Books in '16 | To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

We have an innocent girl, not even in her teens yet, unaware of the prejudices all around, questioning everything, hardly subdued when confronted. One cannot not help but appreciate the brilliance of Scout Finch pointing out the hypocrisy in Americans criticizing Hitler of discrimination against Jews while they themselves were doing the same to their black folks back home.

Midway through her childhood adventures, her father, Atticus Finch, a lawyer by profession, is appointed by the court to defend Tom Robinson, a Negro. Things were not in favor of Tom. First, he was accused of raping a woman which in itself is such a heinous crime that the public convicts you even before the court does. Second, he was a Negro and the woman concerned was white. The prejudice only made it worse. According to the law, any person whether white or black has the right to defend himself. But defending a Negro is a disgraceful act, or so the common herd consisting of the whites, believed. Atticus Finch is faced with two choices: either to consider the hearing as merely a formality or the tough one, put his back into the case and bring Tom Robinson, the Negro, to justice. He chooses the latter.

Atticus Finch so accurately brings out the inaccuracy associated with the quote, 'All men are created equal'. We aren't created equal. Some are born rich, others are not. Some are gifted and are better at things than others. It is only one institution that considers everyone equal: Our judicial system. Everyone is equal in the eyes of law.

The case was laid bare. All evidence, or more appropriately the lack of it, pointed to the accused not being guilty. Still, the final decision rested with the jury. And jury consisted of people, the common people. They did what they had always done. The law can only take you so far. It's a stick, purposely a walking stick, but might as well use it for a beating.

Immorality and trustworthiness are not virtues restricted to one particular race. In 1930 Alabama, a small girl registers this fact while mature adults fail to do so. It's immoral and sinful to persecute an innocent just the way it is a sin to kill a mockingbird.

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