I recently finished listening to “To Kill A Mockingbird” on audiobook (thank you public libraries!!). I read it in high school, but to be honest, I wasn’t reading and digesting, I was just reading to get the answers for the teacher. I’ve wanted to re-read (or listen) to it for quite some time, but it was alway unavailable from the library, until about a month ago.
I did not purposefully listen to this book at this time, good or bad, I don’t know, just honest. I listened to it, NOW, because it was available. Honestly, I wouldn’t have picked it up for understanding of what’s going on right now anyway, all I remembered from high school was that it was a book about how racism is stupid and you shouldn’t kill a mockingbird, or an innocent black man. Don’t kill innocence.
Kill isn’t just to take someone’s life in this instance, however that’s true too, it’s about destroying something beautiful. In my opinion there are three instances that this is portrayed in the book. The obvious, convicting Tom Robinson; as well as his death. The less obvious, adults teaching children to judge people based on color and social class.
At the end of the day I think it’s ok to say the adults in this book taught prejudice against anything or anyone, but to be specific they taught against race and social class. Aunt Alexandra is a prime example of this when she informs Scout of the social hierarchy and resorts to calling another CHILD “trash”. So very much not ok. Then there’s the whole community, and still Aunt Alexandra, teaching Jem and Scout to be racist. Pushing the idea that there is a difference between them and the “black folk”. Thank God for Atticus and his ability to be a strong pillar of equal justice.
It’s worth noting that this book was published in 1960. We haven’t improved much. I’m not basing this on the BLM movement, but on the last few years of my life living in different places, reading more books, listening to podcasts. Racism is very real. I didn’t see it in Iowa. Not saying it’s not there, just saying I didn’t see it either because it wasn’t in front of me or I wasn’t paying attending. I do see it here in Washington, D.C. There is a crazy mix of people here, but everyone stays with who they’re comfortable and familiar with and seem to fear other races just because they’re unknown. The work place consistently displays a divide in race. Small example, the two places I’ve worked here? Both primarily white therapists, both have only black front desk personnel. While the front desk is EXTREMELY important, these situations create a (not so) subtle divide between races and economic class further perpetuating the issue. It’s the same problem now as it was in 1960.
Read the book. Listen to the book. Maybe watch the movie, I haven’t seen it. TRY to set your opinions aside and allow yourself to absorb the injustice and understand how it is still a problem today. I’m not going to even try to offer a solution, I don’t know what it is because I don’t believe it is any one thing. Reflect on yourself, consider what’s available to you and what’s in front of you, and just work on being a better human every day.
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