(A-) 80% | Very Good Notes: Review pending re-read. Individual reviews for included volumes can be found here: - Wanted - Big Game(A-) 80% | Very Good Notes: Review pending re-read. Individual reviews for included volumes can be found here: - Wanted - Big Game...more
(A-) 83% | Very Good Notes: On ugly truth, fading youth, dead appeals, courage, morals, community quarrels and fallible humans spoiling ideals.
*Check o(A-) 83% | Very Good Notes: On ugly truth, fading youth, dead appeals, courage, morals, community quarrels and fallible humans spoiling ideals.
*Check out progress updates for detailed commentary: (view spoiler)[
Progress updates:
01/01/2024 - Preamble: (1) It's been New Year tradition for me to have either my first book of the year or the last book of the preceding year (some years both) be a super-popular novel. - For 2024 it's "To Kill a Mockingbird." (2) When I say "super-popular," I don't mean the YA novel de jour that practically no one outside Goodreads has even heard of. I mean books that everyone knows, possibly a classic or due to a hit adaptation.
01/04/2024 - Chapters 1–5 (1) The most striking thing so far has to do with people's names. The brother and sister, Jeremy and Jean, are nicknamed Jem and Scout. - It's notable that practically everyone calls them by their nicknames, which are both decidedly unisex—I can't be the only one who saw "Jem" and thought "and the Holograms"? - Possibly it's to underscore a time of innocence, before sexuality kicks in. - That goes for their friend Dill as well. (2) Both children refer to and call their father by his given name, Atticus. It just feels wrong, especially for this very antique setting. I mean, these aren't hippies we're dealing with. - Unless this is explained later in the book, I figure I'll just attribute it to regional or cultural quirks. (3) Both Atticus and the cook Calpurnia have Roman names. They're the only ones that do, despite being different races. It doesn't seem to be a family thing, Atticus' brother's named Jack. - It's established early on how these are the book's two moral compasses, so this might be to highlight that idea since Latin is the language of law. (4) It's an odd inversion of roles, where the teacher, Miss Caroline, is the one comforted, protected by, and at the mercy of the children in her class. - The children here act more like adults and she acts like a scared child. - Additionally, it's her comic unfamiliarity with how things are done locally that reinforces how insular a community Maycomb is. (5) Atticus' personal morality seems to be distinctly utilitarian: the greatest good for the greatest number. - He explains how the town allows the Ewell family to break local hunting and truancy laws so their children won't go hungry. - Scout mentions how Maycomb has its own "ethical culture." (6) I wish I had an annotated version of this. I'm not doing so well with the Alabama vernacular and phonetic spellings of words. - I have to keep googling what things mean, which isn't difficult just tedious.
01/05/2024 - Chapters 6–9 (1) "[Jem] went through a brief Egyptian Period that baffled me—he tried to walk flat a great deal, sticking one arm in front of him and one in back of him, putting one foot behind the other. He declared Egyptians walked that way." - Hmm, I wonder if that's where The Bangles got it from? - Rural American children learning about Egypt just seems odd. Greece and Rome seems more natural. - I recall reading somewhere that early American education put an emphasis on learning Greek and Latin. Though, perhaps if learning to read hieroglyphs were viable they'd do that too? (2) One of the big subplots at the start is the knot-hole in the Radley's tree, which is used as a kind of drop-off between the Finch children and some mysterious benefactor. - My guess is that it's Boo Radley who's been leaving them little treats and trinkets. Which would be ironic, since the main focus of this first part has been the children trying desperately to catch a glimpse of and make contact with Boo. It could well be that Boo's been trying to make contact with them. (3) We get quite frequent use of the N-word here, and mainly by children no less. I'm not the least bit squeamish about it, but I can understand if people are. - Possibly I'd feel differently if I were listening to the audiobook version. - I'm guessing this is why the book's so controversial and banned in many jurisdictions. Otherwise, it's a rather tame story so far: reminds me a lot of Laura Ingalls Wilder books, all quaint rural activities. (4) So far, the book hasn't struck me as remarkable at all. Though, by the end of Chapter 9 it seems to be ramping up the heat. - Atticus is conscious that his choices will negatively affect his children. It's the first time we've seen him show any vulnerability. - It'll be interesting to see how Boo Radley fits into all this. He's so far been the focus of the book and I can't see how he'd naturally tie into the story going forward. (5) School is canceled because of some unseasonably slushy snowfall. - I live in Canada, so to me that's totally weak. Though, understandable if they don't have the clothes for the cold, poor as they are.
