Tolog Review: To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird
by Harper Lee
reviewed by Elena Melehani

In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee tells the story of a young girl named Scout and the trouble her family goes through to break down the boundaries of assumptions. To Kill a Mockingbird follows the daily life of six-year-old Scout Finch, her brother Jem, and her hardworking father, Atticus. Scout and Jem are like any other children, and are naturally curious; especially towards their reclusive neighbor Boo Radley. With Scout and Jem running amok trying to discover the truth about Boo, Atticus is juggling his own responsibilities of being a renowned lawyer. His most recent case involves that of Tom Robinson, who is a black man being accused of raping a white woman. When taking this case, Atticus already knows its predetermined fate of losing, due to the racial inequality Tom is destined to be faced with. In the end, things don’t work out as the Finch family had hoped they would, but Jem and Scout learn an important lesson from surprising source.

To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the best classic novels I have ever read, and offers a refreshing new perspective of the South in the 1930s. Scout, who is still young, does not know how segregated the black and white population is, and is confused as to why the town members look down upon her father. Even though Scout is still only six years old, she demonstrates a strong will and the courage to never give up. While the novel itself is focused on racial segregation, it also highlights the fact that presumptions about someone cannot be made based on their age, race, or even social standing. With a resolute child who fights for her family, an innocent black man who is the victim of racial profiling, and an ostracized man who silently observes rather than partakes in life, all help break down the boundaries that assumptions have enclosed them in. This is why everyone should read To Kill a Mockingbird, because no one in this novel lets assumptions stop him or her from being who they are.