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Book Review-To Kill a Mockingbird

About the author-

Harper Lee was born in Alabama of Monroeviille. She was the daughter of a lawyer who served in the state legislature. Lee pursued a law degree at the University of Alabama. She didn't complete her law degree but completed her education in Oxford, England before moving to New York where she worked as a clerk. In her late 50s, she started writing and published 'To Kill a Mockingbird' in 1960 which was adapted into a movie in the year 1962. Lee has depicted characters based on her family, friends, and the society she grew up in. The book was a Pulitzer Award winner and declared the best book of the century.

Storyline-

The story begins with Jean Louise the protagonist of the story and his brother Jem wondering about why Boo(Arthur) Radley doesn't come out of his home ever. They hear tales about Arthur being a cannibal(man-eater) and so are curious about knowing the truth. Jean is aged six when the novel begins but is able to understand deeply the prejudices taking place in American society by the white against black people. Jean's father Atticus is a lawyer and he defends the case of Tom Robinson(Black American) for falsely raping a white girl Mayella Ewell. The town citizens criticize Atticus and his children a lot for defending a black American. Atticus provides a strong side of defense but the jury denies and convicts Tom for raping Mayella while the truth was that she wasn't raped at all. This part of the story tells us about the injustice and racism in society.

Mayella's father Bob tries to murder Jean and Jem one night but Arthur kills Bob in front of the Radley property. The sheriff turns the murder into an accident stating Bob fell over his own knife killing himself. The plot highlights the themes of racism and prejudice. It supports the fact that good and evil are present simultaneously in a society. It was a usual culture in America to hunt birds for pleasure but Atticus's mindset was to protect innocent birds. Atticus teaches Jean and Jem that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird signifying that it is a sin to execute an innocent being. This is also resembled to injustice done towards black Americans by the white Americans, Atticus tries to inculcate the value of respect in his children to treat all humans equally.

What did I like about the book?

The character which was the most intriguing was Jean's father. He is depicted as a gentleman playing multiple roles of being a single father, a lawyer bringing justice, a well-mannered town citizen, and a good family member. He teaches his children from a young age about equality and the importance of good education. The characters are well described and the relations of each character are well connected. The best part of the book is that it can really hold a reader well as the plot is well linked to each other. I didn't feel like closing the book at all. One can easily imagine the settings of the town, Atticus's home, the courtroom scene, and the murder night. It's a heart-touching story narrated well by Lee.


If you are looking for an emotional light, read 'To Kill a Mockingbird'. It is surely one to grab your hands onto.

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