book report about to kill a mockingbird

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Plot summary

Analysis, adaptations, and Go Set a Watchman

What is To Kill a Mockingbird about?

What inspired harper lee to write to kill a mockingbird , how did people respond to to kill a mockingbird , why is to kill a mockingbird a significant text, is there a sequel to to kill a mockingbird .

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To Kill a Mockingbird

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Table Of Contents

To Kill a Mockingbird is set in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the Great Depression (1929–39). The story centres on Jean Louise (“Scout”) Finch, an unusually intelligent girl who ages from six to nine years old during the novel. She and her brother, Jeremy Atticus (“Jem”), are raised by their widowed father, Atticus Finch. Atticus is a well-known and respected lawyer. He teaches his children to be empathetic and just, always leading by example.

When Tom Robinson, one of the town’s Black residents, is falsely accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a young white woman, Atticus agrees to defend him despite threats from the community. Although Atticus presents a defense that gives a more plausible interpretation of the evidence—that Mayella was attacked by her father, Bob Ewell—Tom is convicted. He is later killed while trying to escape custody. The children, meanwhile, play out their own miniaturized drama. Scout and Jem become especially interested in the town recluse, Arthur (“Boo”) Radley, who interacts with them by leaving them small gifts in a tree. On Halloween, when Bob Ewell tries to attack Scout and Jem, Boo intervenes and saves them. Boo ultimately kills Ewell. The sheriff, however, decides to tell the community that Ewell’s death was an accident.

It is widely believed that Harper Lee based the character of Atticus Finch on her father, Amasa Coleman Lee, a compassionate and dedicated lawyer. The plot of To Kill a Mockingbird was reportedly inspired in part by his unsuccessful defense of two African American men—a father and a son—accused of murdering a white storekeeper. The fictional character of Charles Baker (“Dill”) Harris also has a real-life counterpart. Dill is based on the author Truman Capote , Lee’s childhood friend and next-door neighbour in Monroeville, Alabama. (After the spectacular success of To Kill a Mockingbird , some speculated that Capote was the actual author of Lee’s work. This rumour was not put to rest until 2006.) There is some anecdotal evidence that the town recluse, Arthur (“Boo”) Radley, was based on Lee and Capote’s childhood neighbour, Son Boulware. According to Capote, Boo “was a real man, and he lived just down the road from us.…Everything [Lee] wrote about it is absolutely true.”

Harper Lee began writing To Kill a Mockingbird in the mid-1950s. It was published in 1960, just before the peak of the American civil rights movement . Initial critical responses to the novel were mixed. Many critics praised Lee for her sensitive treatment of a child’s awakening to racism and prejudice. Others, however, criticized the novel’s tendency to sermonize. Some reviewers argued that the narrative voice was unconvincing. The novel was nonetheless enormously popular with contemporary audiences. To Kill a Mockingbird flourished in the racially charged environment of the United States in the early 1960s. In its first year it sold about 500,000 copies. A year after the publication of the novel, Lee was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for fiction.

Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the best-known and most widely read books in the United States. Since its publication in 1960, the novel has been translated into some 40 languages and has sold more than 40 million copies worldwide. A staple on American high- school reading lists, the novel has inspired numerous stage and film adaptations, the most notable of which was the 1962 film starring Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch. Lee’s novel continues to resonate with audiences today; in 2018 a stage adaptation of the novel debuted to rave reviews on Broadway.

In 2015 Harper Lee published a second novel titled Go Set a Watchman . Although it was technically written before To Kill a Mockingbird , the novel is essentially a sequel. Go Set a Watchman is set 20 years after the events of To Kill a Mockingbird . In the novel, Jean Louise (”Scout”) Finch—now a grown woman living in New York City—returns to her childhood home in Alabama to visit her aging father, who has embraced racist views. Despite the controversy surrounding its publication (some believe the novel is actually an early draft of To Kill a Mockingbird ), the novel reportedly sold 1.1 million copies in its first week.

