Book Reviewed: Atticus Finch by Joseph Crespino

The Man Behind Harper Lee’s ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’

This is the inspirational story of Atticus Finch, the father of author Harper Lee. Her celebrated work, “To Kill a Mockingbird’ narrates her life while growing up in her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama and the racial practices of the rural south. This takes us back to 1936, when she was 10 years old and her father represented black defendants faced with criminal charges. The significant aspect of this story is that the intrigues are narrated with unflagging gusto of a ten-year-old girl; It is Lee’s unique style of artistic execution that so gripped the literary world.

In this book, Emory University Professor Joseph Crespino revisits the story as the biographer of this acclaimed character and examines Finch’s life. It turns out that Atticus Finch was a product of his time and upbringing. The culture and prejudices in deep south impacted some of his thoughts, but remained steadfast in his beliefs in justice, fatherhood and civic responsibility for his community and country. Harper Lee’s second book “Go Set a Watchman” made sense of her father’s mental processes of his time. And his own consciousness and responsibilities for his daughters. But Gregory Peck’s outstanding performance in exceptionally well screen-written movie stuck in the minds of movie fans. In 2003 the American Film Institute voted Atticus Finch, as portrayed in the movie as the greatest hero of American cinema. Readers like me saw the movie first and read Lee’s book later. But what is pivotal is that it stuck in the minds of people that Gregory Peck is the real Atticus Finch, and related Harper Lee’s story with the movie. In April 1963, Gregory Peck won the Academy Award in the Best Actor Category. And in the same month, Dr. Martin Luther King Wrote from Birmingham jail as how good intentioned white people involve themselves in the path of genuine racial dialogue and progress. He later admitted that Harper’s Lee’s “To Kill a Mocking Bird” had a moral force in racial tolerance. President Barrack Obama in his farewell address, reminded us the advice given by Atticus to his daughter Harper Lee that “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view, until you climb into his skin and walk around it.”

Much of this book is focused on Atticus Finch, his inner thoughts and roots in rural south. Real-life comparisons with Lee's father, Amasa Coleman Lee (Atticus Finch) exists in the two differing versions in Harper Lee’s two books. Atticus was originally in favor of segregation but became more liberal later in life, changing his views to those of racial tolerance and human understanding. Tay Hohoff, Lee's editor At Lippincott is known to have played a significant role in the character development of the novel and particularly Atticus' liberal transformation. She re-wrote many passages to make it tender and touching in terms of human understanding. Harper Lee was also deeply affected by the well-known “Scottsboro Boys” criminal trial in 1931 when nine African American teenagers, ages 13 to 19 were accused in Alabama of raping two white women. The case was first heard in Scottsboro, Alabama; all but 12-year-old Roy Wright were convicted of rape and sentenced to death. The defendants had been denied an impartial jury, fair trial, fair sentencing, and effective counsel.

In Lee’s Mocking Bird, Finch takes a turn to his spiritual side. He handled highly controversial cases of defending black men in criminal trial, thus taking a stand against the established conventions. He despised mob-enforced rules, and denial of basic dignity of black population. He was deeply Inspired by his love of his children. Atticus Finch's defense of Tom Robinson has different endings in Lee’s two books. Tom Robinson was acquitted in “Go Set a Watchman” while in “To Kill a Mockingbird” his unjust conviction was shown because of prejudice among local population. This story was highlighted to show that Atticus was a righteous and progressive character. Atticus's patient teaching gives Scout (Harper Lee) a lesson; "get along better with all kinds of folks": she must remember to judge people on their intentions rather than their actions and put herself into the other person's shoes to understand them best. He talks to his daughter like she's an adult rather than a little girl. This part of the story is beautifully filmed in the movie and gives us a strong reason why Gregory Peck remained in the memory of so many fans of Lee’s literary work.