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To Kill a Mockingbird: Book Review, Summary & Analysis

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Introduction: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - Book Review, Summary & Analysis

Book: to kill a mockingbird.

Author: Harper Lee
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication Year: 1960
Binding: Paperback

book-review-to-kill-mockingbird-by-harper-lee

About the Author: Harper Lee

Excerpts from the original text

There is no need to say everything you know. That's not a lady-besides, people don't like people around them who know more than they do. That will annoy them. No matter how correct you are, you can't change these people. Unless they want to learn, there is no way. You either close your mouth or use their language. —— Quoted from page 153.

Short Comment

Book Summary

Book review & analysis.

"The life that has not read this book is really different from the life after reading it."

How to get along with others?
How to handle complex interpersonal relationships in an honest manner?
How to be a friendly but self-persistent person?

Main Storyline

How to get along with others?

The reason why we don't get along well with a certain person (or a certain type of person) is that we disagree with this person's behavior style, and thus produce an overall negation of this person.
If we always look at others from our own perspective, it is difficult to understand why others have such "weird" behavior;
"Standing from the point of view of others": It is not simply imagining yourself as the other party, and guessing based on your own experience. It is to "get into someone else's body and wander around", which means that you have to really understand the person's past background and experience. If you still use your own experience to judge what this person is doing, you will not be able to achieve true transposition.
If you have not been able to "get into someone else's body and wander around", at least, you should have such a belief in others: "After you finally understand them, you will find that most people are good people. ". This sentence is the last sentence that Father Atticus told Scott in the book. I think it is simply a well-known saying. Before we did not understand other people, at least we can first understand that "other people's actions are justified".

How to deal with dissent?

"Even if you didn't do those pranks, I would still let you read to Mrs. Du Boss to accompany her because I want you to take a good look at her. This is the bravest person I have ever seen. What did she explain? called the real courage. courage gas on hand is not a man with a gun. courage is when you embark on the field before you know you will be Tongzou meal, but you still on the field, and no matter what happens, you Persevere till the end. Most of the time you will fail, but sometimes, you will also succeed."

How to stick to yourself?

"Sometimes, I feel that I am a failure to be a parent, but I am everything they have. When Jim looks up to others, he looks up first. It’s me, I want to live upright so that I can face him calmly..."

"You may hear some bad comments in school, but please do one thing for me: raise your head and lower your fists. No matter what others say to you, don't get angry. Try to fight with your head. Don't because We had already failed for a hundred years before that, and though we had no reason to fight for victory."

"Be sensible about despicable things, and when things pass, you can look back with sympathy and understanding, and be grateful for not disappointing people at the time. When most people think they are right and you are wrong Of course, they have the right to think so, and their views are also entitled to be fully respected. But before they can get along with others, they must first get along. There is one thing that cannot follow the principle of conformity, and that is the conscience of people."

Self-photography in the mirror

"Uh, coming out of the court that night, Miss Gates-she walked in front of us when she descended the steps, you must have not seen her-she was talking to Miss Stephenson. I heard her say: It's time to teach them. They are becoming less and less aware of their identities. Will they think that they can marry us in the next step. Jim, a man who hates Hitler so much, is so vicious to the people of his hometown when he turns his face?"

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Comprehensive Review of “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee

04 Mar Comprehensive Review of “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee

Short Overview

Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird,” published in 1960, remains an essential part of the American literary canon. This Pulitzer Prize-winning novel is not just a story; it’s a profound exploration of morality, racial injustice, and the loss of innocence. Set in the 1930s in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama, it’s narrated by a young girl named Scout Finch. The book brilliantly weaves a tale of her and her brother, Jem’s, coming of age against the backdrop of their father, Atticus Finch’s, defense of a black man, Tom Robinson, accused of raping a white woman.

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Summary of the Plot

“To Kill a Mockingbird” opens with Scout recounting events leading up to her brother Jem’s injury. Scout and Jem live with their widowed father, Atticus, a respected lawyer. They befriend a boy named Dill, and the trio becomes fascinated with their reclusive neighbor, Boo Radley.

The heart of the story lies in Atticus’s moral stand. He takes up the case of Tom Robinson, who’s falsely accused of raping Mayella Ewell. The trial exposes the deep-seated racism of the town. Despite proving Tom’s innocence, the all-white jury convicts him. The verdict devastates the Finch family, highlighting the injustice of the legal system.

The novel also touches on themes of childhood and growing up. Scout and Jem’s perceptions of right and wrong evolve, especially after witnessing the trial’s outcome. The story culminates in a dramatic encounter where Boo Radley saves Scout and Jem from an attack by Bob Ewell, Mayella’s father, who sought revenge on Atticus.

Main Characters

Scout Finch : Jean Louise “Scout” Finch, the narrator, is a tomboyish, curious, and intelligent young girl. She grows significantly throughout the novel, moving from innocence to a deeper understanding of her community and the complexities of human nature.
Jem Finch : Jeremy “Jem” Finch, Scout’s older brother, is more idealistic and sensitive. His journey from childhood to adolescence is marked by his grappling with the harsh realities of the world, especially after witnessing the injustice of Tom Robinson’s trial.
Atticus Finch : Atticus Finch, the father of Scout and Jem, is a lawyer and a symbol of morality and justice. His commitment to equality and his belief in doing what is right, regardless of public opinion, make him one of literature’s most revered moral heroes.
Tom Robinson : Tom Robinson, a black man falsely accused of raping a white woman, is central to the novel’s exploration of racial injustice. His character and the trial he faces highlight the deep-rooted prejudices and moral failures of the society.
Boo Radley : Arthur “Boo” Radley, a reclusive neighbor, is shrouded in mystery and rumors. His character represents the unknown and the unfairly judged. The revelation of his true, kind nature underscores one of the novel’s key messages about empathy and understanding.

Boo Radley stands out as one of the most important characters in the story. More on Boo Radley:

Arthur “Boo” Radley serves several pivotal roles that are central to the novel’s themes and its overall narrative structure. Here’s an in-depth look at Boo Radley’s significance:

Boo Radley initially represents the unknown and the feared. He is a subject of local myths and children’s ghost stories, embodying the idea of the mysterious recluse. His character demonstrates how society fears and ostracizes what it does not understand.

Likeness of Arthur "Boo" Radley from To Kill A Mockingbird

The children’s fascination with Boo Radley and their subsequent discoveries about him serve as critical elements in their moral and emotional growth. Through Boo, they learn important lessons about kindness, courage, and the importance of judging people by their actions, not rumors or appearances.
Despite being an object of fear, Boo is one of the novel’s “mockingbirds,” a symbol of innocence and goodness. He leaves gifts for the children in the knothole of a tree, repairs Jem’s torn pants, and eventually saves Scout and Jem from Bob Ewell’s attack. These acts reveal his true nature as a kind-hearted and protective figure.
Boo’s intervention when Bob Ewell attacks Scout and Jem is crucial. He not only protects the children but also inadvertently brings about a form of justice. Boo, the feared and misunderstood recluse, emerges as an unlikely hero, turning the community’s perception of him upside down.
Through Boo, Lee conveys the importance of empathy. Scout’s final understanding and acceptance of Boo as a real person, not a mythical figure, signify her own maturation. When she stands on Boo’s porch and views the world from his perspective, it symbolizes her new ability to empathize and understand others’ experiences.
Boo Radley is a powerful commentary on human nature and societal tendencies to stigmatize and alienate those who are different. His character challenges readers to question their own prejudices and to recognize the dignity and humanity in everyone, even those who are marginalized or misunderstood.

In summary, Boo Radley’s role is multifaceted, enriching the novel’s exploration of themes such as innocence, justice, empathy, and the human tendency to fear what is not understood. He transforms from a mysterious figure into a symbol of goodness and an instrument for the children’s moral awakening, making him a crucial character in Harper Lee’s narrative.

In-Depth Analysis

“To Kill a Mockingbird” is renowned for its insightful portrayal of racial injustice, the innocence of childhood, and the moral growth of its characters. Lee’s use of a child narrator provides a unique perspective, offering both naivety and intuitive wisdom about the events unfolding. The narrative style is both straightforward and profound, with Scout’s innocence highlighting the complexities and hypocrisies of adult society.

The novel’s strengths lie in its vivid characters and the realistic portrayal of the Deep South during the Great Depression. Through Atticus Finch, Harper Lee presents an idealistic but not unrealistic beacon of morality. His character challenges readers to consider their own moral beliefs and their stands on issues of justice and equality.

However, the novel is not without its criticisms. Some argue that it presents a romanticized view of the white savior complex through Atticus Finch. Additionally, the African American characters, while pivotal to the story, are not as deeply developed as their white counterparts.

The novel also employs various literary devices, including symbolism and foreshadowing. The mockingbird, as a symbol of innocence and harmlessness, is central to the theme of moral wrongness in harming those who are innocent. The foreboding elements, like the children’s fascination with Boo Radley and the circumstances surrounding the trial, add depth to the narrative.

Lee’s work has a profound connection to broader societal issues, particularly in its examination of prejudice, moral courage, and the struggle for justice. It encourages readers to confront their own prejudices and understand the importance of empathy and moral courage in confronting societal ills.

Evaluation and Recommendations

“To Kill a Mockingbird” is essential reading for those interested in American literature, social justice, and moral philosophy. It’s particularly recommended for young adults and older, as it provides a crucial perspective on racial and ethical issues. While the novel is set in the 1930s, its themes remain relevant, making it a timeless piece.

This novel can be compared to other works like “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett and “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain, which also explore themes

Possible High School Test Questions on “To Kill a Mockingbird”

1. what is the significance of the title “to kill a mockingbird”.

