It is hard to describe this book for me.
To start with, To Kill A Mockingbird written by Harper Lee, is
considered by most to be a classic and it deserves this status. The
story first came to my consciousness when I saw the video tape of
the movie version in a store. Reading the back of the case, the
tingle of interest grew. Shortly after, I saw the movie on tv and
it filled me. The book had to be mine, and it had to be mine now.
Flashforward 15 years and I finally bought the book. Yes, I move
swiftly sometimes.
Flashforward two years and I finally read the book. I am decisive,
I think.
The book is told in a flashback from the POV of Scout, a little
girl growing up in a small town in the deep south during the
depression. She lives with her older brother and her widowed
father, and hangs out with her brother's friend and her
housekeeper. She knows total love for her father, Atticus, who is a
principled lawyer doing what he can for his family, society, and
justice.
As time passes, Scout becomes aware of a growing disquiet in the
town. A trial is coming. Her father is the defense lawyer. Tensions
are everywhere. The trial occurs. Truths are ignored. Scout learns
about the human condition. And a child gets a broken arm.
All these elements are essential to the journey.
Scout is a child you want to hold, hug, talk and play with. She has
a wondrous view of life and an intellect expanding beyond her
years. Her father's sense of helping and healing permeates into
Scout's being. She attempts, on her first day of school, to assist
the teacher in understanding social structure of the class. Scout
views her actions as simply being nice. The teacher does not. To
complicate her existence, Scout can already read, thanks to Atticus
teaching her. The teacher's disapproval to this bothers her since
she loves to read and it is something Scout can do with Atticus.
Time spent with her father. Quality time decades before the term
was invented. The honesty in the the scene is counterbalanced by
Atticus's solution. Tell the teacher a little white lie. Scout is
happy and fine.
As the story progresses to the trial, Scout's worldview grows and
widens. Things we as adults know and understand, Scout must now
grapple with. Prejudice exists as a way of life. But it is not
Scout's way of life. Violence is the natural way of solving a
problem. To Scout, it is frightening.
The pain of the ending is multiple. The trial just hurts. People
who know better, do not do better. The lessons, the words, the
thoughts make no difference. This trail could happen today and the
pain would be the same. In the book, it is a black man on trial,
today it could be a homosexual. Hatred of the other no matter what
the reason is a fundamental loathing of mine. Homosexuals are still
targeted by rancid politicians and public figures who have no
morals. I refuse to call them religious figures since there is
nothing religious about them.
When the journey ends, the next pain starts. It is over. Scout is
still out their, growing up, living her life, but we don't see
that. Scout. Atticus. Jem. Dill. Calpurnia. Boo. They are all fixed
in time. World War Two has not occurred and the Civil Rights
movement is far far away. But I want to see what happened to them
all, every happy moment and inevitable heartbreak that followed. In
my imagination, we know in this universe that Scout and Dill would
get married after she became a lawyer. Her child would be called
Atticus. Life would be better with them around. I want to live in a
world with them in it.
I am still kicking myself that I took so long to read what is now
one of my top five books. The love of the characters against the
evil of the world permeates every word, every thought, every
action. Everything.
Everyone should read this book. We would all better for it.
Scout: "Atticus, he was real nice…."
Atticus: "Most people are, Scout, when you finally see them."
Thank you Harper Lee. You made me cry.
Scoopriches
P.S. To Kill A Mockingbird was published in 1960 and is 281 pages
in paperback. Just read it.
P.P.S. The movie, called To Kill A Mockingbird, was released in
1962 and stars Gregory Peck. He is amazing. Rent the dvd or stream
it online today.