Don’t censor To Kill a Mockingbird
Rosa Parks once said, “Racism is still with us. But it is up to us to prepare our children for what they have to meet, and, hopefully, we shall overcome.” In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird the author Harper Lee uses the n-word 48 times and negro 54 times. This alone could cause readers to feel uncomfortable, along with the vulgar language and references to sexual activities. Some people may think that the best solution to these problems are to take out these words and censor the whole book. But that is not a good idea. Like Rosa Parks said, we have to prepare ourselves for this racism in the world because it is here and we can’t just delete it from our lives. The racial comments, vulgar language and references
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This case involved a black man named Tom Robinson who has been accused of raping white girl named Mayella Ewell. During the time period the novel takes place African American people were no longer slaves but were still denied a lot of rights that white people had. So one can only imagine how this whole town would react to someone who would help a black man who was accused of rape. This is why the novel contains vulgar language, racial comments and words like “nigger” and Negro, and to some people this is a problem. “To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the most widely read novels of all time. Ever since its publication in 1960, it has also been one of the books most frequently challenged by would-be censors.” (Johnson-Durst) When this book is read in schools it can make the students …show more content…
But that doesn’t seem like a good enough reason to change a big part of the novel. Taking out the “n-word” would not only be taking out some of the history but also some meaning and significance of the novel. Many readers see To Kill a Mockingbird as a racist book because it shows the whole truth about that time period. The “n-word” was just part of everyone’s vocabulary back then it was used many times even in the same few sentences like when Atticus’ daughter Scout asks: “Do you defend niggers, Atticus?” (pg 77). But no one really tries to look at the situation from any other perspective. Harper Lee didn’t intentionally use offensive words or examples of slavery and mistreatment to offend his African American readers. she uses them to show how horribly African Americans were treated back then, to make his novel more significant and
Should Harper Lee's How to kill a mockingbird book be a part of the school's required book curriculum? The issue with the book is the language and the time the book takes place and how black characters are treated in How To kill a Mockingbird. How to kill a mockingbird should not be a part of a school's curriculum in today's world. Why should How to kill a MockingBird not be a part of the school's curriculum? First off because the book is outdated and it does not represent our society today.
The ever present distaste from whites in Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, shows the issues that blacks had to deal with constantly. Lee was able to portray this hatred by putting and important character, Tom Robinson a black man, on an unjust trial for the alleged rape of a white woman, Mayella Ewell. This classic story reveals the awful conditions and intense racism during this time in the southern Unites States. Some of the many African Americans affected by southern white racists in court or otherwise include the Scottsboro
My class read Huck Finn replacing the n word with the word “slave” — so no black students would be offended or hurt in any way. But more important then that is warning students of the books racist ideas and words, in order for students to understand the intention of Mark Twain’s satires of racism in America. Parents and students argue that the books frequent use of the n word is embarrassing and divisive at any grade level, and children should be protected from what the word represents. Alienating black students shouldn’t be done in a classroom, so replacing the n word with the word “slave” is a healthy
Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird shows how racism affected people in the 1930’s and how terrible people were treated. Since then, things have changed and racism is not a problem. Racism has changed drastically since the 1930’s; now we do not have a big problem compared to how big of a problem it was in the 30’s. In Harper Lee’s
Being able to completely understand and follow the different language in To Kill a Mockingbird is one thing, but to decide whether or not it’s still relevant is another thing. Well this book still is relevant and yes some may say that this book is history and we should be reading about the future and present not about the past, but our past is the most important because we can read about the mistakes made and not make them again. To Kill a Mockingbird is based around the civil rights movement and that means that there was a lot of racism happening during the novel. Even though To Kill a Mockingbird is considered an “older” novel and currently it’s the 21st century and not all students enjoy reading this book in their schools but the novel should stay in these curriculums because of the hard times in the civil rights movement
“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… until you climb into his skin and walk around in it”(Lee 30). These are the words of Atticus Finch, the wisest character in the famous novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. He is a fictional man that embodies human traits that all people should strive to emulate. In the novel; narrated by Atticus’ daughter Jean Louise Finch, more often referred to as Scout; Atticus defends a black man, Tom Robinson, who has been accused of raping a white female, Mayella Ewell. The main message of the text is the prominence of racial injustice, specifically in the 1930’s, the era the novel takes place in.
