To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee

Friday, March 25, 2016

After reading this book, I now understand why it is an American literature classic. This book leaves the reader with a new outlook on the importance of morality. Though Harper Lee’s characters, I learned so much about being a good and moral person. Through the many symbols readers can learn life lessons about concepts such as innocence, the evils of discrimination, and understanding.

Mockingbirds in this book are a symbol for innocence. “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, they don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us” (Lee 119). This is what Miss Maudie says when Scout asks why it is a sin to kill mockingbirds. When Tom Robinson tries to escape prison after being committed for a crime he was innocent of; he is shot and killed. Through his death Lee symbolizes a mockingbird being killed. Tom is innocent but he is still killed because of discrimination. His death teaches us about how wrong discrimination is and the injustice that comes from it. Tom is innocent; therefore he should not have been killed, just like a mockingbird.

Another lesson I learned from To Kill a Mockingbird is the importance of understanding others and not basing judgment based of rumors and stories. In the beginning of the book, Boo Radley is just the mysterious neighbor that lives near the Finch kids. With their friend Dill, the kids play games that essentially go along with the mean spirited stories they hear. However, throughout the story Boo showed kindness to the Finch kids by giving them things in the tree or fixing Jem’s pants. The biggest moment of kindness through Boo is one night when Bob Ewell tries to kill both Scout and Jem. Boo saves the kids and Bob Ewell is killed. Boo who is known because he does not leave his home; leaves in order to save the kids. So despite the nasty rumors that he is a terrible person, Boo is kind in reality.

This book taught me a lot about myself as a reader. I learned that I enjoy books with deep messages and meaning rather than just a story. It was fairly an easy read but did have many symbols and underlying messages that were not explicitly said in the book. My favorite message of the book is the importance of getting to know someone before making assumptions about him or her. I also enjoyed reading as Scout matured as a young adult from an outspoken little girl. She reminds me of myself in many ways, especially since when I was little I would say everything that came to mind out loud and always had many questions to ask the adults around me. I will definitely reread this book again and maybe catch more symbols and messages that I did not the first time around.

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Symbols

Mockingbirds- Innocence-
It is a sin to kill Mockingbird because they do not harm others, therefore should not be harmed.
Scout and Jem start the novel very innocent and as they mature lose some of their innocence because of the things they see in society.
Tom is wrongly accused of a crime he did not commit.
Boo is rumored to be a terrible person when in reality, he is kind.

The Radley Place- Mystery and then Understanding.
The kids used to play games about this family and the mean rumors because they did not know the truth. When they finally meet Boo they realize he is a good person.

The Mad Dog- Injustices
A symbol for something that seems to be friendly but can become mean and scary.
The town of Maycomb seemed to be a kind small town, but during the trial of Mayella, the town became mean and dangerous.

Boo-Growing up and Maturity

Scout- Childhood

Bob Ewell-The evils in people
He was abusive. He also tried to frame Tom Robinson and kill the Finch kids
Atticus-Logic and Understanding
He is the moral compass for the town, especially Scout.

Themes

Good v. Evil

Regarding the inherent goodness or evilness of people. The message in this book is that the good in people will usually overcome the evil.

Social Inequality

The children in the book do not seem to comprehend the unfairness of the social class system and how some people tend to have more privileges just because they belong to a certain place in society.

Moral Education

Harper Lee stresses the importance of moral education. Atticus is his children’s moral teacher and they learn a lot about how to treat and understand others through his example. The book is all about how Scout transforms from a careless child to a moral young adult.

A Quick Summary

To Kill a Mockingbird is about a young girl named Scout Finch and how she matures over the course of two years in Maycomb, Alabama during the 1930s. Scout and her brother very much like to hear stories and talk about seeing their mysterious neighbor, Boo Radley. Their father, Atticus, is a lawyer who defends a wrongly accused black man. The case is regarding the rape of Mayella Ewell. The Finch kids become very interested in the trial and wonder why he is being accused. After the trial is over, Bob Ewell tries to kill the Finch kids and Boo Radley comes out of his house and saves them. Bob Ewell is killed. The kids learn a life lesson that most people are real nice “when you finally see them”(Lee 376).

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Protagonist: Scout Finch. The book is about the events that happen to Scout and her point of view. It is her coming of age that is told in the book.

Antagonist: Bob Ewell. He is a terrible man. He tries to blame Tom Robinson for a crime he did not commit. He also goes after the Finch family and others.

“When they finally saw him, why he hadn’t doneany of those things . . . Atticus, he was real nice. . .” His hands were under my chin, pulling up the cover, tucking it around me. “Most people are, Scout, when you finally see them.” He turned out the light and went into Jem’s room. He would be there all night, and he would be there when Jem waked up in the morning” (Lee 376).

In the last few pages of the book, Scout asks Atticus to read her a bedtime story called “The Gray Ghost”. The book is about a man who is caught of a crime he did not commit. When he is caught, he is found to be innocent. When he reads, she eventually falls asleep on her father's lap. Scout mutters in her sleep “When they finally saw him, why he hadn’t doneany of those things . . . Atticus, he was real nice. . .”(Lee 376). He picks Scout up and puts her to bed very lovingly.

These are the last words of the novel. Through these words, Harper Lee sums up the novel and reminds the reader of the messages she tried to convey throughout the book. Lee made Scout a very sympathetic and innocent character on purpose. Through Scout’s eyes Lee really stressed the injustice and unfairness African-Americans faced during this time period. Scout does not seem to understand why people like Tom Robinson and the man from “The Gray Ghost” are treated unfairly. A major message that Lee conveys is the importance of one having understanding for others. The same way Scout did not understand Boo Radley, but he ended up saving her and her brother in the end. Atticus responds to Scout by saying “Most people are, Scout, when you finally see them” (376). When they are talking about the man from the story, it is implied that they are really talking about Boo Radley. The kids never really saw Boo until he saved them from Bob Ewell. After hearing stories of him, they believed he was unkind. However, after he saved them, they saw Boo for who he really is; a kind person who stood up for Jem and Scout in their time of need.

The way the book ends also has a comforting and safe feeling. Atticus really loves his children and despite being a busy single parent, does the best he is able. After tucking Scout in, he goes to sit by Jem’s bed all night and watch over him. This closes the book with the sense that the Finch family is safe and happy, and everything will be okay.