Book Review - To Kill a Mockingbird

One of life’s most beautiful experiences is to see kids growing up. And no, I am not talking about the years long process of seeing kids go from kids to teens and then mature adults. I am talking about the moments when you see them come of age – the moments when they wizen up. Perhaps it’s something they say, something they see, something they do, a decision they make – it could be anything. And it is then that you see them grow up in that one moment. You see them in that instant and you know that they now understand; you know that they have now matured just that little bit more. It’s not that anything changes about them – nothing in real physical sense, at least. You just sense it, you sense the moment, and it warms your heart. And this is exactly the feeling you will have when you finish this classic by Lee Harper. You will have a warm smile on your face when you will put down – ‘To kill a mockingbird’.

We never got to read another book from Miss Harper Lee and that’s a pity. But, if you wanted to publish only one of your works, then you would want it to be ‘To kill a mockingbird’ – every time. It is one of the best – if not the best – coming of age stories you will ever read or ever see. Many people believe this book is more about racism – which was of course the relevant topic in those days when it was published. I don’t know what Miss Harper had in mind while writing it, but to me it is more about growing up than about racism. Racism along with many other prevalent issues forms just a backdrop to this process. And we view all these issues from the eyes of young Jean Louis Finch (known through the book as Scout) – this book is essentially a description of her world as she grows up, gets out and learns about life.

It is this learning process that so endears us to her and to her world. We start off the journey from her early childhood and the legend of Boo Radley. And from there we ride along with Scout as she learns about the importance of having a good family; through her first years in school; through the usual childhood frustrations about unfair elders; through her ordeal when her aunt makes a determined effort to turn her into a lady; through her times of trying to understand her brother and last but not the least; through her experience of the extreme prejudicial nature of people’s psyche. Her brother – Jeremy Atticus Finch (Jem) – and a friend – Charles Baker Harris (Dill) – are her constant companions along the way. And this book, along with its young protagonists, manages to teach us mature adults a thing or two about integrity, courage and compassion.

Through this review, I might be guilty of portraying this novel as a little preachy. But, rest assured, it is anything but. I have never been fond of novels or movies which have to hammer home the point they want to make. For me, it is – the subtler the better. And this book is all that. It never tells us the importance of having a good family; it never tells us to stand up for the poor and the needy; it never tells us to treat people with respect and it never tells us to get rid of our prejudices and bias towards them, yet we end up learning all of this. So, where does the secret lie? The secret lies in its author’s acute observation of the people around her and her ability to pen them down simply yet effectively. And her gift of creating great moments. And Atticus Finch.

This novel has been adapted into a full length feature film. And the character of Atticus Finch – played by Gregory Peck – has been voted by AFI (American Film Institute) as the greatest hero in American Film. And somehow I thought they couldn’t do justice to the character in the film! That’s how good Atticus Finch is. His character is the perfect embodiment of this novel – in the sense that he never tells his children what to do and what not to do. He lets them be and lets them learn on their own. Of course, he is always there for advice and comfort, but only when they ask for it. Everything he teaches them is through his actions only. He is an intelligent man with good legal acumen. He is a tireless crusader for good causes and seems like one of very few people around with an open mind. And through his actions he takes great pains to teach his children to keep an open mind, too – free of prejudice and free of bias. He tells Scout, in what is one of many quotable quotes in the book, “If you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you'll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. 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”.

A major part of the book centers on Atticus’ troubles while defending a black man for the rape of a white girl. He knows that he is fighting a lost cause. He knows that he and his family will face lots of difficulties and that they do. He and his children face insults and threats of physical violence from townspeople. Yet, he never gets flustered nor does he lose his cool. He also tells Scout and Jem to maintain their calm in the face of all provocation. Even in the face of all these hardships, he never gives up on his efforts for the acquittal of the accused. He doesn’t want his children to witness the trial – because he fears they will lose their faith in justice and more importantly, he doesn’t want their minds affected by people’s racial hatred and prejudice. By doing so he sets a strong moral example for his children. I have never been to America, but from what I have read about Atticus Finch, I gather that he has had a profound and lasting impact on the legal profession in the country. He is considered to be equivalent of a moral code to be followed by all the lawyers. He is revered by the legal circles in America. Notice how I am talking about him as if he is a real person? That’s how much of an impact he has made. In fact Michigan Law Review observed, "No real-life lawyer has done more for the self-image or public perception of the legal profession” (courtesy Wikipedia).

Miss Lee’s observations about different people and their customs come to the fore through another teacher figure in the form of Calpurnia. She is a black housekeeper hired by the Finch family. She is instrumental in teaching Scout about manners and different customs of folks. The respect that she has for Atticus becomes just another indicator of Atticus’ character and his standing in black people of the city. She is the feminine presence in the lives of motherless children.

And now regarding the great moments that Miss Lee manages to create – there are many of those interspersed through the novel, but some stand out still. The most iconic of these is the scene when Atticus decides to spend the night guarding Tom Robinson – the black man he is defending – from the townspeople intent on killing him. These men don’t want to hurt Atticus but Atticus refuses to budge. As Atticus stands alone to face this group of violent men, the tension Miss Lee builds up is just fantastic. The whole court room sequence also stands out. It feels authentic and believable, so much so, that it could have been a part of any dedicated court room drama. And the moment in the climax, as I have mentioned right at the start of this review, is one of the most heartwarming moments you will ever read in literature.

As a book, it is paced leisurely but I dare you to say you were bored while reading any of it. The characterization, which I have described in detail, is flawless. As this is a coming of age story, we get that wonderful experience of watching the characters grow, of watching them become who they eventually become. In addition to the main cast of characters, there are others, too, whom you will undoubtedly love. And as you might have guessed, the narrative engaged this reviewer emotionally at many levels and again I am sure you will undoubtedly have the same experience.

For the record, I didn’t even try to find any flaws. And even if I had, I am sure they would have been minimal if not nonexistent. And even in case of former they are inconsequential for this book is all that you can ask of a book.

In my own humble ways, I have been able to read many works of fiction across genres. Some of the books I have had the privilege of reading were thrilling, some were laughing out loud humorous, some were very originally creative and imaginative, some were very informative, some were lovely, some were warmly feel good and some were just simply awesome. But I have not read any other book which was truly beautiful – in every sense of the word. This is that one book I cannot stop gushing about and telling people how very beautiful it is. This book is a guide to set our moral compass with. It has made a huge impact in its time in the racially divided America. And its beauty lies in the way it teaches us the simplest things in life. It teaches us,

“Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird.”

If you are still waiting to read my recommendation, you are wasting your time. You should have already been buying yourself a copy to add to your classics collection.