Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird - Review

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A poignant, timeless classic, bearing witness to social injustice and both the empathy and depravity of humanity.

‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ is a Southern Gothic novel by Harper Lee, originally published in 1960, the first of only two novels published during her lifetime; a piece of classic literature hugely significant for its social themes, and both a coming-of-age drama and legal drama. Set in 1930s Alabama, we are taken to the old town of Maycomb in the midst of the Great Depression, the setting for the events our narrator, Scout Finch, looks back on to the time when she was still a child and the world was both a simpler and more terrifying place. Scout introduces us to her brother and friend, her neighbours, the teachers and fellow pupils at her local school – and the hero of the tale, her father and lawyer, Atticus Finch, who is defending an unwinnable case – of a black man accused of the rape of a white girl.

Delving in to this doomed fight for justice, the novel is an astute observation of humanity, exploring themes of prejudice and discrimination, significantly regarding race, but also gender, class, and religion. A touching and moving story, beautifully told, it speaks to you on a deep level, as we experience it through the eyes of a child who cannot understand why things are the way they are and does not perceive the cruelty of the world, juxtaposed with how so many of the adults see the world on such a superficial, and black and white, level – leading us to also ask ourselves, just why must society be this way? What may often be attributed to the naivety of the young actually poses a question no one can ever adequately answer – because the truth is, society does not need to be this way.

The relationships between the children, and their observations of Atticus’ wisdom, morals and integrity, drive the narrative, evolving into many vivid scenes that stay with you long afterwards. One such scene depicts how it takes the innocence of a child to remind a lynch mob of their humanity and dispel the threat of violence; others those powerful courtroom scenes, including Atticus’ closing argument; and the tragedy of Tom Robinson, whose fate was sealed for no other reason than the colour of his skin. The children’s fascination with the mystery of their reclusive neighbour, “Boo” Radley, provides some additional suspense in a subplot that ultimately merges with the main plot in an intense climax, one that brings a satisfying conclusion to the various threads, as well as the themes of prejudice and distinction between expectation and reality, while philosophising on social justice and morality.

Reading the novel over sixty years later (and ninety years on from the period in which it is set), one is struck by how little has changed. There may have been some progress in some ways, perhaps in superficial ways, but the passage of time has sadly not allowed for as much change as should have been possible. The messages entwined within the plot give the novel a fable-like quality; this is a story that will always have something to say.

The novel was adapted for the screen in 1962, a critically acclaimed film directed by Robert Mulligan and starring Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch. While there have also been several stage adaptations, to date the film is the only adaptation for the screen. In 2015, a long-awaiting sequel ‘Go Set a Watchman’ was published, following its rediscovery in 2011. It features the return of Scout as an adult, returning to Maycomb to visit Atticus. While publicised as a sequel, this novel was written prior to its predecessor, and is largely believed to be an original draft, with many elements developing into what became the original 1960 novel, Scout looking back on her childhood and this tale of tragedy and the best and worst of humanity.



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