Classic Literature In To Kill A Mockingbird

Literature; it has compelled us, entertained us, educated us, and drove us to madness. It has served as life instruction, by using the characters as the lesson plan. It is sometimes blunt, sometimes ugly, and in Truman Capote’s case, is so gruesome that we do not dare forget it.

Our cohort is nearing the end of its secondary education and therefore it is important that we reflect on the ways in which it has shaped our attitudes, values and beliefs. For example, over the past five years, we have read, analysed and evaluated various literary works such as novels, plays, poems and films in our English studies. These texts have expressed various ideologies, explored interesting themes and introduced us to fascinating characters. These elements have left a lasting impression on our attitudes, values and beliefs. In addition to this, English literary texts have provided us with historical knowledge as well as a thorough understanding of the role that aesthetic devices

Literature is rolling hills and fields of daisies. It is black smoke billowing from narrow streets. It is twinkling lights and rivers of gold-- and the dark secrets hiding behind them. Literature encompasses both the hopes and dreams of humanity. It is the purest form of human existence and those who pursue it are the messengers of times past to our future selves. The quote by Amy Lowell, “All books are either dreams or swords, / You can cut, or you can drug, with words” (“Sword Blades and Poppy Seed”), exemplifies the idea that literature has a profound effect on human emotions by reflecting all aspects of the human experience.

She does not understand why the older and well-known authors are not being read in high school. Prose uses a personal experience from her son’s sophomore English class. He had to read a “weeper and former bestseller by Judith Guest” (424), about a dysfunctional family dealing with a teenage son’s suicide attempt. “No instructor has ever asked my sons to read Alice Munro, who writes so lucidly and beautifully about the hypersensitivity that makes adolescence a hell,”(424). She again mentions books she approves of that should be read in English classes.

this book was to show the reader how to look at literature through a wide eye. To see

I have never been as comfortable with people made of flesh and bone than I have been with those made of words. Whatever information I lose in the contours of the human face, I have no trouble locating in the unchanging, permanent text of a book. There is something about literature that felt safe to me; the worlds created within far more welcoming to little girls with problems fitting in than the one outside the pages. For this reason, fiction, from Harry Potter to The Book Thief, has remained my greatest passion ever since I learned to read.

Books are often expressed as windows to the soul, but the thought in which most do not consider is that the very same passageway to the soul is also a way that evil darkness can taint it. While many pieces of literature teach life lessons, many others contain things such as violent content, foul language, and racism, which can have a tremendous impact on the impressionable adolescent brain when it is exposed to this material too early in life. This is displayed in a multitude of works of classic literature, notably the ones written by John Steinbeck. Although his book Of Mice in Men is relatable for certain students, the violence and profanity it possesses has a negative influence on the adolescent mind.

Most readers portray Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird as a novel of social injustice and racial prejudice. However, the novel is so much more than just those two central themes. The power of the story is held in the way it is told and who tells it. It is told through the innocent yet mature point of view of a young girl named Jean Louise "Scout" Finch, who recalls memories from her childhood in Maycomb, Alabama, during the peak of racial tensions. In these memories her brother Jem, their friend Dill, and herself encounter two characters that completely change the way each of them view others and the world around them.

Unexpected and uncontrollable events have a way of creeping into people’s lives and causing a wave of emotions that will affect the way a person lives the rest of their life. In her award-winning novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee address issues by looking at them through the eyes of a child. The story follows six-year-old Scout Finch as she grows up in Maycomb, Alabama during the great depression. Harper Lee writes for several events throughout the book test Scouts morals in order to call attention to how interactions shape a person. By learning from others, Scout grows to understand the intricacies of the human relationship.

Francine Prose’s commentaries on the issues of high school students who have are apathetic toward reading hold weight for several reasons. Her love of literature stems from the fact that Prose is an avid reader herself who enjoys the art and has “preserved a lively and still evolving passion for good books.” Prose’s basis for vocalizing her concerns and frustrations about the topic of mindless readers comes from her desire for her own children to have an appreciation for the therapeutic values of a good book, in addition to the lessons that they teach. Francine’s status as an avid reader, a writer and a mother all lend themselves to establish her credibility in her essay. The reader can easily comprehend the struggle of the bookworm mother who is unamused that her sons have to dredge through the same tiered literature that has been taught for ages.

Classic literature is something that is seen as a work of art, a piece that is valued and a text of highest quality. They are outstanding and recognised for years, centuries and decades as they resonate through time. These books or texts are influential and hold importance throughout times. These texts should be taught in the school curricula as the views that are represented are similar to those that are important in todays society, therefore they should be an important part within with school curricula. One classic text, ‘The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn’, written by Mark Twain in 1884 and one classic movie, ‘Breakfast At Tiffany’s’, produced by Blake Edwards in 1961 are great examples of Classic literature that have similar themes and views as those that we face today. Their relevance keeps these books seeming new and fresh as the audience connects to their characters and their idealisations.

Young adult literature is considered to be written works of superior or lasting artistic merit targeted towards teens and people in their early twenties. The majority of young adult literature portray an adolescent as the main protagonist rather than an adult or child. The stories usually deal with issues that adolescence are already facing or are afraid of, such as violence, drug dependency, loneliness and death. These stories are suitable for young adults and are deemed appropriate. Not exposing these types of literature to teenagers in their youth will result in them being left alone in the dark when they are exposed to it in real life. Reading these types of books will also allow them to have a new perspective on the world and they will grow and develop even more. Opportunities like this shouldn’t be taken away from them.

Literary merit has become a term reserved for what society would consider the classics, leaving relatively little space for any newcomers. There is no doubt that the classics are worthy of literary merit for their compelling stories, their exploration of universal themes, and their presentation, but that does ot mean that young adult novels are not worthy of literary merit. While most young adult novels are within the public’s notice and then phase out just as quickly as they come, some of them may be of the same caliber as the classics. The biggest notable difference between the two is the lack of public knowledge. Almost everyone has heard of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, but fewer people would

We’re in the 21st century, and right now there is such a huge variety of contemporary literature that encourages young adults to look beyond Australian stereotypes. In this speech I will discuss why I agree with contemporary literature encouraging young readers to look beyond

It is commonly acknowledged that Literature is the reflection of the society. It is indeed true that literature reflects the attitude and perception of the society where it is written. Literature mirrors the vices of the society with an intention to make the society realize its mistakes and make amendments. The vast literature, produced from time to time, bears evidence to the fact that man is prone to discrimination. Treating a person or particular group of people differently, especially in a worse way from the way in which you treat other people, because of their sexuality, skin, and class has, been core theme of the Harper lee’s master piece To Kill a Mocking Bird. The novel is told from Scout’s perspective; through Scout, we witness the social construction of race, class, and gender. The novel continues to be taught in classrooms due to its illustration