This book was written by Harper Lee five years before I was born that is in year 1960. When I searched for the must read books of lifetime, this book was listed as number one. That’s how I started reading it.
First let us understand what is a mockingbird. A mockingbird is found in American regions that can imitate the voice of other birds. At the beginning of the book it is stated that it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird. This is the advice given by a lawyer to his children. And you need to read the book to understand who is real mockingbird and what it represents.
The protagonist or the hero of our story is Atticus Finch. Finch is the last name of their family. The story is told through the young eyes of Scout the daughter of Atticus and Jem Finch the son of Atticus. It’s a story that maybe relevant today except that you need to map the characters to present day generations. It deals with racial discrimination, rape and other social issues.
The story is set in a fictitious town called Maycomb a town in the Alabama state. It was a old town. People moved slowly then. A day of 24 hours looked longer at that time. There was nowhere to go, nothing to buy and no money to buy it and nothing to see outside the Maycomb county.
Atticus Finch is a lawyer in the Maycomb county and he lives along with his son Jem Finch and younger daughter Jean Lousie Finch also called as Scout. The kids lose their mother very early in their life and Atticus doesn’t marry again in his life. They have a cook called Calpurnia who is a black woman but part of the household. The story revolves around the happenings observed by these two kids.
Atticus is a hero in all respects. Firstly he teaches us how to raise our children and enable them to face adversity. At one point he tells them that they will face wrath from the other school children and the society because of his decision to defend a negro who is charged of raping a white woman. And the only thing he asks them is not to get into a fight with anyone and to stay calm . That’s what he wants from his children as he himself has to undergo difficulties while defending that case.
He also shows us what is real courage. He tells at one point to his son that the courage is not a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you are licked before you begin but you begin it anyway and you see it through no matter what. You will rarely win, but sometimes you do. At one point Scout makes the following declaration about her father. “It was times like these when I thought my father, who hated guns and had never been to any wars, was the bravest man whoever lived”.
Atticus says that he needs to live with himself first before he starts living with others. As per him, the one thing that doesn’t abide majorly rule is the person’s conscience. Like these there are many things we can learn from this book.
In conclusion this is really a must read book for everyone. No wonder it was widely taught in American middle school and high schools. It has become a classic of modern American literature, winning the Pulitzer Prize and the top selling book. So, why late? Get your own copy and start reading. 😀
vsrsastry 