Mock, Yeah. Ing, Yeah. Bird, Yeah.

The Classic cover of Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird"

Last night I finished reading “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. One of the “Big Reads,” this book allows me to get closer to finishing item #16 on my “Life To Do List“.

As I shared with friends that I was reading the book, I enjoyed hearing the visceral and appreciative associations my peers have with this novel. I was saddened that a few asked “Why don’t you just watch the movie?” Part of the reason that I chose to put this item on the To-Do list was so that I could read more. In this digital world, we forget to allow our imaginations to create our own pictures, and as an artist, I crave the brain exercise. I promised myself that even if I had read the book as a child, it didn’t count towards my goal. I needed to revisit the stories with my contemporary point of view- allowing my life experience to shine new light on stories I read in the past only because I had to.

Many of us read “To Kill A Mockingbird” when we were in grade school and haven’t visited it since. The most common association I got was “Awww, I love Boo Radley.” As I re-read the book, I found it curious that this elusive character tended to be the most poignant figure for us as children. Perhaps it is because when we read this novel in our youth, we shared the same curiosity and devious delight that Jem and Scout did in discovering the identity and purpose of Boo.

Now that I’ve revisted the narrative, I found Boo to be only slightly striking. There were so many other layers and moments of the story that strike me now that barely made an impression when I was a child.

Atticus shares his knowledge

In particular, the relationship between Scout and her father, Atticus, strikes me differently than I remember it. The pure naivete and innocence of her inquiries into the world, and his dedication to telling her the truth. That her age and growth was sometimes told in years in Harper Lee’s writing, but hit home when she was no longer small enough to curl into her father’s lap as he read in his rocking chair. I was able to relate to her disappointment in no longer being able to hide in her father’s tummy. I remember what it felt like not to have the responsibility of understanding the serious conversations the adults were having around me.

In the trailer for the movie version of the film (see below), Gregory Peck, the actor who plays Atticus Finch, talks about why this book struck audiences on such a grand scale. His first words are: “the world never seems as fresh and wonderful, as comforting and terrifying, as good or as evil as it does when seen through the eyes of a child. For a writer to capture that feeling is remarkable.” I couldn’t agree more. I highly recommend taking a trip through memory lane and comparing your impressions of youth with the impressions you’ll have now that you’re old enough to have had life experience that colors the perspective and characters with which you identify in this novel. It was a pleasure.

Next on the list is Wuthering Heights! Heathcliff and I will report back to you in a few weeks when I finish.

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