Should To Kill A Mockingbird Be Taught In Schools

According to the definition of learning, it means “the acquisition of knowledge or skills through experience, study, or by being taught.” The book, To Kill a Mockingbird has been a topic of discussion for most schools, some say it is not suitable for students and shouldn’t be included in their curriculum. This is because of the language and non acceptable depictions of characters. This is because it was written and set in Alabama in the 1930’s during the Jim Crow Era. Though some debate whether or not To Kill a Mockingbird should be allowed to be taught in school or banned from the shelves. It should continue to be taught because of its accurate depiction of the Jim Crow Era, and the theme of the story is insightful for readers.

The first

In the book, the main characters often talk about the prejudice in their town of Maycomb, usually centered around the plot of the book, which involves a black man getting accused of raping a white women. The racism of those times is very accurately depicted in these scenes, and allows the readers to feel how it felt because they are able to connect to the characters on a deeper level. This is important because having an emotional connection is a necessity for grasping and understanding the decisions the characters make. For example, in the TED talk The danger of a single story the speaker talks about the danger of having a small and one view mind. This is why TKAM is such a great book to teach students about racism and discrimination. Because it Shows you a different point of view that you probably haven't seen nor related to before. The Jim Crow Era was a time of hate and discrimination that is often overlooked. To Kill a Mockingbird allows us to mourn and remember the souls that were mistreated or in this case wrongfully accused. The book paints a descriptive and important story that highlights the power of words and the heartbreaking result, as well as teaching the readers a valuable lesson along the

However, the book's theme has a powerful message that was true then, and still true today. Throughout the story, the main characters grow up and their eyes get opened by the stories and heartbreak around them. And as you read the book, you watch them grow older and mature, thus bringing up the theme of the story multiple times. The loss of innocence and the gaining of consciousness. For example when Harper Lee describes how Jem felt after Tom Robinson was found wrongfully guilty, you can see the loss of innocence being portrayed. They are walking away from the court when the main character says “ It was Jem's turn to cry. His face was streaked with angry tears as we made our way through the cheerful crowd. “It ain’t right,” he muttered.” (Lee 284) This is important because by showing the overwhelm of emotions he felt in this moment, it gave us a feeling of loss and understanding. It gave his character an arc that readers are able to connect to. The realization that your childhood is ending, and you start to see the world through a different lens. This is similar to The Case of the Scottsboro Boys because the youngest scottsboro boy was only 13 years old when he was accused of raping 2 white women on a train. He wasn't sentenced to death, rather life in prison for his wrongly accused crime. This traumatic situation forced him to enter adulthood