In the world right now, there is still inequality for all. People are criticized everyday because of how they look, speak, dress, act, etc. In America, although there is people that are changing, there with always be that small group of people that won’t change their views on what they believe is right and wrong in our society. You can also see this in the book, To Kill A Mockingbird, written by author, Harper Lee. All throughout the novel, you can see how white people are superior to the African Americans that live in the same town.
Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird was a pretty good book that took place in the 1930s in the town of Maycomb. The story is told through the eyes of the main character, Jean Louise Finch, and the story introduces many other characters. To kill a mockingbird has many big themes that played a part in the plot of the story, some of them being Courage, Cruelty, Honor, Hatred, Ignorance, Justice, Kindness, Prejudice, Tolerance and Maturation, but one of the most important themes in the story was Racism. People in the town of Maycomb display their racist attitudes by convicting Tom Robinson for a crime they know he didn't commit, by treating the African Americans and people who associate with African Americans with no respect, and by trying
Many books have been placed on the banned book list, they have been placed on the list because concerned people fear that certain books have and leave an effect on the reader. America’s classic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, has been placed on the banned book list ever since it was first published. To Kill A Mockingbird should absolutely remain on the banned book list because it shows racism throughout the entire book and teaches the reader that being prejudice is alright. As you read the novel To Kill A Mockingbird you notice that it is very racist. Throughout the novel you notice that it repeatedly uses the “n” word.
Censorship in Todays America Censorship has been a topic of debate for decades. Despite the existence of the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of speech, the United States has a long history of censoring literature. Most Americans believe that it is unethical to stifle freedom of expression, but often some of the First Amendment’s biggest supporters are its worst enemies. It shocks many to see how rampant it still is in the present day. This paper will show examples of how governments, religious institutions, and schools try to limit first amendment rights through censorship.
Some people think that to kill a mocking bird should/should not be taught in classrooms , Many schools teach To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee as part of their curriculum; however, some people think that this book is inappropriate for use in schools to teach this novel , it is important because It helps students understand how life was in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird; the book (should not/should) be taught in schools because bad language, you can learn from it, and it teaches not to hate people for what others did. first off, some people think to kill a mockingbird is not a good story to be taught, because of the bad language for example, in a recently published article( by Brian M). , he says “I turn the channel on TV at home when language gets harsh and my five-year-old daughter is sitting next to me”, However, he changes the channel because he wants his child to grow up with virtues he wants her not to be exposed to that kind of stuff Therefore, he doesn’t want his child to grow up with bad language and bad influences but tkam can be looked as a good influence when you can see the mistakes people made that is why to kill a mockingbird should be taught in classrooms.
To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee in 1960 ,is one of the most controversial novels between society and school boards. School boards across the country question whether Lee’s novel should be taught in classrooms, or if it should be banned because of the vulgar language and inappropriate context throughout the book. To Kill a Mockingbird revolves around a white family who is living in the south, and the narrator 's dad is a lawyer. His latest case is to defend a black man in court who had allegedly raped a white woman. Throughout the book a lot of harsh language was used, along with ideas that may be considered inappropriate.
People of the town including children refer to black people as “Niggers”, and raised to think of black people as lower class individuals. “To Kill A Mockingbird” has a strong message towards racism, this is learned from Scout & Jem as they mature throughout the novel and are constantly being exposed to demeaning segregation in Maycomb County. In giving Scout a lesson about racism, Atticus also does the same for the readers of the novel. This happens when Scout asks Atticus what the term ‘Nigger-lover” meant, after being insulted several of times and not knowing if it is an offensive word or not, but had a slight feeling it was when Atticus was being called at. A quote from the novel: "nigger-lover is
There is a lot of coarse language in the book which has been a reason why some people want the book banned. Harper Lee’s treatment of these subjects (themes and language) for the most part was both realistic and respectful. The themes that are in To Kill a
Harper Lee’s purpose was to show that race doesn’t define anything. In the novel, Miss Maudie says, “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” (90).