BOOK REVIEW: To Kill a Mockingbird – Reviewed by Forrest Whitehurst
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIKE FENDER
[dropcap]It[/dropcap] is a true joy to teach “To Kill a Mockingbird” (1960), a classic of American literature, to high school students. Growing up in a traditional Southern home provides a keen perspective when teaching this novel and it requires sharing a smattering of Southern mores with my students during the process.
Harper Lee’s book about intolerance and racial injustice remains timeless and continues to be an important part of a student’s curriculum. But it has also been challenged for its language. Sadly, some schools have decided to exclude it from classroom reading lists. Narrated by Jean Louise “Scout” Finch, a six-year-old child whose beloved father, Atticus Finch, is an attorney who has been appointed to represent a black man accused of a horrible crime, Scout enlightens the reader about racial injustice through the honesty and innocence of her young mind.
The book title often intrigues students and in class I challenge them to determine which characters might be considered “mockingbirds.” What is meant by this moniker? Atticus comments that “It is a sin to kill a mockingbird.” He explains that these birds do no harm, only make music for others to enjoy.
Realizing there are people in this story who are “the innocent” helps students understand the story, ultimately teaching them to identify the prevailing social conventions of Southern culture which, at times, have failed to reflect justice.
It is my belief that numerous “mockingbirds” teach us about various forms of prejudice and profiling. Society has historically singled out those among us who are extraordinary. Color is not the only factor which enters into prejudice or profiling. The misanthropes, such as the character Boo Radley, are also misunderstood and looked upon as monsters by those who do not take the time to understand.
When students read Harper Lee’s story, they must be reminded that Scout is a child, offering a youthful perspective that stands in contrast to that of “Go Set A Watchman,” Lee’s only other novel—published after her death. “Go Set A Watchman” introduces Scout as an adult, living in the starkly different setting of New York City rather than the racially- charged Maycomb, Alabama, the hometown of her youth. It becomes clear that Maycomb remained sedentary, replete with social overtones which were not mitigated over time, unlike New York and other socially progressive areas. Scout is changed over time, yet she sees that Atticus remains unchanged. The place he holds in her mind is changed, not because he has, but because she has. Scout moved on; Atticus and Maycomb did not. In 2018, “To Kill A Mockingbird” was chosen as America’s Favorite Book in PBS’s “The Great American Read.” It remains my favorite book of all time.
[divider]About Forrest Whitehurst
Forrest Whitehurst’s mother and grandmother instilled a love of literature in him, and Horatio Hornblower sagas became the framework for endless hours of childhood play, fostering a love for the water. Forrest’s first choice of study was oceanography but it was decided that an economics degree from the University of Florida would better prepare him to contribute to his family’s business, Panama Machinery & Supply Company. When the business sold in the late 1990s, it was time for a career change. Forrest has loved teaching at Bay High School ever since, first as an economics teacher, and now an English literature teacher. His goal is for his seniors to discover the pageantry of learning via Shakespeare, Chaucer, Hemingway, Keats, T. S. Eliot, Hopkins, and Plath, among others. Forrest lives in the historic Cove neighborhood with his beautiful wife, Carol Ann. He is the proud father of five children and grandfather of eight.