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arnold_shelby 's review for:
To Kill a Mockingbird
by Harper Lee
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I had never read TKAM and wanted to spend some time with it as I know it's a commonly banned book. I wanted to understand (beyond knowing that racial slurs appear in it) what the content was.
I found this book to actually be super interesting and an extremely apt look at the injustice in the US (I'd say Pre WW2 but we all know it's today as well) for Black folks.
This was a snapshot of a tiny community told through the eyes of a child (9 at the end of the book) and yet I feel like she had a very sound understanding of her town and culture. Her father was portrayed as a sensitive and sensible man with a lot of power, using his power for good (or trying).
I thought the mysteriousness around Boo Radley was also interesting to read about; and Scout's maturity at starting to understand someone like Boo (Arthur) despite years of trying to get a glimpse of him.
So - do I think this book should be banned? No. I don't. I also don't know the right setting for this book, in terms of analysis and discussion, because it does require a lot of context and background and nuance.
I found this book to actually be super interesting and an extremely apt look at the injustice in the US (I'd say Pre WW2 but we all know it's today as well) for Black folks.
This was a snapshot of a tiny community told through the eyes of a child (9 at the end of the book) and yet I feel like she had a very sound understanding of her town and culture. Her father was portrayed as a sensitive and sensible man with a lot of power, using his power for good (or trying).
I thought the mysteriousness around Boo Radley was also interesting to read about; and Scout's maturity at starting to understand someone like Boo (Arthur) despite years of trying to get a glimpse of him.
So - do I think this book should be banned? No. I don't. I also don't know the right setting for this book, in terms of analysis and discussion, because it does require a lot of context and background and nuance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism