Review Detail

Reader reviewed by Flash


The book, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, is both a delightful and suspense-filled piece of literature. Set in the rural city of Maycomb County during the middle of the Twentieth Century, the story consists of both adventure and thrill. Told through the eyes of Scout Finch, a young girl growing up at the time the story takes place, also the main character, this story has equally classical and real-to-life qualities. Atticus Finch, Scouts father, an attorney-at-law, conducts a court case of Tom Robinson, an African-American man who supposedly attacked a girl named Mayella Ewell. Many of the townsmen vehemently appose Atticus choice to protect a black man, and threaten to harm him, as well as his family, throughout the story. Though at the end of the story, Atticus does not win the case, and Tom Robinson dies by getting shot while escaping, this story shows the power of friendship and love of children, family, and neighbors, as well as the consequences of hate, violence, and corruption.
Throughout the course of the story, the protagonist, Scout Finch, and the antagonist, Bob Ewell, both receive both consequences and rewards, while fulfilling their parts in the story. Scout executes her role as the protagonist by telling us everything that happens to her and her brother Jem during the short period of her life that we see. She leaves out no details, and explains everything, ranging from each game she plays, to the tinniest details of the court trial. The antagonist, Bob Ewell, fulfills his role well, though introduced late into the book. Although unsuspected at first, Bob Ewell becomes a horrible man, eventually trying to kill Scout and Jem, since their father defended Tom Robinson. Both figures fulfill their parts well, making this story have a both exciting and unexpected ending.
While not apparent at first, the conflict becomes clear by the end of the book. A reoccurring theme through the end of the story, the conflict looks like that of Bob Ewell trying to make Tom Robinson take blame for attacking Mayella. However, the author hints that the attacker might be Bob himself, though never spoken outright. The conflict becomes resolved when, while trying to kill the children, Bob Ewell dies getting slain by Boo Radley, a neighbor of the Finchs, who has not come out of his house for thirty years. This unexpected twist will delight readers. Harper Lee does a good job of showing the climax, while making the other characters think Jem the likely killer.
Though apparent, the climax of the story unfolds quite unexpectedly. It begins when Scout and Jem, walking home from the school pageant, begin to hear rustling noises. They think the rustler will consist of Cecil Jacobs, a boy who scared them before as a joke on Halloween. Then, Jem yells to run, and a battle ensues. Suddenly, someone helps Jem and Scout, although Scout thinks Jem begins fighting Bob Ewell, who had attacked them. Later, they find out Boo Radley saved them. This portion of the book qualifies as a climax because the readers find out that Bob Ewell becomes the real antagonist, and Boo Radley ends the story as a good person.
To Kill a Mockingbird, overall, results in a great book. Hard to understand at first, since the girl, Scout, has a boys name, but after a while, I liked it. I would recommend this book to anyone who wishes to read a story about children, and their every day life adventures. Through the journeys of Scout and Jem Finch, we can see the joys they experience and sufferings that they endure, as well as the triumphs that they win together, with the love of each other, as well as that of their entire community. Even though many had prejudices against them and their father, Jem and Scout handled them all in different ways, sometimes good, others bad. Never the less, both strive to always accomplish the right thing in every instance. This story of growing up and love of neighbor is a great enjoyment for all.