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Rian Johns

Ms. Woelke

Pre-AP ELA 9

23 May 2019

To Kill a Mockingbird ​in High Schools

The novel ​To Kill a Mockingbird​ by Harper Lee is known worldwide and loved by many.

Although the story contains controversial topics and language it also possesses valuable lessons

and historical events. The story is narrated by the adult version of the main character, Scout,

who is a six year old girl from a small town in Alabama. Set in the 1930s, ​To Kill a Mockingbird

deals with the effects of the Great Depression, inequality among the races and social classes, and

injustice in the court system. These problems are viewed from a younger perspective and

explained by Scout’s father, Atticus. The young, light-hearted Scout helps readers understand

how these issues affected all people living through them. Due to the topics of the novel being

controversial and hard to understand, the story should only be taught to mature grade levels, such

as high school. ​To Kill a Mockingbird ​should be taught in high schools because the lessons

portrayed are important and the events are based on history that needs to be known.

Harper Lee packed her novel with important lessons including looking at life through

someone else's perspective and fighting to be better. As Atticus once said “‘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.’” One “goal of education” is “to help students understand and be

understood by their peers,” (Stroud). Atticus’s statement is important in daily life. Walking in
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someone else’s shoes gives a better idea of what they are going through. This directly relates to

the classroom, enabling students to understand each other and see the issues that others may face.

Students are “emboldened by Atticus to ‘fight for right,’” and “inspired by Scout” to want to

make society better than it is (Randall). The powerful characters of ​To Kill a Mockingbird​ lead a

path for students to want to make a change. They show that problems in society can be overcome

and fixed. The lessons portrayed are key for making the world a better place. They teach the

importance of understanding one another and wanting what is right.

History seems to be better understood when it is put into context. Instead of reading off

textbook pages, students who read fictional stories containing history better comprehend what

actually happened. The trial in ​To Kill a Mockingbird​ is based on “the history of the Scottsboro

boys,” who were “a group of black teenagers” that were “falsely accused of raping two white

women,” (Randall). By using fictional characters and following the storyline of the Scottsboro

boys, Lee is able to create a trial that resembles actual events. This fictional trial helps students

realize the inequality and persecution people of color faced in daily life and in courts. The novel

allows students “to think critically” and learn “about inequality, racism and the way they affect”

people and “society in ways that are not always apparent,” (Stroud). The use of characters of

different races and their interactions helps readers understand the discrimination people of color

had to go through. It also shows how different people of the same race thought of and treated

people of color. The history of racism is clearer when it is shown through characters and their

thoughts, feelings and actions.

Others may argue that the language and topics in ​To Kill a Mockingbird​ are harmful and

can cause problems in the classroom. The use of the N-word is vastly present in the story. A
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student of color may feel uncomfortable and hurt when hearing the provocative word in class. A

parent in Mississippi “was concerned about her daughter, who is black,” because of “her

classmates’” inconsiderate responses, which “included laughter over the use of the slur”

(Gomez). The N-word was, and is, an offensive word used towards people of color. Hearing it in

a classroom while other students laugh and make comments is upsetting for a student of color.

Due to students being unaware or careless of the effects, history and improperness of using such

word causes discomfort and distress. A student of color, “who has been verbally abused by

being called” the N-word by other students “could be more hurt” when the word is “taught in the

classroom” (Randall). Hearing the N-word from ignorant children can be taken easier than

hearing it from a teacher who may only be trying to inform their students of the history of the

word. A student could feel embarrassed or ashamed that their race is being displayed along with

a word that has caused so much harm to them. The issue of the N-word still endures today and

shouldn’t be hidden. People should not pretend like this problem doesn’t happen. The N-word

needs to be understood so people know that it is wrong, hurtful and shouldn’t be used. ​To Kill a

Mockingbird i​ s a way to teach the word in context so it is better understood and removed from

one’s vocabulary.

To Kill a Mockingbird​ by Harper Lee is an American favorite for a reason. The storyline

is captivating because it reveals crucial lessons, such as understanding others and fighting for

what’s right, and deals with tough historical issues in a way that is easier to grasp. “Censorship

blinds us,” (Stroud). Without exposure to things such as the N-word and racial inequality,

ignorance could overcome and history could be repeated. Therefor, ​To Kill a Mockingbird
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should be taught at a highschool level once students have matured enough to realize the

importance and seriousness of the novel.