# Tequila and a mockingbird do not a love story make... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 13, 2000, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tequila-and-a-mockingbird-do-not-a-love-story-make/25397 "2000-07-13T04:18:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quadzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/a4c791/32.png) [@Quadzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quadzilla)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2000, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tequila-and-a-mockingbird-do-not-a-love-story-make/25397/1 "2000-07-13T04:18:12Z")
All right, this is to settle freshman curiosity for the ages. As at many other high schools throughout the U.S., my freshman English class required me to read _To Kill a Mockingbird_. I’m rereading it this summer just because, and I flipped it over to read the back cover today…and noticed something I thought my mind had put to rest 4 years ago. “Harper Lee always considered her book to be a simple love story.” WHAT?? I think we argued then that it was Scout and Dill, since they were “engaged.” 4 years later, I’m thinking it might be a triangle with Scout, Jem, and Boo. But then, that’s not quite a _simple_ love story. Any ideas/confirmations? ---
**Author:** ![Gatsby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@Gatsby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatsby)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2000, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tequila-and-a-mockingbird-do-not-a-love-story-make/25397/2 "2000-07-13T04:41:41Z")
I would maybe write to the publisher and inquire about the basis of the statement. Then again, if it looks like shit and smells like shit, you probably don’t have to taste it. ---
**Author:** ![Quadzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/a4c791/32.png) [@Quadzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quadzilla)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2000, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tequila-and-a-mockingbird-do-not-a-love-story-make/25397/3 "2000-07-13T04:53:00Z")
> [@](#): > > I would maybe write to the publisher and inquire about the basis of the statement. Psh-yeah. But where would the fun in that be? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Gatsby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@Gatsby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatsby)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2000, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tequila-and-a-mockingbird-do-not-a-love-story-make/25397/4 "2000-07-13T04:58:21Z")
Fair enough. May I refer you to part II? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Gatsby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@Gatsby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatsby)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2000, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tequila-and-a-mockingbird-do-not-a-love-story-make/25397/5 "2000-07-13T07:49:47Z")
It has come to my attention that my second reply may have been interpreted as an insult to Quadzilla. This could not be further from the truth. For the record, I do not think that Quadzilla either looks nor smells like shit. I was merely engaged in the process of making myself as misunderstood as possible. It really sucks to think about how many people have a better grasp of their second language than I have of my native tounge. ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2000, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tequila-and-a-mockingbird-do-not-a-love-story-make/25397/6 "2000-07-13T11:19:13Z")
Maybe the fact that Lee may have thought of it as a “love story” does not necessarily imply that she thought of it as a _romance_ story. There are differing definitions of “love,” you know. ---
**Author:** ![Quadzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/a4c791/32.png) [@Quadzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quadzilla)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2000, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tequila-and-a-mockingbird-do-not-a-love-story-make/25397/7 "2000-07-13T14:20:47Z")
Gatsby - no problemo and muchos gracias. I’ve made some galloping errors too 🙂 pldennison - That’s my new theory, looking back on the book (stated in OP). Obviously Boo, Jem, and Scout aren’t in a romantic love story. Romance or not, I just want to know how it could be construed as a love story of any sort and what other people’s opinions are on who is involved in the “simple love story” of Harper Lee.