Iconicity in To Kill a Mocking Bird - Essay Example

To kill a mocking bird’ by Lee Harper is one of the most iconic book of the era which has not only gone on to win the Pulitzer Prize for its literarybrilliance but it has also made a significant impact on the population for the issues that have challenged the society for more than two centuries. While the book touches many areas of human interaction like parenting, class division, gender bias, racism etc., Lee Harper has excelled in portraying the racial discrimination that had prevailed dominantly at that time in America. The book is rendered through the experiences of the six year old protagonist, ‘Scout’ who learns the harsh facts of the life and comes out a winner because they teach her the fundamental lesson that life is not always easy to understand and all people, irrespective of color, race or social status have the right to live with dignity. She learnt that “you never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view..” (Atticus, 30). The book has been a reflection of the experiences of the author who had seen the destructive and irredeemable harms of the racial discriminatory practices that were deliberately inflicted on the less privileged segment of the society. It is true that early twentieth century did see some constitutional reforms regarding racial discrimination but unfortunately till 1960s, little efforts were made to implement them. The book has explored the crucial issue of racial prejudices in a manner that has managed to stir the sensitivity of the masses provoking them to question the legitimacy of such practices in the times when America was advocating for democratic values and equal rights. Its has aptly been titled in the light of the prevailing social paradigms that supported the oppressions of the black and believed them to be inferior. The book revolves around the family of the protagonist, Scout, her brother Jem and their father Atticus Finch, a well respected lawyer, who is against any racial or class prejudice and instills the same values in his two children. They live in a southern Alabama in Maycomb where the impact of great depression is visible in its class division. “People moved slowly then… nothing to buy, and no money to buy it with..” (Scout, 11). The father teaches the important values through examples and says "..but before I can live with other folks Ive got to live with myself.  The one thing that doesnt abide by majority rule is a persons conscience" (Atticus, 114). He employs a colored woman, Calpurnia as his housekeeper who also looks after the children. Throughout the book, the author manages to retain the innocent childlike nostalgic atmosphere which is liberally interspersed with vivid childish imaginations of gothic details and conflicting social paradigms which are interpreted with uncomplicated simplicity. The turning point of the book is the trial of Tim Robinson, a black, who is falsely accused of raping a white woman, Mayella Ewell. Atticus takes up the case and defends the accused. He effectively proves the innocence of his client, proving that even Mayella Ewell was a victim of her circumstance who was forced to lay the blame on Robinson for her own security and vested interest. Atticus’ declares in the courtroom that “..the defendant is not guilty, but somebody in this courtroom is" (Atticus, 203). Throughout the trial, both the children sit in the ‘colored’ balcony with their housekeeper and become witness to the injustice that is meted out to the innocent Robinson by the white jurists who declare him to be the convict. Robinson is ultimately shot to death when he tries to escape the jail. The whole episode jolts the fundamental beliefs of the children and Jem undergoes an emotional upheaval that matures him into understanding the various perspectives of human life. "if theres just one kind of folks, why cant they get along with each other? … I think Im beginning to understand why Boo Radleys stayed .. Its because he wants to stay inside" (Jem, 240). He learns the most important lesson of his life. The book is reminiscent of the time when the ‘Jim Crow rules’ of the early twentieth century were freely practiced by the whites majority in the southern American states (Internet). Jim Crow rules were implicitly inbred into the whites and the blacks alike. While the whites took pride in instilling the fear into the very psyche of the black and did not even hesitate to mete out inhuman atrocities against them, including public lynching of the blacks, the black population was forced to adhere to the rules because they were not only dominated by the white population in all areas of social dealings but the very lack of opportunities like access to good education, employment etc. drastically reduced their chances to stand against them. It was the time when innocent blacks were deliberately targeted and Atticus, father of the protagonist, wanted the children to know that “..as you grow older, youll see white men cheat black men … and dont you forget it-whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, that white man is trash” (Atticus , 233) The various characters of the novel lend great support to the thematic transformation of the thoughtful provoking issues which have the potential to destroy people and adversely impact the innocence of the children. The character of Atticus demonstrates emphatically that good exists along with the evil. “I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. Its when you know youre licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what..” (Atticus, 112). Bob Ewell, judges, school teacher Miss Caroline etc are there to depict the evil in society who promote deliberate evil practices for their own interests and which need to be addressed and questioned by people who are committed to justice, equality and peaceful co-existence. Children like Dill and Boo lend credence to the inherent curiosity and goodness within the children who have the capacity to enjoy the undiluted delights of childhood curiosities as well as the ability to stand up and fight against the bad elements of the society and social norms. In the end, Boo kills the evil Ewell and the Sheriff Tate protects the innocent Boo by saying that Ewell fell over his own knife and died. Scout shows the matured understanding when she says “Yes sir, I understand,.. Mr. Tate was right. … Well, itd be sort of like shootin a mockingbird, wouldnt it?" (Scout, 276). Indeed, the book has tackled the highly inflammable issue of racism with dexterity and innate sensitivity that has touched the heartstrings of the readers. It has also shown that the great capacity of the children and their resilience can prove to be the most effective catalyst for changing dynamics of the social order. Reference ‘Jim Crow Rules’. Available from: [Accessed 23 September 2008]. Harper, Lee. (1960).‘To Kill a Mocking Bird’. Arrow Books Ltd. Read More