“Real courage is when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.” —Atticus Finch
I’m never really quiet about the fact Harper Lee’s novel was an inspiration to me. Her words changed the way I viewed life and I feel that it sent me on the path I’m on today.
If someone ever asks me what my favourite novel is, its a toss up between To Kill a Mockingbird and Birdsong. It always roots down to things which have made me stop for a moment.
To Kill a Mockingbird haunted me for a long time.
The rooted theme of injustice made me look at the world in a different way. I no longer looked through rose tinted glasses but I saw the darkness the world holds.
I constantly recommend it to people and hope that they will enjoy it just as much as I did.
The novel made me see how English Literature isn’t just words on a page but so much more. There was meaning behind what she said and clever messages she had left for the reader. I found myself understanding what she was saying and how she writing against what had happened.
I guess I was one of the few students in my GCSE class who actually liked reading it, but to this day I still find myself flicking through it every now and then. I could read it every day and never get bored.
Many probably don’t even know that Harper Lee helped me through a darker time in my life. I wasn’t comfortable in my skin, I was terrible with myself and I didn’t like who I was. Though, on my darker days Harper Lee was there to pick me up. I could escape somewhere that was different and forget everything for a while.
To lose such an author to many may not seem such a big deal, but to me she changed my life. You brought such beautiful quotes into my life and provided me with an amazing text.
Who knows, I might not even be studying English Literature if I hadn’t read that text.
You helped me through times with your words Harper Lee, you helped me to see the world for what it is and you gave me a chance to set myself on a path I would continue on for years to come. In the words of Atticus ‘before I can live with other folks I’ve got to live with myself.’
Your writing was a blessing in my life, thank you Harper Lee and goodbye.