To Kill A Mockingbird Outdated

1056 Words5 Pages
People learn everyday without realizing it,but are students learning the right things in school? The Novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a story about a young girl and her adventures in her small Alabama town during the 1930’s. Most students do not connect with or understand the issues in the novel. Also the book is outdated in this modern world. Lastly some of the events, beliefs, and persona’s might be offensive to people in our mixed-race schools. To Kill A Mockingbird should not be taught in schools. Students are expected to read and understand the novel. However, in the article “What ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ Isn’t” Barra say’s, “ And as for Harper Lee - Alabama born, raised and still resident she doesn’t really measure up to the…show more content…
To Kill a Mockingbird is outdated and even the general public does not understand the book. Barra writes “Harper Lee’s contemporary and fellow southerner Flannery O’Conner ( and a far worthier subject for high school reading lists) once made a killing observation about “To Kill a Mockingbird” it’s interesting that all the folks that are buying it don’t know they are reading a children’s book” (2). The vast majority of the public doesn’t understand the novel, so why should schools make students read a book that even most adults can’t relate to? If it is so old that even the kid’s parents do not interpret it correctly how is the child supposed to? Also as Barra said there are far worthier authors for school literature; authors from the past, the present and even the future have a better chance to engage students with a book that they will find interesting. To Kill a Mockingbird deals with morales about racism, classism, and regionalism. However these issues are not as prominent in today’s society. With the surge of middle-classers the line between rich and poor is becoming less noticeable. There are still homeless people and people in poverty but it is far less a problem today as it was back then, especially during the depression. Racism has changed and is frowned upon. Students get in trouble at school for saying…show more content…
The book was said to have been offensive when it came out and is even more controversial in today’s society. In the article “Rethinking Race in the Classroom” by Allison Samuels, she say’s “ Mr Buzzell was a british-born white teacher attempting to explain the complexities of racism and injustice at a mixed-race school in Augusta, Ga., so the class discussions were pretty lively” (1).Back in time when the issue of segregation was a big deal, racism was more common and was a problem. Now though, we have fully mixed-race schools where blacks and whites coincide in relative harmony with other races from around the world and being racist is frowned upon by everyone. Samuels also say’s “Of course, much depends on how this kind of material is presented and the context it’s given” (1) A perfect example and explanation of this is Mr.Buzzell- a white teacher from a different country who is trying to teach racial issues to his class. He will have bias’ as will every other teacher who is attempting to teach this novel. These bias’ are passed on to the students and potentially home. To Kill a Mockingbird should not be taught in schools because it is offensive during the presentation and the
Show More
Related

  • Similarities Between To Kill A Mockingbird And Huckleberry Finn

    1981 Words  | 8 Pages

    Both To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn are coming of age novels, set in the deep south of America, in the 1930s and 1830-40s respectively. These eras were times when racism was a given, and it was rare to find someone who wasn't intensely prejudiced. The novels are both bildungsromans, overseeing the emotional and, in Scout's case, literal growth of the young protagonists as they gain experience in their respective societies. The events of To

    Read More

  • How To Read Literature Like A Professor

    3081 Words  | 13 Pages

    In To Kill a Mockingbird the changing of fall to winter foreshadows a gloomy and unpredictable future. No one has ever seen so much snow. The changing of seasons show how mischief of children caused all of the change like how Mayella accuses Tom of raping her when he

    Read More

  • Essay On Southern Women In To Kill A Mockingbird

    1190 Words  | 5 Pages

    In To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the notion is presented that above all else, a Southern woman is supposed to conform to a role that is passive and polite. Because of the emphasis on proprietary behavior and obedience, Southern women are unable to express themselves, which leads to politely cruel treatment of one another. The expectations, the unwritten rules, and the opinions others have regarding Southern women are all contributing factors in the continuation of this culture. However, Scout

    Read More

More about To Kill A Mockingbird Outdated

Open Document