Imagine a very famous person is accused of murder of two certain people. This man is not believed of being guilty because his of wealth and social status. There was evidence that pointed toward him being guilty, however, the police told him to turn himself in instead of arresting him. This was the real life trial of O.J Simpson, a famous NFL player. Those two certain people that he killed were Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman. This case is very similar to the trial of Tom Robinson. The black man in the story of To Kill A Mockingbird was accused of rape, a crime which he did not commit. They were biased about Robinson’s race not the truth or the factual evidence. In both cases, the evidence seemed to be overlooked by the jury. One was treated unequally because of his race and the other was given an unfair advantage from others because of his fame.
Surprisingly, the book, To Kill A Mockingbird, was banned by a multitude of schools. Most of the reasons it was challenged or banned are not that severe. In Eden Valley, it was challenged because it contains words like “damn” or “whore lady”. Another school, St. Edmund Campion Secondary, removed it from classrooms because a parent didn’t approve of the language used in the book. The novel was also challenged by Warren, IN Township schools. The reasons were it caused “psychological damage to the positive integration process” and “represents institutionalized racism under the guise of good literature”. When the banning of the novel was unsuccessful a couple of parents resigned from the township human relations advisory council.
The New Jersey Board of Education confined the book in the English curriculum because a person complained about how black people were being treated by a racist white community during the Great Depression-era Alabama. He was worried that it would offend or distress the black students who read it. In a similar note, Normal, IL Community High School’s literature class challenged the novel because it was degrading to African Americans. Since the book was published it has been the most frequently banned or challenged book in America. The main reasons it’s banned was because of the language, it talks about sexuallity and rape, and it contains the n-word.
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In addition to the opinions of parents or schools, there are a plenty amount of literary critics opinions. A member of the Common Sense Media, Matt Berman, gave this review, “This richly textured novel, woven from the strands of small-town life, lets readers walk in the shoes of one fully realized character after another. Jem and Scout see the heart of their town laid bare — divided not just between black and white, but also between the prevailing racism and “the handful of people in this town who say that fair play is not marked White Only.”
Furthermore, Dan Kedmey from Time said, “The novel is an account of an awakening to good and evil, and a faint catechistic flavor may have been inevitable. But it is faint indeed; Novelist Lee‘s prose has an edge that cuts through cant, and she teaches the reader an astonishing number of useful truths about little girls and about Southern life.” The book itself includes a couple of reviews from well known organizations. First example is the New York Times review, “ Marvelous . . . Miss Lee’s original characters are people to cherish in this winning first novel.” Second example is the Minneapolis Tribune review, “The reader will find an immense satisfaction . . . and a desire, on finishing it, to start again on page one.” Third example is the San Francisco Examiner review, “Miss Lee wonderfully builds the tranquil atmosphere of her Southern town, and as adroitly causes it to erupt a shocking lava of emotions.” Lastly, Harper’s Magazine said, “A novel of great sweetness, humor, compassion, and of mystery carefully sustained.” Many great and positive opinions were made about the book.
The book To Kill A Mockingbird teaches many important lessons to those who read it. Harper Lee’s writing is remarkable, it contains both humor and wit.The story shares several meaningful messages and transformative situations. For example, Atticus would always tell his children that they should put themselves in other people’s shoes before they start assuming. Atticus had to go through a difficult challenge in defending a black man in his racist neighborhood. That man was Tom Robinson, his character represents that no matter how innocent a person can be they can be wrongly accused. Scouts character starts out as wild and curious, as she gets older she matures and learns new lessons. Boo radley starts out as a intimidating and anti-social character who people try their best to avoid. Later he is known as the hero of the story and is appreciated by others. This novel examines racism and justice in a inspiring way.
As a final point, books can be taught in many ways. It just depends on who is teaching it, how it’s read, and how it’s interpreted. Teachers and parents can’t assume it will invoke a positive and inspirational message for the teenagers who read it. Even if its a difficult topic about rape and racism. Students at that age are exposed to and have knowledge about certain things. There are plenty of messages to be learned in To Kill A Mockingbird. If it is taught in the right way by the right teacher, it will be valuable and captivating novel for teenagers to read.
