The Lesson for Teens
To meet with a book could be a coincidence, or a miracle. Whether it has been shoved on us at school or recommended countless times, the wise words of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ have captivated millions across the globe. And with good reasons, I was introducedto Scout, Jem, Atticus and Harper Lee’s bygone era as part of my GCSE English Literature course.
For a whole term，we lived with these characters. Each line, each word and each letter was scrutinized in class and dissected in the exam. It may have won me a GCSE but, more importantly, it has given me invaluable moments of laughter and tears. 2 years on I still burn to immerse myself again and again in the remarkably real Maycomb, its red-slop streets and grassy sidewalks.
Set in Alabama in the 1930s,Lee masterfully presents the prejudice of Southern America. The tale is told in first-person narrative through the young yet intelligent eyes of six year old Scout Finch, who paints a strikingly honest and humorous picture of events. At the beginning of the novel Scout is an innocent child due to meet face-to face with the cruelty of racial prejudice. Though she remains a child at the end ofthe book, her outlook on life is amazingly mature.
For the teenage reader Scoutis delightfully easy to relate to and we grow and learn along side her. Together we see and hear the fruits of inequality around Maycomb and beyond. It lurks with in snide comments and everyday actions. It targets family name, race, gender, profession and class. It takes only an open-minded child to realise how utterly wrong it is.
Mockingbirds never harm other living creatures; on the other hand they simply provide pleasure with their songs. "They don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us." Therefore "it's a sin to kill a mockingbird”.The frontline of 'To Kill a Mockingbird' is the trial of Tom Robinson who is both the symbolic 'mockingbird' of the title and a black man accused of raping a white woman. In 1935 Alabama the odds are over whelmingly turned against Tom and his lawyer Atticus. If a white man accuses a black man of crime, the blackis presumed guilty and Tom Robinson’s trial, we realise, is merely a formality.
The reaction of our narrator Scout matches that of the modern reader. We feel bewildered and abused and ask: how can people be so prejudiced? The sense that we are learning a history or philosophy lesson as much as enjoying fiction intensifies as Lee seamlessly weaves in a loving, personal account of Finch family life. AlthoughIt is only the subtext of the story, the dynamic of the Finch family that enchants me most as, surrounded by the ingrained prejudice of the Deep South, widower Atticus Finch struggles to raise his children with the principles of respect,courage and empathy.
Ever the gentleman, Atticus would sweep off his hat, wave gallantly to her children’s tormentor and say,“Good evening, Mrs. Dubose! You look like a picture this evening.” This shows Atticus’ unsullied respect and the morality, generosity and open-mindednessthat come with it. Mrs Dubose is a morphine addict determined to come cleanbefore her death. In her character, the children see hell personified: explosive,sinister and spiteful. Atticus sees a true hero.
Atticus recognizes that peoplehave both good and bad qualities, and he is determined to admire the goodwhilst understanding and forgiving the bad. He understands that, to know aperson, we need to ‘consider things from his point of view… climb into his skinand walk around in it’. Atticus passes this great moral lesson of empathy on toScout, Jem and the reader.
Moreover, He teaches his children that ‘real courage is when you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.’ Courage is to do what is right, no matter how irrational, illogical or impossible it seems and how painful it may be. Through his devotion to Tom Robinson’s trial and his almost faultless fathering Atticus embodies just that. He has become, in my mind, one of the mostheroic characters in fiction and a role model for fathers everywhere. He is admired by myself, and many others, to the extent that ‘Atticus’ and ‘Courage’are more or less synonymous.
Despite the strength of his message, and the beauty of the book, it is debateable whether students shouldbe forced to study, exhaust and, far too often, kill this great work of literature. The meticulous dissection of any text can result in a need tonever-ever see a book again. Nevertheless, I would argue yes. It is imperativethat Atticus Finch's message is heard in the midst of all modern conflicts andallowed to influenced younger generations.
(同名电影剧照)
It would pain him that, almost acentury after Tom Robinson’s trial, civilians are still suffering due to disparity and discrimination. Harper Lee wrote ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ in the 1950s, at the peak of the Civil Rights Movement, to support racial equality. The 21stCentury Atticus would be supporting causes immaterial at Harper Lee’s time of writing, such as LGBT or animal rights, because the core of his character is an acceptance of people for who they are. He is human and he sees everyone else assimply human.
Sadly I have never set foot onAmerican soil, let alone in Alabama but Harper Lee makes me feel like part of the Finch family in that summer of 1935. It is as if I played with Scout and Jem and Dill all summer long before experiencing my first day at school. It is as if I was there when a lawyer named Atticus Finch valiantly decided to defend an innocent black man accused of raping a white woman. It is as if I sweated in that stuffy courtroom and felt those stabs between my shoulders at the verdict.This Pulitzer Prize winner epitomises how people used to think of race in the past and how foolish they were. After all, there is only one type of folks in this world. Folks.
Harper Lee and I invite you to testament for yourself.