The title symbolizes the innocence and purity of characters like Tom Robinson and Boo Radley, who, like mockingbirds, only wish to do good. The novel suggests that killing a mockingbird is a sin because they cause no harm and bring only joy and music. This metaphor extends to the idea that judging or harming innocent people is morally wrong.

2. How does Harper Lee use the character of Atticus Finch to explore the theme of justice?

Atticus Finch represents the moral voice of the novel. He is a figure of integrity and justice, standing up against racial prejudice. His defense of Tom Robinson, an innocent black man, in a deeply racist society, and his teachings to his children about empathy and moral courage, highlight the theme of justice in the novel.

3. Describe Scout’s character development throughout the novel.

Scout begins as a naive and tomboyish girl, unaware of the deep-seated prejudices in her town. Throughout the novel, she matures and gains a deeper understanding of the complexities of human nature and society, especially through the events surrounding Tom Robinson’s trial and her interactions with Boo Radley. By the end, Scout develops a greater sense of empathy and moral insight.

4. What role does the setting play in “To Kill a Mockingbird”?

The setting in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the 1930s is crucial. It provides a backdrop of racial tensions and societal norms of the Deep South during the Great Depression. This setting creates a realistic environment where the themes of racism, social inequality, and moral dilemmas are played out.

5. How does the novel address the theme of racial injustice?

Racial injustice is a central theme, depicted most prominently through the trial of Tom Robinson, a black man wrongfully accused of raping a white woman. The prejudice and bias of the legal system and the town’s residents, as well as the impact of these attitudes on individuals like Tom and the Finch family, highlight the deep-rooted issues of racial inequality.

Bibliographic Details:

How does it end – spoilers ahead.

The climax of “To Kill a Mockingbird” brings a blend of tragedy and a glimmer of hope. After the unjust conviction of Tom Robinson, he attempts to escape prison and is tragically shot dead. This event deeply impacts the Finch family and further exposes the profound racial injustices of the time.

The story takes a dramatic turn when Bob Ewell, seeking revenge for Atticus’s defense of Tom and the humiliation he faced in court, attacks Scout and Jem on their way home from a school event. In a surprising twist, Boo Radley, the mysterious neighbor who had been a source of fascination and fear for the children throughout the novel, emerges as the unlikely hero. He rescues Scout and Jem from Ewell’s attack, fatally wounding Ewell in the process.

The novel concludes with Scout finally meeting Boo Radley, not as the fearful figure of local myths, but as a real, kind-hearted individual who had been watching over her and Jem all along. This meeting signifies Scout’s growth in understanding and empathy, as she recognizes the good in Boo Radley, despite the rumors and fear surrounding him.

Sheriff Tate, understanding the situation, decides to report that Bob Ewell fell on his own knife, thus protecting Boo Radley from legal consequences and public attention. Scout walks Boo home, never to see him again. She stands on his porch, reflecting on the events that have unfolded and gaining a new perspective on her neighborhood and its inhabitants.

The novel closes with Atticus reading to Scout before she falls asleep, symbolizing a return to normalcy but with a newfound understanding and maturity in Scout’s outlook on life and humanity.

What to consider when writing an essay about To Kill A Mockingbird:

When writing a college-level essay on “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, it is crucial to delve into the more complex and nuanced aspects of the novel. Here are key elements that should be considered:

Examine the historical setting of the novel (the Great Depression, the South of the United States, and the Jim Crow era). Discuss how this context shapes the narrative and the characters’ experiences.
Explore the relevance of the novel in contemporary society, particularly in the context of ongoing discussions about racial inequality and justice.
Analyze the theme of racial injustice, particularly through the trial of Tom Robinson. Discuss how Lee portrays the systemic racism of the time and its impact on individual lives and the community.
Examine the moral and ethical growth of characters, especially Scout and Jem, as they confront harsh realities of their society.
Provide a detailed analysis of key characters, including their development and significance. Focus on Scout, Jem, Atticus Finch, Tom Robinson, and Boo Radley.
Discuss Atticus Finch’s role as a moral hero and a symbol of integrity, and critique any complexities or contradictions in his character.
Explore the significance of the narrative being told from the perspective of a child (Scout Finch). Discuss how this perspective adds depth to the portrayal of social issues and affects the reader’s engagement with the themes.
Analyze Lee’s storytelling techniques, including her use of language, symbolism, and foreshadowing.
Delve into key symbols such as the mockingbird, which represents innocence and harmlessness. Discuss how this symbolism extends to various characters and situations in the novel.
Explore other motifs such as childhood, empathy, and the concept of the “Other” (the mysterious and misunderstood Boo Radley).
Critically assess the novel’s portrayal of racial dynamics, including critiques of the “white savior” complex and the depth of African American characters.
Address counter-narratives or alternative interpretations of the novel’s themes and messages.
Place the novel within the broader context of American literature and its relation to movements such as Southern Gothic or Civil Rights literature.
Discuss how the novel has influenced or been in dialogue with other works of literature and cultural products.
Reflect on the personal impact of the novel and its relevance to modern issues of justice, morality, and social responsibility.
Analyze how the novel challenges or reinforces the reader’s perceptions of race, justice, and morality.

In a college-level essay, it’s important to not only summarize the book but to provide in-depth analysis and critical thinking, supported by evidence from the text. Engage with scholarly sources for a more robust discussion and to demonstrate a deeper understanding of the novel’s place in American literature and cultural history.

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

by Harper Lee ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 11, 1960

A first novel, this is also a first person account of Scout's (Jean Louise) recall of the years that led to the ending of a mystery, the breaking of her brother Jem's elbow, the death of her father's enemy — and the close of childhood years. A widower, Atticus raises his children with legal dispassion and paternal intelligence, and is ably abetted by Calpurnia, the colored cook, while the Alabama town of Maycomb, in the 1930's, remains aloof to their divergence from its tribal patterns. Scout and Jem, with their summer-time companion, Dill, find their paths free from interference — but not from dangers; their curiosity about the imprisoned Boo, whose miserable past is incorporated in their play, results in a tentative friendliness; their fears of Atticus' lack of distinction is dissipated when he shoots a mad dog; his defense of a Negro accused of raping a white girl, Mayella Ewell, is followed with avid interest and turns the rabble whites against him. Scout is the means of averting an attack on Atticus but when he loses the case it is Boo who saves Jem and Scout by killing Mayella's father when he attempts to murder them. The shadows of a beginning for black-white understanding, the persistent fight that Scout carries on against school, Jem's emergence into adulthood, Calpurnia's quiet power, and all the incidents touching on the children's "growing outward" have an attractive starchiness that keeps this southern picture pert and provocative. There is much advance interest in this book; it has been selected by the Literary Guild and Reader's Digest; it should win many friends.

Pub Date: July 11, 1960

ISBN: 0060935464

Page Count: 323

Publisher: Lippincott

Review Posted Online: Oct. 7, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 1960

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by Hanya Yanagihara ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 10, 2015

The phrase “tour de force” could have been invented for this audacious novel.

Four men who meet as college roommates move to New York and spend the next three decades gaining renown in their professions—as an architect, painter, actor and lawyer—and struggling with demons in their intertwined personal lives.

Yanagihara ( The People in the Trees , 2013) takes the still-bold leap of writing about characters who don’t share her background; in addition to being male, JB is African-American, Malcolm has a black father and white mother, Willem is white, and “Jude’s race was undetermined”—deserted at birth, he was raised in a monastery and had an unspeakably traumatic childhood that’s revealed slowly over the course of the book. Two of them are gay, one straight and one bisexual. There isn’t a single significant female character, and for a long novel, there isn’t much plot. There aren’t even many markers of what’s happening in the outside world; Jude moves to a loft in SoHo as a young man, but we don’t see the neighborhood change from gritty artists’ enclave to glitzy tourist destination. What we get instead is an intensely interior look at the friends’ psyches and relationships, and it’s utterly enthralling. The four men think about work and creativity and success and failure; they cook for each other, compete with each other and jostle for each other’s affection. JB bases his entire artistic career on painting portraits of his friends, while Malcolm takes care of them by designing their apartments and houses. When Jude, as an adult, is adopted by his favorite Harvard law professor, his friends join him for Thanksgiving in Cambridge every year. And when Willem becomes a movie star, they all bask in his glow. Eventually, the tone darkens and the story narrows to focus on Jude as the pain of his past cuts deep into his carefully constructed life.

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by J.D. Salinger ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 15, 1951

A strict report, worthy of sympathy.

A violent surfacing of adolescence (which has little in common with Tarkington's earlier, broadly comic, Seventeen ) has a compulsive impact.

"Nobody big except me" is the dream world of Holden Caulfield and his first person story is down to the basic, drab English of the pre-collegiate. For Holden is now being bounced from fancy prep, and, after a vicious evening with hall- and roommates, heads for New York to try to keep his latest failure from his parents. He tries to have a wild evening (all he does is pay the check), is terrorized by the hotel elevator man and his on-call whore, has a date with a girl he likes—and hates, sees his 10 year old sister, Phoebe. He also visits a sympathetic English teacher after trying on a drunken session, and when he keeps his date with Phoebe, who turns up with her suitcase to join him on his flight, he heads home to a hospital siege. This is tender and true, and impossible, in its picture of the old hells of young boys, the lonesomeness and tentative attempts to be mature and secure, the awful block between youth and being grown-up, the fright and sickness that humans and their behavior cause the challenging, the dramatization of the big bang. It is a sorry little worm's view of the off-beat of adult pressure, of contemporary strictures and conformity, of sentiment….

