To Kill A Mockingbird Argument Paper

865 Words2 Pages

Education has progressed positively since the 1930s. Some would argue education was better in the 1930s because we did not have all the technology that ‘fries our brains’ and the students could leave for harvesting time. However, I believe education is at its best now because there is no physical abuse and attendance is required.
In the book, To Kill A Mockingbird the teacher Miss Caroline tried her best. She did not have the right ideas for education though. Miss Caroline scolded Scout for knowing how to read and write. In education now, we encourage children to learn to read and write before school starts. Another problem with the schooling in To Kill A Mockingbird is that they judge the children on social status, not academics. I am not saying that no one ever thinks that poor kids get nowhere and rich kids have it all, but we base judgement more on character than social status now. For example in To Kill A Mockingbird, Scout speaks up about the Cunningham’s financial issues. In Scout’s hometown they pay a lot of attention to wealth and how the people live (Lee). Today, wealth is still a fixation, but people get in trouble for making fun of others wealth.
The 1930s was a bad time for public schooling, because with the Great Depression occurring at the same time, most kids could not afford the necessary clothes, shoes, textbooks, or supplies (American Cultural History). For example in To Kill a Mockingbird, Walter Cunningham’s family was so poor they had to pay with goods rather than actual money and because of that I bet they did not have proper school supplies. In today’s society, the school systems make sure kids can get what they need, through fee waivers or charities giving out supplies. Another example of the hard times i...

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...ave the education they need to thrive in society. Modern education is an essential part of society and without it society would fall to shambles.

Works Cited

"American Cultural History." American Cultural History. Lone Star College, June 2012. Web. 16 Apr. 2014.
"Depression Era: 1930s: Education: Locally Decided." Depression Era: 1930s: Education: Locally Decided. Oakland Museum of California, n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.
Going to School During the Great Depression (1930-1940). N.p.: n.p., n.d. PDF.
Gunderson, Gordon W. "National School Lunch Program (NSLP)." Food and Nutrition Service. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.
Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. London: Heinemann, 1960. Print.
Reinhardt, Claudia, and Bill Ganzel. "Going to School in Rural America during the
1930s." Going to School in Rural America during the 1930s. The Ganzel Group,
2003. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.

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