Banned Books: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Jean Louise Finch, or Scout, has been running around behind her older brother, Jem, for years in Macomb County, Alabama. Every summer, their friend Dill comes to town and the three run around visiting neighbors and trying to attract the attention of Boo Radley, a man who hasn’t left his house for years and who the kids are terrified of. Scout and Jem’s father, Atticus, has been attracting a lot of unwanted attention as of late for representing a young black man, Tom Robinson, whose accused of raping a younger white woman. Most of the town feels as if Atticus is disgracing his own by representing a colored man. Others feel the opposite, and though not as vocal, they find ways to show their support. It proves to be a rough time for the Finch family as they try and stand by their morals and support each other in a time when so many are fighting against them.

To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel that examines social inequality and racism in the south in the 1930’s. It also looks at cultural differences between women and men and what was expected at that time. Scout at a young age showed her propensity for being unladylike. She was her brother’s shadow and preferred to wear overalls instead of dresses and leave the house as she pleased. Her mother passed away when she was very young, leaving her with no memory of her mother. Atticus, Jem and their colored nurse, Calpurnia, raised Scout. Those three were sources of strength and comfort throughout her life. As Scout grew, her habits declined to change and her moral courage shaped around that of her father and brother. It was inspiring to watch Scouts spirit never waver even when she feared for the life of her family.

Lee wrote an extremely enjoyable, honest and disconcerting novel about life. I say disconcerting because you want to believe the best in people but sometimes there is nothing to admire. Seeing through the eyes of Scout, a child and our narrator, gives the story a sense of innocence and makes the injustices even more appalling. How do you explain to a child that a man’s skin color can damn him and cause prejudice against him? How can you justify hate to a child? It was interesting, to say the least, reading this novel and being able to enjoy the humor, laugh at the children’s behavior and be utterly disgusted by the way in which people were judged and condemned unrightfully. This was a beautifully written novel that calls into question what America was 90 years ago. It is thought provoking and heart wrenching. Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird has been banned and challenged numerous times since its release for reasons ranging from its use of language to causing racial divide, racial hatred and promoting white supremacy. The use of race as a device to expose human nature is obvious throughout the novel. The use of money to examine the idea of classes within society is also evident. I cannot stress how much ignoring a problem won’t make it go away. I cannot emphasize how ignoring the past only causes it to repeat itself. Novels like To Kill a Mockingbird that honestly showcases the pain of the past can’t be removed. Doing so only allows ignorance to prevail.

http://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/classics/reasons      Retrieved 4/28/14