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Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1951

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Read TIME’s Original Review of <i>To Kill a Mockingbird</i>

Read TIME’s Original Review of To Kill a Mockingbird

critical book review of to kill a mockingbird

M ore than half a century has passed since TIME reviewed Harper Lee’s first and only novel, To Kill a Mockingbird — but this summer TIME may have a second opportunity to review this celebrated and reclusive author’s work, when the publishing house Harper releases her recently discovered second novel, Go Set a Watchman . The publisher announced on Tuesday that the novel — which was actually written before Mockingbird — will be available on July 14.

TIME’s first review of To Kill a Mockingbird appeared in an Aug. 1, 1960 edition of the magazine, under the headline, “About Life & Little Girls.” While the reviewer doesn’t hold back on the praise, perhaps no one at the time could have anticipated the sensation the book would become.

Here is TIME’s original review, in full:

Clearly, Scout Finch is no ordinary five-year-old girl—and not only because she amuses herself by reading the financial columns of the Mobile Register , but because her nine-year-old brother Jem allows her to tag along when he and Dill Harris try to make Boo Radley come out. Boo is the Radley son who has not shown his face outside the creaky old family house for 30 years and more, probably because he has “shy ways,” but possibly —an explanation the children much prefer—because his relatives have chained him to his bed. Dill has the notion that Boo might be lured out if a trail of lemon drops were made to lead away from his doorstep. Scout and Jem try a midnight invasion instead, and this stirs up so much commotion that Jem loses his pants skittering back under the fence. Scout and her brother live in Maycomb, Alabama, where every family that amounts to anything has a streak—a peculiar streak, or a morbid streak, or one involving a little ladylike tippling at Lydia Pinkham bottles filled with gin. The Finch family streak is a good deal more serious —it is an overpowering disposition toward sanity. This is the flaw that makes Jem interrupt the boasting of a lineage-proud dowager to ask “Is this the Cousin Joshua who was locked up for so long?” And it is what compels Lawyer Atticus Finch, the children’s father, to defend a Negro who is charged with raping a white woman. The rape trial, Jem’s helling, and even Boo Radley are deeply involved in the irregular and very effective education of Scout Finch. By the time she ends her first-person account at the age of nine, she has learned that people must be judged, but only slowly and thoughtfully. Author Lee, 34, an Alabaman, has written her first novel with all of the tactile brilliance and none of the preciosity generally supposed to be standard swamp-warfare issue for Southern writers. The novel is an account of an awakening to good and evil, and a faint catechistic flavor may have been inevitable. But it is faint indeed; Novelist Lee‘s prose has an edge that cuts through cant, and she teaches the reader an astonishing number of useful truths about little girls and about Southern life. (A notable one: “Naming people after Confederate generals makes slow steady drinkers.”) All in all, Scout Finch is fiction’s most appealing child since Carson McCullers’ Frankie got left behind at the wedding.

See the page as it originally appeared, here in the TIME Vault

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To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - review

To Kill a Mockingbird is one of those books that almost everyone reads at some point in their lives. Whether you've been forced to read it at school, or you've had a look because everyone's been urging you to, most people have their own personal experience of reading Mockingbird.

The book is about Atticus Finch, who appears as an unconventional hero and role model due to his morality rather than his physical capabilities. The theme of morals is apparent throughout the whole novel, especially in relation to religion and perception of sin. Take Mrs Dubose, a recovering morphine addict: she vows that she'll die beholden to nothing and nobody. She's pursuing her own dream of being a free human being because she knows deep down that it's right.

To Kill a Mockingbird focuses on that gut instinct of right and wrong, and distinguishes it from just following the law. Even the titular quote: "Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird" is in itself an allegory for this message. Being in itself a generic message, the idea of 'doing what's right' obviously has a different meaning depending on when and where you're reading the book. If you take 1960, when the book was written, America was in a state of ethical development as social inequality was - very - gradually being overcome. Women's rights and black rights movements were beginning to emerge and some campaigned through violence. Would Atticus Finch condone this?

In the 1930s, when the book was set, America was in the midst of the Great Depression. This was a time when economic difficulties meant that the American Dream was receding further and further away. We could consider that Atticus Finch felt that his own dream of an equal, morally decent society was also heading in the wrong direction.

Without denying the constancy of the moral message, and the pure ingenuity of the book, it's still open to debate whether, as with all classics, schoolchildren should be forced to read the novel and go over it page-by-page. The beauty of literature and the reason why I love it so much is that a writer must eventually relinquish the meaning of his or her book. Therefore everyone who reads it can take something out of it which no one has before. I find that a beautiful notion myself, but it seems that looking for these life lessons has become a less and less popular exercise as the years have gone by. Let it not be forgotten that a true piece of literature, like To Kill a Mockingbird, is meaningful in every period and that today, Atticus Finch's message should be heard in the midst of all the global conflicts that we hear of on the news every night.

To think that children are suffering across the world because of a tyrannical regime or an unfair justice system is a depressing notion, and I think a modern Atticus Finch would agree. I don't think he would be comfortable knowing that innocent lives were suffering because of inequality. Atticus would now be defending issues that Harper Lee did not consider when writing the book, such as gay and lesbian rights, because what is at the heart of his character is an acceptance of who people are. That is a moral standpoint that you can hold whoever you are or wherever you are born. Atticus Finch is not xenophobic or homophobic. He's not racist or sexist. He's human and he sees everyone else in the same way. Who knows? Maybe Atticus Finch would even be an animal rights supporter.

Should it be analysed, taught in schools and pulled to pieces? I can't say, but what I will say is I'm not against anyone reading for the sake of reading. I've read many a book which I've enjoyed, put down and never thought about since. But I honestly feel that Mockingbird is a book which should be read, be it in school or in adult life (or both), without complete and utter absorption. It's a book with so many layers of meaning that you can get so much out of it. I for one know that To Kill a Mockingbird is a book that really has changed my life and that every time I go back over it, I find something new that I assimilate into my own code of ethics. Going over it, whilst being an arduous task, was in the long run worth all the time it took, and plenty more besides.

I would really advise picking up a copy of Harper Lee's magnificent novel and giving it a try. Because whatever happens, it will never stop being a good book, and it will never stop inspiring good people.

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Read the very first reviews of To Kill a Mockingbird .

Sixty-three years ago today, a young Alabama writer by the name of Nelle Harper Lee published her debut novel: a Southern Gothic-adjacent bildungsroman about racial injustice and familial love in the American South.

In the months leading up to publication, Lee’s editors at Lippincott were keen to manage expectations, telling the author that her novel would probably sell only a few thousand copies.

Things, as we now know, played out a little differently.

Indisputably one of the best-loved American stories of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird has been translated into more than forty languages, sold more than forty million copies worldwide, served as the basis for an Oscar-winning film starring Gregory Peck, and consistently been voted one of the best novels of the twentieth century by librarians across the country. It has also become one of the country’s most frequently challenged and banned books .

To mark this publication anniversary, here’s a look back at the very first reviews of To Kill a Mockingbird .

You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.

“In her first novel, Harper Lee writes with gentle affection, rich humor, and deep understanding of small-town family life in Alabama … Macomb has its share of eccentrics and evil-doers but Miss Lee has not tried to satisfy the current lust for morbid, grotesque tales of Southern depravity … The dialogue of Miss Lee’s refreshingly varied characters is a constant delight in its authenticity and swift revelation of personality. The events connecting the Finches with the Ewell-Robinson lawsuit develop quietly and logically, unifying the plot and dramatizing the author’s level-headed plea for interracial understanding … it is no disparagement of Miss Lee’s winning book to say that it could be the basis of an excellent film.”

–The New York Times Book Review , July 10, 1960

“All the magic and truth that might seem deceptive or exaggerated in a factual account of a small town unfold beautifully in a new first novel called To Kill a Mockingbird . At a time when so many machine-tooled novels are simply documentaries disguised behind a few fictional changes, it is pleasing to recommend a book that shows what a novelist can accomplish with quite familiar situations … To Kill A Mockingbird opens the chrysalis of childhood quietly and dramatically … Miss Lee’s characters are people to cherish in this winning first novel by a fresh writer with something significant to say, south and north.”

– The New York Times , July 13, 1960

“Clearly, Scout Finch is no ordinary five-year-old girl—and not only because she amuses herself by reading the financial columns of the Mobile Register , but because her nine-year-old brother Jem allows her to tag along when he and Dill Harris try to make Boo Radley come out.

Boo is the Radley son who has not shown his face outside the creaky old family house for 30 years and more, probably because he has ‘shy ways,’ but possibly—an explanation the children much prefer—because his relatives have chained him to his bed. Dill has the notion that Boo might be lured out if a trail of lemon drops were made to lead away from his doorstep. Scout and Jem try a midnight invasion instead, and this stirs up so much commotion that Jem loses his pants skittering back under the fence.

Scout and her brother live in Maycomb, Alabama, where every family that amounts to anything has a streak—a peculiar streak, or a morbid streak, or one involving a little ladylike tippling at Lydia Pinkham bottles filled with gin. The Finch family streak is a good deal more serious—it is an overpowering disposition toward sanity. This is the flaw that makes Jem interrupt the boasting of a lineage-proud dowager to ask ‘Is this the Cousin Joshua who was locked up for so long?’ And it is what compels Lawyer Atticus Finch, the children’s father, to defend a Negro who is charged with raping a white woman. The rape trial, Jem’s helling, and even Boo Radley are deeply involved in the irregular and very effective education of Scout Finch. By the time she ends her first-person account at the age of nine, she has learned that people must be judged, but only slowly and thoughtfully.