To Kill a Mockingbird , novel by American author Harper Lee , published in 1960. Enormously popular, it was translated into some 40 languages, sold more than 40 million copies worldwide , and is one of the most-assigned novels in American schools. In 1961 it won a Pulitzer Prize . The novel was praised for its sensitive treatment of a child’s awakening to racism and prejudice in the American South .

To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the Great Depression . The protagonist is Jean Louise (“Scout”) Finch, an intelligent though unconventional girl who ages from six to nine years old during the course of the novel. She is raised with her brother, Jeremy Atticus (“Jem”), by their widowed father, Atticus Finch . He is a prominent lawyer who encourages his children to be empathetic and just. He notably tells them that it is “a sin to kill a mockingbird ,” alluding to the fact that the birds are innocent and harmless.

When Tom Robinson, one of the town’s Black residents, is falsely accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a white woman, Atticus agrees to defend him despite threats from the community . At one point he faces a mob intent on lynching his client but refuses to abandon him. Scout unwittingly diffuses the situation. Although Atticus presents a defense that gives a more plausible interpretation of the evidence—that Mayella was attacked by her father, Bob Ewell—Tom is convicted, and he is later killed while trying to escape custody. A character compares his death to “the senseless slaughter of songbirds,” paralleling Atticus’s saying about the mockingbird.

The children, meanwhile, play out their own miniaturized drama of prejudice and superstition as they become interested in Arthur (“Boo”) Radley , a reclusive neighbour who is a local legend . They have their own ideas about him and cannot resist the allure of trespassing on the Radley property. Their speculations thrive on the dehumanization perpetuated by their elders. Atticus, however, reprimands them and tries to encourage a more sensitive attitude. Boo makes his presence felt indirectly through a series of benevolent acts, finally intervening when Bob Ewell attacks Jem and Scout. Boo kills Ewell, but Heck Tate, the sheriff, believes it is better to say that Ewell’s death occurred when he fell on his own knife, sparing the shy Boo from unwanted attention. Scout agrees, noting that to do otherwise would be “sort of like shootin’ a mockingbird.”

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To Kill a Mockingbird: Book Review, Summary & Analysis

Introduction: to kill a mockingbird by harper lee - book review, summary & analysis, book: to kill a mockingbird, about the author: harper lee , excerpts from the original text.

There is no need to say everything you know. That's not a lady-besides, people don't like people around them who know more than they do. That will annoy them. No matter how correct you are, you can't change these people. Unless they want to learn, there is no way. You either close your mouth or use their language. —— Quoted from page 153.

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Book summary, book review & analysis.

"The life that has not read this book is really different from the life after reading it."

Main Storyline

How to get along with others, how to deal with dissent.

"Even if you didn't do those pranks, I would still let you read to Mrs. Du Boss to accompany her because I want you to take a good look at her. This is the bravest person I have ever seen. What did she explain? called the real courage. courage gas on hand is not a man with a gun. courage is when you embark on the field before you know you will be Tongzou meal, but you still on the field, and no matter what happens, you Persevere till the end. Most of the time you will fail, but sometimes, you will also succeed."

How to stick to yourself?

"Sometimes, I feel that I am a failure to be a parent, but I am everything they have. When Jim looks up to others, he looks up first. It’s me, I want to live upright so that I can face him calmly..."

"You may hear some bad comments in school, but please do one thing for me: raise your head and lower your fists. No matter what others say to you, don't get angry. Try to fight with your head. Don't because We had already failed for a hundred years before that, and though we had no reason to fight for victory."

"Be sensible about despicable things, and when things pass, you can look back with sympathy and understanding, and be grateful for not disappointing people at the time. When most people think they are right and you are wrong Of course, they have the right to think so, and their views are also entitled to be fully respected. But before they can get along with others, they must first get along. There is one thing that cannot follow the principle of conformity, and that is the conscience of people."

Self-photography in the mirror

"Uh, coming out of the court that night, Miss Gates-she walked in front of us when she descended the steps, you must have not seen her-she was talking to Miss Stephenson. I heard her say: It's time to teach them. They are becoming less and less aware of their identities. Will they think that they can marry us in the next step. Jim, a man who hates Hitler so much, is so vicious to the people of his hometown when he turns his face?"

