Wednesday 14 March 2018

To Kill A Mockingbird • Harper Lee


I have a profound ability. When a novel is recommended to me that is indisputably successful, I instinctively shrug it off. For no good reason. Meh, I'll read it later. Instead I'll dig out some unknown dystopian novel which i'm sure i'll enjoy so much more. And then when I get around to reading the successful novel in question, I realise holy cow - this book is really good...
And that is my ability. Sensing which books are incredible and then not reading them. I know we can't decide what we're good at, but I really think God was scraping the barrel with this one.

To Kill A Mockingbird was one of those. 
Let's lay down the ground work:

First, I’d like to emphasise I do not excel in history on any level and therefore cannot comment on the historical accuracy or significance. I whole-heartedly remember my year 9 history teacher labelling me 'The most insolent child she had ever taught.' So there is my disclaimer. I’m simply analysing the story as a world within itself. But also S/O to Mrs Green for giving me the title - 

To Kill A Mockingbird is a novel which creates an entire world and hands it to the reader. Page by page Maycomb is built up from the ground. Maycomb is an entirely fictional, yet after turning the last page I felt with such conviction a real feel of the place and felt as though I had toured it myself. You become so immersed within the town - Scout never ventures outside of the town and there is next to no information concerning life outside of Maycomb so it's almost like the little southern town is it's own isolated world. 

I think I have made it obvious in my last two reviews I consider narrative voice to be one of/if not the most important aspects of a novel. Even the most thrilling story in the world can be deduced to utter tedium by an ineffective narration. Or vice versa, an interesting narration can enhance a novel's best features - why do you think American Psycho is so popular?  

To Kill A Mockingbird unfolds within one of the most striking narrative voices I have ever encountered. The protagonist is Scout Finch, and the crux of the story takes place when she is between the ages of four and twelve. For a novel that contemplates such mature, serious topics - primarily racism, but also sexism, classism, stereotyping, labelling, deception etc – this choice of narration is insightful. For what reason did Harper Lee choose to present Maycomb through the eyes of a little girl?

I believe one of the most interesting themes of the novel is the effect of society upon an individual. In life, I like to believe we all begin with a blank slate – a mind completely wiped clean of any prejudices, judgments, belief systems – and it is our surroundings, socialisation and the culture we immerse ourselves in paint a picture of the world for us. Which creates an interesting debate – are we responsible for the beliefs we have? Are we free agents with our own opinions or do we simply have our beliefs thrust upon us?

Regardless of the answer, it is undeniable that children are born with vision untouched by prejudice or disconcerting experiences. Children view the world in a way that is impossible to replicate - a clear, equal mind that has not yet been tainted by society. By looking through a child's perspective we view Maycomb objectively - an impartial perspective that could never be achieved by an adult, especially within the secluded town. Without bias, Scout drinks in the world with such innocence and purity that the problems that arise appear even more daunting. Frequently as a reader we understand some of the more disturbing aspects of the novel that she, being so young, does not. Not only that, but Scout views racism in the same way that the majority of the population do now - as disgustingly wrong. It's ironic that a child is so ahead of her time, while the adults are the ones corrupted by evil.

I could go on and on about the beauty of this novel, alas, I feel I must draw this conversation to a close. The ending to this blog entry in many ways simulates the ending of the novel - short, abrupt, and distinctly unsatisfying. Thanks for reading.



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