How can people think teachers would allow such obscene and foul topics in their classrooms if only for educational purposes? How can reading works such as Romeo and Juliet encourage teen sex? The play highlights the beauty and sincerity of impulsive young love in a time where society deemed such happenings as normal. Even though To Kill a Mockingbird won the Pulitzer Prize Award, the Alabama Library Association Book Award, and the Brotherhood Award of the National Conference of Christians and Jews, the novel still receives shouts of criticism because of its "immorality" and "racist attributes" (Karolides et al.). Banning To Kill a Mockingbird gave southerners the excuse to avoid hearing a part of American society they did not want to hear. Lee's book shines a glaring spotlight on the issues of race and justice. If students do not learn about their own American history, if they do not learn about the appalling horrors and horrendous events that took place on American soil, they nosedive right back into the well known comfort of ignorance. This novel challenges students to question the definition of humanity, on whether a man should judge another on the color of his skin. The controversial book does not only target the racial tension in the south, it also describes, in a beautifully poignant way, the intricate joys of childhood. Jill May believes, "She [Harper Lee] also shows us three children who refuse to believe that the system is right, and she leaves us with the thought that most people will be nice if seen for what they are: humans with frailties" (Karolides et al.). Lee allows readers through the eyes of Scout and Jem to learn the definition of equality and the meaning of humanity.
Similar to To Kill a Mockingbird, the same advocations apply to I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings. Maya Angelou tells a story, her story, about survival and courage in a prejudiced world.