01/06/2024 - Chapters 10–13 (1) This is an odd sort of novel. So far, it's been more interconnected short stories than anything all that cohesive. - Perhaps I'm just too used to the pace and plotting of modern books. Halfway through this and I don't really know where it's going, only an inkling based solely on the book's reputation. (2) The whole First Purchase Church section is a fascinating bit of anthropology. - It's a very binary environment. There are always two kinds of people. People who can read and people who can't. People who welcome whites attending their church and people who don't. People who meet the Reverend's moral standards and people who don't, etc. - Also notable is how prevalent public shaming is in coercing desired behavior. Reverend Sykes calls out people by name, in front of the congregation, for their moral failings. He even shames the congregation, keeping them locked inside until the minimum weekly offering's met. (3) We get a closer look at Calpurnia, who's very much a binary figure herself. She lives among blacks but works among whites. - In this capacity she acts as a sort of bridge or translator between the two cultures. - Scout goes as far as to say she's bilingual, the way she changes her speech to fit who she's talking to. - She brings literacy into her community, having learned from her employers. (4) It's very important to Atticus to instill in his children a very specific idea of courage. He very reluctantly, but very expertly, puts down a mad dog. His shooting skills having been hidden from his children. - He goes to great lengths to hide it, in fact, having his out-of-town brother come teach them to shoot instead of himself. (5) The whole section with Mrs. Dubose is meant as a lesson, to teach Jem the real meaning of courage by witnessing first-hand an old woman persist through morphine withdrawals. - Atticus tells Jem that he would have made him visit Mrs. Dubose even if he wasn't forced to do so as punishment. That makes me think it was actually Atticus' idea, which he suggested to Mrs. Dubose. - Of course, this lesson in enduring discomfort and pain is done to prepare his children for the inevitable abuse they'll get once Tom Robinson goes to trial. - Atticus is sort of doing a Mr. Miyagi on Jem and Scout. Wax-on, wax-off. (6) Scout says that Jem is all she has in life. Her accompanying him to his daily punishments with Mrs. Dubose is that sentiment put to practice. - They're the only two children in a neighborhood of old people, which surely played a role in making Dill's visits every summer special.
01/07/2024 - Chapters 14–17 (1) This has been a real slow burn. Not that it's been bad, just it's been going at a leisurely pace and hasn't been at all what I expected. - The story doesn't really find a clear direction until the jailhouse scene. After that it's been laser-focused on the trial of Tom Robinson. - From Chapter 17 onward, it's been pretty much a pure law procedural, albeit from a child's perspective. (2) "I kicked the man swiftly. Barefooted, I was surprised to see him fall back in real pain. I intended to kick his shin, but aimed too high." - Quite a polite way of saying she kicked him in the balls. (3) Dill runs away from home seemingly because he craves companionship. His parents buy him all the toys and distractions he wants, and just leaves him to entertain himself. - Definitely shades of the future, how parents leave children to be raised by their televisions and smart devices. - As well, it underscores a recurring theme of how children need to get out of the house and play with kids their own age. (4) The scene between Scout and Dill discussing theories on where babies come from really brings attention to how young these kids are. - Alexandra told Scout God drops babies down chimneys, whereas Dill believes there's a foggy island where a man breathes life into dormant newborns. - Being so young is an important storytelling element, since it's the justification for a lot of exposition. Them learning things for the first time and all. (5) Jem seemingly puts Atticus' lessons in courage to practice, openly disobeying his father to protect him from an angry mob because it's the right thing to do. - You can actually argue either way on this. Though, he seems to be taking directly after Atticus' example, who does the exact same self-sacrificial act to protect Tom Robinson. (6) Maycomb treats the trial as a cause for festivities. Everyone, regardless of race or background, gathers at the courthouse square for one big picnic. - I guess small towns will take any opportunity to have a party. - Reminds me a lot of modern-day football tailgating. The trial being the game everyone's gathered to watch. - The way it's written, it's like everyone's at the theatre. People jostling for good seats and people being shushed for being noisy.
01/08/2024 - Chapters 18–22 (1) Mayella, we learn, has no friends. Even among her many siblings, they're always out with each other while she does the household chores alone. - Of course, solitary individuals in this book are either taken as monsters (Boo Radley) or prone to making poor and impulsive decisions (Dill). Mayella is arguably both. (2) Speaking of which, why was Boo Radley the primary focus of Part 1? - He's barely mentioned in Part 2 except to say that the kids have grown out of bothering him. - Meanwhile, the trial's barely given any attention prior to the jailhouse scene. (3) Dill breaks down and cries during the trial because of the double-standard of treatment Tom Robinson faces from the prosecutor. - Dolphus Raymond makes a point to say it's because only children can understand it, not yet being corrupted by society nor calloused to it. - Personally, I find the idea terribly cliché, that the purity of children gives them a clarity adults don't possess. I mean, children are capable of terrible decisions and reasoning too, as evidenced in this book. - Though I do appreciate the point that's being made. Cliché isn't necessarily a bad thing, and it may not have been cliché when this was written. (4) Atticus gives very good closing remarks. Not that it gave me chills or anything. Just that it felt like an excellent school civics lecture. - He states the year as 1935, which I suppose was right in the heart of the Great Depression. - The closing arguments are also excellent rhetoric, taking into account the presumed prejudice of the jury and pre-emptively addressing their assumptions and concerns. He handles it in a way that doesn't sound admonishing or preachy. (5) Throughout the whole book you get a clear dichotomy between people who live in the town and people who live outside it. Townsfolk being more accepting and tolerant of blacks than people who live rurally. - Even people like Underwood, who's said to hate black people, helps Atticus defend Tom Robinson from the mob. Despite his personal feelings, he acts the way he's expected as a member of the community. - With this in mind, the result of the trial was never in doubt, given what Scout says about townsfolk rarely ever being on juries: how they're always struck or excused.
01/09/2024 - Chapters 23–27 (1) Atticus: "There’s nothing more sickening to me than a low-grade white man who'll take advantage of a Negro’s ignorance." - I feel like modern audiences reading this line, specifically "a Negro's ignorance," might be quick to label Atticus a racist. - I know, it's ridiculous given the overall context of the book and of this quote. Though, I've seen harsher reactions to milder words. - When I hear about this book being banned, and having now read nearly all of it, I can only guess that the controversy is about the language used. Not just the liberal use of the N-word but also of "Negro," the more politically correct term historically. - The presence of racial language at all, even in decidedly positive usage, is often triggering and a red line for many people. (2) Following the trial, Jem debates Atticus on the merits of the legal system. - Here, Jem represents the reader, peppering Atticus with questions of injustice. Atticus, in his answers, defends the legal system as the best instrument that exists for achieving justice. - It's an interesting conversation because we have Jem's idealism and faith in mankind broken as a result of the trial. Here, Atticus is sort of an idealist, faithful in the legal system to self-correct when the judgement is (inevitably) overturned on appeal. Spoiler: that doesn't happen. (3) We get an answer to why no one in Maycomb wants to serve on a jury. - Atticus explains that it's because the community's so reliant on each other that to even appear to pass negative judgement on neighbors might bring about negative social consequences. - Indeed, we see this later with Atticus, Judge Taylor and Tom's widow, where Bob Ewell pesters, abuses and potentially commits crimes against them in order to get even for seemingly opposing his family. (4) Jem comes to the understanding that Boo Radley doesn't leave his house because he simply doesn't want to. - On the face of it, this may seem like clear agoraphobia. Though, in the context of Jem's discussion with Scout, you get the sense it's because not all folk are the same, nor treated the same, and Boo Radley doesn't want to come out to face the cruel world. (5) There's a lot of openly racist talk during the Missionary Society meeting Aunty Alexandra hosts. - It's a scene to make plain how seemingly civilized and genteel ladies may be done up pretty and polite on the outside, but are ugly on the inside and hypocrites when it comes to helping Africans abroad while persecuting Africans in their midst. - It's during this that Scout gains a respect for her aunt, who continues to act like a lady during all this and particularly upon hearing of Tom's death. (6) Speaking of Tom's death, it's a curious thing given how confident Atticus was in winning the appeal. - Could it be the case that he wanted to die, knowing he could never show his face in town again? or to go back to being friendly neighbors with the Ewells? (7) Jem stops Scout from squashing an insect. - It's a relatively extreme position to take against the killing of innocents, which is more mental fallout from the trial. - Scout calls it a phase, which it probably is. (8) Underwood writes an editorial in the paper, mentioning how it's a sin to kill cripples. He says it's like hunters and children senselessly killing songbirds. - This calls back to Atticus near the beginning of the book when he gives the titular line, "it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." - Tom is the cripple Underwood mentions. So, in case anyone didn't figure out already, it's made crystal-clear that Tom Robinson is the book's titular mockingbird. (9) We get another instance of hypocrisy from another adult woman in Scout's life. - Her teacher, Miss Gates, hates Hitler for persecuting the Jews, but is overheard by Scout rooting for the persecution of Tom Robinson outside the courthouse. (10) It's interesting how after the trial the book goes back to short events and anecdotes about the town. It's like a trial sandwich. - It's as if to say that the goings on of the town stopped for the duration of the trial and then continued as it was, albeit with fallout pervading its stories.
(B) 75% | More than Satisfactory Notes: Fairly blah, comme ci comme ça, goes long but gives no finish, pretty wimpy, closure-skimpy, flighty, feels dim(B) 75% | More than Satisfactory Notes: Fairly blah, comme ci comme ça, goes long but gives no finish, pretty wimpy, closure-skimpy, flighty, feels diminished.
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