Banned?
Several weeks ago, on “The NBC Nightly News” one segment dealt with book-banning, a subject that always gets my combative juices boiling. If you look at the lists of the “offensive” books, some of them appear on more than just one list. Here is a partial sampling of the chief offenders: “The Catcher in the Rye,” “Of Mice and Men,” “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare,” “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “Huckleberry Finn,” and “Lord of the Flies.”
While I can defend all of them with equal vigor, today we’re going to consider “To Kill a Mockingbird,” which in my humble opinion is one of the most beautiful novels ever penned by an American author. Writer Harper Lee, a native of Monroeville, Ala., had her first novel (“To Kill a Mockingbird”) published in 1960 by J.B. Lippincott & Co., and in 1961 she was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.
Ever since its publication “To Kill a Mockingbird,” has attracted both fans and critics for virtually the same reasons. In one camp you have many scholars, teachers, and students, who praise the book for its writing and tasteful treatment of racial injustice and the coming of age for children in a volatile town torn apart by the aforementioned reasons.
The book has been so widely read by teachers, students and others that it’s not so easy to find those unfamiliar with the book. Thus, here is a brief synopsis offered as a memory refresher, and I urge all those who have never read it to do so posthaste.
The story is set in the fictional town of Maycomb, Ala., modeled after Lee’s hometown of Monroeville, Ala., in 1936. Lee was just 10 years old when she learned about an incident that happened nearby, which served as the inspiration for the story.
Grade-schoolers Jem and Scout Finch live in Maycomb with their father Atticus, who is a lawyer and well-respected in the town. When a poor white woman is raped, the blame for the assault quickly falls on Tom Robinson, a handicapped African American who does odd jobs around the town. As the story develops, Atticus becomes Tom’s defense lawyer mainly because there is no one else to do it and because the rational people in the town recognize him for his fairness and integrity.
Set against the background of the trial, the story revolves around Jem and Scout, who both lose their innocence as the evil monster of racial injustice rears its ugly head to teach the two children how unfair life can be when white versus black is involved.
In addition to the main characters, the book also presents a number of fascinating characters so beautifully portrayed by Lee that should you encounter one of them on the sidewalk of downtown Wheeling, you would recognize him or her.
“To Kill a Mockingbird” has been banned in a number of school libraries for its treatment of sexual abuse and its use of racial epithets, all of which are very tastefully presented. Those who have read it have found it to be a treasure trove of love, hate, humor, wisdom, mystery, and just about anything else you want to find. Despite the protests it has spawned, the book has endured all of them and has been used by a plethora middle schools, high schools, and colleges across the country. If you haven’t yet read it, treat yourself and then make your own judgment. And if you have read it, read it again because I can almost guarantee you will find something you missed the first time through it. And always put it on a very special shelf in your home library.
A Happy Ending
After a tension-filled absence of nine days, Miyku, the 11/2-year-old Great Dane has been joyously reunited with her mistress and her family providing a happy ending for the kind of story that too often does not end well. The dog wandered off from the Hanna home on Bells Lane and didn’t return home that night. And when she didn’t come home the following day or evening, the tension surrounding the canine’s human family accelerated from concern to fear.
However, they decided to adopt a positive outlook on the situation, as they continued to search day and night to no avail. They notified everyone from the police and firefighters to school bus drivers. Every so often they would get a phone call from someone reporting a sighting, and the dedicated search party would rush to the site only to learn they had just missed seeing her. By this time the Hannas were on an emotional rollercoaster, and despite several sightings, the dog remained elusive.
During the sixth day of the hunt Miyku’s mistress flew home from Utah, where she had been visiting friends, and she eagerly joined the hunting party. Despite the trauma, the members of the Hanna Clan continued to stay positive, and their approach paid off during the evening of day nine. They received a call from someone living in the Wheeling Station Apartments on Peters Run, and the Hannas rushed to the scene. After some imaginative coaxing, the pooch approached tentatively at first. And then she recognized her mistress, and the happy celebration ensued.
The Hanna Clan appreciates all those who kept watch for Miyku during her absence, and they send a special thanks to some of the residents at the Wheeling Station apartments who were instrumental in finding Miyku.
Super Bowl Observations:
–The game was exciting for Rams’ fans.
–The game stadium was incredibly impressive.
–I talked with one person who liked the halftime show.
–Surely there were more.
–Somebody butchered the Budweiser Clydesdale commercial.
–Football is over. Bring on Spring!
Ponder This:
I replaced our bed with a trampoline and neglected to tell my wife. When she got into bed, she hit the ceiling.
~Anonymous