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To Kill a Mockingbird

By harper lee.

'To Kill A Mockingbird' is a coming of age story where a child discovers that white and black belong to two unfairly different worlds in her society.

Article written by Onyekachi Osuji

B.A. in Public Administration and certified in Creative Writing (Fiction and Non-Fiction)

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee tells the story of a child whose carefree relish of her childhood is given a rude awakening by the realization that she lives in an unjust and racist society when she witnesses the unfair conviction of a black man wrongly accused of raping a white woman.

’Spoiler Free’ Summary of To Kill a Mockingbird

The novel begins with the character of Scout describing her brother Jem’s arm injury that happened years earlier. Jem and Scout have several theories about what led to the injury and argue about it, then to settle the argument, they seek their father’s opinion, and their father tells them that they are both right.

Scout then begins to narrate the events of the years before Jem’s injury. They live in a nice residential area of a town called Maycomb County. It is a small town where everyone knows everyone else down to their ancestry, and the people are accustomed to social interactions with each other. However, there is a house in Scout’s neighborhood that is of interest to the people of the town because the house is always shut and the inhabitants of the house never socialize with neighbors.

The inhabitants of this house are the Radleys and their youngest son Arthur Radley who is never seen outside is nicknamed Boo Radley and described as an awkward monster in children’s imagination.

One summer, Scout and Dill meet a new boy in the neighborhood called Dill. Dill lives in another city but would be coming to Maycomb County every summer to stay with his relative. Scout and Jem become friends with Dill who is fascinated with the legend of the never-seen Boo Radley. Dill begins to formulate dares and plots to get them all to go to the Radley house in the hope of seeing Boo Radley. But they never succeed in seeing him.

Scout’s father is a lawyer called Atticus. One time in school, other pupils begin to taunt Scout for having a dad who is a ‘’nigger lover’’. Scout tells her father about it, and her father tells her about a client he has been assigned to defend in court. The client’s name is Tom Robinson and he has been falsely accused of raping a white girl named Mayella Ewell. Atticus tells Scout that the case is not until the next summer but that she must stay strong and be prepared to resist such taunting with grace.

Summer comes, and Tom Robinson is tried in court with Atticus as his defense attorney. Scout and the other kids have high hopes that Tom Robinson would be freed. But the outcome was not as expected.

Events take a turn for the worse as lives are lost and endangered by some people who nurse racism and hatred in their hearts.

Complete Plot Summary of To Kill a Mockingbird

Scout is a girl of six who lives in a nice neighborhood with her brother Jem, her father Atticus, and their cook Calpurnia. Scout and Jem play together and later make friends with a boy named Dill, who visits the neighborhood every summer.

A house close to them is always shut, and no one ever visits it. The occupants of the House are the Radleys, who do not socialize in the town. The youngest son of the Radleys had never been seen since years ago when he was a teenage boy, and he is rumored to be a monster and nicknamed Boo.

Dill is fascinated with Boo and devices various plots to get himself, Scout, and Jem close enough to the Radley House for them to get a glimpse of Boo. But all their childish plots fail, and they content themselves with enacting drama about their imagination of Boo’s life.

Scout begins school and their teacher Miss Caroline Fisher, an inexperienced young teacher, asks everyone to bring out their food in class. Seeing that one of the pupils does not have any food, Miss Fisher offers to lend him money to buy something to eat. Scout volunteers to explain to the teacher that the boy cannot afford to borrow money from her because they are poor but this gets her on the wrong footing with Miss Fisher and she gets whipped.

The boy concerned is Walter Cunningham whose father was once a client of Scout’s father Atticus. Scout fights with Walter at break time for being the cause of her getting whipped but later as a peace offering invites him to lunch with her at home.

Scout and Jem begin to be mocked by people because their father chose to defend a black man in a court case. Atticus explains to them that they must hold their heads high and ignore the taunts because the case of the black man is one he must defend if he wants to live well with his conscience. The case is that of a black young man who was accused of rape by a white girl and her father.

