I recently decided it was high time I re-read this classic, which is one of my favourites.
The story is set in a small town in 1930s Alabama and follows the Finch family through the eyes of you ‘Scout’ Finch. Her father, Atticus, isa talented lawyer charged by the authorities with defending a local black man who is being prosecuted for raping a white woman. Through this, the novel examines attitudes to race.
Scout is an engaging narrator as we follow her and older brother ‘Jem’ as they grow up over the several years spanned by the book. A good third or so of the novel is scene-setting, establishing the Finches as a respected family and Atticus as a respected and educated man. Scout is sometimes disappointed by Atticus, who is older and less obviously manly than other men in the town, but over the course of the book she comes to realise that he has a great many attributes which she, as a child, simply did not realise.
The trial of Tom Robinson, the defendant, is a huge event for the town and most people are convinced of his guilt despite evidence to the contrary. They think this way because racist attitudes are ingrained in them and in their society. Even the enlightened Finches occasionally say or do things we would consider racist and demeaning today.
The book was published in 1960 and must have had quite an impact on the Civil Rights movement in America. However, it’s not just about race. It’s also about growing up and realising things about the world and other people which are not obvious to a child.
It’s a book which bears re-reading.