In the famous historical realistic fiction novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Scout is a young girl who is living in Maycomb County, Alabama during the 1930s. From beginning to end, Scout grows, learns, and becomes more aware of the world around her. Harper Lee uses her book to portray all different kinds of topics relating to prejudice, justice, race, education, gender roles, socioeconomic status, courage, and friendship.

In the early stages of the book, we follow Scout, her older brother Jem, and her new friend Dill as they try to make the myth man Boo Radley come out of his home. In this town, there are many rumors about Boo being mysterious as a child and unseen as an adult. Their plans are cut short, however, when Scout’s father Atticus admonishes them for rudely disrupting someone. Atticus is a lawyer, and unlike most southern people, is kind to anyone no matter their color.

A large portion of the story is focused on the courtroom where Atticus is defending Tom Robinson, a black man who is accused of assaulting a girl. The girl who claims to be assaulted is Mayella Ewell, a girl who belongs to a family in squalor. The process of Atticus and the opposing lawyer presenting their evidence is especially well-written. It shows how Atticus is intelligent and well-reasoned. This scene captures the common unfairness against colored people during the 1930s and the obvious advantages of white people. It also provides plot twists and some suspense which allows the reader to figure out if Tom Robinson is guilty or something else happened.

The other parts of the story is about Scout and her exchanges with the other characters. Some figures include: Miss Maudie Atkinson who is a neighbor who likes baking cakes, Miss Stephanie Crawford who gossips and spreads rumores, Aunt Alexandra who is the sister of Atticus and represents a feminine woman, and many others all with different backgrounds and personalities.

Some things I really enjoy about this book is that Scout still retains the element of innocence even through all of the experiences she has been through. Her interactions with the different characters also make her more complex than she seems. She’s also not the perfect character, as in one scene it was described that she was extremely ill-mannered to someone who was of a lower social status than her. Another aspect that I especially admire is Harper Lee’s ability to depict the setting so fluidly. Each chapter has a main idea or event, and there are no jolting transitions to make it seem rushed or filler. This book really does open up your eyes to what society was like in the 1930s.

To Kill A Mockingbird is considered a literary masterpiece by many reviews, and I must say that it definitely exceeded my expectations. The language may be a bit old fashioned, but all of the characters are so different and it’s interesting to watch them mature throughout the book. The story has a good plot and also contains many small interactions and events which presents a lot of the topics I mentioned at the beginning. If you haven’t read this in school or in your lifetime already, I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

Check out To Kill A Mockingbird at the Newport Beach Public Library!