(同名电影剧照）
跨越时空的成长必修课
和一本书的相遇是偶然也是奇迹。或许它硬生生地被老师塞进课堂，或许有人不厌其烦地无数次地推荐过。不管怎样，《杀死一只反舌鸟》这本书已经俘获了全世界的数以千万的读者。我结识这本书是在我初中的英语文学课上，我的老师把斯各特、吉姆、阿提克斯以及哈珀·李的童年时代一并引荐给了我和我的同学。
老师领着我们花了半年的时间学习这本书，它的每一段、每一行、甚至每一个字都在课堂上被推敲、争论、研究，最后还要每个人都必须在考试中表达出自己对这本书的思考。对这本书的研读固然让我在中考中取得了不错的成绩，但是在我看来，最重要的收获却是它带给我那些珍贵的无价的会心微笑和伤心泪水。时隔2年，我的思绪还是会不由自主地徜徉在梅冈城，在它的红泥小街上，在它野草丛生的人行道旁。
小说里故事的发生地是美国东南部的阿拉巴马州，作者哈珀·李把这里作为背景地，成功地再现1930年代美国的种族歧视状况。故事从6岁女孩斯各特·芬奇的视角来展开叙述，儿童的观察给整个故事带来真实与诙谐水乳交融的奇妙效果。故事开始时，斯各特是一个纯真儿童，她不得不面对彼时渗透到生活细节的、残酷的种族歧视；故事结束时，她虽然还是个孩子，却拥有了对于人生和社会相当成熟的观察方式。
对于青少年读者，认识斯各特是个愉快的过程，我们很容易接受她的感受、和她毫无障碍地产生共鸣，仿佛自己在陪着她，和她一起经历发生在梅冈城的那些惊心动魄的事件；和她一起学习、共同成长。仔细想想，那些思想上的邪恶其实就藏身于普通人日常的言行中，个人姓名、性别、家族、阶层，歧视和偏见无处不在。最可怕的是，连六岁斯各特这样天真无邪的儿童都能靠本能觉出的错误，却被大多数成年人奉为准则，怎能不说是那个时代的悲剧。
反舌鸟本是一种无害的鸟，它们从不伤害其它动物，只是用“它们的心唱歌给我们听”，所以“杀死反舌鸟是一种罪过”。本书的书名“杀死一只反舌鸟”可以理解为概括故事的主要情节脉络，即对黑人汤姆·罗宾森的审判。书名中的“反舌鸟”首先象征这个无辜的黑人，他被指控强奸了一个白人妇女。这场审判发生在1935年，汤姆和他的辩护律师、斯各特的父亲阿提克斯·芬奇几乎没有任何赢得官司的可能。因为在那个年代，如果一个白人指控一个黑人犯罪，那么社会舆论就基本认定这个黑人“有罪”。听起来匪夷所思？却正是那时残酷的现实。换句话，汤姆实际上已经因为肤色被预定“有罪”，对他所涉的强奸案的审判，仅仅是走个过场而已。
故事讲述者、六岁的斯各特对此的反应却和当代的阅读者、和你我一样迷惑、不解，直觉到事件的不公正，会想不通：为什么人们会如此偏执地知错犯错？我觉得，阅读这样一本小说，我们不仅仅在听故事，而且在学习历史和哲学。尤其在作者巧妙地把严肃高深的犯罪、审判，与芬奇一家的温暖亲情无缝对接，这种感觉越发强烈。说实话，芬奇一家人的家庭生活只是故事的副线，然而相关的每一个情节都打动了我，让我回味无穷。律师阿提克斯·芬奇是一位丧偶的中年男人，是两个孩子的父亲。在不平等观念根深蒂固的美国南方，他用心良苦地教给两个孩子做人的基本原则：尊重、勇气和良善。
记得书中有这样一个小小的细节。邻居杜波思太太总是无端地朝着斯各特和吉姆发飙，阿提克斯的反应则是完全的绅士做派，他向她脱帽致意，问候道：傍晚好，杜波思太太！您今天看起来像一幅画！在我看来，这一个小小的细节，完美地体现了阿提克斯的人品，即对自己的克制、对他人的尊重和宽容；以及产生这些美德的基础：他开阔的心胸，悲悯的情怀。孩子们不知道，凶巴巴的杜波思太太身上，有个让人肃然起敬的事实，杜波思太太是个吗啡依赖者，她决心在临死之前戒去毒瘾，干干净净地离开人世。在这个邻家老妇人身上，孩子和普通人一样，看到的只是她暴躁、狠毒和恶意的一面，阿提克斯却用他的慧眼，看到了她的有着英雄般勇气的另一面。
阿提克斯认为人无完人，每个人都有好的品质和劣的瑕疵。在他的人生中，他坚持做到敬仰他人好的一面、宽容不好的一面。这是本书给世人的又一节品德教育课：宽容。阿提克斯认为尊重和宽容不可分离，去了解一个人，我们需要“站在对方的角度来考虑问题……设身处地，置身其中，抛开他的肤色和种族。”故事里的阿提克斯把这些成长的课程通过他的一言一行，教给吉姆和斯各特，也交给你我这样的广大读者。