Mrs Henry Lafayette Dubose, a mean old lady that lives two houses away from Atticus’s house sees Jem and Scout and begins to taunt them for their father’s legal defense of a black man. In a fit of rage, Jem destroys the flowers in her front yard. Atticus finds out and instructs Jem to go and apologize to Mrs Dubose. Jem does as instructed and Mrs Dubose insists that Jem must come read to her every day for one month and Jem grudgingly obeys.

Mrs Dubose later dies and Atticus uses her as an example to teach Jem that people have both good and bad in them. Mrs Dubose was a mean old lady but she was courageous and chose to withdraw from her medically prescribed morphine addiction even though it caused her great pain.

Atticus travels for work for some days and their cook Calpurnia takes Scout and Jem to her church. There, the children discover that the black community is very different from their own white community. The cook, Calpurnia who speaks and writes good grammar speaks vernacular when around fellow black folks. Scout also witnesses Reverend Sykes organize a collection to help Tom Robinson’s wife and children who are left without support as his wife was finding it hard to get employment following her husband’s imprisonment.

Atticus’ sister, Alexandra moves in with Atticus. In her opinion, Atticus is not raising his children well and she has to help him teach them to behave like people from a respectable family.

Dill runs away from home and sneaks into Scout’s room. He is discovered by Scout and Jem and Scout plans to keep his presence a secret but Jem reports the incident to Atticus. After a stern warning, Dill is allowed to live with them.

The date of Tom Robinson’s trial draws near and the entire town is filled with tension. Atticus goes to stand guard at the jail where Tom is locked up. Jem, Scout, and Dill sneak out of the house and go in search of Atticus. They find him sitting at the jailhouse and shortly after, a group of men arrive asking Atticus to allow them access to Tom. Scout senses that they may harm Atticus and emerges from her hiding place. She recognizes Mr. Cunningham, her father’s former client, and the father of her classmate Walter Cunningham, among the group and begins to engage him in conversation.

After a while, Mr. Cunningham begins to feel awkward about their intention to lynch a prisoner and requests that his band leaves the scene. And so, Scout saves Tom Robinson from getting lynched without even knowing it.

The day of Tom Robinson’s trial comes and the entire Maycomb County, where nothing exciting ever happens, converges at the local court to witness the trial. The trial begins, and after a hard-fought case with a strong defense, Tom Robinson is still pronounced guilty by the jury. Bob Ewell, the father of the girl who claimed Tom Robinson raped her, threatens to hurt Atticus for humiliating him in court during cross-examination at the witness box.

Atticus assures Tom Robinson that there is still hope as they would appeal the case in a higher court. But Tom Robinson does not believe that there is any hope for a man in his position. He attempts to escape from prison but is shot dead by guards.

Months go by and the Tom Robinson tragedy is forgotten. The people of Maycomb County organise a Halloween party where children would perform on stage in various costumes. Scout is given the costume of a ham. Scout’s father and her aunt excuse themselves from attending the party and Jem is asked to accompany Scout as it is a night party. Scout makes an embarrassing flop in her performance at the party.

After the party, Scout decides to walk home in her heavy costume. As she walks home with Jem, Bob Ewell attacks them. He slices his knife at Scout but her costume protects her from getting harmed. Jem tries to fight him off but is shoved aside so violently that he breaks his arm and becomes unconscious. Boo Radley hears their screams and rushes to their defense. Boo Radley stabs Bob Ewell and carries Jem to Atticus.

Heck Tate, the sheriff of the county, is summoned. He finds Bod Ewell stabbed to death and after gathering information about the incident, he deduces that Bob Ewell was stabbed by Boo Radley. But in a bid to protect the shy Boo Radley’s privacy from public attention, he lies in his report, claiming that Bob Ewell died by stumbling upon his knife.

Scout finally sees Boo Radley in person and exchanges a few polite words with him. She walks Boo Radley to his front porch and he retires inside, never to be seen again.

Who comes and threatens Atticus?

It is Bob Ewell that threatens Atticus. Bob Ewell is a nasty man who accused Tom Robinson of raping his daughter. He hates Atticus for humiliating him in court and for choosing to defend a black man.

Why won’t Jem go home when Atticus tells him to?

