ARTS & CULTURE
12 Obiter Dicta
To Kill a Mockingbird
Lessons on Life Still Applicable Today
justin philpott › staff writer
T
o kill a Mockingbird (1962) is one of those
movies I find myself watching to the very
end no matter where I pick it up. There
could be only a half hour left, and I would
still feel compelled to sit down and finish it. This
may be the true test of a classic. The film is based
on Harper Lee’s 1961 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.
The story takes place in 1932 in a small Alabaman
town hit hard by the depression. Gregory Peck plays
Atticus Finch—a character that every lawyer and
law student is undoubtedly familiar with. Atticus is
a widowed lawyer raising two very curious children.
Lee’s own father was the inspiration behind Atticus
Finch. While on set for filming, Lee told Gregory
Peck that he even had a little pot belly just like her
father. Peck jokingly replied that it was just good
acting.
The story is told through the eyes of Atticus’ two
children, six-year-old Scout and her older brother,
Jem. The children lead a carefree life, playing around
the neighborhood with their friend Dill. It was interesting to learn that Lee based the character of Dill
on her friend Truman Capote. The three children are
innocent and ignorant of the depths of human cruelty
residing in the “tired old town.” Essentially, we witness very adult events through the children’s eyes.
The drama begins when Atticus agrees to represent Tom Robinson—a black man accused of raping
Mayella Ewell, a white woman. This is a most
unenviable task, even for a seasoned lawyer, in a
town overwrought with bigotry. However, Atticus
believes in the equality of the law, stating that “our
courts are the great levelers, and in our courts, all
men are created equal.”
Atticus is a warrior. He defends Tom Robinson
exquisitely in spite of the town’s disapproval of him
representing a “coloured man.” In court, when he
asks Mr. Robinson to catch a glass with his left hand,
it is revealed that his entire left arm is disabled from
a previous injury. How could Mr. Robinson have
caused the injuries to Mayella Ewell if they were
caused by someone who is left handed? It has to be
obvious to everyon e t h at Tom
Robinson is innocent, doesn’t it?
The end of Atticus’
concluding statement is etched
into my memory: “Now I am confident that you gentlemen will review, without passion, the evidence
that you have heard, come to a decision, and restore
this man to his family. In the name of God, do your
duty. In the name of God, believe... Tom Robinson.”
The all-white male jury, nevertheless, finds Tom
Robinson guilty.
Although he technically loses, it is vitally important to understand why Atticus really wins. He has
enlightened his children as to what is moral, what
is right, and what is good. He demonstrates to them
that real courage is standing up for what you believe
in, regardless of the odds. His children can practice this throughout the rest of their lives. There is a
noteworthy scene towards the end where Mr. Ewell
spits in the face of Atticus as he is walking back to
his car. Jem is in the car nervously watching. Atticus
could easily slug Mr. Ewell. Instead, he takes out a
handkerchief, wipes his face, and walks on by. If
only we could all show such restraint.
The film’s most moving moment is when Atticus
is leavi ng the
courtroom after
the trial has concluded. He i s
u n awa r e t h a t
in the balcony
above, his children and the town’s African American citizens
are all standing out of respect when he passes. The
Reverend tells Scout, “Stand up, your father’s passing.” It is pretty clear that Jem is at an age where
he is beginning to understand the significance of
the events that are unfolding around the town. His
reaction to his father shooting the stray dog is one of
bewilderment. It is as if he did not believe his father
could do anything but read and work. On the other
hand, Scout is too young to truly understand what
is happening. This makes her curiosity as unadulterated as possible, and her questions all the more
blunt.
A large part of the story deals with the children’s obsession with their ‘deranged’ neighbor,
Boo Radley. The children tell imaginative stories as
to why Boo is locked in his house. As it turns out,
Boo is one of the story’s mockingbirds—an innocent person emotionally damaged by his cruel father
(“Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music
for us to enjoy…but sing their hearts out for us. That’s
why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird”). Boo saves the
children from the violent attack of Mr. Ewell. When
Boo is first revealed hiding behind Jem’s bedroom
door, there is a long pause, possibly caused by surprise. Scout dispels all tension in an instant when
she says “Hey, Boo” with a giant smile on her face.
Sometimes you can tell right from the opening
credits whether or not a film is going to be good.
To Kill a Mockingbird opens fittingly with a child—
likely Scout—playing with a box of knickknacks.
There is minimal music, and all we really hear is
the child humming. Just as a rolling marble strikes
another marble, the music swells and grabs a hold of
you. You know you are in for an incredible ride.
It was announced recently that eighty-eightyear-old Harper Lee is going to publish her second
novel, Go Set a Watchman. The novel was completed
in the mid-1950s, before To Kill a Mockingbird, but
lost for over a half century. It supposedly features
Scout as an adult. Lee claims the book is a “pretty
decent effort.” Go Set a Watchman hits the bookshelves July 14. u
“. . . real courage is standing
up for what you believe in,
regardless of the odss.”
ê Atticus Finch to the jury: “In the name of God, do your duty.” Photo credit: Universal Pictu res/Getty Images
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