DanLin O.
In literature, there are many different themes. For this particular English course, the themes were race and justice. Since race and justice are such broad themes, it is easy to choose readings that deal with those themes. As a reader, I enjoy reading novels in the genre of historical fiction. So, if I was able to redesign this course, I would require the class to read the novels To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Both stories deal with race and justice, and they both leave a deep impact on you.
To Kill a Mockingbird deals with racial injustice in the South. The story tells of a black man who was unjustly accused of raping a white woman. Although all evidence pointed to the black man’s innocence, he was still convicted and killed as he tried to escape from prison. The lawyer who defends the black man is rendered as a hero. Although the whole community did not support the lawyer for defending the black man, the lawyer still did what he felt was right. The book realistically portrays racial injustice, which makes a great required reading choice.
The other book that I would require to be read is The Kite Runner. Set during the violent and turbulent days of Afghanistan, the story tells of redemption, racial dominance, and the price of loyalty. In the story, the main protagonist betrays his friend who was sodomized in order to protect the main protagonist’s trophy. His friend was raped by the antagonist who is racist against the protagonist’s friend. However, at the end of the book, the protagonist is able to redeem himself by saving his friend’s son. This redemption shows that racial injustice can be overcome by perseverance.
When I first read these two books, they left a deep impact on me. As I read To Kill a Mockingbird on the train once, a passerby said to me, “That’s a great book!” This goes to show that other people were deeply affected by the book. To Kill a Mockingbird and The Kite Runner are two educational books that are suitable for this English course dealing with race and justice. They would be perfect for required readings.
