When does a child come of age? Is it when they hit puberty? Is it when they legally turn into adults? Or is it when they learn that the world isn’t all good as they think it is?
There’s a reason Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is part of the school syllabus of most curriculums. Not every novel can impart life lessons to children so seamlessly. There’s a reason Lee had a Pulitzer Prize to her credit for this book. Not every author can convey to the reader what goes on in a child’s mind through an adult’s view. But Lee’s writing does not just do that, but also reiterates, in a manner that’s ominous, and yet, commonplace, that racism exists. She establishes right from the beginning, that the world isn’t a kind place, even for children. Before you know it, they are robbed of their innocence and pushed into a world full of injustice, unfairness, and inequality.
The story begins with ‘Scout’ Finch narrating about the summer she spent with her brother Jem, and their summertime neighbour Dill, as children, in a small town called Maycomb in Alabama. Together, they play and enact all the stories they’ve ever heard or read, and occasionally get a kick out of trespassing on the recluse ‘Boo’ Radley’s property.
As the story goes on, the children start to see Maycomb differently. What first seemed like a friendly town begins to show its unfair side. They see how some people are treated badly just because of their race. They also notice how brave their father Atticus is, even when others don’t support him. The trial they watch shows them that life isn’t always fair. Through these moments, Harper Lee shows that growing up means learning hard truths and realising that doing the right thing can sometimes be difficult.
The novel explores themes of racial injustice, loss of innocence, and moral growth.
The mockingbird symbolizes innocence and harmlessness.
Atticus teaches by example, through kindness, fairness, and integrity.
The book remains relevant because it deals with issues of racial injustice, social inequality, and moral courage.
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