Download - Book review To Kill A Mockingbird

BOOK REVIEW 1By Nur Ashikin Mohd Sa’ay

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

o Author: Harper Lee

oPublisher’s Name:

Mandarin Paperbacks

oPublished Year:

1989

oCountry:

United States

oPages:

309 (paperback)

o Author: Harper Lee

oPublisher’s Name:

J. B. Lippincott & Co.

oPublished Date:

July 11, 1960

oCountry:

United States

oPages: 296 (first

edition, hardback)

MY OWN COPY

SYNOPSIS

Growing up in a small Southern town, Jem and Scout Finch

think they know their family and neighbors: There's Boo

Radley, the neighborhood recluse, whom the children attempt

to lure out of hiding; cranky old Mrs. Dubose is secretly

addicted to morphine; their odd playmate, Dill Harris, comes

to stay with his aunt next door each summer; and then there's

Atticus, their father, and their hero. Their life is shattered by

rumors of a black man accused of raping a white woman. In

1930s Alabama, her accusation all but proves his guilt. Yet

lawyer Atticus questions the charge and defends the accused

man in a town steeped in prejudice. Through the eyes of the

children, as they try to understand the reactions of the

townspeople and make sense of the crumbling world around

them, the irrationality of racism is laid bare.

GENRE: COMING-OF-AGE

oTo Kill a Mockingbird is not just Scout’s

coming-of-age story. It is also about Jem’s

and Dill’s. But mostly we hear about Scout.

oOver the course of the novel she learns to

act in a more adult way, even a more

ladylike way, and to see the people around

her as actual human beings.

oAnd the novel is also about growing up

more generally, asking an important

question: Is it possible to become an adult,

to join adult community and still keep a

child’s sensitivity to injustice?

GENRE: SOUTHERN GOTHIC

oAnd now for the fun stuff. To Kill a Mockingbird

has a haunted house (the Radley Place), a ghost

(Boo), inexplicable evil (Bob Ewell) and terrifying

nightmares encounters (the midnight raid on the

Radley Place and Bob Ewell again).

oThat makes it gothic.

oIt is set in a South still haunted by its rascist

past.

oThat, gives us the Southern Gothic.

oBut don’t worry. The book’s also got ham

costumes and public pantslessness, so the

potential horror of the novel is offset by its

humor.

THEMES

Prejudice is a strong word.

In Maycomb County, Tom

Robinson is charged with the rape

of Mayella Ewell.

Atticus and the children believes

wholeheartedly of Tom’s

innocence.

The rest of the townsfolk

however, let their prejudice

towards the black folks blind them.

In the end, even after presenting

unquestionable evidences, Atticus

got a guilty verdict from the all-

white jury.

THEME: PREJUDICE

Miss Dubose’s courage in

battling her morphine

addiction.

Atticus’s courage to stand

up for what he believes in.

Moral courage is having

the guts to do what is

right, and not what is

expected of you, even

though it might anger

those around you.

THEME: COURAGE

Atticus as a compassionate father.

"Jem, see if you can stand in Bob Ewell's

shoes for a minute, I destroyed his last shred

of credibility at the trial, if he had any to

begin with. The man had to have some kind of

comeback, he always does. So if spittin' on my

face and threatening me saved Mayella one

extra beating, that's something I would gladly

take. He had to take it out on someone and I'd

rather it be me, then that household of

children out there, do you understand?"

THEME: COMPASSION

CHARACTERS

ATTICUS FINCH

A white Maycomb

attorney

Father of Scout and Jem

Wise and caring

Teach Scout and Jem to

treat others equally

Have strong moral

compass

Decides to defend Tom

Robinson

CHARACTERS

JEAN-LOUISE ‘SCOUT’ FINCH

oNarrator and protagonist

oConsidered smart for her

age, loves to read.

oA tomboy who spends

most of her time playing

with her brother and

friend, Dill.

oNaive and idealistic.

oQuick-tempered.

CHARACTERS

JEREMY ATTICUS ’JEM’ FINCH

Scout’s older brother of 4

years.

Matures greatly

throughout the novel.

Protective of his father

and sister.

Risked his life to save

Scout.

CHARACTERS

ARTHUR ‘BOO’ RADLEY

The most mysterious

character in this novel.

Very quiet, reclusive

character.

Maycomb children believe

he’s a horrible person.

Goes out of his way to

save Scout and Jem.

CHARACTERS

ROBERT E. LEE ‘BOB’ EWELL

Main antagonist in the

novel.

A white trash.

It is implied that he was

the one who abused his

daughter, Mayella and not

Tom Robinson.

Tried to kill Scout and

Jem.

CHARACTERS

TOM ROBINSON

The black man Atticus

defends when he is

accused of raping a whit

ewoman, Mayella Ewell.

Felt sorry for Mayella.

Despite Atticus's skillful

defense, Robinson is

declared guilty by the jury.

CHARACTERS

MAYELLA VIOLET EWELL

Tom Robinson's 19-and-a-

half-year-old accuser and

the eldest daughter of Bob

Ewell.

Has to take care of her

siblings because of her

father’s alcoholism.

Tries to seduce Tom and

covers up by accusing him

of rape.

CHARACTERS

ISSUES PRESENTED

ISSUES PRESENTED: DISCRIMINATION

The Radleys, even though white, faces discrimination by the townsfolk

because they are different.

ISSUES PRESENTED: LOSS OF INNOCENCE

oCan be explained as the process of growing

up.

oFascination with the mystery that is Boo

Radley. (Reenact rumors of violence done by

Boo)

oThe trial of Tom Robinson and its aftermath.

(Scout finally sees that the world is unfair

racism is an imminnent threat)

oJem acts as a protector of Scout.

ISSUES PRESENTED: IMPORTANCE OF HONOUR

Atticus, against practically everyone in the

county, including his own mother and sister

decides to defend the black man.

Scout honours her promise to her father to

turn the other way when people calls Atticus

bad names in front of her.

REASONS FOR CHOOSING THIS BOOK

TARGET READERS

Download - Book review To Kill A Mockingbird

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