Argument Essay: Should To Kill A Mockingbird Be Banned?

“An immortal classic.” “A timeless tale, long celebrated for it’s warmth and humor despite dealing with serious issues.” “A book that everyone must read.” Despite her publisher’s warnings that it would not sell, Harper Lee’s internationally acclaimed To Kill A Mockingbird has sold more than 30 million copies and has been translated into over 40 languages. The story tells the tale of children growing up, and finding love and hope in a time of racism and hate. Scout and Jem take the reader on the journey of their childhood, through their relatable experiences- sibling rivalry, gender stereotypes, friendship, and learning to stand up for yourself and others, to name a few- and pass on the valuable lessons they learn as they mature. And yet, it sits, perched at the mere 21 out of 100 on the most frequently banned books of the 20th century. The book has been objected to by parents around the nation, claiming that the themes presented in the story are unfit for middle school and high school children to read. However, I believe that To Kill A Mockingbird shouldn’t be banned, because it is a timeless classic that kids can learn from.

One reason why To Kill A Mockingbird shouldn’t be banned is because it teaches valuable lessons on standing up for yourself and what you know is right. An example of this from the text is the morals embodied by Atticus, the childrens’ father. Atticus defended Tom Robinson, even though he was black, because he knew it was the right thing to do. Atticus knew Tom was innocent, so he stood up for what he believed in. Kids all over the nation, and the world, can extract this lesson from the plot. The article “Banned Books Awareness: To Kill A Mockingbird” illustrates this point by saying: “Here we are, almost 100 years after the events in To Kill A Mockingbird and we are once again facing a bleak and uncertain financial future; rapes still occur on a daily basis; and racial strife continues to permeate many aspects of social interaction. I think what upsets people the most about the themes in this book aren’t that they are in the book but that they did, and still do exist, outside of the pages of fiction in our supposedly modern and very real society.” This demonstrates the relevance of the issues dealt with and the lessons that can be taken away from this book.Standing up for what you believe in and defending the rights of others are still critical to our existence as a moral and functioning society. This story teaches those lessons. This shows that To Kill A Mockingbird shouldn’t be banned, because it sets an example and teaches the reader things that are very applicable to real life.

Another reason why To Kill A Mockingbird shouldn’t be banned is because all of the language that may be deemed inappropriate, is used historically and is accurate to the time period. The story is set in a time where equality wasn’t always reality for everyone in this country- especially black people. It would be unrealistic for the author to write about these issues and not include the language that was involved in them, so therefore, it is unrealistic for a reader to expect this. The article “Banned Book: To Kill a Mockingbird” states: “The N-word is not okay to come out of our mouths, and we want our children to know that. [However], To Kill a Mockingbird does not set that behavior as an example. Author Harper Lee merely paints the picture of a small Alabama town as it was in the early part of the 20th century...White people didn’t always treat African-American people properly or with respect...Hiding the negative potential common to all people doesn’t change historical fact.” Indeed, trying to act as if our country’s past didn’t happen won’t change anything. Lee uses the language perfectly accurately, as objectionable as it may be, because it was how things were at the time. Lee should not be punished as an author for merely keeping her stories true to history. Preventing your children from reading the N-word doesn’t mean that people never said it. This proves how To Kill A Mockingbird shouldn’t be banned, because the language is historically accurate and true to the time period and location where it takes place.

Some may claim that To Kill A Mockingbird should be banned from schools and libraries because it doesn’t teach kids that prejudice and injustice is wrong. The article “Banned Books Awareness: To Kill A Mockingbird” explains this claim: “To Kill A Mockingbird faced challenges over concerns that the treatment of racism was not condemned harshly enough, which lead to contrasting perceptions between blacks and whites.” However, I believe that this claim can be disproved. Although the book doesn’t outright announce that racism is bad, the plot strongly provides text examples of main characters crossing racial borders and doing what’s right, regardless of skin color. Atticus defending Tom Robinson, or the family’s kindness towards Calpurnia, their African-American housemaid, show the reader that all people are equal and deserve respect. Just because racism exists in the plot does not mean that the author is encouraging it. The injustice that Tom Robinson faced, or the depiction of a black woman working in a white household do not tell the reader that blacks are below whites and are not as deserving of justice; not every story has a happy ending, and just because things don’t go as they should in the book doesn’t mean that the author believes it’s fair. This shows that even though some may claim that To Kill A Mockingbird is inappropriate because it doesn’t explicitly disencourage racism; however, this is not true, because the more subtle plot features clearly demonstrate a call for equality and an anti-prejudice focus.

To Kill A Mockingbird is a story that has has affected millions of children, teenagers and adults worldwide. It’s strong and symbolic plot has taught so many to treat others fairly and with respect. It truly exemplifies what it means to be a good person, and these lessons easily permeate through the text to the lives of everyone who reads it. Although the book contains questionable themes that parents and educators may be opposed to, they are used appropriately and only enhance the realistic quality of the story, all while representing important moral attitudes. An old saying from James Bryce reads: “The worth of a book is to be measured by what you can carry away from it.” If this is true, To Kill A Mockingbird is priceless.

Social Awareness Project

Social Awareness Project Part One: Interview

For this part of my project, I interviewed my mom, Julie. She works as a recruiter in Manhattan.

Jane: Can you tell me a little bit about what you do?

Julie: I am a recruiter at a full service staffing agency that places people in both permanent and temporary positions. I am one of the founders of the company, and I’m a director, so I’m also responsible for some of the managerial aspects of the company.

Jane: Why is recruiting an important job?

Julie: Recruiting is important for our clients, who are various companies, because it enables them to maintain their workforce, add staff where needed, and grow as a company. It’s very important to NYC as a whole, because it provides people with jobs, which helps to improve and sustain the economy.

