To Kill a Mockingbird

This is not my first encounter with Harper Lee's classic novel. During my sophomore year of high school, we skimmed parts of the novel before watching portions of the 1960's film to cement the court scenes in our head. We focused almost entirely on the racial issues involved with Tom Robinson's trial and took no more than a cursory glance at the summer antics of Scout, Jem and Dill, let alone the entire Boo Radley storyline. I would have preferred to spend more time studying the novel instead of rushing through in an effort to increase the total number of books we "read." Reading through the novel again, I realize just how much we glossed over that first time through--effectively butchering the novel itself.

I sat down to read the novel over the break and really became engrossed in the simple innocence of the summers before the trial. Jem, Scout and Dill spending all day outside re-enacting books and letting their imaginations run wild. While I never got to the point of inventing stories of crazy murderers living down the street during my childhood, the story definitely provides a relatable experience. I remember spending hours outside playing with neighborhood kids until the street lights came on, serving as the signal to return home. Now instead of spending hours outside fooling around I spend most of my time sitting at a desk working. Such is the life of an adult.

After reading the first part of "To Kill a Mockingbird," I found myself wishing I could return to the life of a seven-year-old. A life unencumbered by responsibility and filled with simple answers to questions that now ignite lengthy debates. A time when parents were the final authority on everything--and therefore were seen as infallible--and when nap time in school was still a recent memory. Ironically, reading over spring break put me in a similar mindset to Scout. My week off seemed akin to her summers. But just as Scout had to deal with all of the adult themes surrounding her as she grew up, I am faced with the reality of returning to school, with all of the associated responsibilities--such as this post--included.

The revelations of Atticus' character and past as the novel progresses parallels what I have experienced with my parents. Just as Scout and Jem find out that Atticus is an excellent shot, I have come to develop a fuller picture of the life my parents led before me. Stories come out, often over dinner with cousins, aunts, and uncles of the times my dad played pranks on his little brother or got a speeding ticket racing a buddy down a farm road. Not exactly the stories parents would tell their children when they are young, but in knowing them, I have a better sense of the human side of them, not just the parental facade.

I'm of the mind that all great literature should be read at least twice throughout a lifetime. I can't think of a book that I have re-read without noticing more details and connecting more dots together. This makes sense as if you understand what meaningful events take place throughout a work, you gain a deeper appreciation of the hints and foreshadowing that are present. Even the most methodical reader couldn't hope to fully understand all of the messages in a novel on the first reading. For me, new dimensions to characters continue to appear in a good work as I read through again. (Watching a film adaptation often has the same effect by giving a different perspective.)