Background
Harper Lee was born in Monroeville Alabama on April 28 in 1926, a sleepy town that is similar in various ways to Maycomb the setting of the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Atticus Finch, the father of Scout the protagonist and narrator of the novel was a lawyer just like lee’s father. Truman Capote, a novelist, and essayist was one of lee’s childhood friends whom she depicted as an inspiration for the character Dill ( Felty, 2009) . However, Lee maintained that the novel was not intended to exhibit her personal life but an imprecise southern town.
Nonetheless, the novel's setting and characters are not only similar to her life but also aspects and events that happened in lee's childhood. When Lee was five years old in 1931, nine young African American men were arrested with the allegations of raping two white women in Scottsboro Alabama. After a lengthy, highly publicized and series of bitter rivalry, five of the men were sentenced to prison ( Bartneck et.al, 2007) . Many notable lawyers and American citizens view these sentences as false and motivated by racial prejudice. The women who accused the men were suspected of lying and this case serves as a seed for the trials depicted in the heart of the novel. Critics posit that the novel was unconvincing because of narrative voice was of a nine years old and they said that the novel was overly moralistic.
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However, in the early 1960s, the atmosphere was racially charged, and hence it became an enormous, popular and successful book. In 1961, Lee was awarded the Pulitzer Praise Award and sold over fifteen million copies ( Felty, 2009) . Two years later after publishing the book, a film version based on the novel which features Gregory Peck as Atticus won the Academy Award. Meanwhile, Lee avoided the public eye and interviews, and she refused to write the script of the film, and she only published few short pieces after 1961. The novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” remains as her sole published novel. The author returned to Monroeville where she lives.
Despite the close of slavery in the 1860s when President Abraham Lincoln released the Emancipation Proclamation, African Americans have continued to suffer being denied most of their basic rights, although the novel is set in the south in the 1930s, conditions had significantly improved. The civil right an association was taking shape in the 150s and the principles has just begun to find a voice in the courtrooms and law ( Bartneck et.al, 2007) . There were cultural differences prevalent between n the northerners and southerners. The author touches on different social concerns that affected the black community. Foremost the issues of racism particularly in the southern states in America during the mid-1930s. The focus of the novel is the accusation brought forth by Bob Ewell against Tom Robinson which breeds hostility and animosity towards Atticus and his children because of defending Tom ( Haggerty, 2009) .
Significance to ELA
Over fifty years ago “to kill a mockingbird’ was a controversial and influential novels ever written. It was popular because of highlighting the social problems affecting the southern parts of America particularly racism and prejudice. The message was clear, and it swept the public across geographic and demographics boundaries ( Bartneck et.al, 2007) . The novel is not just a classic, but it has remained prominent up to date 60 years later. Since its publication in the 1960s few people who attended high school and college without necessarily reading the novel or watching the movie. Apparently, that can be said to other works of literature, but this novel remained to be a favorite for many people. The book highlights the best and worst times of the American society, the themes central in the book revolve around the climate that was prevalent in the 1930s.The novel highlights the civil rights movement in the parts of America which became a major concern. The book has survived for many generations ( Halpern, 2008) . The characters in the books ranging from Atticus, Mayella, Tom, Raymond, dill, scout and the rest depict the real situations that were popular in the south. The novel message is about human nature and learning about distinguishing between right and wrong.
The author communicates the message of equality, justice, and tolerance. The issue of racism and prejudice is central and the author aimed at expressing its implications to the people. The novel remains significant because numerous people use the novel as a basis from which they could address important issues. It is popular in schools since it assists teachers to communicate critical messages about forgiveness and standing up tall for what is right ( Haggerty, 2009) . The novels serve as a history lesson whereby children learn about how things were in the past. The book raises many issues that result to strong emotions. The issues addressed in the book are relevant up to date, and it serves as a reminder that people need to take issues such as racism seriously. Furthermore, the novel is influential since it bridges the gap between the people regarding their age, religion, and race.
Personal significance
Atticus, the core character of the novel, is accountable for the stability of the society. He displays a character of humility, stability, and high moral standards. In other words, he is a character of stability in a rather unstable society, is a balanced character who can handle highly and unreasonable emotions in the town where he lives. He can handle the white prejudiced masses and still handle the underprivileged black community in Maycomb. Atticus is one of the few individuals who comprehended the worth of a person irrespective of their color. He defends Tom Robinson grounded on the concept of equality and justice ( Bartneck et.al, 2007) . He argues that all men are created equal. This justifies that Atticus believes in equality not only because of the race but also class, sex, and religions. His perspective on justice and equality serves a symbol of his psychological stability in the novel.
Self-righteous people surround him, and Atticus can maintain an emotional ground. The town is faced with rampant prejudice, yet he finds time and courage to teach Jem and Scott that they should learn to be understanding and compassionate to conditions and problems facing other people in life ( Shields, 2007) . He chooses to live his life govern his children on the basis of his values. In a town filled with inequality and prejudice, Atticus remains steadfast believing that people should be judged grounded in person within. He inculcates this value to Jem and Scout by teaching them that they should always strive to understand other people from their point of view. Atticus appears to be striving to make the society a better place starting with his family.