他这样告诫斯各特和吉姆：“真的勇气是这样的：当你还未开始就已知道自己会输，可你依然要去做，而且无论如何要把它坚持到底。”“勇气是去做你认为对的事情，不管有多少人反对，多么不合逻辑，有多么不可能、做的过程会有多么痛苦。”通过给黑人汤姆·罗宾森的做辩护这个实际行动，他完美地把他对孩子的教诲一一落实在行动中，这就是中文里的“言传身教”吧。因此，在我的心目中，阿提克斯是有史以来所有文学影视虚拟人物中最伟大的英雄；他的父亲形象如此高大，不论在哪里，都是天下父亲学习的榜样。我对他的仰慕和众多的读者别无二致，于我，“阿提克斯”这个名字就是“勇气”的别称。
事实上，尽管《杀死一只反舌鸟》是公认杰出的、美好的著作，主人公阿提克斯向世人传递出的讯息如此强劲有力，对于这本书是否应该作为教材进入学生课堂、让学生深入研习一直有争议。有偏见的阅读、阅读中的断章取义和偏狭的理解一直在伤害着这部著作和它的人物们。还有人认为，课堂学习的枯燥和考试的压力，可能会适得其反，让青春期的青少年反感乃至坚决不碰这本书。
但是，我个人的观点是：让《杀死一只反舌鸟》走入课堂是非常必要和有益的。首先，我本人和我的朋友们从阅读这本书中收益巨大；其次，阿提克斯关于“勇气”和“宽容”的经典话语，在充满纷争的当今世界中尤其有必要重申，必须让阿提克斯的影响力传递给更年轻一代。
光阴飞逝，作者哈珀·李在1950年代完成这本书的写作，那正是美国公民权利运动的顶峰年代，她的书对推翻种族歧视无疑起了思想意识上的推动作用。半个多世纪过去了，不平等、歧视、偏见依然折磨着世人。阿提克斯若是生活在21世纪，一定会坚持《杀死一只反舌鸟》中倡导的理念，来抗争当今社会的许多不平等，比如同性婚姻合法、妇女平等权益、动物权利等。因为阿提克斯精神的核心首先是平等和接纳，接纳对方的一切。其实说到底很简单，一个人，应该把其他人当一个人来看待。
很遗憾我还没有机会去游历美国，更别说拜访阿拉巴马。但是在阅读这本书的过程中，作者哈珀·李成功地让我觉得我就是芬奇家中的一份子。在1935那个夏季，恍惚中，我仿佛和斯各特、吉姆、迪尔整天厮混着度过漫长的暑假，直到开学的第一天；仿佛我旁观着那个名叫阿提克斯·芬奇的律师做了一个惊人的决定，去为一个被控强奸白人妇女的黑人做无罪辩护；仿佛我也在法庭上流汗，法官的裁决如同一把刀刺入我的胸膛。
这个荣获普利策奖的故事名至实归，它让我们了解人类曾为种族和肤色纠结的过去，了解我们人类的思维曾经有多么愚蠢。当然，这只是一个故事，是世上形形色色的、关于人的故事中的一个。
最后，我愿意和作者哈珀·李一起，诚邀你自己来读一读这本书、品一品这个故事。
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图书介绍：
《杀死一只反舌鸟》是西方公认的现代文学经典。1960年出版后即获得巨大的成功，荣获当年的普利策奖。小说的人物和情节部分取材于作者哈珀·李成长的经历及其对家人、邻里的观察，她因此书一举成名。1962年本书被改编为同名电影，获得三项奥斯卡大奖。迄今，这部小说已经被翻译为40多种语言，从未停止印刷，销售量超过四千万册，获得不计其数的奖项和荣誉。
作为成长小说、教育小说，本书是英美中学生的必读书目。它长盛不衰的原因不仅因其反抗种族歧视、反对不平等的历史意义，还在于它对于勇气和公正、宽容和良善的弘扬。此外，故事虽然涉及残暴与社会黑暗，整体文风依然温暖而风趣。小说的叙事、描写手法也是英语学习者的一流范本。
本书男主人公、父亲阿提克斯·芬奇在小说中是道义的化身；在现实生活中，这一人物形象早已成为法律界正直的楷模。本书被誉为史上“最具影响力的法学教科书”，它激励着几代人为公正和正义而献身。
中文版本介绍：
台湾版《梅冈城的故事》，黄木林译逸群图书，1982
《百舌鸟之死》，舒逊译上海译文出版社，1984
《枪打反舌鸟》，李占柱等译江苏人民出版社，1983
台湾版《梅冈城故事》，商辛译远流出版社，2006
《杀死一只反舌鸟》，高红梅译译林出版社，2009
**本文是读书会成员白鲜平、尚天玮（Chloe Tianwei Shang）原创作品，曾发表于中文期刊《阅读经典》。转载请联系公号。
