A child's eye view of human relations

2008-05-25 18:20:15 　　来自: 辛保山
To Kill a Mockingbird的评论   
提示: 有关键情节透露

　　To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee, Warner Books, 1982.
　　
　　It was a very enjoyable and poignant read if you don't give up after the first few pages because of its story settings: around 1930s, American South. It's that kind of book after you read that you wish to have and raise a kid like Scout yourself. It reminds you of your own childhood, all the innocent fun and learning. It sort of lends evidence to that saying that one's childhood is the prime of one's life, after that it all goes downhill (Nietzsche?). The humor of having a mature adult's view seen from a grade school girl is immediate. The "little grownup" in this novel works; you cannot hold your chuckles at a lot of places in the book.
　　
　　What is southern about this story? For one, the colloquium like "yonder"---for there, "reckon"---for think. For two, it reminds us how far America has come along in terms of different races being able to live together, peacefully.
　　
　　I guess a big part of the book is about how a single father is able to keep true to his children while not worrying too much about the conventional wisdom of child-raising, and give them a chance to grow into someone "straight". Also, it is about how not to judge something by its cover. The plot around Radley is just amazing. For most part of the book, the author just quietly lays the groundwork by creating this mystical and somewhat scary (at least from a child's eye) neighbor, but this character, literally, jumps out thunderously to the center stage at the end. Even then, the author's narrative seems irrelevant to him. However, the fact that Atticus is willing to sacrifice his child and Sheriff is going to, maybe, put his reputation in japerdy to do something uncharacteristic of himself, speaks volume; and the fact that amid all this indirectness and somewhat confusing atmosphere, Scout is able to "get it" and makes her reach out to her neighbor like she has never before, melts you. It is inspiring and brings cautious hope to this insignificant and fictitious town, and thus to the rest of us.