Jem refuses to go home when Atticus tells him to because he is afraid that Atticus would get hurt. Atticus was facing a mob that was trying to lynch his client in jail.

How did the Radley house acquire its reputation?

The Radley house acquired its reputation because its windows and doors were always shut, the occupants of the house never visited anyone and never received any visitors. All these were unusual behavior in a small town where everyone socialized with everyone else, and for this, the house acquired the reputation of being a strange, spooky place.

Why did Scout fight Walter Cunningham?

Scout fought Walter Cunningham because their teacher whipped her in class for trying to explain his situation to her. And so, Scout felt it was Walter Cunningham’s fault that she got whipped.

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About Onyekachi Osuji

Onyekachi was already an adult when she discovered the rich artistry in the storytelling craft of her people—the native Igbo tribe of Africa. This connection to her roots has inspired her to become a Literature enthusiast with an interest in the stories of Igbo origin and books from writers of diverse backgrounds. She writes stories of her own and works on Literary Analysis in various genres.

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To Kill a Mockingbird

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In the small town of Maycomb, Alabama, in the middle of the Great Depression, six-year-old Scout Finch lives with her older brother, Jem , and her widowed father, Atticus . Atticus is a lawyer and makes enough to keep the family comfortably out of poverty, but he works long days. He relies on the family's black cook, Calpurnia , to help raise the kids. Scout, however, finds Calpurnia tyrannical and believes that Calpurnia favors Jem over her.

Scout and Jem spend much of their time creating and acting out fantasies. One year, a boy named Dill comes to spend the summer with his aunt, the Finches' neighbor Miss Rachel . The three children become friends, and, pushed by Dill's wild imagination, soon become obsessed with a nearby house called Radley Place. A man named Nathan Radley owns the house, but it is his reclusive brother, Arthur Radley (whom the children call Boo) who interests and terrifies them—he is supposedly locked up in the house and once stabbed his father, Mr. Radley , with scissors. Local children believe that he’s impossibly tall, drools, and eats neighborhood cats and squirrels. On a dare, Jem runs up and touches the Radley house, and Scout is sure she sees someone watching them from inside behind a curtain.

Summer ends, and Dill returns to Mississippi. Scout starts school, which she hates despite looking forward to it. On the first day, her teacher, Miss Caroline , criticizes her for already knowing how to read and forbids her from writing in cursive. When she comes home from school upset, Atticus encourages her to think about how Miss Caroline must’ve felt—she had no idea how to deal with the eccentricities of Maycomb children, just as Scout had no idea how to deal with her odd teacher. He suggests that she put herself in others’ shoes to understand how they see things. The highlights of the school year come when Scout and Jem occasionally find treasures stuffed into a knothole of a tree next to the Radleys’ fence. When they find several sticks of gum, Scout and Jem ignore the rumor that everything on the Radley property is poison.

Summer arrives and Dill returns. He, Scout, and Jem grow more daring and sneak onto the Radley property one night to look in the window, but Nathan Radley sees them and thinks they're thieves. As they run away, and Jem's pants get caught in the Radley fence. He leaves them behind and, to cover their tracks, the children show up with the rest of the neighborhood at Nathan Radley’s gate and explain that Jem is without pants because Dill won the pants in a game of strip poker, much to the horror and exasperation of the adults. When Jem goes back to Radleys’ fence to retrieve the pants later that night, he finds them mended and folded. Meanwhile, Scout and Jem continue to find gifts in the knothole until Nathan Radley cements it shut, claiming that the tree is dying. Jem is very hurt, especially when Atticus notes that the tree doesn’t look ill. A few months later, in the dead of winter, the Finch's neighbor Miss Maudie Atkinson 's house catches fire, and as Scout and Finch watch it burn, someone Scout doesn't see puts a blanket around her shoulders. Jem realizes that Boo must have done it. Scout is horrified, but Atticus stifles his laughter.

