With its use of blatant racial terms and constant presence of racism, the classic novel To Kill A Mockingbird, by Nelle Harper Lee, has recently sparked controversy. The reason behind this controversy is that people tend to feel uncomfortable when reading it. People who disapprove of the book also believe in banning the book from school curriculum. I believe, because of the books ability to teach lessons on racism and open minds to deeper discussions in the classroom, To Kill A Mockingbird should remain on school curriculum.
The novels constant use of the ‘N’ word is a major factor for people wanting the book banned (Lee 94, 124, 275). Murray explains her disapproval of Scout’s use of one version the term by stating “Well Dill, after all he’s …show more content…
The professor’s had their students participate in events that were centered around the novel which ultimately benefited the students (Duinen and Bahuis 4). “Audra encouraged students who had attended the event to share their experiences with the class. This helped to foster a stronger sense of community in her classroom and allowed her to get to know her students in new ways. It also helped to enrich classroom discussions about the novel “ (Duinen and Balhuis 4). This is not the only instance of the novel having a beneficial effect on students. “For the most part, having an understanding of old and new racism (Cross, 2005) complicated the novel for my students and me and allowed us to read both with and against it. What follows is a discussion of these frameworks, both of which I encourage for classrooms across the country engaging with TKAM” (Macaluso 281). In both of these instances, students were influenced to participate more in, and out, of the classrooms when reading To Kill A Mockingbird. They not only discussed themes in the book but also discussed their opinions about the book. Without the novel being taught to these students, they would have never had these experiences and never would have gained the ability to have deeper discussions among each …show more content…
The racial issues present in the novel's main story gives students a basic knowledge of old racism exhibited in the 1930s. With this new found knowledge, students gain more than just a lesson, they gain a skill. They are able to effectively communicate better by discussing the themes of the novel. If To Kill A Mockingbird was banned, students around the nation would not only lose a valuable piece of literature in history but also lose a learning experience that can potentially follow them throughout their
The novels constant use of the ‘N’ word is a major factor for people wanting the book banned (Lee 94, 124, 275). Murray explains her disapproval of Scout’s use of one version the term by stating “Well Dill, after all he’s …show more content…
The professor’s had their students participate in events that were centered around the novel which ultimately benefited the students (Duinen and Bahuis 4). “Audra encouraged students who had attended the event to share their experiences with the class. This helped to foster a stronger sense of community in her classroom and allowed her to get to know her students in new ways. It also helped to enrich classroom discussions about the novel “ (Duinen and Balhuis 4). This is not the only instance of the novel having a beneficial effect on students. “For the most part, having an understanding of old and new racism (Cross, 2005) complicated the novel for my students and me and allowed us to read both with and against it. What follows is a discussion of these frameworks, both of which I encourage for classrooms across the country engaging with TKAM” (Macaluso 281). In both of these instances, students were influenced to participate more in, and out, of the classrooms when reading To Kill A Mockingbird. They not only discussed themes in the book but also discussed their opinions about the book. Without the novel being taught to these students, they would have never had these experiences and never would have gained the ability to have deeper discussions among each …show more content…
The racial issues present in the novel's main story gives students a basic knowledge of old racism exhibited in the 1930s. With this new found knowledge, students gain more than just a lesson, they gain a skill. They are able to effectively communicate better by discussing the themes of the novel. If To Kill A Mockingbird was banned, students around the nation would not only lose a valuable piece of literature in history but also lose a learning experience that can potentially follow them throughout their