Trigger Warning: this article features mentions of the n-word slur.
Everyone has had to read a book for school at least once. Most books we are made to read in school are considered ‘the classics’ and have good messages behind them. However, due to some racist and sexist themes in these so-called classics, it’s time to put them back on the shelf and redefine what makes a book a classic.
Pretty much everyone has to read “To Kill a Mockingbird” in high school.
The novel is seen to most people as one that tells a story of a racist town convinced that Tom Robinson, a Black man, raped a white woman, Mayella Ewell. A lawyer by the name of Atticus Finch rushes to take on the case and defend Robinson, causing backlash. Finch’s two children, Scout and Jem, have to listen to other children call their father a “n**ger lover.”
However, even though this book is deemed a classic, the anti-racist message is perhaps a little outdated.
One of the most famous quotes in the book is, “it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” It is explained that mockingbirds don’t do anything except make music for us to enjoy. It is clear that Robinson is a mockingbird.
Author and former teacher Julia Franks interpreted the quote in an NCTE blog post: “When it comes to drug addicts, mentally ill people, and African Americans, don’t harass them and don’t kill them because they’re like songbirds in what they do ‘for us.’ That is the title metaphor of the book, people.”
Not to mention, when some teachers teach this book, they don’t bother with skipping over the n-word slur, which makes many Black students uncomfortable.
“The Great Gatsby” is also a problematic classic. The novel revolves around narrator Nick Carraway’s interactions with mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby and Gatsby’s obsession to reunite with his former lover, Daisy Buchanan.
Not only does the novel feature themes of adultery, Daisy Buchanan’s husband Tom has a secret lover, Myrtle Wilson, but one of the more famous quotes of the novel involves Daisy Buchanan hoping her future daughter is a fool. The quote reads, “‘I hope she’ll be a fool—that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.’”
This quote tells readers that Daisy grew up and is living in a society that does not value a woman’s intelligence. This quote feeds into the idea that “The Great Gatsby” is full of sexism.
These are not the only classics with problematic underlying messages. “Jane Eyre,” “Little Women,” “The Lord of the Flies,” “Catch-22” and “Slaughterhouse–Five” all feature a sexist message or something anti-women. “The Catcher in the Rye,” “Of Mice and Men” and “Gone with the Wind” all feature some sort of underlying racist message.
More recent books like “Just Mercy,” “The Poet X,” “Allegedly,” “The Hate U Give” and “When Dimple Met Rishi” should be deemed classics and replace the novels currently miscategorized as classic literature because of the great way they deal with heavy subjects.
If we continue to keep old works as our standard of great literature, those old attitudes will continue to perpetuate in our modern society. However, by replacing those with new works that are inclusive and empowering for all, the world will become a more innovative and loving place.
Photo by Emma Crouch