Author Lee, 34, an Alabaman, has written her first novel with all of the tactile brilliance and none of the preciosity generally supposed to be standard swamp-warfare issue for Southern writers. The novel is an account of an awakening to good and evil, and a faint catechistic flavor may have been inevitable. But it is faint indeed; novelist Lee’s prose has an edge that cuts through cant, and she teaches the reader an astonishing number of useful truths about little girls and about Southern life. (A notable one: ‘Naming people after Confederate generals makes slow steady drinkers.’) All in all, Scout Finch is fiction’s most appealing child since Carson McCullers’ Frankie got left behind at the wedding.”

– TIME , August 1, 1960

“Almost all the elements of the ‘southern’ novel are to be found somewhere or other in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, but they seem to wear a look of innocence, an aura of freshness, as if we were encountering them for the very first time … there are memorable moments in this story, some vivid and candid portraits in black and white, a gentle, persuasive humor, and a glowing goodness in the central figures. There is a timelessness about them and Miss Lee’s novel leaves one feeling that they will prevail in the difficult and painful adjustments the South must inevitably make. At least one has hope, and is grateful for it.”

–The Los Angeles Times , August 7, 1960

“Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird is sugar-water served with humor … It is frankly and completely impossible, being told in the first person by a six-year-old girl with the prose style of a well-educated adult. Miss Lee has, to be sure, made an attempt to confine the information in the text to what Scout would actually know, but it is no more than a casual gesture toward plausibility … A variety of adults, mostly eccentric in Scout’s judgment, and a continual bubble of incident make To Kill A Mockingbird pleasant, undemanding reading.”

–The Atlantic , August, 1960

“…a wonderfully absorbing story … [it] will come under some fire in the Deep South … The fact is simply that she has written a wonderfully absorbing story, unencumbered by either of the gimmicks—the bedroom or bestiality—which are supposed to be the only things that sell fiction today.”

–The Mobile Press-Register , 1960

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To Kill a Mockingbird

By harper lee.

'To Kill A Mockingbird' is a 1960 novel by American writer Harper Lee. It is a classic that exposes the folly and injustice of racism in the Deep South through the lens of childhood innocence.

About the Book

Article written by Onyekachi Osuji

B.A. in Public Administration and certified in Creative Writing (Fiction and Non-Fiction)

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee begins with Scout Finch, who reminisces on events that took place in her hometown from when she was six years to nine years old. Scout, with her brother Jem, and their friend Dill undertake many childish ventures in a bid to unravel the phantom of a reclusive neighbor known as Boo Radley. As she grows older, Scout begins to see the sheer injustice of racial discrimination and prejudice in her society when her father Atticus Finch, who is a lawyer, defends a black man falsely accused of raping a white woman. Having seen what an unjust society they live in, the children begin to reason that perhaps Boo is right in shutting himself away from the world.

Key Facts about To Kill a Mockingbird

Title : To Kill a Mockingbird
Publication Year : 1960
Number of Pages : 273
Literary Period : Modern
Genre : Bildungsroman
Point of View : First-person Narration
Setting : 1930s Alabama, USA
Climax : Boo Radley fends off Bob Ewell as he attacks Jem and Scout
Protagonists : Scout; Atticus Finch
Antagonists : Bob Ewell; the racist people of Maycomb County

Harper Lee and To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird is the centerpiece of Harper Lee’s career as a novelist . It was her first novel, published in July 1960 when she was thirty-four years old, and was her only published novel for most of her life until July 2015, when she published a second novel at eighty-nine years old. The second novel was titled Go Set a Watchman and was an earlier draft of To Kill a Mockingbird, with some chapters of the two novels being the same.

Harper Lee was pursuing a Law degree at the University of Alabama but dropped out without obtaining the degree and moved to New York in 1949 to pursue a career as a writer. However, her move to New York was not without challenges, as she had to work to make ends meet and could only write in her spare time. For many years, Lee worked as a ticket reservation agent for an airline, which dampened her productivity as a writer. Then on the Christmas of 1956, Lee’s friends, Micheal Martin Brown, who was a Broadway composer and lyricist, and his wife Joy Brown gave Harper Lee a year’s worth of her wages as a Christmas gift with a note that read: ”You have one year off from your job to write whatever you please. Merry Christmas”.

Harper Lee promptly focused on her writing after receiving the gift, and by the spring of 1957, she had produced a manuscript that was sent to various publishers. J.B Lippincott Company bought the manuscript, and a member of the company, Tay Hohoff began to work on the script as editor. In Hoff’s opinion, the script was more of a series of anecdotes than a fully conceived novel, and it took both author and editor about three years of dedicated hard work to restructure the script and produce the finished work that the world now knows as To Kill a Mockingbird . Within those years, Lee had despaired and almost given up on the script. It is said that she had once tossed the script out of the window on a winter night and had called her editor in tears. It is a good thing that Harper Lee did not give up on the script at the end because the novel became a gift to many readers and the world at large.

To Kill a Mockingbird earned its author Harper Lee the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1961 and many other awards and recognition, including the Medal of Freedom from two presidents of the United States and appointment to the National Council on the Arts.

Harper Lee included numerous autobiographical details in To Kill a Mockingbird . The narrator Scout Finch had many similarities with Harper Lee as a child, the character Dill was based on Harper’s childhood friend Truman Capote, the morally upright lawyer Atticus Finch was based on Harper Lee’s father Amasa Coleman Lee, and many other characters in the To Kill a Mockingbird were based on real-life family, friends, and neighbors of Harper Lee. The fictional location of Maycomb County in To Kill a Mockingbird is based on Lee’s hometown of Monroeville, Alabama.

Although To Kill a Mockingbird was a bestseller that garnered public attention to the author, Harper Lee was reclusive and did not bask in the public attention. Asides from some interviews in the first few years after the publication, she turned down many requests to grant interviews and make public appearances and lived a relatively private life, shuttling between Manhattan New York, and her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Digital Art

Books Related to To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a novel that showcases many aspects of the culture of the Deep South in the United States—small-town lifestyle where everyone knows everyone else, men with an exaggerated sense of gallantry towards their women, social class distinctions and racial discrimination. Below are some other novels with similar qualities.

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (1936). This historical novel by Margaret Mitchell narrates the struggles of a sheltered white girl Scarlett O’Hara as she witnesses the ordeals of the American Civil War and the new age of the Reconstruction Era in the southern state of Georgia, USA. It is similar to To Kill a Mockingbird in being a classic storytelling from a Southerner that depicts the class, gender, and racial discrimination in the South.
Other Voices, Other Rooms by Truman Capote (1948). This Gothic novel was written by Truman Capote, who was Harper Lee’s close childhood friend . The protagonist of the novel is a 13-year-old boy named Joel Harrison Knox, whose life takes a new turn after the death of his mother. Joel moves to a new home rife with decay and strange appearances but finds friendship with a tomboy around his age called Idabel.

Other Voices, Other Rooms, and To Kill a Mockingbird both have children as major characters and are similar in addressing themes of childhood, coming of age, and parental dynamics, along with issues of gender and race. Both authors also modeled a character after each other in the two respective novels— Truman Capote modeled the character Idabel in Other Voices, Other Rooms after memories of Harper Lee as a child, and Harper Lee modeled the character Dill in To Kill a Mockingbird after Truman Capote as a child.

Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee (2015). This is Harper Lee’s only published novel besides To Kill a Mockingbird. Go Set a Watchman is an earlier draft of To Kill a Mockingbird submitted to publishers in 1957 but was published fifty-eight years later in 2015. Go Set A Watchman follows the later lives of characters in To Kill a Mockingbird as the South continues to face tensions around the issue of race and discrimination. Go Set a Watchman places controversies around the morally upright Atticus Finch of To Kill a Mockingbird . Scout Finch as a single lady in her twenties becomes disillusioned with her idolization of her father as she senses that like many other Southern men, her father might also have racial prejudice.

Lasting Impact of To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird caused a sensation from the moment it was published in July 1960. It quickly became a bestseller and was translated to ten languages just within the first year of its publication. And in 1961, it won Harper Lee the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

To Kill a Mockingbird was adapted into a film of the same title in 1962. The film adaptation, directed by Robert Mulligan with a screenplay by Horton Foote, also got a successful reception, grossing over 20 million US dollars from a 2 million dollar budget and getting numerous Academy awards and nominations. The film got eight Oscar nominations and won three out of them, including Best Actor for Gregory Peck, who played the character Atticus Finch.

Since 1990, a play based on the novel has been performed annually in Harper Lee’s hometown of Monroeville, Alabama.

In a 1999 poll by the Library Journal, To Kill a Mockingbird was voted the Best Novel of the Century.

In 2006, it ranked ahead of the Bible in Britain in a poll of ”books an adult must read before they die”.

In 2008, the novel emerged in a US survey as the most widely read novel by students in grades 9-12 in the United States.

The novel has currently sold over 30 million copies in hardcover and paperback and has been translated to over 40 languages. Many consider To Kill a Mockingbird as the Great American Novel, and it continues to be a sensation and a topic of both academic and socio-political conversations in the US and across the globe.

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'To Kill a Mockingbird' Overview

B.A., English, Rutgers University

To Kill a Mockingbird is a searing portrayal of racial prejudice, justice, and innocence lost in a complex mixture of childish naiveté and mature observation. The novel explores the meaning of justice, the loss of innocence, and the realization that a place can be both a beloved childhood home and a source of evil.

