Why do we still teach To Kill a Mockingbird?

I
have taught this novel with students who are
as young as eighth graders and have analyzed it
much more deeply with
students in AP English Literature. Although the book was published almost
60
years ago, I find that it is a favorite work among my students, regardless of age. And
I
think that is due to two major reasons:

It
poignantly describes
a period of American history that left deep scars in our
culture. Maycomb,
Alabama, in the early 1930s was a place
representative of many places in the South (and some
places in the North,
which isn't highlighted in many history books). Racial tensions ran deep,
and
the Civil Rights Movement was still a couple of decades away from really beginning to
pick
up steam. As a result, readers are made aware of the injustices that Tom
Robinson faces, and the
story is told from a non-biased lens via .

Scout simply reports the facts of
her town as she understands them,
and she is supported through her father, who is the only
lawyer the judge
trusts to give Tom a shot at fair representation. This moment in America's

history, which is told through such well-developed and complex , makes it a novel which
keeps
pulling readers in many decades later.

Theof the novel show
that beauty can live in
unexpected places.doesn't just show a flawed Southern
town
during his era in history. She shows that despite its flaws,
goodness
still exists there. It exists in , Miss Maudie, and even the
unexpected . She doesn't allow
readers to walk away from the book with a
singular portrait of Southern life.

She even shows the
hope that exists in the transformation of Mr. Cunningham, who at one
point is
part of a lynch mob against Tom Robinson and later leads the group away from
violence
when Scout confronts him. Another Cunningham serves on Tom's jury
and is willing to acquit Tom
at the beginning of deliberations. This shows
that racial hatred borne out of ignorance can be
overcome, and that's a
powerful theme that is important for all generations to keep

hearing.

While young students are able to appreciate the basic
history and
its place in American culture, older students are able to really
do some deep analysis oflike
Mayella Ewell and Mrs. Dubose. The novel is rich
in discussion material because it has deep and
meaningfuland well-constructed
characters.