To Kill a Mockingbird: A Brief Review
Almost every student in the United States at one time or another will be forced to read and understand the American classic “To Kill A Mockingbird.” If students enjoy it and learn from it, that’s another story! I personally read the book and watched the movie when I was in 8th grade, and just watched the movie again for the second time as an adult, so I’m giving a quick review. To my surprise, I understood the movie almost the same as when I first saw it.
The movie begins in a small town called Maycomb, Alabama and is set in the depression era. At the time, the South was still deeply divided, very prejudiced and divided. The story follows three years in the life of a family, consisting of 8-year-old Scout Finch, her brother Jem and her father Atticus, a lawyer. The plot thickens when a white woman accuses a young black man of rape. Her subsequent arrest and trial provides the backdrop for the story. The author chooses to show much of the story through a child’s point of view and somehow manages to weave together the difficult themes of race, class, and justice.
The story takes its time and gradually builds its substance. The story begins in the summer, just before Scout starts her first year of school. Scout quickly got used to school and, along with her brother Jem and his, likes to fantasize about going to the scary Boo Radley’s house to check him out. After much talking and no action, Jem becomes curious enough and plucks up the courage to go see Boo Radley for himself.
Meanwhile, the town prepares for accused rapist Tom Robinson’s trial and Atticus Finch is appointed as his attorney. The children continue to play in their own world, oblivious to the dire situations around them until things get so heated that they become involved in events beyond their comprehension. The trial begins and circumstances reveal the dark and ugly side of the city. Being an honest and good man, Atticus is forced to fight against all odds to defend the truth. Against all odds, he tries to save the man who knows he is innocent of the charges. His heroism is evident and he teaches a hard lesson.
Young Scout learns a good lesson and sums it up when he says, “Most people are essentially nice when you really see them.” This story can make you laugh and cry through its ups and downs, twists and turns, and teach you a good lesson every time. The great American classic “To Kill A Mockingbird” still resonates as much today as it did when it was first released in 1960.
