Pragmatist
Pragmatist

Megan delivered boxes and boxes and boxes of books and 78 and 33 rpm records that have been in residence in her garage for the past five years.  Whenever I can't find a book that I want to reference or re-read, it's been at Megan's.  I left the records as I had nowhere to put them when I moved here, and I still don't.  Now I have to get some bookcases, because the books aren't doing me any good in the boxes.  There must be some books I can bear to part with, but I'm not guaranteeing anything.

I reached randomly into one of the boxes and pulled out To Kill a Mockingbird.  I'd forgotten the why of the title.  When Atticus gave Jem and Scout air rifles, he cautioned them about the use of the rifles and told them it's OK to shoot at blue jays and some other birds, but it's a sin to kill a mockingbird.  All he does all day long is sing his heart out for our enjoyment.

The story takes place in Alabama in the 1930s.  A good deal of the story deals with the Finch family: Atticus, the father and a widower, a lawyer; Scout (real name Jean Louise, but hardly anybody ever called her that), the daughter and narrator of the story; and Jem (Jeremy), the son, about four years older than Scout.

The heart of the story deals with Atticus having to defend a black man on the charges of beating and raping a white woman.  People of the time expected him to represent the black man, but not necessarily try to clear him of the charges, which happened to be totally false.  But consider, it was the South and the 30s.

Well, that was not Atticus's feeling after hearing what Tom, the accused, had to say.  But when he was criticized for actually defending a colored man, in a case that he had every reason to believe he'd lose, he expressed himself thusly:

"... But do you think I could face my children otherwise?  You know what's going to happen as well as I do, Jack, and I hope and pray I can get Jem and Scout through it without bitterness, and most of all, without catching Maycomb's usual disease.  Why reasonable people go stark raving mad when anything involving a Negro comes up, is something I don't pretend to understand. . . I just hope that Jem and Scout come to me for their answers instead of listening to the town.  I hope they trust me enough. . . ."

The author is Harper Lee, and the book was copyrighted in 1960.  If you can find the book, I highly recommend it.  If you don't fall in love with the irrepressible Scout, then I miss my guess.

Gregory Peck starred in the movie, and remembering the stars of the 1940s, I can't think of anyone more suited to the role.  I don't remember who played the parts of the other characters, but I remember him.  He was Atticus Finch.

Find the book if you can.  It's well worth the search.

Shalom

Hmm.  The Button doesn't seem to be working. If this appears several times, that's why.  I'll try one more time to send this.