What Is John Dewey Doing in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Abstract

Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird is taught in countless public schools and is beloved by many teachers and future teachers. Embedded within this novel—interestingly—is a strong criticism of an approach to education mockingly referred to as the “Dewey Decimal System.” In this essay I explore Lee’s criticism of progressive education and argue that it tells us something interesting about the novel and about approaches to education inspired by John Dewey.