Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird (1995) - Plot & Excerpts
To Kill a Mocking bird is a really fascinating book about justice in the courtroom and racism. It is set in a small town located in Alabama. A young girl named Scout is playing in her front garden with her older brother Jem, when she meets a boy named Dill, which whom they become friends with. Dill is a small boy, and only stays in Scout's town with his aunty, who is pretty judgmental. The kids play a series of games which involves another neighbor who was accused of stabbing his father with a pair of scissors. The kids are really scared by the very thought of this man, so they dare each other to go closer to the house. While this is going on, Atticus is battling a court case, that involves a black man who is accused of raping a young white girl, a case that Atticus know that he cannot win because of the very fact that he is black, and the majority of the courtroom is white. Later on in the book, the courtroom finds the black man guilty of rape, even we he had substantial evidence that he did not rape the lady. People began to antagonize Atticus and his children to the point where one guy tries to kill them. He tries to stab Scout and Jem. Out of nowhere, the most hated man in town, besides Atticus, saves the children from death. This book shows that you should follow your own path, and not to do what everyone else wants you too at some times because your way may be right. It also shows that you shouldn't listen to gossip.
Harper Lee's moving and powerful novel deserves to remain as one of the most important 20th Centurary Classics. The moral story of a young girl named Scout and her understanding of the world she lives in, attacks the predudices of adulthood and the ignorance of man. The novel is centred on the issue of racism and the interaction of man with man. Exploring this theme, Harper views the world through the unpredudiced eyes of Scout and we watch as her views are shaped by those around her.The novel is shockingly powerful, with characterisation that will move you through emotions. The novel is written in a style that most ages will find easy to read, and enjoy. The lessons to be learnt by this book are of such great importance to the modern day world in which we live, therefore I believe that it should be positvely encouraged to early teenagers, as they themselves are having their views shaped by those around them. I would say that Nelle Harper Lee deserves all the respect she gets for this truly outstanding novel.
What do You think about Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird (1995)?
I like this adaptation of the novel a lot. It’s streamlined, it has all the main themes, but doesn’t get sidelined by characters and things that can detract from the primary story. It has all the beauty, grace and simplicity of Harper Lee’s novel.This review of both plays based on Harper Lee's novel. Are there any other reviews here of the play, either of them? For Sergel adapted it twice, once in 1970 and once in 1998. These two plays are identical, except a grown up Jean Louise does the narration in the version from 1998 and Miss Maudie does some narration in the older version. I prefer Jean Louise Finch telling the story.I read this for the first time on August 31, 2010 for the book discussion of the novel. I re-read both plays on 1/13/11, because I am about to direct the play.
—Julia
This book is just so incredible. I remember finishing it at age 14, and asking my Mom to take me to the library. I dramatically told the librarian "I want to read EVERYTHING that Harper Lee ever wrote!" She responded . . . "You already did." That's been over 40 years, and I still remember how devastated I felt. My favorite line from the book was (and I paraphrase):Harper Lee tells us how, on a dare, Scout is about to run up to Boo Radley's house and touch the porch. She is understandably scared, and Lee explains that she ". . . treaded water at the gate."I remember reading that line over and over.
—Carmussel
I absolutely loved reading this play! The story was so powerful and I do not believe that the fact that it is a play rather than a novel detracted from the story whatsoever. This was a very strong adaptation, there was still a lot of detail and it was very fast-paced, though not so fast that you had no idea what was going on. I believe that this is an important story for people to read, one that opens the door to how terrible racism really is and the results that it can have. There is some strong language, but it is necessary in order to fully understand the cultural and historical context. Reading the play was great and I can only hope that one day I will have the opportunity to see it performed.
—Cora