Fast Facts: To Kill a Mockingbird

Author : Harper Lee
Publisher : J.B. Lippincott & Co.
Year Published : 1960
Genre : Fiction
Type of Work : Novel
Original Language : English
Themes : Prejudice, justice, innocence
Characters : Scout Finch, Atticus Finch, Jem Finch, Tom Robinson, Calpurnia
Notable Adaptation : 1962 film adaptation starring Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch

Plot Summary

Scout Finch lives with her father, a lawyer and widower by the name of Atticus, and her brother, a young boy named Jem. The first part of To Kill a Mockingbird tells of one summer. Jem and Scout play, make new friends, and first learn of a shadowy figure by the name of Boo Radley, who lives in a neighboring house yet is never seen.

A young Black man named Tom Robinson is accused of raping a white woman. Atticus takes on the case, despite the vitriol this arouses in the largely white, racist townsfolk. When the time of the trial comes around, Atticus proves that the girl that Tom Robinson is accused of raping actually seduced him, and that the injuries to her face were caused by her father, angry that she had tried to sleep with a Black man. The all-white jury nevertheless convicts Robinson and he is later killed by a mob while trying to escape from jail.

The girl's father, who holds a grudge against Atticus because of some of the things he said in court, waylays Scout and Jem as they walk home one night. They are saved by the mysterious Boo, who disarms their attacker and kills him.

Major Characters

Scout Finch. Jean Louise "Scout" Finch is the narrator and main character of the novel. Scout is a "tomboy" who rejects traditional feminine roles and trappings. Scout initially believes that there is always a clear right and wrong in every situation; as she grows older, she begins to understand more about the world around her and begins to value reading and education more.

Atticus Finch. Scout’s widower father is an attorney. Atticus is a bit of an iconoclast. He values education and indulges his children, trusting their judgment despite their young age. He is an intelligent, moral man who believes strongly in the rule of law and the necessity of blind justice.

Jem Finch. Jeremy Atticus "Jem" Finch is Scout’s older brother. He is protective of his status and often uses his superior age to force Scout to do things his way. He has a rich imagination and an energetic approach to life, but displays difficulty dealing with other people who do not rise to his standard.

Boo Radley. A troubled recluse who lives next door to the Finches (but never leaves the house), Boo Radley is the subject of many rumors. Boo naturally fascinates the Finch children, and displays affection and kindness towards them, ultimately rescuing them from danger.

Tom Robinson. Tom Robinson is a Black man who supports his family by working as a field hand despite having a crippled left arm. He is charged with the rape of a white woman, and Atticus defends him.

Major Themes

Maturation. Scout and Jem are frequently confused about the motivations and reasoning of the adults around them. Lee explores the way that growing up and maturing into adults makes the world clearer while also less magical and more difficult, ultimately connecting racism with childish fears that adults ought not to experience.

Prejudice. Lee explores the effects of prejudice of all kinds—racism, classism, and sexism. Lee makes it clear that racism is inextricably linked to economics, politics, and self-image. Sexism is explored in the novel through Scout and her constant battle to engage in behaviors she finds interesting instead of "appropriate" behaviors for a girl.

Justice and Morality. In the earlier parts of the novel, Scout believes that morality and justice are the same thing. Tom Robinson’s trial and her observation of her father’s experiences teach her that there is often a stark difference between what is right and what is legal.

Literary Style

The novel utilizes subtly layered narration; it can be easy to forget that the story is actually being told by the adult Jenna Louise and not the 6-year old Scout. Lee also restricts the point-of-view to Scout's direct observations, creating an air of mystery for the reader that mimics the childish sense of not quite understanding what all the adults are up to.

About the Author

Harper Lee was born in 1926 in Monroeville, Alabama. She published To Kill a Mockingbird in 1960 to instant acclaim, winning the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. She then worked with her friend Truman Capote on what would become Capote’s "nonfiction novel," In Cold Blood . Lee retreated from public life afterwards, granting few interviews and making almost no public appearances—and publishing almost no new material. She passed away in 2016 at the age of 89.

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Few novels have had the sustained impact on American culture of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. One of the most widely read works of American fiction, and perhaps one of the most beloved, it reached the 50th anniversary of its publication this summer. The novel has sold over 30 million copies in at least 40 languages, and between 50 and 70 percent of U.S. school systems continue to require students to read it.

Why does To Kill a Mockingbird continue to enthrall us? Perhaps because it presents complex social, ethical, and moral issues in a beguilingly simple, beautifully narrated form. This tale of Southern white children coming of age amid racism, violence, and various forms of abuse introduces these issues in a manner that all readers, even the very young, recognize as simplistic; in fact Harper Lee’s first-person narrator, simultaneously knowledgeable and naïve, is one of her most compelling achievements. Jem and Scout Finch learn rudimentary lessons about courage and tolerance as they discover the ugliness just beneath the surface of their small Alabama town, and the message that most of us were enjoined to draw from the work when we were teenagers—that we must all learn to see things from another’s point of view—is the very one that Atticus Finch delivers to his children when they encounter situations or behaviors that are difficult to comprehend.

Judging from the many editorials, Web sites, and panel discussions that celebrated this American classic this summer, that message continues to circulate today. But such a message, while perhaps suitable for adolescents, is dangerously incomplete and unworthy of the complexity of Lee’s masterpiece. When embraced by adults it justifies abuses just as injurious as the intolerance and racial bigotry that the novel condemns. That’s because it suggests that good will is all that we require to understand how history and circumstances have created our and others’ identities, and that once we have acknowledged the problem, it’s halfway solved. So while To Kill a Mockingbird is a story about children, it’s also a story about the limits of children’s understanding of complex social issues. It’s noteworthy that when Atticus addresses the question of identifying with others he uses two different metaphors to make his point. On the one hand, he tells his children to try to stand in someone else’s shoes and consider the world from that perspective; and on the other hand he urges them to climb into someone else’s skin and walk around in it.

Those folksy metaphors for understanding human identity and perspective appear equivalent, but the difference between them is the distinction between juvenile and adult understandings of the world. Trying on someone else’s shoes is child’s play. Everyone has done that, and it’s a diversion with no consequences, much like the role-playing games the Finch children and their friend Dill enjoy on the front lawn. But climbing into someone else’s skin is quite another matter—it’s impossible. Atticus’s two metaphors are structured to underscore the difference between sympathizing with someone and appropriating his or her values, dreams, history, and experiences. The simple fact is that we cannot get into someone else’s skin, and it’s presumptuous and condescending to believe that we can. That’s something that Tom Robinson and Boo Radley know implicitly, and that the Finch children never fully comprehend.

Our nostalgia for the heartwarming message we took away from To Kill a Mockingbird in high school protects us from the harsh reality that history and experience can make people irreconcilably different. It also relieves us of the responsibility of examining our own attitudes and beliefs about others, and it allows us the illusion that everyone is just like us—and strikingly, the Finch children are fond of referring to “ordinary folks like us.” That’s an illusion that can easily invalidate others’ distinct identities.

Metaphor is one of literature’s fundamental tools. It shows us not so much how particular things are alike, but how we can make them alike and how we establish the grounds that allow us to perceive similarity in the first place. To Kill a Mockingbird ’s title metaphor illustrates the ways we often make others little more than slightly exotic versions of ourselves. Atticus explains, in the work’s most often cited phrase, that mockingbirds “don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy,” and that’s why it’s a sin to kill them. But we recall that mockingbirds imitate the calls of other birds; they don’t sing their own songs. When we presume easy identification with other people, we assume that, like mockingbirds, they will sing our song, conform to our worldview, abandon their own unique voices, and sing in unison along with us—all for us to enjoy.

To Kill a Mockingbird has endured as a complex literary phenomenon for half a century in part because it establishes a tension separating simplistic views of Americans’ relationships with one another and sophisticated understandings of our history and culture. The challenge in reading this great American novel is not to be beguiled by its form. Remember that it’s precisely when you think you’ve understood others’ perspectives that you must recall you are not in their skin. A lifetime of experience is not assumable. We’re arrogant—and we’re drawing on a learned ignorance that adults cannot afford—when we claim otherwise. We must learn the difference between understanding others and imposing our views on them. That’s a lesson worthy of this masterpiece of American literature. And it’s not kids’ stuff.

DiPiero is a professor of French and the senior associate dean of humanities in the School of Arts and Sciences.

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To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Publication Date: March 5, 2002
Genres: Historical Fiction
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Harper Perennial Modern Classics
ISBN-10: 0060935464
ISBN-13: 9780060935467
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How ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ Changed Their Lives

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By Sona Patel

Feb. 19, 2016

Harper Lee’s “ To Kill a Mockingbird ” has transported generations of readers to small-town Alabama in the 1930s and confronted them with a sobering tale of racial inequality in the Deep South during Jim Crow. Read by many students in middle school and high school, it has left a mark on innumerable lives.

On the day of Ms. Lee’s death , The New York Times asked readers to share scenes from the novel, published in 1960, and movie (1962) that had stuck with them. Hundreds responded.

“To me, it beautifully captures both the hardships and oppressions human being inflict on one another time and again,” Sarah Twiest, 42, of San Francisco, wrote of the book. She continued, writing that it “also leaves us with a sense of hope that with a clear heart, things may change. This message was relevant in America in the 1960s, and it continues to be so important today in the face of continued and persistent injustice in our nation.”

Below are a selection of responses.

Writers, Teachers and Lawyers React to Harper Lee’s Death

Reflections on the legacy of the celebrated American writer.

Harper Lee: Her Life and Work

Highlights from the career of Ms. Lee, the author of “To Kill a Mockingbird,” who died on Friday at 89.

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To Kill a Mockingbird

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Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

To Kill a Mockingbird: Introduction

To kill a mockingbird: plot summary, to kill a mockingbird: detailed summary & analysis, to kill a mockingbird: themes, to kill a mockingbird: quotes, to kill a mockingbird: characters, to kill a mockingbird: symbols, to kill a mockingbird: literary devices, to kill a mockingbird: theme wheel, brief biography of harper lee.

Historical Context of To Kill a Mockingbird

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Full Title: To Kill a Mockingbird
When Written: 1950-1960
Where Written: New York City and Monroeville, Alabama
When Published: 1960
Literary Period: Modernism
Genre: Bildungsroman; Social Novel
Setting: The fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama during the Great Depression
Climax: The trial of Tom Robinson; or when Bob Ewell attacks Scout and Jem
Antagonist: Bob Ewell; more broadly, racism and mob mentality
Point of View: First Person

Extra Credit for To Kill a Mockingbird

“Dill” Capote. The character of Dill is based on Harper Lee’s real-life childhood friend, Truman Capote, who went on to become a national literary star in his own right. He wrote the bestselling true crime book In Cold Blood .

Atticus in Real Life. Harper Lee became close friends with Gregory Peck, the actor who played Atticus in the Academy Award-winning film adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird . She remained close with his family after Peck died, and Peck’s grandson is even named Harper after her.

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Plot summary

Analysis, adaptations, and Go Set a Watchman

What is To Kill a Mockingbird about?

What inspired harper lee to write to kill a mockingbird , how did people respond to to kill a mockingbird , why is to kill a mockingbird a significant text, is there a sequel to to kill a mockingbird .

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To Kill a Mockingbird

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National Endowment for the Arts - To Kill a Mockingbird
Encyclopedia of Alabama - To Kill A Mockingbird
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Academia - To Kill a Mockingbird: Race, Class and Innocence in the Contemporary Society INTRODUCTION
To Kill a Mockingbird - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)
Table Of Contents

To Kill a Mockingbird is set in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the Great Depression (1929–39). The story centres on Jean Louise (“Scout”) Finch, an unusually intelligent girl who ages from six to nine years old during the novel. She and her brother, Jeremy Atticus (“Jem”), are raised by their widowed father, Atticus Finch. Atticus is a well-known and respected lawyer. He teaches his children to be empathetic and just, always leading by example.

When Tom Robinson, one of the town’s Black residents, is falsely accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a young white woman, Atticus agrees to defend him despite threats from the community. Although Atticus presents a defense that gives a more plausible interpretation of the evidence—that Mayella was attacked by her father, Bob Ewell—Tom is convicted. He is later killed while trying to escape custody. The children, meanwhile, play out their own miniaturized drama. Scout and Jem become especially interested in the town recluse, Arthur (“Boo”) Radley, who interacts with them by leaving them small gifts in a tree. On Halloween, when Bob Ewell tries to attack Scout and Jem, Boo intervenes and saves them. Boo ultimately kills Ewell. The sheriff, however, decides to tell the community that Ewell’s death was an accident.

It is widely believed that Harper Lee based the character of Atticus Finch on her father, Amasa Coleman Lee, a compassionate and dedicated lawyer. The plot of To Kill a Mockingbird was reportedly inspired in part by his unsuccessful defense of two African American men—a father and a son—accused of murdering a white storekeeper. The fictional character of Charles Baker (“Dill”) Harris also has a real-life counterpart. Dill is based on the author Truman Capote , Lee’s childhood friend and next-door neighbour in Monroeville, Alabama. (After the spectacular success of To Kill a Mockingbird , some speculated that Capote was the actual author of Lee’s work. This rumour was not put to rest until 2006.) There is some anecdotal evidence that the town recluse, Arthur (“Boo”) Radley, was based on Lee and Capote’s childhood neighbour, Son Boulware. According to Capote, Boo “was a real man, and he lived just down the road from us.…Everything [Lee] wrote about it is absolutely true.”

Harper Lee began writing To Kill a Mockingbird in the mid-1950s. It was published in 1960, just before the peak of the American civil rights movement . Initial critical responses to the novel were mixed. Many critics praised Lee for her sensitive treatment of a child’s awakening to racism and prejudice. Others, however, criticized the novel’s tendency to sermonize. Some reviewers argued that the narrative voice was unconvincing. The novel was nonetheless enormously popular with contemporary audiences. To Kill a Mockingbird flourished in the racially charged environment of the United States in the early 1960s. In its first year it sold about 500,000 copies. A year after the publication of the novel, Lee was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for fiction.

Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the best-known and most widely read books in the United States. Since its publication in 1960, the novel has been translated into some 40 languages and has sold more than 40 million copies worldwide. A staple on American high- school reading lists, the novel has inspired numerous stage and film adaptations, the most notable of which was the 1962 film starring Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch. Lee’s novel continues to resonate with audiences today; in 2018 a stage adaptation of the novel debuted to rave reviews on Broadway.

In 2015 Harper Lee published a second novel titled Go Set a Watchman . Although it was technically written before To Kill a Mockingbird , the novel is essentially a sequel. Go Set a Watchman is set 20 years after the events of To Kill a Mockingbird . In the novel, Jean Louise (”Scout”) Finch—now a grown woman living in New York City—returns to her childhood home in Alabama to visit her aging father, who has embraced racist views. Despite the controversy surrounding its publication (some believe the novel is actually an early draft of To Kill a Mockingbird ), the novel reportedly sold 1.1 million copies in its first week.

To Kill a Mockingbird , novel by American author Harper Lee , published in 1960. Enormously popular, it was translated into some 40 languages, sold more than 40 million copies worldwide , and is one of the most-assigned novels in American schools. In 1961 it won a Pulitzer Prize . The novel was praised for its sensitive treatment of a child’s awakening to racism and prejudice in the American South .

To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the Great Depression . The protagonist is Jean Louise (“Scout”) Finch, an intelligent though unconventional girl who ages from six to nine years old during the course of the novel. She is raised with her brother, Jeremy Atticus (“Jem”), by their widowed father, Atticus Finch . He is a prominent lawyer who encourages his children to be empathetic and just. He notably tells them that it is “a sin to kill a mockingbird ,” alluding to the fact that the birds are innocent and harmless.

When Tom Robinson, one of the town’s Black residents, is falsely accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a white woman, Atticus agrees to defend him despite threats from the community . At one point he faces a mob intent on lynching his client but refuses to abandon him. Scout unwittingly diffuses the situation. Although Atticus presents a defense that gives a more plausible interpretation of the evidence—that Mayella was attacked by her father, Bob Ewell—Tom is convicted, and he is later killed while trying to escape custody. A character compares his death to “the senseless slaughter of songbirds,” paralleling Atticus’s saying about the mockingbird.

The children, meanwhile, play out their own miniaturized drama of prejudice and superstition as they become interested in Arthur (“Boo”) Radley , a reclusive neighbour who is a local legend . They have their own ideas about him and cannot resist the allure of trespassing on the Radley property. Their speculations thrive on the dehumanization perpetuated by their elders. Atticus, however, reprimands them and tries to encourage a more sensitive attitude. Boo makes his presence felt indirectly through a series of benevolent acts, finally intervening when Bob Ewell attacks Jem and Scout. Boo kills Ewell, but Heck Tate, the sheriff, believes it is better to say that Ewell’s death occurred when he fell on his own knife, sparing the shy Boo from unwanted attention. Scout agrees, noting that to do otherwise would be “sort of like shootin’ a mockingbird.”

Book Review: To Kill a Mockingbird

The novel “To Kill a Mockingbird,” by Harper Lee may strike your perception as a seemingly uninteresting story. The book tells the tale of two young children in a sleepy Alabama town, and at face-value, the plot does not garner much intrigue. However, I was in the same situation when I was required to read this book in the spring of my freshman year at high school. Indeed, while at first the story seemed boring, as I continued to carry on with reading, every turn of the page immersed me ever further into Lee’s timeless story.

As a reader, you share the emotions felt by Jem and Scout, two young siblings, as they learn the nuances of life in the prejudiced American South during the early 1900s. Not only was their community weakened by the economic collapse of the Great Depression, but also sickened by the bitter contempt felt among whites and blacks.

In the beginning of the novel, Jean Louise “Scout” Finch and her brother Jem innocently play games with their friend “Dill” and enjoy life in Maycomb with their father, Atticus. During this time, they have little to no apprehension of the racial tension hanging in their society, but when their father, Atticus Finch, who works as lawyer, openly chooses to defend an African American in court, trouble arises.

Jem and Scout undergo a number of personal developments during the course of the novel. While at first, they carry with them a genuine and child-like innocence, the court trial their father has taken on exposes them to the racist indignity felt by their fellow community members. Jem and Scout struggle to balance their conflict between the social norms of Maycomb and the morals their father has instilled in them. With the trial’s end, Jem and Scout are lead to discover the imperfections of their society, and the ways with which they are forced to deal with them. As the reader follows along, they not only watch Jem and Scout change, but they too themselves are shaped through Lee’s captivating story.

Overall, I enjoyed most aspects of the book. Although some scenes I felt were a bit plain and unprogressive, these minor flaws were overshadowed by the powerful themes Lee expresses through the story. If you haven’t already read To Kill a Mockingbird, I would certainly give the novel a try. If not for the genuine enjoyment of reading the story, try this novel to feel the powerful emotions stirred from Lee’s literary masterpiece.

Reviewer Grade: 10

‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ wrestles with the past while seeking its place in the present

If written today, the work couldn’t be produced. it’s actually only because of its deep-rooted place in american culture that it’s worth doing, as aaron sorkin’s new adaptation attempts to articulate..

Atticus Finch (Richard Thomas, center) ponders the next question for the plaintiff Mayella Ewell (Arianna Gayle Stucki, left) in “To Kill a Mockingbird,” now playing at the Nederlander Theatre.

