Tolog Review: To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird
by Harper Lee
reviewed by Sofia Gutierrez

As a child, we are innocent and kind beings protected from all the injustices happening in the world. We get a taste of it from hearing our parents talk about it, but we never really understand the whole concept of injustice. In the beginning, the same is for Scout Finch. Scout’s life is suddenly changed when her father is asked to defend Tom Robinson, a man of color, in court because he was accused of rape. 

Harper Lee introduces this theme of injustice and innocence in her eye-opening book, To Kill A Mockingbird. Insanity fills the streets of Maycomb, Alabama when Tom Robinson, a man of color, is accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a white woman. There were many injustices against people of color during this time of segregation in the 1930s. Scout, the protagonist, and her brother Jem are greatly impacted by this trial because their Father, Atticus Finch, was asked to defend Tom and prove that he is innocent. 

For more than anyone, this trial is a journey for Scout, a lively little girl. The story is told from her point of view and really emphasizes Scout’s maturing during the span of the story. Scout and her brother Jem’s lives are impacted when children from school start calling Scout’s father names because he is defending Tom. 

I have never been to a trial but Lee made me feel like I was there. I experienced the trial and the testimonies through Scout’s eyes. The trial is so intense that it makes me want to keep turning the pages. 

Harper Lee also presents us the parental figure in a child’s life. The children at Scout’s school, who call Atticus bad names, learn from their parents. Scout and Jem learn to be just and compassionate because their father taught them this. Other main parental figures and guardians include Calpurnia and Boo Radley. Boo Radley shows that love can be found in the most unexpected places. You have to read the book to find out what role this mysterious man plays.

Harper Lee, through Atticus, teaches all of us the best lesson of all. The lesson is to Not Kill A Mockingbird, hence the title. Mockingbirds simply “make music for us to enjoy” and do nothing wrong. 

I recommend this book to everyone to open our eyes to racial injustices and any injustices in general. We can also compare it to our lives today and help us be more like Atticus. This book definitely is one of my favorites and has changed my life. This book will captivate you. I couldn’t put the book down!