To Kill a Mockingbird, Book Review

By Nate Feldman

I have now completed Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird.  For those unfamiliar with the story, it's about a young girl, Scout Finch, growing up in a small town in Southern Alabama during the 1930s, whose father, Atticus, is representing an African American who is wrongly accused of battering and raping a white woman.  During this time period, African and White Americans were segregated in the southern United States and prejudice was strong.  So, it is naturally assumed by the white population that the African American man, Tom Robinson, is guilty of the charges.  However, Atticus seeks to prove that the girl was in fact beat up by her father for trying to have a romantic relationship with Tom.  Nevertheless, regardless of all the evidence prevented, it is too difficult to prove a black man's word over a white man's at that moment and location in history.  

While the book is an indictment of racism in the United States' history, what makes it special is its focus on social norms in general and those who fall outside of them.

Scout, the narrator, is not your run-of-the-mill young girl.  She prefers playing with her older brother Jem and their mutual friend Dill rather than with girls her age.  She is heavily criticized by older women, such as her Aunt Alexandra, for her unlady like behavior.  She does not fit the description of the ideal "good girl."  In many ways she is a victim of a society that has already pre-ordained what a good girl is before she can develop her authentic self.

Arthur "Boo" Radley lives in Scout's neighborhood.  He is never seen and hides away.  There are a lot of rumors and gossip about him.  Though Harper Lee never uses such terms, there is an impression given that he is neurodivergent in some way.  Because of his odd situation, people assume the worst about him.  But, we discover in fact that he is kind and protective, despite what is said about him.  This shows how quickly societies overlook those we deem as outcasts.

Finally, Tom Robinson is the victim of a world where his word is valueless against a white person's word.  No matter how incredulous the claims against him may be, the unwritten social codes all but guaranteed his fate at his trial.  

Though the United States in 2026 is different in many ways than the one depicted in this novel, the themes of it still resonate, which is why it remains a must-read after all these years.

My Thoughts on To Kill a Mockingbird after 100 or so Pages

By Nate Feldman

Reading To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a seemingly timeless assignment at T/E Middle School in Berwyn, PA.  I had to read it when I was in eighth grade, and so did my daughters, Sara and Sofia, almost 30 years later.  With a copy of the book in the house, I picked it up for the first time in 30 years and am now over 100 pages into it.  

For those unfamiliar, the main plot of the story is Atticus Finch, a lawyer in a small town in Alabama in the 1930s, must represent Tom Robinson, an African American wrongly accused of a crime.  Despite there being deep racism during that time period, Atticus does what he feels is the right thing, even as he and his children face the wrath of prejudiced townsfolks.  

However, I haven't gotten that deep in the story yet.  They have just really introduced the upcoming court case, with Jean Louise Finch, also known as "Scout," who is Atticus' young daughter, talking about being taunted by relatives and classmates for her father daring to represent an African American.  

The biggest drama in the story up until now has been Scout and her brother Jem, along with Dill, a friend who visits during the summer, daring one another to go to the nearby Radley house, where Arthur, or "Boo" in the story, lives.  Boo Radley never comes out.  He lives with his family who seem to shelter him.  Because of this, a sort of town legend has evolved about who he is and why he lives this way.  His reclusive style has made him a gossiped about outcast to the community.   

One thing I was thinking of while reading this is perhaps Boo Radley was someone with Autism Spectral Disorder (ASD) or some form of neuro-divergence before such terms were used.  There seems to be nothing wrong with him.  In fact, he apparently covered Scout in a warm blanket while she was standing in the cold one night, so he is quite nice.  The only thing against him is that he is considered "odd" by the townspeople.  And this, sadly, has been the fate of many well-intentioned people on the Autism spectrum throughout the ages.  Their unique ways and desires to be among themselves has given people an excuse to chastise and outcast them when what they really needed was empathy and understanding.  

And reading that made me wonder how many people with neuro-divergence never had their chances to show their capabilities to their societies because of stigmas and ignorance.  It's sad and something we must continue to work on.