As diversity, equity and inclusion policies nationwide are under attack by the Trump administration, Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird,” published in 1960 and based on Lee’s own experiences as a child in Monroeville, Alabama, still has plenty of lessons to teach its readers.
After winning a Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1961, Lee’s novel was adapted into a 1962 Oscar winning film starring Gregory Peck and Sidney Poitier. The novel, set in the 1930s Alabama, tackles institutional racism, negative stereotypes associated with people who have neurodevelopmental disorders and human morality. Scout, the six-year-old daughter of the novel’s most famous character, lawyer Atticus Finch, serves as the narrator.
The story is told over a period of a few years, and it begins with Scout, Gem and their friend Dill being obsessed with a neighborhood house that they perceive as “spooky.” The house in which Nathan Radley and his brother Arthur, otherwise known as Boo, live is not only feared by the three children, but also much of the town as well. Boo suffers from a neurodevelopmental disorder, which is never officially mentioned as Autism in the novel, but it is heavily implied. Boo is seen as a mysterious and dangerous recluse by the town, which fuels the children’s fascination with Boo and the Radley house.
The rest of the novel revolves around the courtroom drama surrounding the trial of a Black man named Tom Robinson and the powder keg it creates within the community. Tom is charged with the rape of a white women and is defended by Atticus. Institutional racism is on full display during the trial, as Atticus lays out definitive evidence that proves Tom’s innocence, but no matter how strong the evidence is, it always falls on deaf ears, making it clear the system is rigged against Tom.
The strength in “To Kill a Mockingbird” resides in its fierce social commentary on institutional racism and the mistreatment with those with neurodevelopmental disorders. Atticus Finch and Boo Radley are considered two of the most important characters in the history of American literature, and for good reason. Both characters serve as the unlikely hero figures and moral compasses, Atticus because of his race and social standing and Boo because of his neurodevelopmental disorder and the fact that he is painted as a monster by the community.
Atticus’ morality never waivers, even when he and his children are shunned by their own community and are considered traitors to their race. Boo Radley is the most gentile and socially aware character in the novel, contradicting two of the main negative stereotypes associated with Autism, which are violence and lack of social skills. These two characters remind readers that the character of people should never be judged by their exterior.
These moral lessons are the main reason the novel has been taught in high schools around the country. However, recently the book has been heavily criticized by politicians, parents and literary critics on both sides of the political spectrum.
Many conservative critics point to the novel being inappropriate for high school students due to its use of racial slurs and themes of rape. Conservative critics point to the novel as being on the reading lists of liberalized curriculums and claim that the book leads to discussions of Critical Race Theory, a polarizing theory in academics revolving around institutional racism’s prevalence in American society. Many liberal critics claim the book is void of Black voices and is centered entirely around Atticus being the heroic figure, which they claim advances the “white savior” narrative, which is prevalent in many books and Hollywood films and is considered harmful to minorities by many.
Although the harsh racial language and themes of rape are valid concerns for a high school reading audience, they are historically consistent with the era. History cannot simply be erased or avoided because it is uncomfortable, which is something society should be particularly aware of today as history and English curriculums are constantly under scrutiny. The lack of Black voices and perspectives is the fairest of the criticisms, but Atticus as a white savior is far less fair. From an obvious standpoint, SPOLIER ALERT, he cannot be considered a white savior because he does not end up saving Tom.
Atticus being a white savior is certainly worth a discussion. Yes, here is another story where the oppressive white man is painted as the only one who can save the oppressed Black man. However, in “Where Do We Go from Here?” Martin Luther King Jr. said, “White Americans must recognize that justice for Black people cannot be achieved without radical changes in the structure of our society.” While this is a valid point, radical change requires the change of laws. Laws cannot be changed without people in power pushing to change them, which historically means white men like Atticus Finch. Unfortunately, the Civil Rights Movement did not gain the steam needed to radically change laws until white people joined Black people on the front lines. Once that happened, Lyndon B. Johnson finally had enough political pressure and leverage to sign The Civil Rights Act of 1964.
In a time when DEI polices at K-12 schools, universities and places of employment are under intense scrutiny by the Trump administration, “To Kill a Mockingbird” is an important reminder why these policies even exist in the first place. As readers see in the trial of Tom Robinson, white judges, all-white juries, and a judicial system that is in place to benefit white people and oppress minorities will never be fair and balanced. Justice will never be served. Significant discrepancies in the incarceration rate between whites and minorities still exist today. Without diversity, equity and inclusion in the justice system, government, schools, and places of employment, society risks allowing systemic racism to spread like an unstoppable virus.