My Father's Most Memorable Read

As this task of 'interviewing your father or mother on their most memorable read' was assigned to all the Secondary 1s,I have decided to chalk up a few questions and have interviewed my father on his ever-so important book.

The Interview:
1.What is the most memorable book you have read?
Dad: Amongst my the decades of readings, the one by Harper Lee named “Kill a Mockingbird" has left a indelible impression on me. The themes and quotations have stayed relevant to me as I aged and I am glad I got this opportunity to share with you.

2. A summary of the story
Dad: The story setting is at the sleepy town of Maycomb located in Alabama against the backdrop of the Great Depression ( which for your understanding is liken the global economic recession we are having now with spreadwide jobless mire). The main character Scout Finch who lives with her brother Jem and their widowed father Atticus narrates the story herself in reflection of what she saw and experienced at that time and augmenting the narration with thoughts and personal experiences which blossom from the start of the book on naivety to youthful maturity. Her father being a prominent had provided a reasonably well-off life for them in comparison to the rest of society. Their out of school activities centered on trying to enact the character and chided at Boo Radley who lives in spooky house and has lived there for years without venturing out. Atticus , in observing their antics, time and again urged his children to see life from the another’s perspective before making judgements. Which true to his words, Boo Radley various acts of kindness climaxing with his act of saving Jem and Scout from Bob Ewell reversed the kids’ view of him entirely.To the anger of Maycomb’s racist community , Attitus agreed to defend a black man named Tom Robinson accused of raping a white woman ( daughter of Bob Ewell). Undeterred by racist backlash and threats to his family , Atticus determination for the search of the truth led to his battle against a white jury. Unfortunately , before he would bring the acquisition of Tom Robinson, Tom tormented by the injustice escaped from prison and was shot. Atticus was very disturded by this turn of events. In laying out the facts of the case, Atticus brought shame to Bob and his daughter with the community casting doubt about them, Bob resorted to revenge his humiliation by attacking Jem and Scout which ended in futile as he was stabbed by Boo who did it in saving the children. The story ends with a important realization by Scout as she begin to understand Boo and began to embraces her father’s advice to practice sympathy and understanding and display that her experiences with hatred and prejudices wil not erase her faith in human goodness.

3. How did you come to know of this book?
Dad: This was the one of the literature books I used in secondary one.

4.Why is it so inspirational to you/why is it worth reading?
Dad: I was and remained inspired by the following quotation which has shaped my teenage years Quote: “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view...until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”
I found the book compassionate and deep moving and the intricate way of how the author took us the roots of human behavior – from innocence , love and kindness to the other end of the parameter of cruelty , hatred and pathos.

5.Lessons to be Learnt
Dad: The various themes of this book eg coexistence of good and evil , the belief in goodness of mankind , the presence of social inequity and most of all the resistance to pre-judge a person have not only integrated well into my moral ethics, and also embedded into the principles that I pass to my children.

So that concludes the interview on my father's most memorable read. Thank you, and I hope after this you are all encouraged to try out "To Kill a Mockingbird".