A Social Portraitcirca 1991.To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, is a splendid book which tells of a stage in a young girl's life, while, at the same time analyzing the extent of racial bias in a small town. The story takes place in a small town in Alabama called Maycomb, where a young `black' man has been falsely accused of raping a `white' woman. Atticus Finch, a `white' lawyer, is chosen to defend him; the story is narrated by Scout, the lawyer's daughter. Most everyone in the town has very strong feelings about the trial. Scout tells the reader, from a child's innocent viewpoint, about the events which transpired. She explains how she tried to deal with the ridicule she received because of her father's role as defense attorney. He had told her not to resort to physical violence when another kid said something insulting. This caused her much conflict because she wanted to defend what her father believed in. She also tells of the mystery of Boo Radley, an elusive character, surrounded by rumors, who is rarely seen. She reveals the mischief she got into with her brother and Dill Harris, a boy who came to visit them during the summer. This book is definitely worth reading. It reveals much about the social prejudices which exist in the small town. This book demonstrates how unreasonable people can become when biased by race.
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