Freshman Kealani Quong is currently reading “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. It is a coming-of-age story that focuses on racial prejudice.
“I like the fact that we get to see a similar trial to what a real trial would be,” Quong said.
The novel takes place in the early 1930s in Maycomb County, a small town in Alabama. The book follows Scout Finch and Jem Finch’s childhood as their father, Atticus Finch, defends Tom Robison in a trial. Tom Robison, a black man, gets accused of raping Mayella Ewelle. This trial provoked the citizens of Maycomb, some even going as far as to start riots and personally attack Atticus.
“My teacher recommended I read it,” Quong said.
Harper Lee was born on April 28, 1926, the youngest of four children. After graduating high school, Lee studied at Oxford University and then transferred to the University of Alabama to study law. However, Lee dropped out six months before graduation. “To kill a Mockingbird” was an instant hit, selling 500,000 copies within a year of being punished. Lee has won a Pulitzer Prize for the novel.
“I recommend every freshman reads it,” Quong said.
Themes in the novel include racism, innocence, and empathy. Although the family’s situation is not ideal, Atticus Finch reminds his kids that understanding another person’s point of view will get them far in life, and that it is important to stay kind.