Perspective

I read Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird in high school and remember not understanding why people didn’t like it. I’m not saying that this novel is my favorite, but I didn’t (and still don’t) dislike it. Likes and dislikes aside, I wonder what was the source of discontent. The town of Maycomb seems primarily white and (at least in part one) deals with the struggle of maturity and innocence in an adult world. The fact that the story is told from Scout’s perspective ensures that the reader is introduced to the social issues with the most basic understanding of the underlying principles. I found this perspective to be effective in so much that not only is the reader learning about the town’s affairs with different races, but also about a moral code that isn’t necessarily reflected in every member. Presented as a gentleman, Atticus‘ humbleness lends a certain mystery to his character. For instance, I find that Jem’s discovery of Atticus’ secret talent (a dead shot) both a foreshadowing and theme of the novel. No one is what he/she seems. We can see this in Boo Radley (whom we assume placed the trinkets for the children to find as well as the blanket during the fire) and through Mrs. Dubose via her snide comments and morphine addiction. Even the natural elements are somewhat off; the dog having rabies in February and the snow that fell for the first time in however many years. It says something about the town that they blamed the snow on the behavior of children, especially since Jem and Scout seem to be the only children in the neighborhood. Going through this journey with Scout, I was particularly struck by this one sentence in part one. Just after Scout was whipped by her Uncle after defending her father to Francis, Scout sneaks downstairs and listens to her father and Uncle talk, “But I never figured out how Atticus knew I was listening, and it was not until many years later that I realized he wanted me to hear every word he said” (101). Something about this sentence is so powerful, perhaps because it is the first insight into Scout’s character maturing. It could also be due to the fact that at all other times in the novel she never actually listens to him, this being the first. I don’t remember all of what happens in the end and look forward to reading on.