'To Kill a Mockingbird' Returns, Debate Remains
Amid concerns, freshmen students read a classic novel after it makes its return to the English curriculum.
By Gabi Vasquez Del Mercado
Amid concerns, freshmen students read a classic novel after it makes its return to the English curriculum.
By Gabi Vasquez Del Mercado
Over the years, the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” has been taught by freshman English teachers as a resource to address racism in the United States. Last year, the book was temporarily removed from the curriculum before returning to classrooms again this school year.
During distance learning, “To Kill a Mockingbird” was not taught because ninth grade English teachers had a number of concerns about the book. Those concerns included outdated depictions of racism and the idea that a book by a white woman about a white lawyer played into the trope of “white saviorism,” a literary device in which white people are depicted as the heroes of a story about racism by white people.
“While ‘TKAM’ is canonical and beloved by many, it has many problems. It’s a book about racism where none of the characters of color have any agency. It also suffers from white savior complex, the only way for Tom Robinson can be saved is through a white man,” said former Pioneer English teacher Nicole Iskandar, who helped make the decision to skip the book last year.
Iskandar’s fellow former teacher Laura Cozzella echoed those sentiments.
“The reality is that there are a lot of young adult books out there that are by and for people of color. (Reading) allows us to get or view life experiences that we might never get to otherwise...In a school with Pioneer’s demographics, I find that value to be particularly important to teach young people,” said Cozzella, who was also a part of the book decisions last year.
There was also a concern that teaching a book like that over distance was not as effective as it could be.
“It is long and sometimes difficult to teach and is getting more and more outdated as time goes by. While it deals with important issues of racism, it is written from the perspective of a white woman and does not deal with the issues we face today with racism,” said English Department chair Beth Stafford.
The students who read it this year had mostly positive things to say.
“I like the book, it’s well written and discusses racism in an open and honest way,” said Marcos Cournoyer, 9, who said he disagrees with the idea that it should not be taught. “I think it’s kind of stupid to be honest, these topics need to be talked about if we want to fix them.”
Although outdated, some students said they felt it was an accurate representation of the racism in America from when the book was written.
“I do think the book is an accurate representation of racism of that time,” said Mario Valdez, 9. “It is pretty easy to follow and my teacher helps us out if we get stuck.”
First-year freshman teacher Stephanie Harvey, who read the book while a sophomore at Pioneer, said that she has read the book several times, including this year with her classes, and thinks it does “bring (opportunities) for discussion,” but has identified other books that deal with the same topic that could be better.
“Overall the response has been positive but it is somewhat of a downer because all along we know that this black man is going to be seen as guilty,” said Harvey. “I think a book that discusses a lot of the same themes and ideas is ‘Stamped,’ I had a student read it last year independently and he really enjoyed it. It brings really relevant and topical conversations so that’s a book I really want to see in the future here.”
During distance learning, “To Kill a Mockingbird” was not taught because ninth grade English teachers had a number of concerns about the book. Those concerns included outdated depictions of racism and the idea that a book by a white woman about a white lawyer played into the trope of “white saviorism,” a literary device in which white people are depicted as the heroes of a story about racism by white people.
“While ‘TKAM’ is canonical and beloved by many, it has many problems. It’s a book about racism where none of the characters of color have any agency. It also suffers from white savior complex, the only way for Tom Robinson can be saved is through a white man,” said former Pioneer English teacher Nicole Iskandar, who helped make the decision to skip the book last year.
Iskandar’s fellow former teacher Laura Cozzella echoed those sentiments.
“The reality is that there are a lot of young adult books out there that are by and for people of color. (Reading) allows us to get or view life experiences that we might never get to otherwise...In a school with Pioneer’s demographics, I find that value to be particularly important to teach young people,” said Cozzella, who was also a part of the book decisions last year.
There was also a concern that teaching a book like that over distance was not as effective as it could be.
“It is long and sometimes difficult to teach and is getting more and more outdated as time goes by. While it deals with important issues of racism, it is written from the perspective of a white woman and does not deal with the issues we face today with racism,” said English Department chair Beth Stafford.
The students who read it this year had mostly positive things to say.
“I like the book, it’s well written and discusses racism in an open and honest way,” said Marcos Cournoyer, 9, who said he disagrees with the idea that it should not be taught. “I think it’s kind of stupid to be honest, these topics need to be talked about if we want to fix them.”
Although outdated, some students said they felt it was an accurate representation of the racism in America from when the book was written.
“I do think the book is an accurate representation of racism of that time,” said Mario Valdez, 9. “It is pretty easy to follow and my teacher helps us out if we get stuck.”
First-year freshman teacher Stephanie Harvey, who read the book while a sophomore at Pioneer, said that she has read the book several times, including this year with her classes, and thinks it does “bring (opportunities) for discussion,” but has identified other books that deal with the same topic that could be better.
“Overall the response has been positive but it is somewhat of a downer because all along we know that this black man is going to be seen as guilty,” said Harvey. “I think a book that discusses a lot of the same themes and ideas is ‘Stamped,’ I had a student read it last year independently and he really enjoyed it. It brings really relevant and topical conversations so that’s a book I really want to see in the future here.”