Agawam Pageturners Book Club's Discussion of To Kill a Mockingbird

The group had a controversial discussion of To Kill a Mockingbird. Some people loved the book, and thought Atticus was a hero. One person discussed it with her granddaughter, who was reading it the same time she was. One person had a hard time getting through it. She then watched the movie and understood it better. Others thought Atticus was a reluctant hero, or not a hero at all. In the book, set in the 1930's Alabama, Atticus defends an African American, Tom Robinson, accused of raping a white woman. Some thought Atticus defended him to the best of his ability. Others thought the defense he gave was not enough, and the portrayal of African Americans in the novel was poor. One person said, "what would it be like to be black and read this book?" One person thought the book was a morality play. The group also discussed Scout, the daughter of Atticus, and the narrator of the book. People did like that Atticus explained everything to his children. People thought Scout was mature for her age. (She is between the ages of 6-8 throughout the book). Jem, her brother ran free, probably because he lost his mother at a young age. Scout lost her mother, too, but she had Calpurnia, the African American housekeeper, who mothered her. Overall, a very lively discussion.