To Kill a
Mockingbird was published in 1960 and takes place during the three years of the
Great Depression (1930). The story is told through the innocent eyes of
six-year old Scout, who lives with her brother Jem and their widowed father
Atticus.
It is the story
of Alabama lawyer Atticus Finch, who serves as a moral hero for many readers
and as a model of integrity for lawyers and his defense of a black man, Tom
Robinson, accused of raping a white
woman, and the turmoil that the case creates within the “tired old town” of
Maycomb. It is so beautifully written and very easy to read, and there is innocence
there as well. Harper Lee also addresses issues of class, courage, compassion,
and gender roles in the American Deep South.
A big part of the
story, apart from the court case is the friendship Jem and Scout make with a
boy visiting Maycomb named Dill. The
three children are scared and fascinated by their reclusive neighbour Boo
Radley, and after two summers Jem and Scout find someone leaving them gift
inside a tree outside the Radley house. The adults of the town are hesitant
about talking of Boo, and many have not seen him in many years.
It was banned because it had the "N" word in it 48
times out of 281 pages and Harper Lee uses such words as ‘damn’ and ‘whore lady’.
This was obviously deemed offensive language and the book was banned in some
schools throughout the States. It was also banned because of its racist
implications toward the government. Many people denied being racist, so this
novel was the key to helping racism getting acknowledged.
I thoroughly recommend you read it!
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