Julieta Cervantes

Atticus Finch, a beloved character in Harper Lee’s novel “To Kill a Mockingbird,” most famously played by Gregory Peck in the 1962 film of the same name, has for over half a century been considered a paragon of virtue.

But should he, in today’s parlance, be canceled?

Playwright Aaron Sorkin’s new adaptation of “To Kill a Mockingbird” — now playing in an impeccably produced national tour replete with an extraordinary ensemble cast led by Richard Thomas as Atticus — toys with that question.

The answer: Yes and no.

In the bigger picture, we should also wonder if that is really the right question to ask.

In Sorkin’s take on the story of a white lawyer who agrees to defend a Black man accused of raping a white woman in the Jim Crow South, Atticus remains the embodiment of civility, working hard to see the very best in everyone.

But that kindness also seems a willful, almost absurd blindness to the depth of racial hatred his “friends and neighbors” harbor. Even his own kids sometimes have doubts about his gradualist, even accommodationist, views. He’s a good man, and a naïve one. He may well be part of the problem, even though he is so effective at articulating it: “We can’t go on like this,” he pleads in his closing argument. “We have to heal this wound or we will never stop bleeding.”

That double-sided quality to Atticus is not the only challenge involved with producing this play in contemporary times. Sorkin, to keep even within the core universe of the original (and the Lee estate sued him over relatively small liberties before resolving the matter), can’t write his way out of the fundamental issue that will forever make it problematic.

A Southern white lawyer Atticus Finch (Richard Thomas) defends Tom Robinson (Yaegel T. Welch), a Black man accused of raping a white girl in “To Kill a Mockingbird.”|

It’s not just the very frequent use of the “n” word — that’s a whole other dispute that is fully essayable. In the end, this was and is a story centering on a trial of an unjustly accused Black man, and the hero is the white savior lawyer, all told through the innocent view of his daughter’s coming of age and discovering prejudice and injustice. The entire conceit is a giant pat on the back for waking up to evil in the world.

In the meantime, the Black characters, the victims of the evil, are both aesthetically as well as socially subservient. Sorkin does significantly up the involvement of Atticus’s housekeeper Calpurnia to give some voice, in this case a sardonic one, but wow is it a liberal fantasy view of domestic servant relations.

To be clear. I love this show. Simultaneously, I wonder if perhaps I shouldn’t.

If written today, the work couldn’t be produced. It’s actually only because of its deep-rooted place in American culture that it’s worth doing, but requires some form of critical distance to avoid both irrelevance and offense.

Exactly “some” form of critical distance is definitely here, in both the writing and direction. But it remains an authorized distance, with a commercially savvy sheen.

With that limitation in mind, it should also be said that if you are looking for pure theatrical craft, you can’t do better than what’s on stage.

Sorkin, always so skillful with a courtroom drama (where he started with “A Few Good Men”), begins directly with the trial and flashes back, emphasizing the memory aspect of the work but from a closer distance in time. He also spreads the narration out among the young characters to avoid too monotonous a voice.

The production, directed by Bartlett Sher, is beautiful visually and inventively graceful in how characters move through and around the wall-less scenery designed by Miriam Beuther. Adam Guettel provides a winsome score that perfectly expresses the sad — but not TOO sad! — tone.

Atticus (Richard Thomas) has a heart-to-heart with his daughter Scout (Melanie Moore) on the front porch of their home in “To Kill a Mockingbird.”|

And then there’s the acting, which is so compelling and moving that it pulls you deeply into the tale no matter how much careful resistance you want to maintain. Thomas, who has been American wholesomeness personified since his days as TV’s John-Boy Walton, doesn’t hesitate to let us see the negative dimension of that very quality. The kid characters Scout (Melanie Moore), Jem (Justin Mark) and Dill (Steven Lee Johnson) are all played by adults who use wonderfully specific physicality to indicate youthfulness but recognize that their language is too knowing to be age-appropriate and don’t force it. It all comes across with complete authenticity.

As Calpurnia, Jacqueline Williams, a familiar face to Chicago audiences, rolls her eyes and controls her words in a way that comes off as both comic and complex. As the defendant Tom Robinson — the victim of what is in the end a tragic story — Yaegel T. Welch is the essence of human nobility and ultimately far more aware than Atticus himself.

As the unabashed racist Bob Ewell, Joey Collins expertly connects humiliation and vitriol. And as his daughter Mayella, Arianna Gayle Stucki explodes from a whisper into a racist rant so explosively that it generates (uncomfortable) applause for its performative excellence.

The sad part about all this is of course what it says about America today, because a decade ago it might have been different. Today, The Ewells of the country are ascendant in power.

Maybe the best we can wish for is that the flawed Atticus Finches will once again drive the national narrative.

That would be problematic and wrong. And an improvement.

Mike Feinberg, who teaches social studies to 8th graders at Walt Disney Magnet School, stands outside Walt Disney Magnet School in Uptown, Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. Feinberg was part of a Supreme Court Summer Institute program where he learned how to improve on teaching the Supreme Court in classrooms, he said. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

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To Kill a Mockingbird Paperback – March 1, 2002

Voted America's Best-Loved Novel in PBS's The Great American Read

Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning masterwork of honor and injustice in the deep South—and the heroism of one man in the face of blind and violent hatred

One of the most cherished stories of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird has been translated into more than forty languages, sold more than forty million copies worldwide, served as the basis for an enormously popular motion picture, and was voted one of the best novels of the twentieth century by librarians across the country. A gripping, heart-wrenching, and wholly remarkable tale of coming-of-age in a South poisoned by virulent prejudice, it views a world of great beauty and savage inequities through the eyes of a young girl, as her father—a crusading local lawyer—risks everything to defend a black man unjustly accused of a terrible crime.

Part of series To Kill a Mockingbird
Print length 336 pages
Language English
Lexile measure 790L
Dimensions 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
Publisher Harper Perennial Modern Classics
Publication date March 1, 2002
ISBN-10 0060935464
ISBN-13 978-0060935467
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“A first novel of such rare excellence that it will no doubt make a great many readers slow down to relish more fully its simple distinction. . . . A novel of strong contemporary national significance.” — Chicago Tribune

From the Back Cover

Harper Lee's Pulitzer prize-winning masterwork of honor and injustice in the deep south—and the heroism of one man in the face of blind and violent hatred

One of the best-loved stories of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird has been translated into more than forty languages, sold more than forty million copies worldwide, served as the basis for an enormously popular motion picture, and was voted one of the best novels of the twentieth century by librarians across the country. A gripping, heart-wrenching, and wholly remarkable tale of coming-of-age in a South poisoned by virulent prejudice, it views a world of great beauty and savage inequities through the eyes of a young girl, as her father—a crusading local lawyer—risks everything to defend a black man unjustly accused of a terrible crime.

About the Author

Harper Lee was born in 1926 in Monroeville, Alabama. She is the author of the acclaimed To Kill a Mockingbird and Go Set a Watchman , which became a phenomenal #1 New York Times bestseller when it was published in July 2015. Ms. Lee received the Pulitzer Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and numerous other literary awards and honors. She died on February 19, 2016.

To kill a mockingbird, chapter one.

Maycomb was an old town, but it was a tired old town when I first knew it. In rainy weather the streets turned to red slop; grass grew on the sidewalks, the courthouse sagged in the square. Somehow, it was hotter then: a black dog suffered on a summer's day; bony mules hitched to Hoover carts flicked flies in the sweltering shade of the live oaks on the square. Men's stiff collars wilted by nine in the morning. Ladies bathed before noon, after their three-o'clock...

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harper Perennial Modern Classics (March 1, 2002)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0060935464
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0060935467
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 14+ years, from customers
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 790L
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
#2 in Classic American Literature
#4 in Classic Literature & Fiction
#17 in Literary Fiction (Books)

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About the author.

Harper Lee was born in 1926 in Monroeville, Alabama. She attended Huntingdon College and studied law at the University of Alabama. She is the author of the acclaimed To Kill a Mockingbird, and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and numerous other literary awards and honours. She died on 19 February 2016.

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Customers find the literary merit amazing, powerful, timeless, and good depiction of the South. They also appreciate the wonderful characters and interesting view of women. Readers describe the themes as meaningful, disturbing, and incontrovertible. They describe the plot as moving, insightful, descriptive, and thought-provoking. They praise the writing style as delightful, outstanding, and has a message of acceptance. Opinions differ on entertainment value, with some finding it hilarious and touching, while others find it boring for the first half.

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Customers find the book amazing, brilliant, and suspenseful. They also say it's complex with multiple themes and a very good depiction of the South at this time in history.

"...The scenes leading up to and within the courthouse during the trial are brilliant and evoke so much emotion as you "climb into another's skin and..." Read more

"...For me, that is why To Kill A Mockingbird is the great American novel . It spans the gap of generations, and through Scout’s eyes, looks into our soul." Read more

"...I rate 'To Kill a Mockingbird' with five stars for its masterful storytelling , poignant exploration of human nature, and its unwavering impact on..." Read more

"Best book for teen or adult. The movie is also well done . Setting is from years ago, but the theme is still relevant!" Read more

Customers find the writing style delightful, sweet, and imaginative. They also say the book is one of the most critically acclaimed novels of all time. Customers also mention that the book has very little foul language and has a message of acceptance that we all need to hear.