The tolerance of racism and the passivity of Atticus Finch
Although Atticus Finch is regarded as a hero he is more of a passive hero. As a passive hero, he takes the case of Tom Robinson who is accused of raping a white woman. Such actions have never been seen in Maycomb a racist town. By taking the case, he created a lot of hostility and anxiety among the whites ( Bartneck et.al, 2007) . Atticus is focused on winning the case just like any other. Though the town people are hostile towards him, Atticus does not change his stand. They are bitter because he defends a black man and uses words like “nigger-lover” to indicate their dissatisfaction. The town people even attempt to hurt Tom in jail, but Atticus protects him. He believes that everyone is equal and he tells Scout that the people of Maycomb have a sickness because of their inability to view a black individual as a real person.
Atticus is not the kind of a person who can stand up or scream in outrage against the racist people of Maycomb. He is considered as a passive hero because he does not stand up against racism rooted in Maycomb town ( Shields, 2007) . Professionally, Atticus holds a good position that could assist the African American and yet he does not. He believes that people should not hate other not even Hitler. Atticus is aware of the Ku Klux Klan, and he does not believe that they are bad individuals ( Blackford, 2011) . He chose to ignore Maycomb society and live his life. He does not stand up against the mob or even people who utter rude words and the stereotypes existing in the tin. He tolerates all these challenges but does not take up any actions ( Bartneck et.al, 2007) . Furthermore, he does not correct people who constantly refer him as a “nigger lover.” He treats Mrs. Dubose with respect and kindness, yet she is a racist, and his treatment towards Dubose appears to be like she does nothing wrong.
Atticus often teaches his children about, equality, justice, tolerance, and decency. However, he doesn’t practice it himself. For instance, if justice should be promoted he does not fight the injustice demonstrated by the Ku Klux Klan and the racists' people in Maycomb. Additionally, he disapproves Mayella for liking an African American as if she has done something bad. Just like he teaches his children about the significance of values in the society he does not make an effort to teach the society. Atticus confines his knowledge and skills in his family and does not extend it to the community which is rooted in racism and prejudice. Atticus is a passive racist even though he may not openly demonstrate this or go lynching. He ignores the struggles of the African Americans and yet he is in a position to do something about the predominant injustices. He does not advise people to utilize derogatory terms and opt to remain tolerant about it. He is confident that everyone is good and doesn’t feel like the racists are bad.
Both Atticus and Mr. Raymond have similar attributes such as they enjoy the company of individuals irrespective of their race. They are aware of the cruelty of racism and its implications for people. They have a desire to see equality and justice in the judicial system as well as among the people of Maycomb. Additionally the come from wealthy families ( Bartneck et.al, 2007) . Although Mr. Raymond is a drunk, he does not care about other people opinion just like Atticus who sticks to his principles. These individuals are discriminated on different accounts. Atticus is discriminated because of his decision to defend a black man who is accused of raping a young white woman ( Shields, 2007) . On the other hand, Raymond is discriminated because of his drinking behaviors and his preference to hand around the black than the whites. Unlike Raymond who gives the people and impression by faking his drunkenness so that they can excuse his preference towards the black to alcoholism, Atticus decides to defend Tom Robinson because he believes every person is equal.
What Atticus exemplifies to white audience
Throughout the novel, Atticus impresses the audience with his parenting styles. He seems to comprehend how to build a caring and respectful relationship with his children and still execute his authority ( Shields, 2007) . In the novel, Atticus is a single parent who raises two children namely Jem and Scout. Scout is six years old whereas Jem is ten years old. Scout whose real name is Jean Louise has challenges with the necessity of going to school and Jem becomes a teenager who develops a yearning for independence. The novel provides parenting advice that cannot be found easily in the contemporary parenting books. Most of the parenting books are filled with studies, jargon, and theories but in the novel Atticus sets a good example to the parents through his actions. Compared to theories on parenting guides, the novel provides an interesting and entertaining way for parents to learn about effective learning. According to Diana Baurind, a psychologist who developed styles of parenting, Atticus can be categorized in the group of authoritative parents.
Authoritative parents are keen on respecting the interests of the children and expressing affection to them. Additionally, they encourage the development of the identity of the children. They set reasonable boundaries’ by informing the children about the rationale behind these boundaries. Atticus teaches the audience the significance of balancing between discipline and affection. Throughout the novel, he conveys his love to the Jem and Scout in words and gestures. For instances when Scout and Jem put their efforts on building a snowman that hardly covers the ground he unleashes his pride and love for Jem by praising him. He says that he did now how he was going to do that but from now on Atticus will never worry what his son will become because he always has an idea. Another instance is when Atticus and Scout are conversing about his legal case, and at the end, he tells Scout to crawl into his lap and gently put his arms around her, both scenes depicts Atticus genuine love to Jem and Scout. Similarly, Atticus put strict measure because Jem and Scout tend to challenge them at certain situations.
