In the past, I have read a number books that have provided me with a meaningful, thought-inducing literary experience, including A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens, and Watership Down, by Richard Adams. Though most of them felt slow and dull at the beginning, there came a point when I became deeply absorbed in the story and began to connect personally to the characters. To Kill A Mockingbird did all these things for me as a reader. It caused me to contemplate and think more deeply about the themes and lessons that it was conveying, both during and after my reading, as well as to admire the characters for their actions and personalities.
Though I have read books that discuss serious topics like racism and discrimination, they have not been from the perspective of a character as young as Scout. This offered me a new view on how strange and confusing they would be to a child. I had not given much about these issues beyond their definition and history before. The point of view also enhanced and gave depth to other subjects and subplots, like Boo Radley, which seemed more mysterious and curious when told by Scout. Additionally, I found that Harper Lee constructed the world of Maycomb in a very effective way. The society seemed very complete and realistic, mostly due to the great number of minor characters and subplots woven into the main story. This helped me to better appreciate the town's events and conflicts.
By the end of the book, I had accumulated considerable admiration and respect for both Atticus and Boo Radley. I had read about and gotten to know these characters, and found their actions to define them as extremely kind and honorable people. In the case of Atticus, I appreciated not only his sense of true justice, but how he was able to act righteously and sensibly in difficult situations. I recognized him as a hero, in both a literary and moral sense. With Boo Radley, I was surprised and yet grateful when he came to the defense of Jem and Scout, as I realized his background and protective presence to the children throughout the book; I understood him too to be a hero of a different kind.
Interesting that you talk about how Harper Lee constructed such a realistic town. Consider that such societies exist in real life, or at least did. It raises the question whether or not that would influence anyone's thoughts of the story.
ReplyDeleteAlso: Watership Down. Thanks for the memories