To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a novel set in the town of Maycomb, Alabama during the Great Depression. The books main character is Scout Finch who lives with her brother Jem and her father, Atticus, who is a lawyer. The book shows Scout learning about the racism and classism in her town and how her father helps her to understand it. This book shows the importance of moral education and the how prejudice that is taught to kids from a young age in schools.
"I think there's just one kind of folks. Folks" This is said by Scout to Jem when discussing why everyone does not get along in their community. This quote shows that Scout's views all people as equal and does not understand why differences in race or wealth cause conflict. Jem on the other hand is able to understand the cause of the conflict. Because Jem is a few years older, he is able to better understand the conflict because he has learned more about inequalities in their community and how it affects people. Scout is more oblivious to these inequalities in the beginning, this allows the reader to see how only a few years can affect someone's view of the world and we are able to see how Scout's views change throughout the book.
I have never read this book, although it is a classic, and I don’t think I knew what it was about until now. It sounds really interesting, though, especially the lessons that Atticus teaches. I like his idea of people not being entirely good or bad but that they just have good and bad qualities. I think nowadays it’s harder not to jump to that conclusion because of how our society has evolved. I hope I get a chance to read this book soon!
ReplyDeleteI always planned on reading this book but I never got to it. Looks like I'll have to read it soon. This book obviously covers important topics and I am interested to see how Atticus educates his children on them. Based on this review, it seems like the book has a big focus on how prejudice is taught and not inherited. I am looking forward to reading this!
ReplyDeleteI've never read to kill a mocking bird despite it being such an iconic book. I think the way you describe the extremely different world views of each character really interesting. As I try to read as many classic books as I can I'll have to give this one a try.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I have heard great things about To Kill a Mockingbird I personally have never read it. I find the moral conflict in the book about whether people are just good or bad to be an interesting parallel time since, uh interesting things were going on in Germany , Italy, and Japan at this time and especially after the depression ends. Overall this blog may just push me over the edge to read this book.
ReplyDeleteThis book is very iconic and I've already been interested in reading it at some point, but this blog has been very convincing and educational for me to learn more about the book. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres, and I've been very interested in the history of racism in the Jim Crow era. Thanks for reminding me of the existence of this classic, I'll definitely consider obtaining the book soon.
ReplyDeleteI think lots of the main problem with racism is the fact that people "judge people as good or bad without considering the reasons a person may act a certain way." This sounds very interesting and I will definitely grab the book off the shelf if I see it.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very famous book and I have heard of it a lot, but I haven't read it yet. I may give it a try because it seems like it will have some interesting and informational events and characters. I like how Scout, before she is introduced to the problem of racism, thinks logically and realizes that there should be no fundamental reason that one race is preferred over any other.
ReplyDeleteI read this book a few years ago, but maybe I should read it again. I like that you said you "understand it and appreciate it" more each time. I really like how you talk about Scout's growth as a character and the differences between what Atticus and his teachers were teaching
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