Most people are nice when you finally "see" them by Susan Bistrican

The representation of difference in To Kill a Mockingbird may not be one we can wholly relate to today, but it can certainly be related to themes affecting society more presently. I like the ending of this book because it isn’t aligned with pop culture’s formula for a happy ending, especially the culture of adolescents who would be reading this book in high school. In a way, the ending is still “happy” because Jem and Scout are safe, Bob Ewell got what he deserved, and Boo is somewhat welcomed into the rest of society, if only for a moment. But it’s ultimately an indifferent ending--a realistic ending. Tom Robinson was convicted of a crime he didn’t commit and died trying to escape because he couldn’t wait on the white person’s notion of a second chance. Scout may have gained some understanding and sympathy for difference, but everyone else was hardly affected. This ending is great because it doesn’t patronize its reader who is intelligent enough to discern reality from fantasy. The ending also teaches empathy and the possibility for chance and tolerance in a way that makes sense, not one where the author waves a magic wand and everything is fixed.

The differences between white people are poignant too, because the book doesn’t merely touch on racial issues but class issues as well. Jem figures out that ordinary people like the Finches don’t like the Cunninghams who don’t like the Ewells who don’t like black people. Scout wonders why the Cunningham-esque jury doesn’t convict Bob Ewell to spite the family they hate. Perhaps it is because black people, by default, were the most despised by default, having the lowest social status according to attitudes of that time. It is interesting that Jem explains why the Finches are better than the Cunninghams: their legacy of literacy. Being able to read and write is what marks the Finches as different and more worthy than the Cunninghams. Literacy is also a status symbol because those who could leave the farms and family businesses had the luxury of learning. People like the Cunninghams and Ewells don’t have that kind of privilege. If I teach this book in my future classroom, racial difference will definitely be one of the themes we discuss, but difference in general is more useful because the concept is timeless. Race issues have not been completely cleared up and I don’t think they ever will to the point where people are wholly understanding and sympathetic to one another, but strides in equality have come a long way since TKAM was written. I think a new issue to focus on is sexuality—namely the problem of homophobia, especially in the instance of bullying. I think the representation of difference in this novel can be related to current issues of difference at the present.

I also have to include a photo of  Scout’s ham costume from the film because it has me in stitches every time I read this book:

From To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). Film.

Hahahahahahhaha! Try to see the movie if you haven't. I couldn't find a clip of this scene on YouTube, but it's hilarious.