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Lauren Weber

Ms. Woelke

Pre-AP English

2019 May 29

To Kill a Mockingbird​ Should be in Schools

History influences people’s present and future life choices. Without remembering history,

people would not be where they’re today. The novel, ​To Kill a​ ​Mockingbird ​takes place in the

south during the Jim Crow laws. Throughout this era, racial tension grew and that led to unfair

trials in the courtrooms. The book doesn’t shy away from using inappropriate terminology and

expressing what truly happened in Harper Lee’s life. ​To Kill a Mockingbird​ teaches prevailing

life lessons even to this day as well as it being one of America’s most loved books. The history

throughout the book is straightforward and tends to make people feel uncomfortable. As the

story is told through a young girls eyes, many people can’t help but listen as she goes through

traumatizing events. In the end, she learned a lot and she gave examples of how other people can

learn from their own choices. The book ​To Kill a Mockingbird​ is relevant to today and that is

why all eighth grade classes should have to read it.

Students read this book to learn about American history as well as many useful life

lessons that will affect students at one point in their lifetime. ​To Kill a Mockingbird​ makes

students realize “the role that racism and inequality” played in our society. Books that make

people uneasy, help them “experience growth” while reading about our history(Source B).

Racism and inequality have played a large role in discriminating different people. If children

aren’t encouraged to read books about American history, discrimination will grow through the
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upcoming years. Being uncomfortable is something many people have to embrace and get use to.

Life isn’t as easy as it seems and this story proves that, by explicitly talking about similar issues

people will encounter. Throughout the book, Lee shares views of a world with “great beauty and

savage inequities through the eyes of a young girl”, Scout. As the story continues, it “reinforces”

many “stereotypes and misconceptions” that people had in the 1930s (Source D). The book itself

is very honest and does not sugar coat that it says racist and injustice things. The fact that this

book is based off true events, offends some of its readers. However, some of our history is not

something to be proud of, but it is something to learn from. Without books like ​To Kill a

Mockingbird t​ hat teach us about our past, we would never learn how to become a better country

and overcome uncomfortability.

School districts have been fighting to keep ​To Kill a Mockingbird ​in the eighth grade

curriculum since 2009 because it is such a well loved story. The book has been “voted by

viewers as America’s #1 best-loved novel in The Great American Read” because it is such a well

developed book and dates back to a time where American was a segregated country(Source D).

This heartwarming novel goes back to a dark time in American history. The foul language is a

learning experience rather than something that should be hidden from the public. Schools should

not strip young adults opportunities to read relevant, classic novels that will come into effect at

some point in the reader’s life. Books similar to ​To Kill a Mockingbird h​ ave key lessons that

support a foundation of growing up into a well rounded child. The enlightenment this book

brings to its readers is being taken away because of how unprepared students are to read it.

However, “censorship blinds us” and the more this book is released from the curriculum the less

students will learn about how far we have overcome from unfair trials and discrimination
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(Source A). Removing a book about our history is like taking a step back from how well

developed America has become. Eighth grade is the year students are transitioning from being a

child to becoming a teenager and soon an adult. If students don’t begin learning about lessons

from The Great Depression that still occur to this day, then there is no point in learning about

history at all. ​To Kill a Mockingbird​ should remain in all schools across the country because it

continues to teach valuable lessons as it ages.

Some adults believe that this story is not appropriate to be read in an eighth grade

classroom; but, the novel is not meant to be read that way. As the book was being read in

“Biloxi, Mississippi” children started to experience language such as the “N-word” being thrown

around light-heartedly. This led to parents filing complaints because they were “concerned about

[their] daughters” and sons using these words and most importantly, getting made fun of based

off the color of their skin. (Source A). It is understandable that these parents worry about their

children's safety and well-being. Even though parents are trying to protect their children, students

need to learn to stand up for themselves and how to overcome their own issues. These students

are in eighth grade and they are maturing into young adults. This book teaches about children's

loss of innocence and what they need to descend into the real world. Sayde Saunders, a woman

from the Biloxi school district recollects, that these “racial slurs” should not define a person. The

book is showing the “ignorance” of using such words and having the “bigotry” to overcome the

hateful message that word symbolizes (Source B). When parents decide to intervene in their

child's school life, they disrupt crucial learning time and take away from problem solving and

working together. These life skills are the foundation of friendships and standing up for

themselves as well as others. It builds a more inclusive society. Books like ​To Kill a
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Mockingbird​ teach students that words are only as harmful as you make them, stand up for

yourself, and help those that can’t.

This classic novel shows that even though America has come far as a country, we still

have a lot to work on. If all eighth grade classes were forced to read this book, these young

adults will know how to overcome difficult obstacles and to stand up for themselves. Harper Lee

talks about a gloomy and depressing time and makes the best out of it as she informs her readers

about the past. Even though some adults and teachers disagree because of the derogatory

language, it teaches children to rise above and not fight back. School boards need to understand

the long term effects this book has on its readers and consider it an important book that talks

about the loss of innocence, hard battles and misjudgment that still affect Americans today.