|KNIGHTWATCH|

               For many years Harper Lee's novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” has been part of a controversial

 

discussion; should teachers still be teaching this historic novel to a rapidly growing generation? The intent of this

 

essay is to not only persuade teachers to continue teaching, “To Kill a Mockingbird” but to give them evidence

 

of what students can learn if their teachers continue to regard this novel as a staple of school literature. Firstly, “To

 

Kill a Mockingbird is a reminder of the past and it should remain in the school curriculum;  another reason is this

 

novel forces students to make connections from the past to the present: Finally, the use of the ‘n’ word in this novel

 

only intensifies the novel’s messages.

 

                  

              “To Kill a Mockingbird” was set in an era before Civil Rights, where racism towards black people was

 

rampant. Those who spoke out endured criticism, some from their own relatives. For instance, Scout the protagonist

 

is shunned by her cousin for her father’s decision to defend a black man, “I’m here to tell you that it’s mortifying the

 

rest of the family!” (Lee 110). This upsetting scene only serves as a crucial reminder of our history every year to

 

students. Though some might argue that there are similar, more “entertaining” novels available, “To Kill a

 

Mockingbird” will remain one of few novels written by an author who grew up during the pre-Civil Rights era,

 

therefore witnessing events similar to the novel’s making its time accurate.

 

                  

             In like matter, “To Kill a Mockingbird” forces students to relate the racism they see in the novel, to the

 

racism they see today. In “To Kill a Mockingbird” Tom Robinson is a wrongly accused black man awaiting the

 

consequences of his “wrongdoings”. He desperately tries to escape this fate but is shot brutally, as told by Atticus,

 

“Seventeen bullet holes in him. They didn’t have to shoot him that much.”(Lee 315). This barbaric scene brings

 

students back to the present, where innocent black people are frequently shot out of hatred. The connection between

 

both incidents reminds students that since the 1930s to the present, not much has changed; this will only motivate

 

students to speak out and protect one another. Another example from the novel which can be related to the present is

 

when Atticus attempts to defend Tom Robinson when he knows that he and Tom Robinson’s arguments will go

 

unheard. He explains to his daughter Scout that he couldn’t bear to live with himself if he didn’t defend Tom

 

Robinson, “If I didn’t I couldn’t hold my head up in town.”(Lee p.110). In our society, people are afraid to stick up

 

for one another because they fear being ostracized or harmed. If students continue reading this novel, they can relate

 

what Atticus did to their own lives, hence becoming courageous individuals. Though “To Kill a Mockingbird”

 

was set in a time period where aggression was frequent, it still remains a novel that can be translated to

 

today.

 

                

          While parents and students find the use of the ‘n’ word in “upsetting”, the use of an offensive slur intensifies

 

the messages against racism absorbed from the novel. In one scene Scout’s cousin taunts her by insulting her father

 

Atticus, “He’s nothing but a ‘n’ word lover!” (Lee 110). He is beat up by Scout who screams at him to take back

 

what he said. It is evident that Scout is enraged that such a word was used against her family but how is this relevant

 

to the statement? Readers will see that if one slur made such an impact on Scout, they will be reminded that the

 

slur should never be used outside the story. It is understandable why people are upset by the use of a racial slur in a

 

novel that is continuously taught to the teenage generation, though, the novel’s message is against racism. Therefore

 

the use of the ‘n’ word enhances the racist setting of Maycomb by showing readers how characters in the novel had

 

the nerve to use that slur despite knowing it’s offense. The use of the ‘n’ word in this novel shows

 

students how different behaviours were acceptable in the 1930s and how its use will never be acceptable now.

 

                 

           In summary, “To Kill a Mockingbird” should continue to be taught by teachers. This novel serves as an

 

important reminder of our past and will encourage students to draw connections from the novel to the present. The

 

use of the ‘n’ word in the novel will only discourage students to use the slur in the future. We constantly crave new

 

content, but we’re slowly pushing away our past that we would rather not be reminded of. If we want to progress as

 

a society, we need to accept our past and educate our new generation of its mistakes.“To Kill a Mockingbird” is

 

capable of this. That is why it would be a sin to replace it.