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Literature has the power to move people. In the course of human history, many writers have produced exhilarating works that have inspired and induced awe in the coming generations with valuable lessons. There is no denying that many books were written for that specific period. Later, they lost their charm and appeal and became obsolete.
One of such books is To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. When the book was published, it garnered a lot of controversy because of its subject. The book was set in the South of the nation and dealt with the volatile issue of racism. In the coming years, the book and its writer found a solid base of loyal fans. Lately, the book has been often suggested to be banned by school boards.
In this article, we will shed light on some of the arguments that want the book to be banned.
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Reasons Why To Kill a Mockingbird Should Be Banned
The Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, was first published in 1960. It was immensely popular and controversial at the same time and made its author, Harper Lee, a sensation overnight. Contrarily, at the end of the 20th century and later on, there have been many petitions to ban books from public schools. To Kill A Mockingbird was not the only classic that was taking the heat. Another classic The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn was also petitioned to be ruled out.
Following are some of the reasons cited by the proponents of the ban:
- Use of Profanity
- Discussion of Rape & Sexuality
- Mishandling of Race Relations
- Pseudo-Intellectualism
- Mishandling of Addiction
- Gender Stereotyping
- Disregard For Law & Order
Now, let us take a look at each one of the reasons under the microscope to see why the work should be added to the banned book list.
Use of Profanity
The book is laden with profanity and offensive language that is not suitable for kids to learn in school. Literature is taught to help students understand the world they live in through the eyes of characters. They learn how to deal with anger and calamity and how to be steadfast in the event of imminent danger.
To Kill A Mockingbird very less in this regard. In addition to this, the liberal use of profane terms and racial slurs makes it hard for teachers and instructors to explain the story completely to students.
High school students are very much impressionable and they need quality literature to learn the language as well as the underlying dynamics of the story concerning the real world.
Discussion of Rape & Sexuality
The whole plot of the novel revolves around a trial in a Southern small town. A black man was falsely accused of rape by a white woman. The lawyer who stood up for the black man was a white man, the father of the narrator.
Since To Kill A Mockingbird was written around sixty years ago, it carries the notions of sexuality, rape, and their causes that turned out to be false.
This can be explained through a character that was repeatedly raped and abused by her father – Mayella.
The problem with the work is that it is being taught to the kids and they get to explore the themes in detail with added concreteness to the idea.
That’s why parents and school committees are of the view that the book should be banned.
Mishandling of Race Relations
The story took place in the South. Throughout its history, the region has been notorious for volatile race relations. The book did not do any justice to the idea. A black man was falsely accused of rape by a white woman. His attorney was a white man and the father of the narrator. The narrator had a maid – a black woman who also added to the mix of the affairs through her intellect.
In all its sincerity of work, To Kill A Mockingbird failed to handle race relations in a just and considerate way. This is one of the key reasons why many teachers have raised their voices to ban the book.
Pseudo-Intellectualism
Since the narrator of the story is a white young girl, everything in the novel is painted through her innocent and ever-curious eyes. This innocence can be lauded and seems beautiful in fantasy and action stories. But a novel based on racial tensions and rape trials, this innocence caused serious problems.
The misjudgment of characters, thinking good of someone and bad of others, and so many more reasons that the book has faced backlash.
To many readers, it felt like Harper Lee wanted to paint a certain picture and used an innocent girl to do that with impunity. That’s why parents think the mockingbird should be banned.
Mishandling of Addiction
In To Kill A Mockingbird, the character of Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose was a morphine addict. Later, she overcame her addiction through willpower and help from Jesse. This is, again, a false glorification of something that cannot be true and reproduced in the real world. The idea was even augmented when Atticus Finch told his children that she was one of the most resilient and bravest women he had known.
Addiction is a tough vice to overcome and needs more than just willpower or a supporting individual. Harper Lee shows that it can happen is serious dishonesty to young readers.
Gender Stereotyping
Another one of the ongoing themes that exists in the novel is its conformity toward gender stereotyping. There are many instances where Scout had to face severe criticism at the hands of other women due to her lack of feminine traits.
In the same manner, at another place in the book, this stereotyping can be experienced in its full swing. In the scene Jim attends tea with the ladies, women were shown to be mere channels for gossip and not three-dimensional human beings with a depth of thought.
Disregard for Law & Order
There is a scene where the writer deliberately showed disregard for law and order through her characters. In the incident where Boo killed Bob and Heck Tate and Atticus manipulated the crime scene – all to save Bob’s neck.
This shows that the writer was so concerned about racism and how it affects the mid-20th century American South. But still, she failed to show the true face in the event of adversity and how so-called upstanding people behave when the life of one of their own is on the line.
Conclusion
Since its first publishing in 1960, Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, has garnered a lot of criticism. In recent times, the book has been banned by public schools through the insistence of parents. The book carries elements of racism, gender stereotyping, glorification of crime to some extent, as well as the mistreatment of rape and sexuality. Due to these and so many more reasons, this book should be banned in schools and should be replaced with other books – better books. This way, not only students can learn the language and the literature, but also understand the deep dynamics of human nature in times of peace and crisis.
Sources:
- https://bannedbooks.library.cmu.edu/harper-lee-to-kill-a-mockingbird/
- https://languageartsclassroom.com/2021/04/why-im-tired-of-teaching-to-kill-a-mockingbird.html
- https://www.history.com/news/why-to-kill-a-mockingbird-keeps-getting-banned