Chelmsford Classics Book Group discussion
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To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill A Mockingbird
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Week Two: To Kill A Mockingbird as a Banned Book
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While it’s hard for me to understand why anyone would want to ban this book, I wonder if today’s students would need some historical perspective in order to appreciate its impact. For instance, Uncle Tom’s Cabin had a huge impact on its readers in the 1800s, but probably not as much for 20th century readers. Maybe today’s high school students, especially those of color, would rather read a book with an African-American as hero. Still, the messages of standing up for what is right and standing up for those without power in society are powerful themes regardless of the century.
Mod
Hi Mary! I agree about the historical perspective. Part of reading and understanding classics (of any genre) is also learning about the context in which they were written and comparing that to how we think about the same things today. In the case of TKAB, that doesn't negate Harper's message about standing up for what is right even though sometimes that it hard to do - it is a message that still resonates today.
I think To Kill a Mockingbird continues to be extremely relevant in the 21st century. The universal theme of the book is empathy - learning how to feel even a bit of what others, especially those who are different from Scout & Jem, feel as they move through their every day lives. I would present TKAM along with other writings or films that would give students a bit of "walking in someone else's shoes". If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin; or Just Mercy by Bryan Stephenson would be excellent companions to TKAM. TKAM has a place in the contemporary classroom because the theme is timeless.
Mod
Hi Becca! This is another great reason to continue to read TKAM! So we have the themes of courage and compassion. I would add that class, race and gender roles are another timeless theme - we have come a long way since TKAM was written, but perhaps not as far as we would like to think? Again, the comparison and context makes for interesting reading and reflection.
Does anyone have other themes that they would like to add to this list of reasons why TKAM is so important?
Mod
I will attempt to summarize, but please correct me!
You said that it important to be able to discuss themes of race, class, gender, caste, etc. Especially in this "post-racial" world, it is important to be able to have these open discussions.
You also commented on the age of the narrator and how that is partly what makes TKAM so important. It lets us into the story through a child's perspective, and to see the story through her ability to question the world around her. This is a skill that many adults lose over time.
My comments were merely agreeing with what you had to say! I think it is important to be able to compare/contrast how race, gender, class, etc. were perceived then and now; and how they were written about then and now. It allows us to think about how far we have come, and how far we still need to go.
I especially like Elizabeth's point about the importance of the child narrator.
Mod
I think one of the reasons books gets banned is because they upset the status quo in some way. The contain themes that challenge, provoke, makes you see things from a different POV.
After the 2008 election, there was talk of a post-racial world. Well, that has been proven wrong. Being able to talk about themes of caste, class, race, gender, etc. continue to be an important part of the human experience - we all live our lives within these constructs, whether we agree with them or not.
One of the reasons I think TKAM is powerful is the age of the narrator. She get to ask questions and explore what it means to live in this world in a way adults don't often do - mainly because we think we already know.
Unfortunately, books are regularly challenged and banned in the United States. Why might a book be challenged? The reasons are endless, but range from simple things like language to more complex arguments over racial, religious, and sexual themes.
Banned Books Week, which began in the 1980’s, celebrates that the majority of these challenged books were not banned, but remain available across the country. It also promotes awareness of censorship issues and highlights the efforts of libraries, bookstores, teachers, and community members who continually support the freedom to read.
According to the Banned Books Project at Carnegie Mellon University, To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the most frequently challenged books in the United States. Reasons include its portrayal of conflict between children and adults; ungrammatical speech, profanity and racial slurs; references to sex, rape, the supernatural, and witchcraft; and the unfavorable portrayal of black people. Numerous attempts have been made to ban the novel since its publication, and two successful cases of banning have occurred just within the past three years.
Two discussion questions for this week - pick one or both. Either way, we are looking forward to hearing your thoughts!
Librarians across America voted To Kill a Mockingbird the best novel of the twentieth century, yet the book is continuously challenged and often banned by schools and communities. What do you think makes the novel so important and yet so divisive?
As an alternative to banning To Kill a Mockingbird, how do you think the book can be presented to students so that they learn to think contextually and critically about the lessons Harper Lee intended in its pages?