In Defensive of To Kill a Mockingbird, In the words of Nelson Mandela, "No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite." (Google Images) The novel To Kill a Mockingbird has been fought over for many years. Many people think it should be banned for its language and storyline, which in fact, does not make sense at all because the issues in the book exist in real life as well; they cannot be erased from history. Therefore this book should remain. It has many important values embedded in the story for us to learn, as well as a lot to teach us about our history. The novel is a world full of knowledge on just two hundred and eighty-one pages. The development of a prejudiced society from the 1930s to today, the education on the different languages used during that time period, and the historical importance behind words students don't fully comprehend are all critical reasons why To Kill a Mockingbird should not be banned.
First of all, To Kill a Mockingbird should not be banned because it is an accurate portrayal of real life in the 1930s. It teaches the reader all about how important it is not to judge others by their race and displays just how tragic racism was back then. It is a critical example of how our society has changed from such a prejudiced time period. The ones who believe this novel should be banned say it is because of the use of the n-word and the overall racism toward African Americans. Obviously, many individuals do not understand the meaning of the story as the whole novel denounces racism and prejudice. Even the main characters, such as Atticus, are angered over others' failure to think of everyone as equals. The story shows just one of the ways prejudice can stop people from making the right decision. The 1930s were very different from the present day, and much has changed for the better. To Kill a Mockingbird illustrates how life was lived back then and the harsh reality of segregation. Scout, who is a young girl living in a very important time in history, shows just how bad racism really was. How difficult and different it was to live in that time. When students read this book, they start to realize how lucky they really are to live in the time they live in, having a roof over their heads, food to eat every day, and racism is frowned upon. Our world today is often taken for granted, there are still racism issues and prejudice that exist, but it is nothing compared to the 1930s. It is important for people to know our history so that they can learn from their mistakes and prevent something as horrible as this from happening again. Most importantly, this story shows us how segregation, racism, and prejudice are for the ignorant and uneducated. Even though this novel was written in the 1960s, while people were fighting...
