To Keep To Kill A Mockingbird by Laurel

To Keep To Kill A Mockingbird by Laurel - February 2015 Scholarship Essay

A tapestry of texts is woven into American curriculum. As youths stretch and swell into new forms, words of Wiesel and phrases of Fitzgerald float through their minds, permeating into a collective consciousness of useful literature. The wisdom of classics breeds a soberness of thought, while a constant influx of newly relevant novels keeps readers stylistically and culturally current. Among the menagerie of books, a nominee for widespread consumption would be Harper Lee’s American success, To Kill a Mockingbird.

Few works of fiction plait such a number of literary intricacies so seamlessly. Through the telling of the coming of age story, Lee exposes structural racism, instances of familial abuse, several issues of class, gender disparities, and the various idiosyncrasies of Southern lifestyles. High school students, upon discovering these themes, must face them resolutely and form their own set of ethics. Fortunately, Atticus Finch – the ideal man, father, and attorney- serves as a symbol of morality and an inspirational figure worthy of idealization. The impressionable youth benefits from the impressions of the just lawyer.

Additionally, To Kill a Mockingbird handles the timely topic of social outcasts and rumor among a population in which the matters are quite prevalent. Boo Radley is the illusive recluse whose character is painted grimly by ignorance. The humanity he demonstrates towards the children of the novel showcases the necessity of compassion towards those perceived negatively by the majority, as they often are merely misunderstood. This lesson in empathy is essential on the path to responsible adulthood.

There is a reason British librarians listed the book before the Bible in a must-read ranking. To Kill a Mockingbird features the problematic ingredients of society’s flaws in an approachable format. Harper Lee wrought a masterpiece worthy of casual pondering as well as intense analysis. Each and every high school student can identify a theme with which to identify; personal growth is a natural byproduct of the book. To Kill a Mockingbird deserves to become a staple of high school curriculum because no other piece of literature has the capacity to influence integrity and compassion so strongly.