I was never a bookworm. My dad was and he tried to turn me into one too. But I was always more interested in picture books than reading big elaborate stories. Also, like most of the children, I liked watching TV more! But it does not mean that I never read anything. Once in a while, I did read a good book and if I really liked it,I went back to read it again! The only book I have been able to read more than 3 times is my most favorite story of all time-To Kill A Mockingbird! It is one of the best stories in the world, quite popular for schoolchildren everywhere. It was brought by my dad for my sister but I loved it so much,I kept that copy for myself and my dad had to buy another one for her! In fact, much later I became a bookworm in school thanks to my English teacher who took a different approach to teaching but I think reading this book was the beginning of my love for books today!
Without giving any spoilers, the story is about this lawyer Atticus Finch who tries a black man's case in heartland of America and loses. This is set almost a 100 years ago i.e. a long time before Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights movements in USA. At that time, Blacks were called 'Negroes' in the most de-humanizing way and actually treated as if they were not completely human, rather a sub-species (and 'brutes' or 'uncivilized') who needed to be ruled over by the Whites who were considered 'superior' and 'civilized'. In such an atmosphere, a white lawyer defending a black man for a heinous crime is going to be scandalous and that is what this story is about. I cannot explain in words what it means. One has to read it to believe it. The atmosphere in which people lived back then, even normal people believed in segregation of whites and blacks, even normal people hated the blacks and considered them born criminals, a white just needed to accuse a black man and people just assumed that the black man needed to be punished, all these have been portrayed extremely well in the story. The whole idea of justice being different based on race or skin color, something that today we might find ludicrous, was actually in effect then!
I like the most that this story is actually told from the point of view of Atticus's daughter and thus has a very innocent voice. She is a little girl trying to understand what the grown ups are doing and so has no prejudices. Through her, we the readers are also trying to make sense of what is happening and the morality of it all. Another thing is how the story,despite being from a child's point of view, is very straightforward in telling the truth,no matter how bitter it is. All the controversial topics are dealt with directly head on and not by hush-hushing them. It also shows the concept of innocence that is trampled over by a society that brands it as dangerous as society always tends to do when it gets into a majority and doesn't understand something. The killing of innocence in one form of another is always present in human condition and it is beautifully portrayed here.
Reading this book made me aware of so much more than my own world. It made me open my eyes to all kinds of injustice happening the world and I wanted to read and see the news everyday from then on. I vowed to never stay silent in the face of injustice,which is what Atticus Finch stands for, no matter if I lose or win! Humanity remains constant and we must not forget it at any cost and definitely not in the name of race,religion,financial status. These important life lessons that this book taught me have stayed with me till today! It was the first book I read where such an important historical event was explained in such an interesting way and I will always cherish the day I read the first line of this book!
This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.Without giving any spoilers, the story is about this lawyer Atticus Finch who tries a black man's case in heartland of America and loses. This is set almost a 100 years ago i.e. a long time before Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights movements in USA. At that time, Blacks were called 'Negroes' in the most de-humanizing way and actually treated as if they were not completely human, rather a sub-species (and 'brutes' or 'uncivilized') who needed to be ruled over by the Whites who were considered 'superior' and 'civilized'. In such an atmosphere, a white lawyer defending a black man for a heinous crime is going to be scandalous and that is what this story is about. I cannot explain in words what it means. One has to read it to believe it. The atmosphere in which people lived back then, even normal people believed in segregation of whites and blacks, even normal people hated the blacks and considered them born criminals, a white just needed to accuse a black man and people just assumed that the black man needed to be punished, all these have been portrayed extremely well in the story. The whole idea of justice being different based on race or skin color, something that today we might find ludicrous, was actually in effect then!
I like the most that this story is actually told from the point of view of Atticus's daughter and thus has a very innocent voice. She is a little girl trying to understand what the grown ups are doing and so has no prejudices. Through her, we the readers are also trying to make sense of what is happening and the morality of it all. Another thing is how the story,despite being from a child's point of view, is very straightforward in telling the truth,no matter how bitter it is. All the controversial topics are dealt with directly head on and not by hush-hushing them. It also shows the concept of innocence that is trampled over by a society that brands it as dangerous as society always tends to do when it gets into a majority and doesn't understand something. The killing of innocence in one form of another is always present in human condition and it is beautifully portrayed here.
Reading this book made me aware of so much more than my own world. It made me open my eyes to all kinds of injustice happening the world and I wanted to read and see the news everyday from then on. I vowed to never stay silent in the face of injustice,which is what Atticus Finch stands for, no matter if I lose or win! Humanity remains constant and we must not forget it at any cost and definitely not in the name of race,religion,financial status. These important life lessons that this book taught me have stayed with me till today! It was the first book I read where such an important historical event was explained in such an interesting way and I will always cherish the day I read the first line of this book!
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