“To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee

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Up until very recent history, I thought it was impossible to be from Alabama and not have read Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” (1960.) However, I found out a few weeks ago I am the only person in my family to have read Lee’s breakout novel. In honor of National Banned Books Week, let me tell you more about what is likely the most influential Southern work ever written. 

Told from the point of view of young Scout Finch, the story unfolds over the span of a few years. It is interwoven with themes of racial prejudice, justice, the loss of innocence, empathy and courage. The story is set in the 1930s in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama, which catalyzes the events that come to pass. 

The central conflict of the novel is the trial of Tom Robinson, a Black man who is falsely accused of raping a young white woman. It is this conflict that highlights the realities behind the South’s dark history of racial prejudice. Unfortunately, Robinson’s story is one with an unhappy ending that I will not spoil. Fair warning– it is a real tear-jerker. 

No matter how old I get, I always find a way to relate to the one and only Scout Finch. The youngest Finch is a feisty six-year-old with a strong sense of self. Her adventures are joined by her big brother, Jem, and their friend, Dill. Perhaps the reason I find so much relatability in Scout is Lee based all the characters in the story on people she knew, with Scout being herself. This makes Scout’s personality truly shine, and she just seems like every precocious Southern girl to me. 

Scout, however, is more than just a strong character. She sees significant growth throughout the progression of the novel. Many of this story’s details are heartbreaking, but a constant ray of hope is Scout’s ever-growing kindness and compassion. It is impossible, at least for me, not to love her character. 

This shines the most in her relationship with Boo Radley, a mentally disabled man in their neighborhood. Once considered a ghoulish figure, Scout comes to understand he is a person, just like everyone else, and he has a big heart, just like her. Because of Boo’s child-like mindset, the two are much more alike than different. 

These developments come right at the tail end of the story. This feature is what always makes it a tender ending for me. After a lot of heartbreak and ugliness, readers finally see hope, not just in Boo, but in how Scout starts to understand Boo. 

Of course, if you ask me, the true star of this story is Atticus Finch, Scout and Jem’s father. Atticus is a controversial character in the world of literary criticism, as debates have raged over whether he truly wanted to advocate for Tom or if he was merely trying to convince people to believe in his word as a white man. This, however, is not literary criticism, and I have no problem telling you that Atticus Finch is the love of my life. 

Atticus is the epitome of what we would all like a Southern man to be– chivalrous, loving, intelligent and community-minded. If you pick up this book, you may notice there is little dialogue from Atticus’ character that is not perfectly quotable. Some might see this as a little heavy-handed on the philosophical side of Atticus, but it is really just one more thing about him that I adore. 

Because of some of its content, “To Kill a Mockingbird” has come under attack in recent years. It is considered a banned book in many places, meaning it cannot be taught there.

This is your friendly reminder to always consider reading a banned book because, as the saying goes, there is something in there someone does not want you to read – and it is your right to question that logic. 

All this talk about “To Kill a Mockingbird” has made me want to read it again. This will be the sixth time I have read it in my life, so it is pretty clear that I think this book is an 11 out of 10. In honor of this being Banned Books Week, I encourage you to give it a chance, too.