What makes To Kill a Mockingbird a Classic?

I am posting this thoughtful essay by Abby.


Abigail February 21, 2007
L.A. – 8th grade
When you mention To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, people’s automatic response is “Oh, that’s a classic!” But what makes it a classic?
At first when the book came out, it got horrible reviews, and people frowned upon it. It showed a very deep, horrid truth that people didn’t want to recognize. The book exposed how infected and corrupt the world was, how unjust and racist things were. It examined how people were afraid to stand up for what was right; that in the end, only one person had the guts to deal with real problems.
“Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think.” -Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
So they rejected Harper Lee’s message and stayed quiet. But eventually as the reality sank in, Lee’s ideas got a steady grip on society; more and more people accepted what the story stands for.
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The book draws a fine example of a moment of “challenge and controversy,” when an innocent black man is accused by a white man, of a crime he clearly didn’t do. When the accused man is sent to jail, everyone knows it wasn’t right, but they refused to admit it. Instead, they turn down Atticus Finch’s protests of truth. The story exposes how corrupt things were and how, even though everyone knew it was wrong, no one wanted to discuss it much until To Kill a Mockingbird was published.
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Usually, when something is so deep and true, people get overwhelmed and they take a break and put the book down. But as they get accustomed to it, they pick it up again and read. After a long break, the nation picked it up again and read. They read so much that “more then 10,000,000 copies were sold since it first appeared in 1960 (Gina Bellafante).” and it is still selling.
An important component in labeling something a classic is time. Has it only been in the stores for 5 to 10 months, or has it planted itself in society for over 100 years? Shakespeare’s work has maintained its popularity and importance throughout the centuries. The Harry Potter series has gone up and down on the popularity scale. Though it doesn’t send a distinct recognized message now; it’s only been out for a mere 10 years –over time we may find our piece of coal has turned into a diamond- , it is a potential classic. To Kill a Mockingbird has held on strong for around 40 years, and is a well established classic.