That year, Atticus is appointed by the court to defend a black man, Tom Robinson , who is accused of raping Mayella Ewell , the daughter of a poor, notoriously vicious white man named Bob Ewell . Racial tensions in Maycomb flare. Scout and Jem become targets of abuse from schoolmates, neighbors, townspeople, and even some family members. Atticus pleads with Scout to not beat people up when they hurl insults at her about it, something that Scout struggles with greatly at Christmas. While at Finch’s Landing with Francis , a boring family member who is a year older, Francis baits Scout to fight him, ensuring that she gets in trouble with her beloved Uncle Jack . Later at home, Scout tells Uncle Jack where he went wrong: he never asked for her side of the story and punished her based on Francis’s incorrect assertion, and she begs him to keep this entire situation a secret from Atticus. On the bright side, Scout and Jem receive air rifles for Christmas, though Atticus refuses to teach them how to shoot. His only advice is that it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird . Later in the winter, as Scout and Jem take out their new air rifles to hunt for rabbits, they discover a beloved Maycomb dog named Tim Johnson behaving strangely. Calpurnia recognizes that the dog has rabies, alerts the neighbors, and calls Atticus and the sheriff, Heck Tate . Rather than shoot the dog himself, Mr. Tate makes Atticus do it, surprising the children—they had no idea Atticus even knew how to shoot a gun, but Miss Maudie says he used to be the best shot in the county.

In the spring, Scout and Jem begin going further down the road to meet Atticus after work, which takes them past the house of Mrs. Dubose , a horrendous woman. Jem is able to ignore her abuse for a while, until one day when she hurls slurs and insults at him about Atticus defending Tom Robinson. Jem retaliates by cutting the tops off of her beloved camellia bushes. To make up for this, Mrs. Dubose asks Jem to read to her every day after school for a month, and Atticus insists he has to follow through. Mrs. Dubose is thoroughly nasty the entire time and frightens both Jem and Scout, as she has fits of some sort. Atticus forces Jem to read for an extra week and a month after he finishes, Mrs. Dubose dies. Atticus explains that Mrs. Dubose was a morphine addict and used Jem’s daily reading to break herself of her addiction before she died—she wanted to die free. Atticus admits that he made Jem read because he wanted Jem to see that courage isn’t a man with a gun—it’s doing something you know is right, even if you know you’ll fail.

Calpurnia takes the children to attend her black church one Sunday when Atticus is gone and they are, for the most part, warmly received. Scout in particular is shocked to discover that Calpurnia lives a double life, as she speaks one way in the Finch home and another way among her black peers. When they return home, Aunt Alexandra , Atticus’s sister, is there to stay with them for “a while”—which in Maycomb, could mean any length of time—to provide a “feminine influence” for Scout. Scout is skeptical and takes major offense to Aunt Alexandra, especially when she forbids Scout from visiting Calpurnia’s home. Aunt Alexandra's social views are, in general, more conservative than Atticus's. She treats Calpurnia more like a servant than a family member and tries to impress upon the children that the Finches are a “Fine Family” because they’ve been on the same land for generations. Jem notes that, per this logic, the Ewell family is also made up of “Fine Folks.” On the day that Aunt Alexandra forbids Scout from visiting Calpurnia, Scout discovers Dill hiding under her bed after running away from his mother and her new husband. Jem breaks their code by telling Atticus, though Dill’s mother and Miss Rachel allow Dill to stay in Maycomb. That night, Dill admits that he was lonely and suggests that Boo Radley must also be lonely—but Boo hasn’t run away because, possibly, he has nowhere to go.

The weekend before Tom Robinson’s trial, Scout, Jem, and Dill observe tensions in Maycomb rising. Groups of men congregate on the Finches’ lawn, something that, in Scout’s experience, only happens when someone dies or when people want to discuss politics. The day before the trial, a mob surrounds the jail where Tom is being held. Scout, Jem, and Dill sneak out of the house to figure out where Atticus went and join Atticus at the courthouse, who anticipated a mob attack on Tom. Scout doesn't realize what's going on and is scared and uncomfortable when she finds herself in the middle of a group of men she doesn’t know, especially when she realizes that Atticus is scared. She recognizes a man named Mr. Cunningham in the crowd and asks him about his son, Walter , who is Scout's classmate. The man, shamed, disperses the mob. The next morning, this event transforms into a wild story of bravery that delights Dill and annoys Aunt Alexandra.

