To Kill a Mockingbird

Lee, H. (1960). To kill a mockingbird.  New York:  Warner. 

 I have always loved a good Bildungsroman with a spunky female narrator with a historical context. Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird perfectly fits the bill. I first read the novel while preparing for the English essay portion of the Praxis, then again when I taught freshman. But, to be honest, I didn't truly enjoy Lee's work. I decided to give it another go. And I must say that I am completely in love. Scout is my new favorite character in literature. 

I have always enjoyed young narrators because it allows the read to do two things:  question the reliability of what is being read and see the world from a child's perspective. Scout reminds me of Ruth May from The Poisonwood Bible and may have served as inspiration of Kingsolver's character. Scout leads a different life than most children between the wars; she is being raised by her middle-aged father, housekeeper and brother. Yet, the games created by Scout and Jem, her brother, are very much like those that are created by children today. Even though Scout is still a child at the end of the novel, a little unconventional for a Bildrungsroman, she matures through the course of the novel and is able to face a "fear" that she once had at the beginning of the novel. 

The themes in To Kill a Mockingbird have the possibility to change a person's heart. At its heart, Lee's novel really is about prejudice and judgement of all kinds of people. She doesn't just address racism; she examines prejudice against children, elders, poverish, mental disorders and other challenges life throws at us. Through Scout's voice the audience learns to withhold judgement from others. 

After rereading To Kill a Mockingbird I can see why this novel is taught in classrooms across the country. It's a great novel that adresses so many universal ideas and questions.