Essay Topics for To Kill a Mockingbird

Despite the unwavering dedication of Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird, the absence of evidence, and a moving courtroom speech, Tom Robinson is convicted of a crime that he did not commit. This jury ruling causes both those who advocated Robinson’s conviction and those who were convinced of his innocence to question their notions of justice and fairness. As if a false conviction was not enough, Tom is eventually killed, and the sense of justice and fairness seem to be completely violated. Write an argumentative essay in which you establish what Lee is trying to convey regarding these two concepts that are so important to civil society. Questions that you might want to consider include If justice and fairness are so elusive, how can Atticus and Scout continue to believe in them, and are justice and fairness conflicting concepts in To Kill a Mockingbird?

The most obvious form of discrimination in To Kill a Mockingbird is racism; however, there are other types of prejudice and discrimination that typify relationships among the novel’s characters. Scout, for example, is ridiculed in To Kill a Mockingbird because she is a tomboy. Boo Radley is ostracized despite the fact that hardly anyone knows him. Reverse racism is also present in the novel, as evidenced by the threats against Atticus Finch and his family as he defends Tom Robinson. Take one or more of the forms of discrimination in To Kill a Mockingbird and write an analytic essay in which you explain the forms and, if applicable, compare and contrast the types of discrimination. You should argue whether the lessons about discrimination that Scout learns are applicable to all types of prejudice, or whether they apply to racism alone.

Scout and her brother Jem are both children of the morally passionate lawyer, Atticus Finch, and both are exposed to the same experiences that shape their sense of right and wrong. However, Scout and Jem come to dramatically different conclusions about good and evil and the essential nature of humankind. Write an expository essay in which you develop an understanding of how Scout and Jem arrive at such disparate concepts of the world. Be sure to consider not only the final worldview at which each arrives but also to look at the novel as a whole and identify how their belief systems develop. Include relevant quotations that demonstrate how, despite their shared experiences, Scout and Jem begin to part ways, philosophically speaking, early in the novel.

The town of Maycomb is described in great detail in To Kill a Mockingbird, so much so that the reader gets the sense that Maycomb is more than a setting; it takes on the weight and importance of a character. Write an expository or persuasive essay in which you describe Maycomb and explain its significance with respect to the events and meaning of the novel. Be sure to dig beneath the surface: it is easy to say that Maycomb is a Southern town and that certain social dynamics—such as racism—shape the characters and their circumstances, but there are also more subtle characteristics about the town that exert influence over the novel’s outcome. Finally, consider whether Maycomb is changed by the conclusion. It shapes people and events, but it is also shaped by its inhabitants and their actions.

One of the most inspiring characters in twentieth-century American literature is Atticus Finch. A morally upright lawyer, a committed and loving father, and an overall good citizen, Finch is regarded highly by most citizens with a sense of justice. Write an essay in which you analyze Atticus Finch’s character. You may wish to focus the content of your essay by selecting a single quote or passage (consider a portion of the courtroom speech, for instance) and explaining how it reflects Finch’s character strengths. Address whether Finch has any flaws and explain how he conveys his beliefs to his children and his community.

Courage comes in many forms: courage to stand up to a bully, courage to pick up a hitch hiker, courage to try something new, courage to speak in front of a crowd, courage to perform on stage, courage to tell the truth even if you know you will be in trouble, courage to jump off the high dive, courage to take a stand for an unpopular idea, etc. In an expository essay, explain which character you believe displayed the most amount of courage. Make sure you put lines in that prove the character’s courage, and make sure you show how the character displayed this courage throughout the book. Include your opinion as to where you think this courage originated and why this particular character used his/her courage while others did not.

Boo Radley is considered, by many readers, a minor character in this novel. However, for the most part, he is juxtaposed against the citizens of Maycomb, against Atticus, against the children, and against the actual town itself. In an expository/literary analysis essay, discuss the author’s treatment of Boo, discuss why she included him, discuss her objective in his inclusion in the novel, and discuss if she achieved her objective. Make sure and include how the novel would have developed and progressed without this character in the novel. Does he affect the plot progression, the climax, and the resolution?

• Be organized:

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  3 body paragraphs: this is where you convince the reader of your stance; use at least one
  

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  Conclusion: restate thesis; tie main points to thesis
  

• Use 12 pt Times New Roman font and double space, please

• Write the body paragraphs in present tense

• Include a creative and relevant title

• Do not use the pronouns I, we, me, myself, us, you, yours, or your (unless these words are used in quotes that you are taking directly from novel)

• Include a Works Cited page

• Begin with a broad topic related to your thesis. Make statements with which

• Move slowly and smoothly to your thesis.

• Lead your reader to your clear Thesis Statement. Make sure thesis includes

the title and author of the book.

II. Body paragraph #1 (TIQA)

• Topic sentence

• Introduce evidence

• Quote to support this (with citations)

• Analysis of your example and quote (tie to your thesis)

• Transitional sentence to next form of evidence (next body paragraph)

• Topic sentence

• Introduce evidence

• Quote to support this (with citations)

• Analysis of your example and quote (tie to your thesis)

• Transitional sentence to next form of evidence (next body paragraph)

• Topic sentence

• Introduce evidence

• Quote to support this (with citations)

• Analysis of your example and quote (tie to your thesis)

• Concluding sentence

• Restate thesis

• Connect your main points back to your thesis by suggesting results or by tying

to the broad topic in your introduction

• Solid concluding sentence that leaves reader thinking about what you said

‐relevant quote from an outside source

‐relevant quote from the story

‐a broad topic that is related to your thesis

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  Author's full name
  
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  Title of the novel
  
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  Brief plot summary
  

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  provides a warning
  
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  draws a comparison to similar situations
  
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  or provokes a vivid image
  

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  introduce new arguments, evidence, or details
  
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  apologize for doing a poor job of presenting the material
  

“ ‘It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and

L e e, Ha r p e r. T o K i l l a Mo c k i n g b i r d. N ew Yo r k C i t y: Wa r n e r B o o k s, 1 9 6 0 .

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  Title at the top of the page. Notice that it is centered and it is not italicized, bolded, or underlined. No quotation marks are around it, either!
  
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  The first line is NOT indented! Lines beyond the first line are indented.