Book Review To Kill A Mockingbird Harper Lee

chillibreeze writer — Rajesh Iyer

A literary legend has it that the editors of the book worked hard for many years along with the author, Harper Lee, to make the book what it eventually turned out to be. If it’s a drubbing-down exercise, it falls flat. For, it makes it all the more credible that irrespective of the editorial dictats and maneuvers, Lee’s amazing book manages to remain earthy and humane, speaking straight from the heart.

Set in sleepy little Maycomb during the time of depression, the story unfolds through the eyes of its young protagonist, ‘Scout’ Finch, as she sees her flimsy idealism crumble around her almost-platonic life. The little girl’s world can’t be any better as she grows up along with her elder brother, Jem, and her lawyer father, Atticus. Atticus, a man of values, has what it takes to be lauded for his sense of equality and humanness, but instead of gaining appreciation he stands out like a sore thumb in his white community, where racism is blatantly acceptable.

Between her innumerable, innocent games with Jem and their visitor friend, Dill, Scout sees her father unable to make people understand the saying, ‘Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit them, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mocking bird.’ The still-far-from-liberal society takes an almost sadistic pleasure in killing these innocent mockingbirds; symbolized here by an innocent black man. For Atticus, the cause of worry isn’t whether his kids understand the golden words, but that the draconian society should. He tries unsuccessfully to defend the innocent black man, who is wrongly charged with raping a white woman. Even though he loses the case, and invites the wrath and retribution of the white community on himself and his family, he stands for each word he proudly proclaims.

The best part about this book is that inspite of espousing a cause and showcasing a loophole, the book manages to escape from being preachy. Refreshingly, the author’s approach isn’t standing-on-the-podium-and-looking-down-at-you-and-sneering. With an amazingly easy narrative that’s shorn of contempt for even those who are distinctly devilish, Lee manages to suck the reader into a world that though fraught with frailties, yet emanates the fragrance of freshness and optimism; something which the character Boo Radley epitomizes at the fag end. No mean achievement this, considering most statement-makers go hoarse shouting from the rooftops. For the kids, even the major upheaval does not spell an end-of-innocence. The post-loss scenario might be engulfing, but the strong values and the upholding of these values let’s the optimism survive.

Sure, the work has its share of downs. Agreed, Lee might have been unable to capture Black America, like say a Toni Morrison or an Alice Walker, but her message cuts across the heart like very few books do. One can also argue that the set-up is just incidental. A black man, caught in a white man’s mean web, could very well be a Jew in Nazi Germany or, for that matter, any innocent minority among a frenzied, mob driven, blood-thirsty majority. As a matter of fact, the book manages to transcend time and place.

To some, the narrative of such a small girl might seem a tad ineffective. Too heavy a burden on such young shoulders! However, intertwining moral values with a story of growing up, Lee actually manages to score. It’s that little voice and its innocent portrayal of events, devoid of bias or prejudice that comes with age, that manages to add that certain dash of freshness.

As she straddles two poles: a world of rustic innocence on one hand and standing for a cause on the other, she does it with such ease and effortlessness that you can’t divorce one from another, the two making a potent statement. If it’s a tightrope walk, she does it with finesse. Rarely does a work of art come with such a wonderful combination. And, it’s as earthy and humane as they get.

Chillibreeze's disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article.

Out of 5 “chilies”, our editorial team gave this article...

—About our writer:

Editing four magazines, writing scores of columns and articles and scripts for TV, films and documentaries doesn't seem to whet his appetite. Rajesh M. Iyer is ever wanting to lap something new and exciting. A perfect Mr. Been-there-to-do-that.

A maverick to the core, Rajesh M. Iyer also straddles stratospeheres hunting for prospects that can tickle THE funny bone.

Book Review To Kill A Mockingbird Harper Lee

>> Read more articles written by Chillibreeze writers: