To Kill A Mockingbird Discussion, Book as a Whole *SPOILERS*

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

Sara wrote: "Bob's choice pushed me to do something I have been intending for a long time, re-read this marvelous book. Like Sam, I have this story so clear in my mind, even small details, that it seemed almost..."

Sara, this is an absolutely fantastic summary. I read this when it first became our group read back in 2014. It was one of the books I left on the shelf because I had seen the movie. Like many people, I still remember it in good detail. While I marveled at the quality of the story, I never analyzed it. I am deeply impressed with your comments about the evil depicted in the story. Both the societal evil that people don't or aren't capable of acknowledging. Like the treatment and attitudes of the white community towards their black neighbors. And the more overt evil of individuals, such as Boo Radley's father and Bob Ewell.

[Sara, New School Classics]

I read this with your broader question always in mind, because it is important to understand why this book has endured. I was struck, as I had not been before, at how few people were willing to be even suspected of agreeing with Atticus and how easily they put Tom Robinson's fate behind them...as easily as they dismissed the death of the mad dog Atticus shot in the street.

I think the first time you read this book you are so focused on the truly evil people, like Bob Ewell, and the truly sad ones, like Boo Radley, that you miss some of the horror of Judge John Taylor and the prosecutor and Heck Tate, who all know the truth. Then you begin to think about the jury...the single man who is a Cunningham and wants to acquit and is pulled back into line by his peers. The fact that they are out long enough for it to be obvious that they know the "usual" response is not the right or moral one.

Still, they all cave. Everyone but Atticus just shakes his head and says "that's the way it is in Maycomb, Alabama". When Jem is crying leaving the trial and asks Atticus "How could they do it?" you are wondering the same thing. And yet, we still do it. We see things that we know are desperately wrong and we leave them for someone else to fix; we hope the next generation will be better than we are; we go along to get along. This book interferes with my sleep. I found myself still thinking about it this morning, as if I had just closed the last page.

Thank you for making re-reading this a priority for me. I was long overdue.

[Annette]

I read TKAM long ago. Additionally I read & discussed sections with my kids as they studied it in school. (Due to moves, one of them had it assigned to her 3 times during her public school years!) After reading this thread, I think I could use another reread.

[Sara, New School Classics]

I suppose if you were going to get one book assigned three times this would be a good one. I waited a long time between reads, but I think I could probably read it again next year and still find it stirs me and gives me new things to think about.