Jane: Why did you want to become a recruiter?

Julie: I’ve always been good with people. When I was presented with the opportunity, I wanted to become a recruiter because I have always wanted to help people. My career has always been about helping people- I was a criminal prosecuter, who helps people who were victims of crimes. When I stepped away from the legal world, I felt that I wanted to continue helping people. Recruiting was a different way to do this, but in a different form.

Jane: How many placements do you make in a year?

Julie: I don’t know an exact number. I place people in permanent and temporary positions all the time, so the number is definitely in the hundreds.

Jane: What kind of companies do you work with?

Julie: A very broad range of industries. We work with finance, legal, media and advertising, branding, fashion, entertainment and real estate. Those are the major areas in which we place people.

Jane: Has your job affected the way you view people that you meet?

Julie: I think I’m able to read people better after all of these years of doing this. I am more attentive to the way people speak, carry themselves and present themselves from being a recruiter.

Jane: How do you think your job has influenced you as a person? What skills or lessons have you learned?

Julie: Recruiting has changed me as a person because it has made me more empathetic. Looking for a job is a very vulnerable position to be in. I also think it has made me a better listener, and it has helped me create better relationships.

Jane: What kind of candidate are you looking for?

Julie: It depends on the job, but generally I’m looking for candidates who are warm, engaging, articulate, and know how to represent themselves in a way that is professional and meaningful.

Jane: Do you believe you have changed the world, even in a small way?

Julie: I believe that in some way, I have. I believe that I have passed on or taught my candidates to be confident and how to represent themselves in a positive way. There is nothing better than helping someone start or continue their career. It’s just a great feeling to know I have helped someone in that way. However, I am just a part of that- my candidates work hard for what they want.

Jane: Do you believe that your candidates, or even young people in general, have the capability to change the world?

Julie: I do. Especially recent college graduates that I meet, embarking on their first professional job, a great education and internship experience under their belt. They will change the world because these young adults, many of them starting out at very junior positions, will someday be the leaders of the companies they join.

Social Awareness Project Part 2: Poem

For this part of my project, I wrote an original poem about social issues.

She sits in a corner

in a playground, alone

she told all her “friends”

that she had gone home.

She slashes her wrists,

no tears on her face

a constant depression

only pain can replace.

“I’ve cooked up your favorite!”

her mother would say

she’d play with her food

then push it away.

That night in her bed

her stomach will ache

she can’t sleep with the hunger

so instead she lies awake.

Thinking about food

and the cuts on her wrists

and all her fake friends

her hands ball into fists.

Her friends call her “chubs”

and make fun of her cuts

they think it’s a joke

and they say that she’s nuts.

But what they don’t know

is behind the scenes

she’s doing it for them

she’s trying to please.

She doesn’t like the teasing

she doesn’t like the names

she doesn’t want to see her life

go down in flames.

But her spirit is broken

too weak to make amends

she didn’t do this to herself

no, she did not. It was her friends.

Social Awareness Project Part 3: Nonfiction Response

For this part of my project, I wrote a nonfiction response about a controversial issue that was discussed in an article.

          The Upfront Magazine article “To Kill or Not to Kill?” By Patricia Smith, is a thought-provoking article about the death penalty, and whether or not it should be continued in the United States. The author discusses many graphic botched executions, and includes that a punishment of death is irreversible- and in a world full of human error, there’s always the possibility of taking the life of an innocent person. The author of this article clearly has sided with those opposing the death penalty, and wants to teach readers that killing people, no matter what the circumstance, is always wrong.

One example of how the author conveys this message is by how the article discusses many botched executions (situations where the lethal injection didn’t work.) These circumstances are awful to read about, because they sound painful and unbearable, even for a capital criminal. The author put this evidence in specifically to horrify the reader with the truth of the death penalty. The text states, “Everyone watching the execution of Clayton Lockett last April knew instantly that something had gone terribly wrong. Lockett was strapped to a gurney in the death chamber of the Oklahoma State Penitentiary and had been given an injection when he started kicking, twitching, and then writhing and moaning in agony.” This text example helps to support the author’s point because it uses Clayton Lockett as an example of how the death penalty can go horribly wrong. This is one example of why the author believes the death penalty should be abolished- it can have many dangerous and harmful effects.

Another example of how the author supports their thesis is with the example that death is simply too final in a world where mistakes can occur. The death penalty is irreversible, and you can never be 100% sure that a criminal committed a crime- there will always be a chance that they are innocent. The author includes specific data in order to prove their point- the article states, “In recent years, exonerations of death row inmates, based on DNA and other evidence, have led to charges that the death penalty is simply too irreversible a punishment. Since 1973, 144 death row inmates have been exonerated.” The author includes the statistic because they want to realized that 144 innocent people were dealt the ultimate punishment, and didn’t deserve it. There are absolutely more innocent people who have been put to death. The author proves this point by using statistics, because it is an understandable format for the reader- also, because the numbers are shocking and will definitely persuade the reader. This is another reason why the author is opposed to the death penalty- mistakes can happen, and death is completely irreversible.

The author of this article used persuasive tactics to prove the point that the death penalty is wrong. Before reading this article, I didn’t see anything wrong with the death penalty- everyone around me had been telling me that killing and committing other awful crimes is wrong- naturally, I thought that murderers and criminals deserved the ultimate punishment. But, after reading this article, my opinion has definitely changed. I realize that in a world full of human error, the “murderers” being executed may be innocent people being punished for someone else’s crime.  I have also learned that the death penalty can be dangerous and detrimental to health- the accounts the author included of botched executions sounded agonizingly painful. This article has taught me that maybe, the punishment doesn’t always fit the crime.