As I see commercials about actor Richard Thomas (aka, John Boy in “The Waltons”) playing Atticus Finch in yet another stage rendition of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, coming to Milwaukee, I am taken back just five short years ago when my views on this classic book were irrevocably changed by Black students at the high school where I teach English and Alternative Ed classes.
To an English teacher, To Kill a Mockingbird is akin to scripture. This book contains all the elements of really great storytelling. Fully developed characterization, a compelling plot and a setting that supports the tone of the prose.