To Kill a Mockingbird

by: Harper Lee

reviewed by: Ameya Joshi                                            

REVIEW: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee           

ISBN#: 9780061743528

THE STORY:

In the book, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the feelings of the Civil Acts Movement are portrayed  through the eyes of a girl named Jean Louise “Scout” Finch, who has witnessed a story unravel in her hometown. The story begins in the early 1950’s in the town of Maycomb County, Alabama. The main character, nicknamed “Scout” or Jean Louise Finch, has a dad named Atticus Finch who is a reserved man and a lawyer.

Scout has a brother named Jeremy Finch. As the story begins to progress by the movement ofdays and weeks, summer vacation arrives upon the small town and the main characters meet a new boy named Dill, who has traveled from the city of Meridian, Alabama. Immediately a strong connection between the three kids is seen and they invent many games to play. Before they know it, the summer is up, and Dill goes back to Meridian. As winter sets in, the farmer who works in Maycomb County falls ill and cannot supply food. The major power lines are cut and the majorities of people are sick and cannot move around. In the time of such despair, trouble escalates from severe to catastrophic, when tension begins to grow between Mayella Ewell, the daughter of an elderly man named Bob Ewell, and an African American named Tom Robinson. She states that she had gotten raped by Tom Robinson. As Mr. Atticus Finch steps in to help Mr. Tom Robinson, the tensions between Bob and Mayella Ewell and Mr. Finch grow worse and worse turning from insults to murder threats. As the case nears by both the defendant and accuser, along with the entire county, wait to see the outcome of one the most courageous story of the Civil Act’s Movement. (296)

MY OPINION:

From the time when I opened the book, until when I closed it, I felt enraged and connected to the main character’s beliefs. As the winter set in I was amazed by the amount of imagery that Harper Lee put to make the story seem as though it was happening to the reader. The symbolism used is obvious as well, as white is constantly used to symbolize innocence and the dark and rain is used to symbolize the many arguments and conflict. Throughout the story, there are many themes, but the most important theme is the separation between good and evil. In this story, it is portrayed as racism that occurred during the 1950’s. When Scout and Jeremy Finch were smaller, they had thought that they were good because they had never seen evil. But as they got older, they realized that evil lurked the air at all times. Due to the content and the words used, I would recommend this book to those who are in the later years of middle school and early high school to read this book. Overall, I would rate this book a nine out of ten stars, due to this rating I would mostly read this book again. (202)

STUDY QUESTIONS AND VOCABULARY:

                                                       FIRST SECTION

1. How does Scout Finch, the main character, feel about Dill and her brother Jeremy?

1a. The main character feels strongly of the two and has connections towards both of them.(pg.5)

2. Why does Scout feel like he is poor?

2a. Since Mr. Cunningham, the farmer, was begging for food and Scout did not get to go to school, because there was not enough funding. (pg.23)

3. Why is this the worst winter in Maycomb history?

3a. This is the worst winter because all the people are too sick to go anywhere, the stores are closed, the power lines are down and also the schools are closed. (pg.79)

4. How does Atticus Finch feel about defending African Americans?

4a. He feels that everyone should be treated the same and believes in making justice for not just whites, but also the colored skinned. (pg.90)

5. Why is Scout surprised at his father’s statements about defending colored people?

5a. He is surprised because his father was against the beliefs of Martin Luther King. (pg.100)

assuaged (pg.3)

irked (pg.25)

desolate (pg.64)

feeble (pg.102)

foliaged (pg.108)

                                                       MIDDLE SECTION

6. Why do the people of Alabama hate the African Americans?

6a. When MLK began to protest many white people supported him and joined him. Due to this, many white only stores, in the town, lost business. (pg.113)

7. What is the name of the man accused of raping Mayella Ewell?

7a. His name was Tom Robinson. (pg.140)

8. When Atticus Finch defends Tom Robinson, why does Bob Ewell feel betrayed?

8a. When both of them were younger they were good friends. But now, when they are fighting against each other in the case, Bob Ewell feels betrayed by Atticus. (pg.161)

9. What do people do to make Atticus reveal his true colors?

9a. They take Robinson away, to the jail, so that Atticus cannot coordinate case preparations with him. Due to this Atticus is enraged and swears at the warden of the jail. (pg.180)

10. Where does Atticus go in the dead of the night?

10a. He goes to the jail to interview Robinson for the hearing. (pg.200)

cantankerous (pg.128)

enameled (pg.139)

reverent (pg.159)

gullet (pg.193)

yonder (pg.208)

                                                       LAST SECTION

11. How does Tom Robinson state the case of the rape differently than Mayella Ewell?

11a. He states that Mayella Ewell hugged him and tried to interact in sexual intercourse, but he got up and ran up when Bob Ewell came out of the house. (pg.218)

12. What does Mr. Link Deas say about Tom Robinson that helps him in the case?

12a. He says that in the many years that Tom had been working for him there was no trouble and they got along well together. Also, he states how Robinson would never argue, and the chance of him doing something like this is impossible. (pg.230)

13. What is the judge’s verdict?

13a. The courtroom unanimously votes that Tom Robinson is guilty and places him in immediate custody. (pg. 245)

14. How does Bob Ewell show his anger towards Atticus Finch?

14a. He threatens to kill him, spits in his face and pushes him (pg.255)  

15. What does the jail personnel do to Tom Robinson?

15a. They keep him as an example, and they make Atticus Finch witness the cold-blooded murder of Tom Robinson, after Tom tries to escape from the prison. (pg.295)

chifforobe (pg.221)

wryly (pg.250)

martyred (pg.272)

haint (pg.293)

raling (pg.319)