Student Essay on "To Kill a Mockingbird"

"To Kill a Mockingbird"

Summary:   "To Kill a Mockingbird", by Harper Lee, is an outstanding work of American literature, discussing issues of 'race' in Southern states. To Kill A Mockingbird is set in a more religious era but Harper Lee wants us to know that there were no people in Maycomb who are more religious than the Negroes. The white people are Christian because it's right and good but the black community is faithful from the heart.

I hope to explain why I think "To Kill A Mockingbird", by Harper Lee, merits the description "an outstanding work of literature."

"To Kill A Mockingbird" has a good, strong structure, which forms the basis of the plot. Harper Lee has decided to split the book into two parts, enhancing the structure. The first half sets the scene, introduces us to the characters and the plot - leading up to the trial in the second half. The second half builds cleverly upon the first, maintaining the suspense that has been created. When I read the book it was more like reading from inside the plot than looking at the lives of the people from the outside.

When describing the setting Harper Lee uses personification to create a vivid picture in the mind of the reader. In the first chapter Harper Lee uses the descriptions:

"Maycomb was an old town, but it was a tired old town when I first knew it."

"It was hotter then: a black dog suffered on a summer's day; bony mules hitched to Hoover carts flicked flies in the sweltering shade of the live oaks on the square. Men's stiff collars wilted by nine in the morning. Ladies bathed before noon, after their three-o'clock naps, and by nightfall were like soft teacakes with frosting of sweat and sweet talcum."

This is a wonderful way in which to introduce us the mid-thirties setting and sets an almost comical scene.

All the characters are varied and individual, not one being dull - however a small part they play. Mr Dolphus Raymond is not mentioned a lot but when he is it is hard to forget him! He prefers the company of the Negroes but knows that white society would not accept that, so he gives them an excuse. He is just a drunk man to the townsfolk but as he says to Dill "they could never, never understand that I live like I do because that's the way I want to live."

Characters like Dolphus Raymond provide contrast to the 'darker' side of the plot, emphasizing the issues that Harper Lee explores in her book and making it shockingly real. Mr Raymond is not the only good character though, there are many, many people in the book who Harper Lee deserves credit for. Scout, Jem, Atticus and Dill are all characterized ingeniously. Everyone who reads the book can tell instantly that Dill likes to tell 'tall tales' and because he is so young and 'innocent' people let him live in his fantasy world. Scout is so innocent and talks a lot about what she doesn't understand as yet, sometimes though not being afraid of something because you don't know about turns out to be a good thing.

Scout is growing up in what we would call an unusual world because of her very adult, childhood experiences. There is a lot that she doesn't understand yet, and being young she believes that these are issues that she will never understand because of the fact that she doesn't understand them then. Sometimes though, as Harper Lee shows us, an innocent child can turn the minds of men that would kill to obtain there objective. Atticus once said (after Scout protected him where Jem couldn't because of his understanding of people):

"So it took an eight-year-old child to bring 'em to their senses"

"maybe we need a police force of children"

Harper Lee tries to show us that a mob is only made up of people and that if those people can be touched individually they can be turned back into people again - sometimes it takes the innocence of a child to do this.

This innocence is portrayed through Harper Lee's original use of the narrative standpoint, yet although written from the point of view of a young girl the book does explore these adult situations, most notably rape, racism and lynching - like the above. At times though this innocence can be quite comical through actions or speech, as well as life saving.

The event that could have injured Atticus was brought about by the racism in the minds of men, changing them into monsters that would do any thing to obtain what they wanted. Because they automatically assumed that Tom Robinson was guilty, because he was black, they wanted to lynch him. Racism is a big issue in the book and we see it in many different forms. Some very respectable people just won't have anything to do with the Negro society and others make efforts to attack them, openly or secretively.

Racial prejudice is not the only theme in the novel though. During the book I gradually saw how Scout and Jem grew up and apart with age, Jem becoming more manly, responsible and protective and Scout, or Miss Jean Louise, having to become more ladylike! She is very tomboyish and takes a great dislike to her "pink cotton penitentiary", it is hard for her to become more ladylike if she already links pretty dresses with imprisonment! Her father was beginning to trust Jem and Give him more responsibility. Jem used to be Scouts friend but now he wants to protect her and be able to tell her what to do.

"To Kill A Mockingbird is set in a more religious era but Harper Lee wants us to know that there were no people in Maycomb who are more religious than the Negroes. The white people are Christian because it's right and good but the black community is faithful from the heart. The first thing they put their money to when they got to Maycomb was their church, first purchase, and it shows how important religion was to them. They were all much closer together than the white people and would give more than they could afford to help others in the community. We see this with the 'whip-round' at the church to help Helen Robinson; first everyone put what they could afford in the bowl, but it was not enough so the doors were locked and they freely gave more, what they could not afford to give until there was enough money to support Helen. It shows how they were a better community than the white people where the money would just be a scratch on their earnings and would go to church funds.

Family life is different between the different 'social orders'. As far as the people of Maycomb are concerned the Negroes are the poorest and live like they are but Scout sees that although they may not be rich they live a better way than the poorer white people. The Negroes make up for their low income with hard work and try to create a cosy family atmosphere.

"Wonderful smells of squirrel and rabbit drifted from the Negro homes but no such smells could be found at the Ewell's house."

The title plays a very significant part in the plot, I think Harper Lee chose it very well. I hope that anyone who has read the book remembers the line:

' They don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us, that's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird'

Even though the phrase is only brought up one in the book it is too important to forget, ties all the events together and makes a purpose for the novel. The three 'mockingbirds' all had the same thing in common; they were innocent by-standers who did nothing but helped people or left them in peace. Tom helped Mayella nearly every time he passed her house but she wanted to have him killed. The children, Scout and Jem, never did anything to Mr Ewell but he tried to murder them. To send Boo or Arthur Radley to court would be like killing him because he was so shy and secluded, but he came out to help the children and probably saved their lives. Harper Lee could not have chosen a better title and the theme follows throughout.

I enjoyed the book from start to finish and was surprised along the way, but the surprises always fitted the plot. Harper Lee's "To Kill A Mocking bird" definitely merits the praise 'an outstanding work of literature' - for its plot, characters, the themes it explores, its title and the way it's used and every other aspect of the novel.