A Lesson In Tolerance For All Ages (To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee)

Member Name: Smile

Product:	To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
Date:	07/03/01 (524 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Eloquent and picturesque. Breathtaking, inspiring and emotive. Expressive. Ageless. Significant.

Disadvantages: None

Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” is a breathtaking tale, which focuses on the lives of two children living in a small community plagued by racial prejudice, class distinction and ubiquitous gossip. Despite these ominous and gloomy themes, it is actually an extremely uplifting story and has gained the accolade of being a modern classic, which it genuinely deserves.

In fact, the only fault with “To Kill a Mockingbird” is its inclusion on many GCSE English Literature and Language syllabuses: to have students dissect this novel is somewhat of a crime! There is an obvious value in educating youngsters in the tolerance it teaches, but perhaps to have them read the novel and then produce a like-minded short story or essay would be more beneficial. Because so many young pupils view literary dissection as a chore rather than a pleasure, the message might be lost.

Harper Lee chose Maycomb, a small town in Alabama, as the setting to her story at a time (1930s) when black folks faced racism on a daily basis and were expected to obsequiously respect the white residents of their community. The resulting friction forms the perfect backdrop for the drama which unfolds.

Jem and Scout, brother and sister (eight and eleven respectively) are the focus of attention, and the story’s first-person retrospective narrative is from the latter. It is an enchanting tale which is amusing in places, and emotive from start to finish. Scout’s story spans three years in a fashion where time does not race by, but ambles at a carefully regulated tempo, which adjusts to accommodate for lazy southern summers and frosty winters accordingly.

Beautifully composed, “To Kill a Mockingbird” handles a myriad of weighty issues with ease and also with the gravity they deserve; but Lee’s eloquence is effortlessly followed and does not have the reader bogged down with obnoxious morality or saintly observations
, making it a joy to experience. And whilst the story has the ability to make readers smile or chuckle, it is unlikely to provoke bouts of uncontrollable laughter. The novel is touching and heart-wrenching, and may bring tears to readers' eyes, and they will be moved and may learn the importance of acceptance.

Lee’s sweeping descriptions are realistic and picturesque; at times she seems to write as if she owns the English language (although she does not break or create any grammatical rules) and her command of expression is masterful. During Maycomb’s long summers, you can feel the sticky, oppressive southern heat; you can see the landscape as easily as you would a live stage backdrop. And by ensuring the reader is transported to this scenic Alabama town Lee guarantees a more convincing experience, and her message becomes all the more powerful.

Jem and Scout’s father, Atticus, is a lawyer who has taken on the task of defending an Afro-Caribbean (African-American) called Tom Robinson, charged with the molestation of a Caucasian female adolescent. Tom’s innocence or guilt is incidental in that, whilst the outcome of his trail and incarceration are dreadfully scandalous (and anticipated by some readers), the focus of attention is on the societal view of his demise. In other words, it is a central theme; however, some readers may make the mistake of viewing the outcome as the ‘function’ of the story, where in fact, it is how the town reacts to Tom Robinson which is clearly Lee’s point.

Jem and Scout are mocked and jeered at during the day as a consequence of their father’s actions; and as Scout tells the story readers might expect everything to appear as though through the eyes of a child. Not so, although it does have a similar child-like simplicity. The narrative is retrospective and the mindless school-kid jibes, whilst an important theme, are not the central motivation behind Lee&
#8217;s novel.

The aforementioned storyline is as equally as important as the second, which revolves around the existence of Boo Radley, a mentally challenged individual who lives in a kind of forced seclusion. Jem and Scout spend their summer attempting to communicate with him and lure him from his house, and the climax involves this recluse (Radley) making the ultimate sacrifice by merely exiting his sheltered ‘comfort zone’.

Within the story’s setting the social implications of both storylines are extremely controversial, and the local community gossip uncontrollably; hence at many points the tale is rife with a gelatinous tension, which adds to its suspense.

It is but one facet of a multifaceted tale, and although each theme preaches tolerance, Lee teaches the reader how it works on so many levels. This actually boils down to the acceptance of people based upon who they are, rather than what they are or might be.

For example, one of Scout’s self-righteous teachers carries out her trade with biased societal views concerning class distinctions based upon skin colour – so how can she also preach against the actions of Hitler who is doing nothing more than exercising his right to believe in class distinctions too? This kind of paradoxical behaviour is evident throughout “To Kill a Mockingbird”.

There are a number of characters in the story, but not so many that it becomes unwieldy to read, and each one acts in accordance with his/her temperament; hence there are no surprise actions or reactions which appear unbelievable. In addition, no character is out-of-place or inappropriate for the setting or the story, and each learns something and develops well. This is Lee’s subtle strategy for getting her message across, rather than point-blank statements of morality, her characters are affected by lessons of life, and the reader learns through these vicissitudes too.

>Atticus, Jem and Scout’s father, is an intelligent and just man, more humane than human. He will never stray from the path of his principles and attempts to achieve his goals through honesty and a belief that his fellow man is not inherently evil, but may just believe he is. This forces Atticus into a position where he becomes the centre of attention and he is surrounded a swirling viscous haze of viciously prejudicial gossip. Jem and Scout find this difficult to fathom, and the consequences of their father’s actions lead ultimately to their being involved in scenarios they do not fully comprehend.

The frolicking activities of Jem and Scout are fun-filled and they are very much regular children out to cause mischief throughout their holidays. Lee might have made a terrible mistake here by making her central characters sweet and angelic adolescents, but instead she ensured Jem and Scout were no different from any other kids in Maycomb. Of course, this element makes the story all the more believable, and relevant to her 1930’s Alabama society and well beyond.

For the message behind “To Kill a Mockingbird” is equally relevant for societies throughout the world and throughout history too. It is quite a little parable, and there is a significant moral for everyone. However, rather than preach a sermon, Lee leaves it to the reader to decide what level at which to accept her message.

Scout’s innocence is most endearing and extraordinarily realistic throughout, and her relationship with her older brother is well portrayed. The two have an unbreakable bond, and are taught to uphold right over wrong. Lee’s lesson perhaps on how children ought to be brought-up for the betterment of society.

This parable is not specific to the 1930s (in which it is set), neither is it applicable to a single generation or era. When times move on, and humankind reaches for the stars (like in “Star Trek&
#8221;), this story will remain an ageless masterpiece which will continue to educate broad-minded people and leave them changed.

Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” is a novel of overwhelming influence on the mind and spirit of human acceptance. Read it!

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