Teaching Empathy: The Value of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird for Young Teens

Abstract

In recent years, book bans in the United States have risen sharply, and To Kill a Mockingbird remains one of the most frequently challenged novels. Although the reasons for objection have evolved-from concerns about profanity in the 1960s to issues of race, white saviorism, and student well-being in the 2000s and 2020s-the controversy surrounding the book underscores its continued relevance in education. This research examines how Harper Lee's novel fosters empathy and how removing it from school curricula deprives students of a valuable opportunity to understand racism through lived human experiences. From a literary perspective, the analysis focuses on three forms of empathy: empathy for victims of racism (Tom Robinson), empathy toward those who cause harm (Mayella Ewell), and empathy developed through the innocent perspectives of children (Scout and Jem). These narrative moments reveal that the novel generates meaningful discomfort and invites discussion from multiple viewpoints. To Kill a Mockingbird enables young readers to feel the confusion, emotional tension, and moral complexity that accompany racial injustice-dimensions that history textbooks alone cannot convey. Ultimately, the novel deserves its place in classrooms because it teaches students how racism is learned, internalized, and emotionally experienced. When schools remove this text, they also remove a crucial chance for students to confront America's history through the empathetic lens of literature. The enduring debates surrounding the book demonstrate that discomfort is not a flaw but its greatest pedagogical strength. Instead of shielding students from difficult emotions by banning the book, educators should embrace it as a powerful tool to help students challenge injustice and recognize the moral courage required to resist it.