sistv bookworms discussion
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i'm also really enjoying the parallels between her life and the book. i think it's comforting to know that these characters are based on real people, however flawed the people may be. i think that makes the book's message so much stronger.
i found it quite interesting that in the book, scout's mother died when she was two, and in lee's own life, she was 2 when her mother supposedly tried to drown her.
i also think that the character of atticus is almost too good to be true. it's hard for me to think of someone who can just be that genuinely good all the time. but, reading about a.c lee's experiences, if lee was basing atticus' past on those, i can see how one might possibly come out of those the man that atticus was. i was very glad though, to read that in real life, lee would curl up on her father's lap in the evenings to read whatever he was. that is one of my very favorite parts of to kill a mockingbird.
I haven't read the biography you ladies are speaking of, but absolutely want to and will.Truly interesting about her mother and the "substitute" mothers.
My take on Atticus is that this is all from Scout's view. And he probably wasn't perfect, and was absolutely more flawed than written. But he was pretty dang close to perfect in scout's eyes.
He was calm, he was moral, he was fair, and still had time at the end of the day to show her that time with her was important.
I agree with you Allison, knowing that these are real experiences makes it more special and like you said, the message stronger.
For me Atticus may be too good to be true but in his otherworldly goodness he is just so inspiring. His kindness, wisdom and calmness provide the perfect role model.Also, the story is told by a child and don't children regard their parents as the perfect human being. I believe that most (young) children glorify their parents to a certain extent and that may be a reason why Atticus seems more than good?
Melbg wrote: "For me Atticus may be too good to be true but in his otherworldly goodness he is just so inspiring. His kindness, wisdom and calmness provide the perfect role model.Also, the story is told by a c..."
going to play devil's advocate a bit here...
two of you mentioned that we see atticus through scout's eyes -- but let's look at scout herself for a second. she's more than precocious -- she's like a little grown-up running around in a kid's body, isn't she? is she believable to you? is her voice, her perspective, authentic for you? or did you ever find yourself going, nuh-uh, no way a kid talks like that, even a really smart one! (this is one of the most criticized parts of the novel, btw)
Melbg wrote: "For me Atticus may be too good to be true but in his otherworldly goodness he is just so inspiring. His kindness, wisdom and calmness provide the perfect role model.Also, the story is told by a c..."
but the story isn't told by a child, right? it's actually scout herself, grown up, and looking back on her childhood and those events. The narration switches back and forth between the adult Scout and the child Scout.
So does that change anything?
I know all too well how easy it is to glorify your parents. My dad died when I was 25, and I find it really easy to slip into just remembering the good things and talking about him like he was some kind of saint, when the truth was, he could be a real asshole sometimes, and he said some mean and horrid things to me at times that I'll never forget. So yes, there's the tendency to do that....
I guess what I wonder is whether it helps or hinders the creation of a REALISTIC character in Atticus. Beginning writers are often faulted for creating one-dimensional characters. But the best and most believable characters are neither 100% good nor 100% evil -- there's some of both aspects to them (look at Milton's Lucifer in Paradise Lost -- he's viewed as the hero of the book!) So, for all his saintliness, does Atticus have faults that make him more believable and realistic?
Lee's own mother suffered from what was believed to be a bipolar disorder and consequently didn't have much to do with Lee at all during her childhood. Her biographer explains that this has much to do with the mother figure being absent in the novel itself; yet we see plenty of "substitute" mothers -- thoughts on these characters?
Atticus is based on her own father, yet it is pretty obvious that the character is much less flawed than the real man. What's your take on this? Is the character of Atticus in the novel too good to be true?