Submitted By: Aminul Haque
Profession/Background: Passionate about literature and social change.
Book Title: To Kill a Mockingbird
Author: Harper Lee
Before Reading the Book:
Before I opened the first page of “To Kill a Mockingbird“, I was just a 23-year-old man trying to make sense of the world. I had just started teaching literature at a public school in a rural area, and while I loved books, I often found myself questioning whether the stories I read truly had the power to change lives.
I believed in fairness, equality, and doing the right thing. But I didn’t yet understand the depth of injustice that existed—or how storytelling could expose it so powerfully. My own childhood had been fairly peaceful. Sure, there were tensions in our town—whispers about who belonged and who didn’t, who should stay silent and who had the right to speak. But nothing ever exploded in the open. Everything was polite. Controlled. Ignored.
I didn’t know it then, but I was living in the middle of quiet prejudice.
Discovering the Book That Changed Everything:
I didn’t go looking for “To Kill a Mockingbird“. It found me.
One of my students—Sara, a bright 10th grader with a fierce curiosity—asked if I had read it. She said, “Sir, I think you’ll love it. It’s about justice and children and growing up.” Her eyes lit up as she spoke, and that was enough to convince me to pick up a copy that weekend.
I still remember the smell of the old pages as I started reading late one Friday night. The story transported me to Maycomb, Alabama, a town full of whispers and walls, not unlike my own. But what gripped me more than the setting was the voice of Scout Finch—a young girl whose innocence painted a sharp contrast to the harsh realities around her.
As I turned the pages, I was pulled into a story that was far more than fiction. It was a mirror held up to society—and to myself.
After the Book:
Finishing the book left me stunned.
Atticus Finch became more than a character—he became a symbol of the kind of man I wanted to be. Calm, thoughtful, moral to his core. And Scout? She reminded me of the students in my classroom. Curious. Honest. Capable of seeing truths that adults too often ignored.
But what shook me the most was the trial of Tom Robinson.
It forced me to confront the uncomfortable truth: injustice doesn’t always wear a mask. Sometimes it sits in courtrooms. Sometimes it looks like your neighbor. Sometimes it hides behind silence. Reading about Tom’s fate broke something in me—and also built something new. A deeper awareness. A new level of empathy.
I cried. Not loudly. But in that quiet, aching way where your heart feels heavier for having known something real.
The Transformation:
After reading the book, I started teaching differently.
I began bringing harder conversations into the classroom. I asked my students what justice meant to them. I encouraged them to speak up, to think critically, to challenge the status quo—not just in books, but in life.
I also became more involved in my community. I started volunteering at the local youth center. I joined a discussion group focused on social issues. I even organized a school-wide reading of “To Kill a Mockingbird“, followed by a student-led debate on race, justice, and morality.
Something in me shifted. It wasn’t dramatic or loud. But it was permanent.
This book gave me the courage to not just teach stories—but to live them, breathe them, and let them change me.
My Favorite Line & How It Helps Me Every Day:
“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.”
This line, spoken by Atticus Finch, echoes in my head daily. Whether I’m listening to a frustrated student, talking with a difficult parent, or facing conflict in my own life—I pause. I try to understand first. It’s not always easy. But it’s always necessary.
That quote reminds me to slow down, to listen more than I speak, and to offer empathy before judgment.
To Anyone Considering This Book:
If you’ve ever felt unsure about the world—if you’ve ever questioned whether kindness still matters or whether truth still has a place in our noisy lives—read this book.
“To Kill a Mockingbird” isn’t just a novel. It’s a quiet revolution. It doesn’t scream. It doesn’t preach. It whispers truths that stay with you. It invites you to look closely at the world, and then even closer at yourself.
You won’t come out of it the same. And that’s the point.
Read it slowly. Read it with an open heart. And when you finish, don’t just say it was a good story—let it shape how you see the world.
Because some books aren’t meant to entertain. They’re meant to wake us up.