To Kill a Mockingbird

     I've decided to revisit one of my favorite books for this blog post, To Kill a Mockingbird. To Kill a Mockingbird is also one of the most controversial books of all time for its use of racial slurs which I will get into. This book tells the story of Tom Robinson, a black man during the great depression, accused of rape who is almost certainly going to be put to death. It is told from the perspective of Scout Finch, the daughter of Tom's lawyer.

Why it is controversial

    This book has been banned in many school across the country for its use of racist slurs as well as its candid discussion of rape. Personally I think that the use of both of these things further the plot, as they help the reader understand the hate shown towards the African American community and the bias they face, back then and still today. 

    Plot (Contains spoiler of entire plot)

    Tom Robinson, one of Maycomb Alabama's black residents, is falsely accused of raping Maya Ewell (a white girl) and nobody wants to defend him in court. Atticus Finch, a prominent lawyer in the community, steps up to the job. Atticus is a single father who raises two kids, Scout and Jem, and teaches them to be kind and fair to everybody. The community threatens Tom and Atticus, even threatening to lynch them both. At the trial, Atticus is able to discredit Maya's story, instead claiming that she was beat by her father. Despite this, Tom is convicted and eventually dies while trying to escape custody. 

    Meanwhile, Scout and Jem investigate their mysterious neighbor Boo Radley who is a local legend. He is reclusive and is thought to sneak out at night to eat raw animals. They attempt to investigate his house, sneaking in past the fences to get a peek inside. All of their speculations about him are driven by hurtful comments and attitudes by elders in their community. It takes Atticus to step in and remind them that he is human too for the kids to begin to leave him alone. Eventually, Boo begins to secretly leave the pair gifts, attempting to show that he too is capable of emotion and compassion. It culminates when Maya's father attempts to murder Scout and Jem for their father's involvement in the case, but is killed by Boo instead. 

    

Meaning of the Story

   Throughout the book, many references are made to the title bird. Numerous characters warn Jem and Scout of the dangers of harming mockingbirds, saying that "they sing their souls out for us" and Tom's death is compared to "the senseless slaughter of songbirds."

    In this book, the mockingbird represents innocence. In killing the mockingbird, you are killing innocence. Many characters can be represented as mockingbirds, Tom, Maya, but I think that Boo represents the mockingbird best. He is made fun of, mistreated, and excluded from society. Nobody sticks up for him or tries to fight back. He is a scared young boy with nobody by his side, but at the end of the story, he proves he is as human as the rest of us. Through him and other characters, the book explores the boundaries of good and evil, emphasizing the negativity of prejudice in a society.

-Joseph