tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031563218883475815.post4763684991909405302..comments2024-03-26T21:18:40.349-05:00Comments on Writ by Whit: To Kill a Mockingbird: The Master Class of Novel Writing?Dave Whitakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00469458199584765423noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9031563218883475815.post-75692289226359150442015-07-24T10:53:39.773-05:002015-07-24T10:53:39.773-05:00With the pedigree that To Kill a Mockingbird has ...With the pedigree that To Kill a Mockingbird has achieved it's a challenge to challenge the novel's revered status. Lee captured the moment in time that was the the bitterness of racism in the south, but I have to wonder about the veracity of a character like Atticus Finch. I understand he was based upon Lee's father, but while I don't doubt for a minute the existence of a man with such high standing morality, I question the likelihood that such a man, in the atmosphere of the south in that time in history, would represent a black defendant. I doubt back then that a scenario like that ever happened. That said, it is still a work that one could say captures the imagination in impressive fashion. <br /><br />There is enough to contemplate with this novel, but to stick to a point made in your piece I find relevant: to say that if you can make the same mistakes as TKAM made while considering your own abilities to be barely equitable to those displayed in TKAM (not sure I really got what you were saying there but I hope so) would then allow you to consider your book a success is letting TKAM off the hook in a big way in my view. <br /><br />Regardless the stature of any work of art it is still unprotected from immunity to criticism, and criticism that may be just as valid as the praise this ir any other novel has received. <br /><br />So it is that I question the idea that the inconsistency in the narrative approach is acceptable because of a caveat that allows the reader to see through two sets of eyes, i.e. child and adult. The reality is.... it seems it may be a mistake on the author's part. Regardless of intention, if we are looking through the eyes of a 6 to 9 year old then the language used is too sophisticated. This inconsistency isn't made up for because it allows dual perspective. We can argue it's aesthetic value, but it's a problem from my view, because it takes us out of the narrative flow that's been established by looking through the eyes of the young child. The child is a child period. <br /><br />Now if you want to say the story is being told by Scout as an adult looking back... then fine, but is that ever established? I don't think so.<br /><br />The pedigree of Mockingbird is without question. But it's not immune to criticism, and maybe it's just not as great as we all think. And you can't make excuses or exceptions for flaws that violate the value of the uninterrupted narrative dream. Let the work stand on it's own. It gets plenty of adulation. It's flaws don't deserve manufactured false remedies.johnnyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02085367758699324865noreply@blogger.com