Resume af bogen to kill a mockingbird?
To Kill a Mockingbird
Romanen udstiller tabet af uskyld så ofte, at anmelderen R.A. Dave hævder, at fordi alle karakterer må se eller endda lide nederlag, har bogen elementer af en klassisk tragedie. Ved at undersøge, hvordan hver enkelt karakter håndterer sit eget personlige nederlag, opbygger Lee en ramme til at bedømme, om karaktererne er helte eller fjolser. Hun guider læseren i sådanne vurderinger, idet hun veksler mellem uforbeholden beundring og bidende ironi. Scouts oplevelse med Missionsselskabet er en ironisk sidestilling af kvinder, der håner hende, sladrer og "afspejler en selvglad, kolonialistisk holdning over for andre racer", mens de giver "indtryk af fornemhed, fromhed og moral". Omvendt er Atticus, da han taber Toms sag, den sidste til at forlade retssalen, bortset fra hans børn og de sorte tilskuere på den farvede balkon, der rejser sig stille og roligt, da han går under dem, for at ære hans indsats.
To Kill a Mockingbird
The novel exposes the loss of innocence so frequently that reviewer R. A. Dave claims that because every character has to face, or even suffer defeat, the book takes on elements of a classical tragedy. In exploring how each character deals with his or her own personal defeat, Lee builds a framework to judge whether the characters are heroes or fools. She guides the reader in such judgments, alternating between unabashed adoration and biting irony. Scout's experience with the Missionary Society is an ironic juxtaposition of women who mock her, gossip, and "reflect a smug, colonialist attitude toward other races" while giving the "appearance of gentility, piety, and morality". Conversely, when Atticus loses Tom's case, he is last to leave the courtroom, except for his children and the black spectators in the colored balcony, who rise silently as he walks underneath them, to honor his efforts.
To Kill a Mockingbird