To Save a Mockingbird

by+Dong+Xiaoxia

I was thirteen when I found Harper Lees To Kill a Mocking- bird on the shelf at home. For a middle schooler， the name of the book seemed quite enticing. My inadequate English language skills， however， would prevent me from progressing more than only a few paragraphs. I decided to give it another try my junior year at the University of Utah.

The story is set in the fictional town of Maycomb， Alabama， in the 1930s. It was a time when racial discrimination ran rampant and segregation was considered a social norm. Against this backdrop， Atticus Finch， a benevolent lawyer， decided to defend Tom Robinson， a black resident falsely accused of raping a white teenager. By doing so he put his career， reputation， and his childrens safety on the line. Atticus eventually lost the case. However， he was perceived as nothing less than a national hero and became a household name.

Since its publication in the 1960s， To Kill a Mockingbird has become a classic of modern American literature. The film adaptation was highly acclaimed and won countless awards both domestically and internationally. Today one can still find To Kill a Mockingbird on a high school students reading list. Many even named businesses， pets， and children after Atticus. What makes the story so timeless and relevant after more than half a century later？ Harper Lee was not subtle in hinting at the answer to this question between the lines. In a time of racial intolerance， Atticus was defending something much bigger than a black defendant. He was defending an idea that screams “Equal rights for all， special privileges for none，” as Lee would explain in her new book Go Set a Watchman. He was defending a moral principle when the cost of doing so seemed to far outweigh the benefits.

During the few years I lived and studied in the United States， I became aware of certain fundamental beliefs shared by the American and Chinese cultures amid the many differences. People from both cultures hold values and principles such as integrity， honesty， and fraternity in high regard. Unfortunately， in todays world where the promise of short-term gains seems to dominate peoples minds， these values and principles sometimes find themselves in the back seat. The fact that big corporations rake in profits using unscrupulous tactics doesnt surprise anyone. Too often， companies and factory owners treat the welfare of low-wage workers like a burden. With short-term benefits and personal gains taking priority， we allow certain defining values and principles to become dispensable. These circumstances have driven us into a moral dilemma – are moral principles worth defending if done so at the cost of personal benefits and immediate gains？

Harper Lees new book Go Set a Watchman was recently released. To everyones surprise， the author portrayed Atticus Finch as an old southern racist who supports segregation and white supremacy. Like other fans of To Kill a Mockingbird， I was puzzled by the moral decline of the seemingly incorruptible hero. I looked for Mockingbird， hoping to find hints for this unexpected development. It continues sitting on the shelf like a time capsule， quiet and full of dignity. Staring at the cover， I found myself again facing a moral dilemma. I thumbed through the pages trying to find an answer – an answer that defines who we are as a society.