Analyzing Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird"

Should Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird be banned in middle and high schools? Why or why not?
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Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, has been subject to controversy since its publication in 1960. It has been challenged and banned several times since 1966 due to what people feel to be improper language, the uncomfortable topics of racism, rape, and subject matter, which encourages offensive and immoral words. The book and film, placed in a small town in Alabama, is told from the perspective of Scout, a little girl whose father, a lawyer, represents an African American man accused of attacking and raping a poor white lady.
Despite the much controversy surrounding Harper’s award-winning novel, To Kill a Mockingbird should be allowed because it gives students a history of the 1930s racism and prejudice and how it still shapes our culture. Also, it teaches valuable moral lessons, and it is an essential foundation for having conversations on uncomfortable and sensitive subjects.
The novel is accurately set in Deep South Alabama, where African Americans were considered inferior to white people, thus discriminated against by most white people. For instance, when Bob Ewell testified in court and was asked if he could identify the culprit, he pointed at Tom Robinson and said, “I seen that black ‘n’ yonder ruttin’ on my Mayella!” (Mulligan, 1962). In this era, a black person was considered more likely to commit a crime than a white individual, however honest and upright they were. Racism and prejudice against black people are also seen in the novel when Tom admitted that he was helping Mayella with the numerous chores because he felt sorry for her. The court was astonished by his guts, with the prosecutor asking him repeatedly, “You felt sorry for her, you felt sorry for her?” (Mulligan, 1962). An implication is that he was never allowed to feel sorry for a white woman as a black person. The statement cemented his guilty verdict. The prejudicial attitude towards black people has shaped today’s culture, where racism is still a problem, with people from different racial groups experiencing racial bias and discrimination.
The novel should not be banned as it teaches valuable moral lessons. Lee’s novel provides young students with valuable lessons on respect, equality, and understanding each other. While talking to his daughter Scout about Tom, Atticus lets her know, “You never understand a person until you consider things fr...