The fact that his children must obey his rules is based on his love-based type of disciple. When Jem and Scout hang around Radley Place, Atticus clearly tells them that to stop it because he is too old to go around chasing them at Radley property ( Watson, 2010) . In this scene, Atticus conveys his rules and reasons with utmost respect rather than anger. In fact, Atticus does not use physical force to disciple his children. Besides, the love-based discipline he ensures that the boundaries he sets are reasonable and fair. Consequently, Jem and Scout respect his limits as well as his role as a parent. For instance, even though he has to keep on reminding scout to stop fighting severally, she ultimately realizes that it would be better to stop her bad habit because she will end up disappointing Atticus.
Deficit Thinking
Deficit thinking is described as the notion that students’ failure is based on factors which cannot be controlled by the school. Deficit thinking is a pervasive problem that exists in nearly every aspect of education. Deficit thinking is linked to assumptions that students from low-income families and color are limited by the individual, situational and cultural deficits that schools cannot change. Consequently, these children receive fewer social and educational benefits. The achievement gap is the most prominent effects of deficit thinking. Deficit thinking results in educational activities that prevent some students from receiving equal an equitable education. They are barred from educational opportunities compared to the privileged peers. Deficit thinking suggests that students’ who often fail in school is due to internal deficits such as limited intellectual capacities, lack of motivation, immoral behaviors, linguistic shortcomings and cultural differences leading to the education crisis.
The crisis of underachievement has been linked to certain groups such as the African American the Native Americans and the Latinos students. Deficit thinking has negative effects on the students and the education sector. It nurtures an inequitable education system which limits the potential and growth of every student ( Watson, 2010) . One of the major messages brought about by deficit thinking is students’ incompetence which leads to deskilling of the marginalized students. For most students’ whose linguistic and cultural background differs or students from low socio-economic upbringings compared to the white peers, deficit thinking generates challenges to acquire an equitable education. In the school system, people are ignorant about the effects of deficit thinking to the marginalized students’. People make assumptions without necessarily understanding students’ on a personal level. Atticus promotes deficit thinking in the classroom because he fails to address racism and prejudice yet he is in a state to do so. Atticus main rationale behind defending Tom Robinson is based on the assumption that everyone is good. In the school setting teachers and educators choose to ignore racism issues rather than address them and its implications. Atticus demonstrates this attitude because he does not confront the racist society of Maycomb and he chooses to ignore and tolerate it.
A new approach in teaching race/discrimination using ‘the classics
Curriculum-wide approaches
Schools are expected to observe students requirements’ rather than anticipating the students’ adjust to them. In 2013 academicians, teachers and tutors from different institutions held a classic academic to devise a more comprehensive curriculum that will promote learning to the disabled and the marginalized students ( Watson, 2010) . It is important for schools to embed equality and diversity mechanisms in the schools to promote learning to all groups of students. A core means of ensuring that inclusive learning and teaching is achieved is through the adoption of a wide curriculum approach which will manage various students’ requirements and provide a suitable variety of assessment methods in the classroom. By introducing the aspect of equality and diversity on classics, it will motivate learners to think critically about issues of racism that has been throughout the history and their effects. A forthright concentration on diversity-related issues in institutions is crucial for the individual's development for student’s of color and white students.
Atticus is a hero because he was not shaken about what the society thought of him after choosing to defend Tom. In a society that racism was widespread; he was able to overcome the criticism by tolerating them. He believed in fairness and justice, and he serves as a person whom people should emulate. He was a single parent, but he taught his children on the virtues and the importance of not judging other people based on their skin color. Atticus did not involve him with cheap talks that the racist community practiced. The book is still relevant up to date because it teaches children the significance of justice and equality and it also serves as a history of the worst times of the American society.
References
Bartneck, C., Verbunt, M., Mubin, O., & Al Mahmud, A. (2007, March). To kill a mockingbird robot. In Human-Robot Interaction (HRI), 2007 2nd ACM/IEEE International Conference on (pp. 81-87). IEEE.
Blackford, H. (2011). Mockingbird Passing: Closeted Traditions and Sexual Curiosities in Harper Lee’s Novel . Univ. of Tennessee Press.
Felty, D. (2009). An overview of To Kill a Mockingbird. Literature Resource Center .
Haggerty, A. (2009). Harper Lee: To kill a mockingbird . Marshall Cavendish.
Halpern, I. (2008). Rape, Incest, and Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird: On Alabama's Legal Construction of Gender and Sexuality in the Context of Racial Subordination. Colum. J. Gender & L. , 18 , 743.
Kelley, J. (2010). What Teachers (Don't) Say: A Grounded Theory Approach to Online Discussions of to kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird: New Essays , 3-18.
Shields, C. J. (2007). Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee . Macmillan.
Watson, R. (2010). The view from the porch: race and the limits of empathy in the film To Kill a Mockingbird. The Mississippi Quarterly , 63 (3/4), 419.
