To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is regarded by many as a modern classic. It is also considered one of the more controversial pieces of American literature because of several factors. These include mature themes related to racial slurs, racial bias towards African-Americans, swearing, and sexual content, which raises Conservative concerns for those who read it. I am of the more liberal opinion that this is a novel that is appropriate for older junior high students and all high school students because it teaches about a part of U.S. history, specifically, racism in a southern town during the 1930s, and its effects on people. First, the novel teaches principles about how to treat others. All residents of Maycomb, Alabama are perfectly content …show more content…
A black minister says, of Robinson’s conviction, “I ain’t ever seen any jury decide in favor of a colored man over a white man.” Atticus also said, about the jury’s decision to convict Tom Robinson, “They’ve done it before and they did it tonight, and they’ll do it again, and when they do it-seems only children weep.” The saddest part is that most people in Maycomb already know what is going to happen, because Tom is Black and Mayella is white. Miss Maudie even goes so far as to tell Scout & Jem that, “Atticus Finch won’t win, and he can’t win, but he’s the only man in these parts who can keep a jury out so long in a case like this.” This quote shows that Atticus’ appointment to defend Tom Robinson was likely deliberate, to help fend off the jury’s inevitable decision, instead of to win the case. This is also an extremely prominent display of the racial bias present towards blacks. Finally, it provides a view of the past. It shows how 1930s America was as a society, especially highlighting the rampant racism present at the time. It shows the Depression, like Mr. Cunningham’s “entailment”, and how he couldn’t pay with money, so he paid in other ways, like a sack of hickory nuts he left on Atticus’ front porch. This is also displayed by the time that Atticus said that the crash hit the country folk the hardest, so everyone else started accepting other forms of payment, like potatoes or apples, instead of dollars or