Existentialism in TKAM

As I sat down to read To Kill A Mockingbird (TKAM), many memories of freshman year popped into my head. I remembered sitting in Mrs. Bigler’s classroom on the first day of school and having to discuss this book because it was our summer reading. I had read it so intently because I was an overachieving freshman who wanted to blow my teacher away on the first day. As we began our discussion, however, I realized how much I had missed in the book. I had missed the deeper meaning and symbolism that Harper Lee had scattered throughout the novel and my eyes were opened to a whole new way of reading. This was the first book whose symbolism I actually enjoyed and understood and I was really excited to get to read it again.

Reading it again, after 4 years of having to pick apart books and look at the bigger picture, I got so much more out of TKAM. One thing that I think I completely missed when I was a freshman in high school, though, was the existentialism exhibited throughout the novel (probably because I had never heard of existentialism) and how it drives so many of the people’s actions.

One of the biggest examples of existentialism in the novel is how Jem, Scout, and Dill portray Boo Radley. Boo is not bothering them, he has never done anything to make them question him, and he has literally no influence on their lives whatsoever, but for some reason they are fascinated by him. Jem purposely makes up stories about him and, in his mind, turns Boo into a huge mystery. I think this is in part due to the fact that they are from Maycomb, Alabama and it is a small place with not a lot to do. They use what they have around to put meaning in their lives and they do so by wanting to see Boo and playing games having to do with him and his family.

Another example of existentialism is how the entire town is so bent up about Tom’s trial. I do understand that considering the time and place defending a black man is a huge deal, but I do think that the town is overly obsessed with the trial because of their lack of things to do. They, unintentionally, find meaning in their lives by obsessing over Atticus, his family, and the trial. I can imagine this town to be one of those places where word travels fast and nothing goes unnoticed by EVERYONE.

This may be boring to read, but I think existentialism is very interesting so I try and find it everywhere, probably because I come from a small city and I find that oftentimes people obsess over the littlest things to make their lives “worth something.”

Overall, I really loved reading TKAM and have found that reading it after so many years has given me a better understanding of Lee’s tasteful use of literary devices and her ability to make serious things, such as racism, be portrayed in a way that is enjoyable to read.