To Kill a Mockingbird

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Harper Lee’s novel, published in 1960, has been the centre of controversy again of late, with the question of its appearance on UK schools’ reading lists. For me, it’s no surprise that it’s one of the most studied books in the canon - it’s a classic of American literature, a powerful meditation on prejudice and intolerance which is also a complex and highly skilled exploration of character, social standing and class. At its centre, it’s a novel about tolerance and acceptance. Set in fictional Maycomb, Alabama during the 1930s at a time of unrest – the town is divided by race and class – the narrative is told through the eyes of Scout, a young girl whose father, Atticus, has been employed to defend a black man convicted of the rape of a young white woman. It’s a case that shocks and divides the town – many are appalled that Atticus would concede to defend him. But he represents bravery and measured consideration – Atticus stands as the moral compass at the centre of the prose – and he feels no compromise in his decision. It’s a trial fraught with emotion, propelled along by rage: it becomes clear that the man is innocent, but despite the evidence that’s put forward, a jury convicts him. He loses his life during an attempt to escape.