3rd February 2012
Harper Lee J. Barbian
Random House Hauptstraße 67
20 Vauxhall Bridge Road 14205, Berlin
London SW1V 2SA Germany
Dear Harper Lee,
My name is Joshua Barbian, I am from Germany and go to a school in Berlin called Königin-Luise-Stiftung. In order to create a blog about a novel for my English lessons I’ve chosen “To Kill a Mockingbird” and read it recently. I already heard a lot about your novel and since it’s a classic I had high expectations, which where even exceeded by the depth and amount of several important themes this novel contains. I was so thrilled by your novel that I decided to write you a letter to give you my opinion about your work.
Before I read the book I already knew that a girl, at the age of six to eight years, tells the story and that a larger theme is about her growing up. I was sceptical but soon I realized that there is no better way to portray the coexistence of good and evil than to do it through the eyes of a child. A child sees somebody either as a good person or as an evil one. The protagonist, Scout, learns that both bad and evil can build somebody’s character and that is what I like most in your novel. The childhood innocence of Scout and Jem in the beginning of the novel fits perfectly to their important role for the remainder of the story. For me as a reader it was really easy to follow the development of Scout and Jem. You pay attention to every little detail that could affect their development and since those to characters experience the great depression in the 30’s, the southern racism and an unfair class system, there are a lot of details to take care of but you overcome them properly and create two round characters.
Dear Harper Lee,
My name is Joshua Barbian, I am from Germany and go to a school in Berlin called Königin-Luise-Stiftung. In order to create a blog about a novel for my English lessons I’ve chosen “To Kill a Mockingbird” and read it recently. I already heard a lot about your novel and since it’s a classic I had high expectations, which where even exceeded by the depth and amount of several important themes this novel contains. I was so thrilled by your novel that I decided to write you a letter to give you my opinion about your work.
Before I read the book I already knew that a girl, at the age of six to eight years, tells the story and that a larger theme is about her growing up. I was sceptical but soon I realized that there is no better way to portray the coexistence of good and evil than to do it through the eyes of a child. A child sees somebody either as a good person or as an evil one. The protagonist, Scout, learns that both bad and evil can build somebody’s character and that is what I like most in your novel. The childhood innocence of Scout and Jem in the beginning of the novel fits perfectly to their important role for the remainder of the story. For me as a reader it was really easy to follow the development of Scout and Jem. You pay attention to every little detail that could affect their development and since those to characters experience the great depression in the 30’s, the southern racism and an unfair class system, there are a lot of details to take care of but you overcome them properly and create two round characters.
Besides my favourite part
of your novel is the trial of Tim Robinson. It gives the novel the dramatic and
displays the injustice of inequality in the south. Also this part is very
emotional, it touches the reader and gives a good contrast to the funny part of
the book.
In the end of the novel Scout has grown a lot on her experiences. Now she understands why it is a sin to kill a mockingbird and puts herself in someone’s position before she judges about his or her actions. That conclusion makes perfectly sense and perhaps even makes the reader learn something.
Sincerely,
J. Barbian
In the end of the novel Scout has grown a lot on her experiences. Now she understands why it is a sin to kill a mockingbird and puts herself in someone’s position before she judges about his or her actions. That conclusion makes perfectly sense and perhaps even makes the reader learn something.
Sincerely,
J. Barbian
Hey Joshua,
AntwortenLöschenin my opinion your letter to Harper Lee is really well-written. I especially like your explanation why the author chose this kind of narration; and also the collage you created.
Moreover, your blog seems quite structured/organized and the results of your work appear to be really nice.