Sep 10, 2009 05:35 PM
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Shoot all the Bluejays you want,
If you can hit’em, but remember
It’s a sin to kill a Mockingbird”
So said the lawyer Atticus to his children Jem and Scout as he went about defending a black man in a society dominated by whites. Told through the eyes of Jean Louise Finch, (fondly known as Scout), the basic premise of the story is the racial discrimination prevalent in the US. Lawyer Atticus Finch is as well known for his brilliance in the court as he is known for his principles off the court.
And these are the values that he passes on to his motherless children when he is handed the case of a black man accused of raping a white woman. As he goes about proving the black man’s innocence, suddenly the Finch family realizes that all is not well in their neighbourhood. People who were once friends have now turned foes…so much so that when all methods of brainwashing Atticus to frame the black man go in vain, they actually resort to blackmail and threats. However Atticus goes about his duty as a defender and proves the black man innocent of the charge.
The reference to Mockingbird being that it is a tiny bird that goes about its life silently without interfering with anyone else (similar to the blacks who preferred to stay within their communities without interfering with the whites). And to kill such a bird is a sin because it means the death of innocence and human values. The book has every thing that you grew up hearing – principles, ethics, values, justice and tolerance. All of which are mere words today. However there is an Atticus in every one of us. And this book will definitely strike a cord within you.