At the trial, Atticus presents a powerful defense of Tom and makes it clear that both Mayella and Mr. Ewell are lying, since Tom doesn’t have the use of his left arm and couldn’t have choked and beaten a woman, and Mayella’s injuries indicate that whoever beat her was left-handed. Rather, Atticus suggests that Mr. Ewell, who is left-handed, beat Mayella himself when he caught Mayella touching Tom. Tom saw running as his only option, even if it made him look guilty. Scout, Jem, and Dill sneak into the trial and watch the proceedings from the balcony, where the black people are forced to sit. While the prosecuting lawyer, Mr. Gilmer , questions Tom, Dill has to leave. He’s extremely upset by the racist way that Mr. Gilmer spoke to Tom. Outside, they meet Mr. Raymond , a white man who chooses to live with black people. He notes that Dill can only experience this kind of a reaction because he’s a child, whereas adults learn to ignore their innate sense of right and wrong. Jem is sure Atticus will win the case, but the all-white jury convicts Tom as guilty of rape. Jem is particularly devastated by the verdict, and his faith in justice is even further shaken when Tom tries to escape from prison and is shot and killed.

Even though Robinson was convicted, Ewell is furious that Atticus made him look like a fool in court. He harasses Helen Robinson , Tom’s window, and even tries to break into Judge Taylor ’s house. Atticus isn’t concerned, however—he believes that Mr. Ewell got everything out of his system when he spit in Atticus’s face the week after the trial. However, as Jem and Scout walk home alone from a Halloween pageant one night, Mr. Ewell attacks them. Scout can’t see much of what happens, but hears Jem’s arm break before someone rushes in to help. In the scuffle, Mr. Ewell is stabbed to death. The man who saved Jem and Scout carries Jem home, and once inside, Scout realizes that the man is Boo Radley. Mr. Tate decides to keep Boo's involvement in Mr. Ewell's death quiet, which Scout understands—she suggests to Atticus that punishing him would be like killing a mockingbird. Scout leads Boo to say goodnight to Jem, who’s unconscious, and then walks Boo home. As Scout stands on the Radley porch, she sees the world as Boo must see it and looks back on the experiences of her last few summers. She begins to understand that Boo truly was their neighbor and cared about “his children,” Scout, Jem, and Dill. When she gets home, Scout falls asleep as Atticus reads to her at Jem's bedside.

'To Kill a Mockingbird' Overview

B.A., English, Rutgers University

To Kill a Mockingbird is a searing portrayal of racial prejudice, justice, and innocence lost in a complex mixture of childish naiveté and mature observation. The novel explores the meaning of justice, the loss of innocence, and the realization that a place can be both a beloved childhood home and a source of evil.

Fast Facts: To Kill a Mockingbird

Author : Harper Lee
Publisher : J.B. Lippincott & Co.
Year Published : 1960
Genre : Fiction
Type of Work : Novel
Original Language : English
Themes : Prejudice, justice, innocence
Characters : Scout Finch, Atticus Finch, Jem Finch, Tom Robinson, Calpurnia
Notable Adaptation : 1962 film adaptation starring Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch

Plot Summary

Scout Finch lives with her father, a lawyer and widower by the name of Atticus, and her brother, a young boy named Jem. The first part of To Kill a Mockingbird tells of one summer. Jem and Scout play, make new friends, and first learn of a shadowy figure by the name of Boo Radley, who lives in a neighboring house yet is never seen.

A young Black man named Tom Robinson is accused of raping a white woman. Atticus takes on the case, despite the vitriol this arouses in the largely white, racist townsfolk. When the time of the trial comes around, Atticus proves that the girl that Tom Robinson is accused of raping actually seduced him, and that the injuries to her face were caused by her father, angry that she had tried to sleep with a Black man. The all-white jury nevertheless convicts Robinson and he is later killed by a mob while trying to escape from jail.

The girl's father, who holds a grudge against Atticus because of some of the things he said in court, waylays Scout and Jem as they walk home one night. They are saved by the mysterious Boo, who disarms their attacker and kills him.

