Why_Should_Tkam_Be_a_Text_for_All_Year_10_People

To Kill a Mockingbird should be a text for all year ten students because it is a great novel that expresses valuable themes and messages. The main characters of this novel are inspiring, for example, Atticus. Atticus is an inspiring character as he constantly displays a positive attitude towards everybody. This novel is very popular and is read by many people around the world. According to About.com, the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, was written by Harper Lee and published in 1960. This novel has become a great success; it also won the Pulitzer Prize in 1961. To Kill a Mockingbird should be a text for all year ten students because it is a great and classic novel that gives students insight about American history during the 1930’s. In To Kill a Mockingbird it is evident that in the 1930’s, life for the African Americans in the Southern States of America was unfair and prejudiced, as they were treated with a lot less respect than the white people were. This book brings students to the realisation of the unequal society set in the novel, and it shows them that it is incorrect for black people to be treated in such a way that makes them lower than the white people. The themes revealed in To Kill a Mockingbird are very important; the main issue revealed in the novel is ‘Prejudice’ and the theme unfolded is, prejudiced thinking leads to inequality. This is evident in the novel as there are many outcasts of society due to the towns prejudiced thinking, for example, Boo Radley and Tom Robinson. To Kill a Mockingbird displays prejudice in two different ways, racially and socially. Racial prejudice is the main issue in the book and a victim of racial prejudice in the book is Tom Robinson. An example where racial prejudice is shown is at the trial. Mr. Gilmer referred to Tom as ‘boy’, and used a tone of voice as if he was talking to a very low creature, which also made Tom look foolish. This is all because Tom is black. ‘Then you were mighty polite to do all that chopping and hauling for her, weren’t you, boy'’ During the trial, Tom was misjudged and mistreated and was found guilty in the end when Atticus clearly proved he was innocent. ‘I shut my eyes. Judge Taylor was polling the jury: “Guilty…guilty…guilty…guilty…”’ Boo Radley was also a victim of prejudice as he was misjudged by the town and had rumors spread about him because he was different. An example of social prejudice in the book is when Aunt Alexandra and her ‘missionary circle’ were hypocritical and spoke about other people when they should’ve been preaching the Christian faith. ‘Hypocrites, Mrs. Perkins, born hypocrites. At least we don’t have that sin on our shoulders down here. People up there set’em free, but you don’t see ‘em settin’ at the table with ‘em.’ Courage is another theme in the book, and this novel reveals that it takes courage to overcome a prejudiced society. Through courage and bravery, characters such as Atticus and his children learn to live with the prejudice that lives in their town. They do this by showing a positive attitude towards everyone. Courage was also shown within the community. An example is when Ms. Maudies house set on fire, the men of Maycomb came straight away to help. Boo Radley also showed courage as he gave Scout a blanket because she was cold. The following quotes show the courage the men displayed: ‘Fire gushed everywhere, followed by a flurry of blankets from men on top of the adjacent houses, beating out sparks and burning chunks of wood.’ To Kill a Mockingbird should be a text for all year ten students because it contains an interesting storyline, with different characters portraying different qualities. Both the plot and characters are based on Harper Lee’s family and life. Apart from the issue of rape and racism, To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel full of humour and interest. This is because the book is in first person, as it is from a young and naïve girl’s point of view. The structure of the book is important as it starts off with a mature narrator, then flashes back to a young and naïve narrator. This attracts the reader’s interest because the opening parts of the book all starts to make sense at the end of the book. The author also uses everyday language in the dialogue to make the characters sound real and genuine. ‘You oughta let your mother know where you are’ ‘Nothin’, just sittin’ and readin’ – but they didn’t want me with ‘em.’ Overall To Kill a Mockingbird should be a text for all year ten students as it is a great novel that can really inspire students and teach them how and what life was like in the Southern States of America if you were black or simply different. This book also gives the true meaning of prejudice, courage, justice.