Book Review Of The Novel: To Kill a Mockingbird Theme Analysis

Full name of the Author is 'Nelle Harper Lee'. She was born on April 28, 1926 in community of Alabama named Monroeville. She was an American author well known for her Novel 'To Kill A Mockingbird'. She was granted with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2007 for her add to the writing. She passed on February 19,2016 at 89 years old in Alabama, US.

“To Kill A Mockingbird” was written in between 1950 - 1960 in New York city and was published in 1960. It was written by American novelist “Harper Lee”.

This novel become a Classic of Modern American Literature that is easy to read and fun to read. This novel got huge successful and won the “Pulitzer prize” in 1961. The plot and characters of this novel are somehow related to her family and surrounding, as well as on an event that occurred near the hometown of the author in 1936 when the Author was 10 years old.

This novel directly relates to the real-life events and problem faced by the community of black from the dominating white in US i.

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e. racism (the discrimination between the skin colour i.e. white and black). One of the most important Theme is that the “coexistence of both good and evil” i.e. the transition of Scout and Jem from innocent children, when they assume that all people are good, to a more adult perspective where they encounter evil, prejudice and hatred. Another important theme is “Moral Education”, Father (Atticus) always teaches his children a good lesson like “unless you put yourself in other people’s shoes you can’t understand them”.

The story of the novel starts from a city in Maycomb in Alabama. There was a problem of racism at that time in their community. This novel is about 6 years old child named Scout Finch. She lives with her father Atticus finch, his brother Jem finch. Her mother was died long time ago. Her father was a Lawyer and work hard till late night as his all clients were very poor. After working hard whole day and night he only able to provides the basic needs to his family. There was a maid named Calpurnia in their house which helps Atticus to take care of the children. She belongs to black community but despite of that she was like their family member. One day during the summer vacations when the Scout and Jem were playing there comes the boy named Dill who was came there to play with them. Dill lived with his aunt who was neighbour of Mr. Atticus. Then after this all three became very good friends. Mr. Atticus deem their children’s one thing that do whatever you want but never killed the mockingbird. Mockingbird is a type of bird which has long tale and sing a very good song. Atticus said this because the mockingbird is the only bird which never harm any one in this world and they only sing the song for us from their heart. That’s why any harm to mockingbird is a sin. In this story no harm to mockingbird is symbolic meaning. In this story mockingbird is reference to the people that are innocent i.e. the black community of that time which was compressed by the white people. There was a house of Radley near to them where the children usually play. In that house the smaller brother of Radley Arthur “Boo” lives alone but the children were very scared of them. There was rumours that Arthur killed dog, cat and eaten them. Jim the elder brother of Scout shows courage and goes inside the house and came back by touching the house of Ms. Radley, but at that time scout feels that someone is watching them. now the summer vacations were over, and Dill goes back to his home, scout started going to school. now the time passes away and another summer vacation came back and with summer vacations Dill also came back. The drama again started of going to Radley’s house. One day Radley watched these children and shoots towards them, then children ran away from there, but when they were running out of there, jeans of Jem was stuck in between the window. At the same night he came back to get his loosed jeans back as the jeans was very expensive. When he went there, he saw that his pant was darn well and well-dressed by someone, but nobody was there, so he took his pant and went back to his home. At that time many strange things were happening with the children. In winters, one day the house of one of the neighbours of Mr. Atticus catches fire. At that time both Scout and her father was standing in front of their house and then one strange thing happens i.e. someone put the blanket at the shoulder of Scout and when she try to find no one was there, but Scout has doubt that Arthur Boo is only person that can do this.

Now story move forwards, one case come to the court and Mr. Atticus was handling this case in the favour of the black American named Tom Robinson. He was charged that he rapped the daughter of a white American and that time racism was a big problem in their community. So Mr. Atticus was handling this case to save the black American but due to the racism in their community his children was facing problems. They were targeted everywhere i.e. in school, surroundings and even their family members tease them. Now whole community was against them and no one was supporting them. But at this time their maid Calpurnia who belongs to the black community helped and support the children. She also took the children to their church which belongs to black community. At the time when no one in white community support these children black community accepted them and helped them a lot.

Now the sister of Mr. Atticus whose name is Alexandra came to their house for leaving as she leaved her husband’s house. Her nature was totally different from Mr. Atticus who was very polite and calm. She never understands their maid Calpurnia as a family member, and she treat her as a servant only. One day before the hearing of the case, public in the large amount come in front of the jail of Tom Robinson. Scout, Jem, and Dill also come there to support their father Atticus. Scout had no idea of the matter that was going there. Now the next day when the Tom was presented in the court and hearing was going on. Mr. Atticus gave the strong presentation in the court to defend his client Tom and said that the girl named Mayella Ewell is lying and his client Tom had not rapped her. Bob Ewell who is the father of the girl was tricky man. At the time of hearing children were also present in the court, they were watching all the things happening in the court from the balcony where all black people were present. Jem was sure that his father will win the case but still white community as well as the judge were against the Tom and result was that the Tom was proved guilty and sentenced to jail. After all that Bob Ewell started threatening the Mr. Atticus and in between this one painful news came that Tom was trying to escape from the jail and cops shoot him at the spot and he died. One day when children were returning from school to the house Bob Ewell attacked them and during this attack, arm of Jem was broken, then suddenly one man came to help them and during fighting, Bob Ewell died. Scout was not able to identify that man who saved their life due to her heavy costume which she was wearing. Also, this man brought the Jem back to his house as he was injured, now when Scout changed her costume, she founds that this man is not anyone else, but he is their neighbour Artur “Boo” Radley. Now she understood that the man whom she assumed wrong saved their life and now she remembers the things which their father Atticus taught them that we cannot understand and judge anyone until we see the world from their eye. After that Scout went to the house of Radley and she saw the world from the balcony of the house of Radley, then she came back to her house and Boo Radley move inside and shuts the door and then children never observed him again.

This novel is written in a very nice way, it mainly focusses on real life problem which was faced by people in minority in this world i.e. people were judged based on cast, sex, gender and racism. To Kill a Mockingbird theme changed my perspective of viewing world. So, I will recommend everyone to read this novel at least once in their life