"...The writing is so vivid and the characters really come alive. Your heart wants one verdict even though your head knows it's going to be another...." Read more

"...The prose is superb . The story is engaging and riveting...." Read more

"...While the book tackles weighty themes, it does so with grace and subtlety , inviting readers to reflect on the nuances of life and the intricacies of..." Read more

"...was like returning to a childhood home and finding it warm and welcoming and undisturbed from the passage of time, like walking the streets of my..." Read more

Customers find the themes in the book meaningful, intriguing, and good. They say the book creates a world that brings back memories of childhood. They also say the cast of characters reflects the time with stark honesty. Customers also say that the book has better lessons than the Bible, a timeless message of love that permeates through the novel, and enduring relevance.

"...and within the courthouse during the trial are brilliant and evoke so much emotion as you "climb into another's skin and walk around in it"...." Read more

"...The story is engaging and riveting. There are moments that will make you smile , others that will make you angry and some that might bring tears to..." Read more

"...Its enduring relevance and impact lie in its ability to engage readers across generations, inviting contemplation on timeless themes such as justice..." Read more

"...Though it is not without its flaws, there is a timeless message of love that permeates through the novel...." Read more

Customers find the plot moving, inviting contemplation on timeless themes, and hardbreakingly humane. They say it shows the true meaning of family and bravery. Readers also say the book is a study of human nature, insightful criticism of morality in America, and realistic. They mention the confrontation is realistic and that Atticus has such strength and peace. Overall, customers say the story is good history, sociology, and story-telling.

"...in its ability to engage readers across generations, inviting contemplation on timeless themes such as justice, empathy, and the struggle between..." Read more

"...Setting is from years ago, but the theme is still relevant !" Read more

"...gender roles, Southern manners and taboos, and an important moral message of kindness , love and conviction all within a whimsical bildungsroman..." Read more

"...She sees Atticus as a racist and feels deceived. The confrontation is realistic ...." Read more

Customers find the characters wonderful and interesting.

"...The writing is so vivid and the characters really come alive . Your heart wants one verdict even though your head knows it's going to be another...." Read more

"...the coming-of-age narrative of Scout, and has a knack for creating exquisite characters that have left their immortal mark in the halls of..." Read more

"...This book is very good and you end up getting very fond of the characters it almost seems that your growing up with them...." Read more

"...Scout and her older brother Jem are completely natural characters , recognizable to all of us who remember our own childhoods...." Read more

Customers find the pacing of the book profoundly moving, engaging, and thoughtful. They also say it's a fast read that maintains s wonderful flow.

"...Just know that it is a gripping story with a conclusion that keeps you on the edge of your seat before Lee allows you to take a breath in the final..." Read more

"...Harper Lee's storytelling is at once compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving ...." Read more

"..."us" as a society (not just in the 1930s but even today), moves me , inspires me,Possibly the best novel ever written." Read more

"I’ve read this book several times and it’s always so timely . It never disappoints." Read more

Customers find the book compelling for all ages, with racism and prejudice. They also say the character of Atticus is a fine example in parenting. Readers also mention that the book spans the gap of generations and looks into our soul.

"...It spans the gap of generations , and through Scout’s eyes, looks into our soul." Read more

" Best book for teen or adult . The movie is also well done. Setting is from years ago, but the theme is still relevant!" Read more

"...This book is just an amazing book that I think anybody can enjoy at any age ...." Read more

"... Using children is powerful because in many ways, they are a tabula rosa...." Read more

Customers are mixed about the entertainment value of the book. Some mention that the string of captivating, hilarious, and touching stories always gives them joy. However, others say that it was boring for the first half and not very impressive in contrast with picture books of travel and adventure.

"...sense of all the hustle and bustle around her, and this creates an incredible ironic effect where there are large events going on that the reader..." Read more

"...for an actor like Lincolnesque Gregory Peck, but not so compelling on the printed page ...." Read more

"...There's a lot of funny stuff about education and John Dewey...." Read more

"...The string of captivating, hilarious and touching, stories/encounters which are lived-out by the three main characters..." Read more

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COMMENTS

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Book Summary: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee The unforgettable novel of a childhood in a sleepy Southern town and the crisis of conscience that rocked it, To Kill A Mockingbird became both an instant bestseller and a critical success when it was first published in 1960.
To Kill a Mockingbird: Book Review, Summary & Analysis
Dive into the timeless world of 'To Kill a Mockingbird' by Harper Lee with our comprehensive review, insightful summary, and in-depth analysis.
Comprehensive Review of "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee
Dive into the heart of American literature with our detailed review of Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird." Explore a thorough analysis of its themes, characters, and impact. Perfect for students, educators, and book lovers.
To Kill a Mockingbird Critical Evaluation
Critical Evaluation. Harper Lee was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in fiction in 1961 for her only novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, based to a large degree on her childhood experiences growing up in ...
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
A first novel, this is also a first person account of Scout's (Jean Louise) recall of the years that led to the ending of a mystery, the breaking of her brother Jem's elbow, the death of her father's enemy — and the close of childhood years. A widower, Atticus raises his children with legal dispassion and paternal intelligence, and is ably abetted by Calpurnia, the colored cook, while the ...
Read TIME's Original Review of To Kill a Mockingbird
TIME's first review of To Kill a Mockingbird appeared in an Aug. 1, 1960 edition of the magazine, under the headline, "About Life & Little Girls." While the reviewer doesn't hold back on ...
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving, "To Kill A Mockingbird" takes readers to the roots of human behavior - to innocence and experience, kindness and cruelty, love and hatred, humor and pathos. Now with over 18 million copies in print and translated into forty languages, this regional story by a young Alabama woman claims universal appeal. Harper Lee always considered her book to be a ...
News, sport and opinion from the Guardian's US edition
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To Kill a Mockingbird: A Laudable Literary Piece
To Kill a Mockingbird is Harper Lee's literary masterpiece with commendable quality of universal appeal. It is a novel that can be enjoyed by everyone irrespective of age, race, or social class. The moral and intellectual value of the novel has made it have continued relevance for many decades after its publication.
Read the very first reviews of To Kill a Mockingbird
Read the very first reviews of To Kill a Mockingbird. Sixty-three years ago today, a young Alabama writer by the name of Nelle Harper Lee published her debut novel: a Southern Gothic-adjacent bildungsroman about racial injustice and familial love in the American South. In the months leading up to publication, Lee's editors at Lippincott were ...
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
To Kill a Mockingbird is the centerpiece of Harper Lee's career as a novelist. It was her first novel, published in July 1960 when she was thirty-four years old, and was her only published novel for most of her life until July 2015, when she published a second novel at eighty-nine years old. The second novel was titled Go Set a Watchman and ...
'To Kill a Mockingbird' Study Guide
This study guide for 'To Kill a Mockingbird' provides key information about the plot, characters, themes, and literary style of Harper Lee's classic novel.
Rochester Review :: University of Rochester
Few novels have had the sustained impact on American culture of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. One of the most widely read works of American fiction, and perhaps one of the most beloved, it reached the 50th anniversary of its publication this summer. The novel has sold over 30 million copies in at least 40 languages, and between 50 and 70 percent of U.S. school systems continue to ...
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
7. One of the chief criticisms of To Kill a Mockingbird is that the two central storylines -- Scout, Jem, and Dill's fascination with Boo Radley and the trial between Mayella Ewell and Tom Robinson -- are not sufficiently connected in the novel. Do you think that Lee is successful in incorporating these different stories? Were you surprised at ...
Lots of People Love 'To Kill a Mockingbird.' Roxane Gay Isn't One of
Tom Santopietro's "Why 'To Kill a Mockingbird' Matters" is painstakingly researched, if substantively and structurally flawed, Roxane Gay writes.
How 'To Kill a Mockingbird' Changed Their Lives
Harper Lee's " To Kill a Mockingbird " has transported generations of readers to small-town Alabama in the 1930s and confronted them with a sobering tale of racial inequality in the Deep ...
To Kill a Mockingbird Study Guide
The best study guide to To Kill a Mockingbird on the planet, from the creators of SparkNotes. Get the summaries, analysis, and quotes you need.
To Kill a Mockingbird Essays and Criticism
Most critics characterize Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird as a novel of initiation and an indictment of racism. The novel's point of view, in particular, lends credence to these readings. As an ...
Book Review: To Kill a Mockingbird
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee is a classic exploration of racial injustice and moral growth in Southern United States. The novel's strengths lie in its powerful narrative, addressing societal prejudices through the trial of Tom Robinson. While the coming-of-age story of Scout and Jem Finch provides a strong examination of morality, occasional pacing issues and a less engaging narrative ...
To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird, novel by Harper Lee, published in 1960. Enormously popular, it was translated into some 40 languages and sold over 40 million copies worldwide. In 1961 it won a Pulitzer Prize. The novel was praised for its sensitive treatment of a child's awakening to racism and prejudice in the American South.
Book Review: To Kill a Mockingbird
Review The novel "To Kill a Mockingbird," by Harper Lee may strike your perception as a seemingly uninteresting story. The book tells the tale of two young children in a sleepy Alabama town, and at face-value, the plot does not garner much intrigue. However, I was in the same situation when I was required to read this book in the spring of my freshman year at high school. Indeed, while at ...
'To Kill a Mockingbird' review: story wrestles with the past while
Atticus Finch, a beloved character in Harper Lee's novel "To Kill a Mockingbird," most famously played by Gregory Peck in the 1962 film of the same name, has for over half a century been ...
Amazon.com: To Kill a Mockingbird: 9780060935467: Lee, Harper: Books
One of the best-loved stories of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird has been translated into more than forty languages, sold more than forty million copies worldwide, served as the basis for an enormously popular motion picture, and was voted one of the best novels of the twentieth century by librarians across the country. A gripping, heart ...

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Comprehensive Review of “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee

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2. How does Harper Lee use the character of Atticus Finch to explore the theme of justice?

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5. How does the novel address the theme of racial injustice?

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