To Kill a Mockingbird
Thanks to a bunch of used book sales in the area, I've been going
back and revisiting a bunch of books I first read in high school. The
latest one is Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, which I read in
9th grade. I was surprised both by how little of the plot I remembered
and how vividly I remembered some smaller scenes.
There are bits in this book, probably parts that my teacher decided had important symbolic value, that I can still picture in full surround sound. The inside of Mrs. Dubose's bedroom where Jem spends afternoon's reading to her while she weans herself off morphine. The courtroom, packed and silent waiting for the jury to return a verdict. And, strangely, the Finch's neighbor peeing out the second story window.
At the same time, I'd managed to completely forget the contents of Tom Robinson's day in court, or Bob Ewell's reaction to it. And Boo Radley's part in everything remained as mysterious to me as the first time I read the book.
I really wish I'd revisited this book sooner than I did. It's an important reminder that no one is what they seem. As Gaiman so eloquently put it, we all have hidden worlds inside of us. Atticus spends a long time arguing that people are mostly better than you assume. Boo is kind, Mrs. Dubose is courageous, Miss Maudie is compassionate, and Mr. Underwood is ultimately just. But even he is surprised to discover that some people, in this case Bob Ewell, are a lot worse than you expected. But maybe that's just Atticus's optimism getting the better of him.
Like I said, I wish I hadn't left this book alone for over a decade. I certainly intend to return to it soon and often. It's a classic for a reason, and it may just be climbing up the ladder of my personal all-time favorites.
There are bits in this book, probably parts that my teacher decided had important symbolic value, that I can still picture in full surround sound. The inside of Mrs. Dubose's bedroom where Jem spends afternoon's reading to her while she weans herself off morphine. The courtroom, packed and silent waiting for the jury to return a verdict. And, strangely, the Finch's neighbor peeing out the second story window.
At the same time, I'd managed to completely forget the contents of Tom Robinson's day in court, or Bob Ewell's reaction to it. And Boo Radley's part in everything remained as mysterious to me as the first time I read the book.
I really wish I'd revisited this book sooner than I did. It's an important reminder that no one is what they seem. As Gaiman so eloquently put it, we all have hidden worlds inside of us. Atticus spends a long time arguing that people are mostly better than you assume. Boo is kind, Mrs. Dubose is courageous, Miss Maudie is compassionate, and Mr. Underwood is ultimately just. But even he is surprised to discover that some people, in this case Bob Ewell, are a lot worse than you expected. But maybe that's just Atticus's optimism getting the better of him.
Like I said, I wish I hadn't left this book alone for over a decade. I certainly intend to return to it soon and often. It's a classic for a reason, and it may just be climbing up the ladder of my personal all-time favorites.
Comments
Post a Comment