“To Kill A Mockingbird”: A Review

Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird is one of those novels you can read and reread, and in doing so, you learn something new each time. I have read it three times now – twice in high school (once for fun in eighth grade, and then for the school curriculum in the ninth grade) and just last week. I forgot how much of a pleasure this novel was and have fallen in love with the messages contained within.

Recommended to: Absolutely everyone – the success of this novel lies in its ability to depict injustice and how it is relevant still to this day.

Rating: 

Synopsis

Scout Finch is a young girl living with her brother Jem, and father Atticus, in Maycomb, Alabama. She details the lives of the inhabitants of Maycomb in great detail and from the perspective of an innocent child. Arthur ‘Boo’ Radley is a source of fascination for the children – a recluse living in his parent’s house and has seemingly never left. His mysterious behaviour causes Scout, Jem and their friend Dill to speculate quite fantastically on what Boo is actually like – from peering into people’s houses at night to stabbing his father in the leg with some scissors. Much of the early plot is dominated by the children’s attempts to lure him out of his haven, with some unexpected missing pants and gifts left in a local tree hollow.

The main storyline focuses on a court case involving Atticus defending Tom Robinson, an African-American man accused of raping a white woman, Mayella Ewell. As the novel is set in 1930s Alabama, Tom is seen as guilty before the case begins. Some of the local men attempt to show us to the county jail before the trial, only to realise Atticus is sitting outside waiting and Scout, Jem and Dill are innocently defending him. Scout questions Atticus earnestly throughout the novel, asking him why he is defending Tom when she hears taunts from classmates. He provides some wonderful insight into society and morals that not only shape Scout but the readers who embark on this journey with the characters.

A still from the film, starring Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch.

Opinion*read at your own risk*:

This novel is a rare gem – I think some parts made my eyes prick at just how beautifully written as well as how tragic this story is. It’s the kind of novel you read to make you feel things – even if those things are anger or disgust at the kind of injustice humans are capable of inflicting upon others. It is also tragic in that no matter how many times you read it, the ending will not change, but it will change you.

The quote that has stuck with me since closing the pages of TKAM is this one from Atticus:
He explains to Scout his choice to defend Tom Robinson, although it makes him a social outcast. This is so applicable to everybody, we all have situations where we have to make some unpleasant choices. Sometimes what is popular is not right, or so the quote goes.

Bob Ewell is an awful man who abuses his daughter Mayella and other children yet seemingly goes unpunished by the law simply because he is white. Atticus quite simply proves Ewell incorrect, time after time, and it is evident to the reader that Tom is not the rapist that needs to be indicted. Harper Lee goes above and beyond depicting the difficulty in changing social mores, challenging the reader to look deeper into what is happening and not simply make assumptions on preliminary evidence. Ewell winning the court case left me fuming, which is probably a good thing for both my own sense of justice and Lee’s intention with the novel. She contrasts what it means to be good by society (in the Deep South during the 1930s) by depicting a white man with no positive attributes, who goes so far as to attempt to murder Scout and Jem late at night. Tom is an African-American man who is viewed suspiciously as he professes to have no ulterior motive in helping Mayella around the house even after a long day of labouring, although is pure of heart.

Boo Radley also helps Scout and the reader understand that appearances can be deceiving. He is fodder for the town gossip and a source of pretend play for the children in Maycomb. Boo manages to save Scout and Jem from Bob Ewell, and the moment Scout realises he is there she utters those heartwarming words to Atticus about how nice Boo actually was. I love the character of Boo. Although he remains a small part of the novel, he is crucial to the survival of the children and drives home the message that people are inherently good, and we need to go beyond appearances.

After reading this novel I ended up watching the film version to continue my love for the story just a little while longer. I felt almost melancholic when I finished this novel – which I’m not sure is due to the plot or because of my relationship on a deeper level with the messages of the story. TKAM is a beautiful story – it resonates with current social issues but also personal ones, which is what I think cement it’s status as a classic.

What are your opinions on this novel? Let me know if you agree, disagree or have something more to add to my review!

“The Host”: A Review (spoilers)

As a teenage lover of the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer, I finally have made my way to reading The Host; a science fiction novel set in a dystopian world. As a fan of reading post-apocalyptic fiction of many varieties (Stephen King, Scott Westerfeld, John Marsden) this was definitely up my alley in terms of books I enjoy.

Recommended to: Lovers of Twilight, young adult fiction, Vampire Academy readers (although less adult themes)

Rating: ☕ ☕ ☕

Synopsis
Earth has been taken over by an alien species called “Souls” that are inserted into a ‘host’ creature (geddit?), or in this case, humans. The aliens are small, squid-like, silvery creatures that are inserted into the brain via the neck. They have access to their hosts’ memories, and in the case of Wanderer, the person has not truly disappeared and remains a constant voice throughout the novel. Melanie is ever present and both she and Wanderer converse frequently, which is unusual for the Souls to experience. Wanderer seeks to silence Melanie, yet starts to be given flashbacks to the love of her life Jared and brother Jamie. She overrules the conventions of society and heads out into the wilderness, searching for these two characters. She finds them alive in a commune with other humans, including her ‘crazy’ Uncle Jeb, the man responsible for the shelter and in charge of the community. A love triangle, danger and tough decisions ensue.

Opinion *read at your own risk*:
The Host was well written and followed the conventions of a novel almost perfectly. I preferred the writing style of this novel compared to the Twilight series, probably because Meyer had a chance to hone her craft and was not catering to a horde of Edward and Jacob fanatics. She seems to capture the ‘first love’ of teenagers quite well, understanding passionate and spontaneous infatuation. I did find the love triangle (square?) between Melanie, Wanderer, Jared and Ian quite similar to Twilight, and it was quite frustrating to have 20-year-olds behave this way, with the two males in love with Melanie/Wanderer (Jared for Melanie’s body and Ian for Wanderer’s soul).

I was not a fan of how Jared was depicted – he was extremely angry at Wanderer when she arrived because her existence meant the death of Melanie, his lover. That part is understandable, sure – but he physically attacks her and shuns her throughout the novel until near the end, and is rewarded by Melanie’s unrelenting love throughout the novel, her jealousy of Wanderer’s physical proximity to Jared, and finally, her return. Other characters distrust and dislike Wanderer, but only two males are physically violent to her – the rest either refuse to acknowledge her or come around quite quickly through discussion. I am not a fan of Meyer’s reduction of male-only characters to being violent, and both of the main perpetrators are forgiven by the end with little punishment or character growth.

I did enjoy the plot by the end and the Souls are quite interesting and fantastical creatures with an unusual society and history. There is romance but nothing in the physical sense – the females lie about their ages to develop their relationships with the male characters, who treat them respectfully but give importance to virginity. This could be a reflection of Meyer’s Mormon background or the fact most readers will be teenage girls. The ending was sweet – Wanderer was allowed to live on, though attempted suicide through selflessness, in the character of a girl who apparently looked innocent and reflected Wanderer’s personality. Ian’s character grew on me when he mentions that he took care of her soul (as a silvery worm) whilst they were finding a body, and he loved her regardless of her form. I feel that this was a better depiction of love than the Melanie/Jared dynamic that dominates the majority of the novel (and the previous paragraph explains how I feel about Jared).

This novel did bring into question the dynamics of good v. evil and what it means to be human – although it’s also good for a light weekend read.