I’m glad I finally read this. It was much better than I had expected and incredibly easy to read. I think the white savior narrative detracts from the themes and morals presented in the book, but it was a well-written book with characters you truly love.
With that being said, I see why To Kill a Mockingbird is commonly found in the Southern school curriculum: it’s a very comfortable read for White people who believe racism is behind them and not a systemic issue they embody. I doubt Harper Lee’s intentions were to write something that would serve as the primary literary vehicle for discussions about race for school-age Southerners, but this book has become such.
My hope after reading this is that stories about minorities written by minorities find their way into the school curriculum; likewise, I plan to discover true representation to enrich my own reading journey.
Alexander Holcomb 