To Kill A Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird

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Review

Armand Durandt

Title: To Kill a Mockingbird

Author: Harper Lee

Place of publication: Great Britain

Date of Publication: 1960

To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel following the life of a girl by the name of Scout Finch as she learns valuable life lessons from her father, Atticus Finch, and from other inhabitants of the town of Maycomb, Alabama…

To Kill a Mockingbird was written by Nelle Harper Lee between 1950 and 1960, being published in 1960. Lee’s chosen setting for the book in reminiscent of her childhood as the novel follows a course of events very similar to her own experiences. She draws inspiration for many of the characters from her own friends and family. Critically, To Kill a Mockingbird was a huge

Scout narrates the events of the novel in the past tense, as she experienced them, augmenting pivotal motifs (such as racism, social class, and good vs evil) throughout the novel through the eyes of a child. However, her narration is a reflection and she has matured since the events of the novel took place, it is unclear how much time has passed. She comments on herself and notes the naivety of her thoughts and actions as a young girl. We quickly learn that Scout was far more intelligent than other children her age, when she goes to school for the first time she is able to read where as others in her class cannot. Throughout the novel she learns lessons from inhabitants of her town whom are portrayed as virtuous to the reader. The first lesson is to put yourself in other people’s shoes, Scout gets this wrong for most of the novel. The second lesson is that the world is full of injustice; Scout learns this through one event which reveals the evil side of her town. The final lesson is that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird; this lesson is the most important. Scout’s father, Atticus, gives her and her brother air rifles and says they are allowed shooting any bird but “remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” This is because “mockingbirds do not do anything but make music for us to enjoy. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” Apart from being literal, this lesson has a deeper meaning later in the