Tuesday, June 28, 2011

To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

 
To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel by Harper Lee. The book became both an instant bestseller and a critical success when it was first published in 1960. It went on to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and was later made into an Academy Award-winning film (IMDB link here), also a classic.

 

Book Description:
 

To Kill a Mockingbird portrays a society that is supremely, staggeringly unfair: the U.S. South in the 1930s in a small town where racism is part of the very fabric of society. Faced with this situation, an equality-minded person might be tempted to say, "Screw it, wake me up when the Civil Rights Movement gets here," and keep his or her head down until then.

Some people in the novel do just that. But a few decide to do what they can to take action on the side of justice and equality, even though they think it’s mostly hopeless. To Kill a Mockingbird doesn’t sugarcoat the results (minor spoiler: the book does not end with African-Americans and whites holding hands and singing "It’s a Small World"). It does, however, suggest that doing something to make life a little more fair, even if it seems like it’s not having any effect, is still worthwhile, and what’s more, admirable.

Source for description here


My Review:

 
I felt a little bored at the first, but the more I read it, the more I found it interesting. It even turned to be my favourite type. It simply discusses judgment and justice. It shows how fast we are to judge others, even if they are strangers for us. It also shows how we sometimes ignore justice and go with society's word.

What made me think the most is the title "To Kill A Mockingbird". The only line that can you directly related the story with the title is:



“Remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” That was the only time I ever heard Atticus say it was a sin to do something, and I asked Miss Maudie about it.
“Your father’s right,” she said. “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy ... but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.”

I maped this to few characters who were nothing but good. Yet they were injuried or squelched.
I believe we all met poeple like this. Poeple who do no wrong, and yet they are injured the most that you start to think that "Bad things happen to good people only".

Review here


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