From the moment Harper Lee’s great American novel was released in 1960, “To Kill a Mockingbird” has had major impacts on American school systems. The book’s weighty topics reach far beyond the typical studies of characterization and symbolism and encourage students to consider themes of racism and social justice.
For those who are unfamiliar with the book, “Mockingbird” revolves around a white family of three in Maycomb, Alabama -- Atticus Finch, a small-town attorney, and his two children, Scout and Jem. The plot focuses on a court trial, during which Finch defends Tom Robinson, a black man, who has been accused of rape by Mayella Ewell, a white woman. Even though it was published in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement, many believe that the novel remains just as vital for young American readers in 2019.
While many high schools across the U.S. still teach “Mockingbird,” other high schools have been removing the novel from their curriculum. One of the earliest recollections of a U.S. school opposing “Mockingbird’s” concepts was in Hanover County, Virginia, in 1966. The school board stated that the book’s theme of rape, and the fact that Tom was found guilty, was “immoral.”
Since then, many other schools across the U.S. have joined Hanover County in opposition to “Mockingbird.” The mature content, potential to marginalize students, frequent use of the n-word, and storytelling from a white person’s perspective are commonly cited reasons for why schools have decided to remove, or even ban, the novel.
This school year, Saline High School joins that growing list of schools. The decision wasn’t easy, with English Department members divided on the issue.
Mr. Steve Laatsch, Assistant Superintendent of Instructional Services for Saline Area Schools, said, “We feel like the benefits of being able to present different viewpoints and different views of [similar themes] outweigh the fact that some people might be upset about it being replaced.”
Administrators and teachers are quick to say “Mockingbird” has not been “removed” -- just “replaced.”
“I don’t know if the term ‘removing’ is right because, in some schools, they’ve gone through this process of banning ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ and that’s not what’s happening here,” Laatsch said. “If students want to read ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ on their own, or in small groups, that’s fine.”
There are several reasons that led to the "Mockingbird’s” replacement in SHS. In the opinion of some, the novel depicts Atticus as a “white savior.”
Mrs. Kelly Tressler, freshman English teacher, said, “There is a large part of the book that is putting Atticus up as a white savior who’s going to fix everything, and the fact is that he actually doesn’t fix anything. Tom is dead at the end of the book, so there’s no change for the person whose very life depends on that society changing. There is change in the book, characters do change, but not Tom.”
Other teachers within the English Department think that the portrayal of Atticus as a white savior can be valuable food for classroom conversation. Ms. Madelyn Clark, Honors English teacher, said, “I saw [Atticus’s white savior portrayal] as an opportunity to talk with kids: ‘What does that mean?’ and ‘What does that story kind of sell to us as readers?’ I thought that could be a great way to discuss the book… to be kind of real and open about ‘What are the flaws within this text?’ and ‘Let’s consider when Harper Lee wrote this and how does it affect a 21st Century audience, opposed to when she wrote it in the 1960s?’”
The frequency of the n-word also played a role in the replacement of “Mockingbird” in SHS. This isn’t the first time schools across the nation have worried about the use of the word. “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” is often banned because the n-word is used 219 times within its pages.
“The n-word is a word that is very, very loaded. It’s very problematic, and it’s a word unlike almost any other word in our language,” Tressler said. “The historical implications of that word and what it was used for...we’ve not really dealt with completely, and I’m talking as a nation.”
Although every teacher interviewed agrees that the n-word has no place in casual conversation, some see the classroom as a safe place to have discussions about the word. Clark explained, “As a department, we would obviously address that word in class and talk about why it’s not an okay word to use; [we would] discuss the historical context.”
Another concern raised by administrators and members of the department is that the story was written by a white author and told from a white child’s lens. That is perceived to be a problem when using a novel to open up a discussion on race. Tressler said, “We want to talk about other people who are maybe different in the status quo or the dominant, so we felt there were other texts out there, more current texts, that you could still have about discussions about that.”
Clark spoke on the matter as well, stating, “I thought the book gave us an opportunity to talk about some issues regarding race, and I think that in Saline we have such a white population that I think it’s important that students are exposed to those kinds of conversations and are exposed to our history – not that they aren’t in other places, but sometimes it can be more jarring to learn about that through a fictional story.”
“‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ is largely a story that’s been depicted from a white author’s viewpoint,” Laatsch said. “We’ve had a lot of conversations with our Diversity and Equity Inclusion Committee, who said, ‘Well this is an opportunity to look at different types of texts that can be used for our core novels.’”
In regard to what books will replace “Mockingbird,” administrators and teachers are looking into books that come from more diverse perspectives.
“We’ve had a number of conversations with the English Department saying, ‘If we want to teach about racism and social justice, should we also be looking at different viewpoints that are coming from different types of authors?’” Laatsch said. “And so in this case, that’s what we’re suggesting: the English Department moves forward and looks at different types of texts, which they’ve already been doing.”
In the 2019-2020 year, English 9 classes will be experimenting with different books in place of "Mockingbird.” These possible replacements include “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian,” “Animal Farm,” and “A Step From Heaven.”
“We’re kind of feeling it out,” Tressler said.
In Honors English 9, Clark is looking into the book “Just Mercy,” a nonfiction read about a black lawyer who goes to bat for people who have been wrongfully convicted.
“It’s being replaced by another option, to what we think can still do a good job of expressing different viewpoints, different author’s perspectives on similar themes,” Laatsch stated.
Although sad about letting go of a timeless classic, Clark is optimistic for the future: “I’m excited about the chance to teach books that are new and maybe a little bit more current and offer a different perspective.”
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