’’To Kill a mocking bird’’ by Harper Lee is a beautifully contrived novel on two innocent children who as they grow up come to face the realities of the vice world. The way the children concoct their own fear of their neighbour Mr.Radley with the rumours they gather from the town people and nickname him Boo, the way they stand up for their dad in his fight to bring justice to an African, the way they fear Boo Radley but in their heart of childish hearts come to admire him, all form designs of the intricately woven fabric of a remarkable novel.
The youngest of the four Harper Lee is a Law graduate at the university of Alabama. She gave up her career at the Eastern airlines for the passion of writing.In June of 1966, Harper Lee was one of two persons named by President Johnson to the National Council of Arts. Also named to the 26 member council was artist Richard Diebenkorn Jr. Miss Lee has received a number of honorary doctorates. In 1990 she was one of five recipients at the University of Alabama.
Casual comments like ’’There are some kind of men who are so busy worrying about the next world they’ve never learned to live in this one, and you can look down the street and see the results.’’ make the novel special and thought provoking. The fact that children fail to fear the truth is brought out clearly in how they reveal things that adults dare not even think of. The unassuming manner in which the little girl comes to accept Boo for what he is at the close of the novel, with absolutely no trace of fear but just a little bit of intrigue is deeply moving.
All the talk of racial discrimination might make people want to comment that it is not their ‘cup of tea’ but you can rest assured that the novel is so infectious that you will not have the heart to put it down .
The message in the novel is for all time.
Remember, if you are missing it you are missing something. So go ahead and fall head over heels in love with the book .
This novel was first published in 1960 and went on to win the Pulitzer prize in 1961 and was later made into an Academy Award-winning film, also a classic.
Note: Harper Lee’s Information comes from https://mockingbird.chebucto.org/bio.html