of him before—the terrifying, monstrous figure who is possibly a symbol of the unknown, just like our fear of darkness. This also shows how we can preconceive someone in a way very different from what they actually are.
The characters each show something different, such as Atticus being the picture of kindness, morality, and wisdom, giving the book its multitude of moral lessons, and Bob Ewell showing racism, ignorance, and hatred. One thing I found interesting was the lack of importance I felt in the climax, and how this made it more interesting to read as it differs from other books, and it heightens the significance of the other incidents as well, going well with all the moral messages.
The story has many central themes and ideas, and it is really beautiful to see how these themes seem to connect to each other and how they add to the experiences of Scout and her perspective on the world. There are a lot of ideas about social life that Scout learns in the story, including racism, social class, suffering, etc. An example of this is Walter Cunningham at the beginning of the story, where her father tells Scout how Walter’s family, however poor, is a family of integrity, and tells her how integrity and wealth both affect social class. Another example is the flaws of the legal system, which Scout experiences and finds that the legal and justice system is also affected by racial preferences during the trial of Tom Robinson.
The book ends in an interesting addition of Boo Radley saving Scout and Jem from Bob Ewell, who has a grudge against her father for the mess he has made of his public image with the trial, and how he has ruined it for the worse. The picture that came from this of Boo Radley differs greatly from the one Scout had painted of him before—the terrifying, monstrous figure who is possibly a symbol of the unknown, just like our fear of darkness. This also shows how we can preconceive someone in a way very different from what they actually are.
The characters each show something different, such as Atticus being the picture of kindness, morality, and wisdom, giving the book its multitude of moral lessons, and Bob Ewell showing racism, ignorance, and hatred. One thing I found interesting was the lack of importance I felt in the climax, and how this made it more interesting to read as it differs from other books, and it heightens the significance of the other incidents as well, going well with all the moral messages.