Singing Louder than a Mockingbird : Analyzing voice, racism and stereotypes in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird with the aim of engaging Swedish EFL students to be critical towards an ethnic divide within literature 

Abstract: The aim of the present inquiry is to analyze the depiction of racism through given or withheld voice in Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird. A thematic analysis of marginalized and commonly occurring voices in the novel reveals discrepancies along an ethnic divide. Applying Critical Race theory affords the analytical tools of voice, ethnicity and stereotypes, while Critical Race Pedagogy provides the grounds for a discussion of how students can learn how to criticize ethnic hierarchies in classic works, such as To Kill a Mockingbird. The results of the inquiry show a clear hierarchy in which African American characters are often silenced. The critical lens focusing on voice, ethnicity and stereotypes, enables the reader to reach a more multifaceted examination of the novel by generating an in-depth view of racism. Discussing racist occurrences in a novel often lauded as the epitome of anti-racism in the EFL classroom, can possibly illustrate just how ingrained racism can be. As a result, the students may develop critical tools that, hopefully, empower them to raise their voices against racist acts in today’s society.