By Harper Lee
The book is really a coming-of-age story about a sister (Scout) and brother (Jem) who grew up in the white, racist town of Maycomb AL during the Depression. We concluded that this was really the autobiography of the author. Although there were many characters, we really didn't have time to analyze them all, but came to the consensus that:
1. Scout's thought process was too mature for a 9-year old.
2. Atticus' sister, Alexandra, was a southern belle who tried to "civilize" Scout to uphold the family's name since the family had no more fortune and her social rep was all she had left.
3. Boo Radley was a caring recluse who sacrificed his privacy to save Jem and Scout by killing Bob Ewell.
4. Mayella Ewell was sexually abused by Bob, and dared to ignore the taboo by propositioning Tom Robinson. After being caught, by Bob, in an uncompromising position, which she forced on Tom, she accused Tom of rape to cover her shame and guilt.
5. Tom Robinson was just trying to be a decent human being to Mayella who had a dull and lonely life. However, when he was convicted by an all-white jury, he knew there was no hope for appeals, so he tried to escape from prison and actually committed suicide by the hands of the guards who shot him.
Scout finally takes Atticus' advice to practice sympathy and understanding and vows that her experience with hatred and prejudice will not color her faith in human goodness. This is the same conclusion that was reached by members of both book club. Truly, openly discussing the issue of race in America with a diverse group helps all of us to see life through others' eyes.