Mockingbird morality

This summer is a personal milestone for two very significant reasons.

To start with, it marks the first time I have ever lived in an apartment.

Needless to say, independent living is quite an experience. I’ve figured out how to use almost every kitchen appliance at my disposal, including a steamer, which is a feat in itself.

Moreover, this summer marks the 50th anniversary of the publication of Harper Lee’s sentimental classic “To Kill a Mockingbird.” I think “Mockingbird” is perhaps my favorite of all the novels I have read.

It’s strange to think that just a half-century ago, America was plagued with overt racism and discrimination. Not that racism isn’t alive and kicking today — just look at the Arizona immigration laws. However, things were once much worse in this country for minorities, particularly blacks.

Lee’s bildungsroman is often regarded as one of the definitive pieces about racial injustice, class and compassion. Although she was dealing with sobering issues such as rape and racism, Lee did a remarkable job of keeping the tone of her novel warm and witty.

Perhaps the most significant aspect of the novel is the character of Atticus Finch, a lawyer in a small southern town whose family is ostracized when he defends a black man accused of raping a white woman. Whole books have been written about the magnitude of his character and what it means to American society.

The legend of Atticus Finch is retold every year as a staple of high school curricula. While most teachers promulgate the literary aspects of the book, I believe it is the morality of Atticus Finch that is most valuable to students.

Too often in public education is morality sacrificed in the name of equality. While I am a strong proponent of the separation of church and state, I do not believe that moral education is a mutually exclusive option.

One of the chief weaknesses of our public schools is the lack of guidance for our students. My high school was one of the top academic schools in the state, but I rarely learned about how to be a good person in my time there.

Of course, parenting is one of the largest sources of one’s moral education. However, not everyone is fortunate enough to have their parents invested in their education, let alone in their lives at all. It is these students who too often fall through the cracks of our educational system and end up failing to achieve their potential.

It is works like “To Kill a Mockingbird” that provide the opportunity for our schools to teach morality within the limits set upon our public schools. While teaching academics in schools is already mastered in most regards, the teaching of morality has a lot of room for improvement.

The compassion and courage exemplified by “Mockingbird” should be character traits aspired to by all.


E-mail: halderfe@indiana.edu