Major Characters

Scout Finch. Jean Louise "Scout" Finch is the narrator and main character of the novel. Scout is a "tomboy" who rejects traditional feminine roles and trappings. Scout initially believes that there is always a clear right and wrong in every situation; as she grows older, she begins to understand more about the world around her and begins to value reading and education more.

Atticus Finch. Scout’s widower father is an attorney. Atticus is a bit of an iconoclast. He values education and indulges his children, trusting their judgment despite their young age. He is an intelligent, moral man who believes strongly in the rule of law and the necessity of blind justice.

Jem Finch. Jeremy Atticus "Jem" Finch is Scout’s older brother. He is protective of his status and often uses his superior age to force Scout to do things his way. He has a rich imagination and an energetic approach to life, but displays difficulty dealing with other people who do not rise to his standard.

Boo Radley. A troubled recluse who lives next door to the Finches (but never leaves the house), Boo Radley is the subject of many rumors. Boo naturally fascinates the Finch children, and displays affection and kindness towards them, ultimately rescuing them from danger.

Tom Robinson. Tom Robinson is a Black man who supports his family by working as a field hand despite having a crippled left arm. He is charged with the rape of a white woman, and Atticus defends him.

Major Themes

Maturation. Scout and Jem are frequently confused about the motivations and reasoning of the adults around them. Lee explores the way that growing up and maturing into adults makes the world clearer while also less magical and more difficult, ultimately connecting racism with childish fears that adults ought not to experience.

Prejudice. Lee explores the effects of prejudice of all kinds—racism, classism, and sexism. Lee makes it clear that racism is inextricably linked to economics, politics, and self-image. Sexism is explored in the novel through Scout and her constant battle to engage in behaviors she finds interesting instead of "appropriate" behaviors for a girl.

Justice and Morality. In the earlier parts of the novel, Scout believes that morality and justice are the same thing. Tom Robinson’s trial and her observation of her father’s experiences teach her that there is often a stark difference between what is right and what is legal.

Literary Style

The novel utilizes subtly layered narration; it can be easy to forget that the story is actually being told by the adult Jenna Louise and not the 6-year old Scout. Lee also restricts the point-of-view to Scout's direct observations, creating an air of mystery for the reader that mimics the childish sense of not quite understanding what all the adults are up to.

About the Author

Harper Lee was born in 1926 in Monroeville, Alabama. She published To Kill a Mockingbird in 1960 to instant acclaim, winning the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. She then worked with her friend Truman Capote on what would become Capote’s "nonfiction novel," In Cold Blood . Lee retreated from public life afterwards, granting few interviews and making almost no public appearances—and publishing almost no new material. She passed away in 2016 at the age of 89.

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To kill a mockingbird, common sense media reviewers.

Classic novel examines American racism and justice.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Author Harper Lee offers a snapshot of small-town

Atticus Finch tells Scout, "You never really under

Atticus Finch, Jem and Scout's father, courageousl

A drunk breaks a kid's arm. A man is killed with a

Frequent use of "damn," one "bastard," and one "so

Mr. Raymond drinks Coke (though others think it's

Mrs. Dubose is secretly addicted to morphine. A ma

Educational Value

Author Harper Lee offers a snapshot of small-town life in Alabama during the 1930s, including views about race and some information about events taking place in Europe leading up to world War II. Readers will also learn about 1930s gender roles, education, and divisions created by economic status.

Positive Messages

Atticus Finch tells Scout, "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view -- until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."

Positive Role Models

Atticus Finch, Jem and Scout's father, courageously defends Tom Robinson in a town where racial prejudice is firmly entrenched. He risks not only public disapproval but also his own safety to make sure Tom receives as fair a trial as possible. He imparts many lessons to his children verbally, but his actions speak loudest, teaching them empathy, and to judge people by their actions rather than by the color of their skin.

Violence & Scariness

A drunk breaks a kid's arm. A man is killed with a knife. Atticus and his children face down a lynch mob in the middle of the night. Town gossip includes a story about a man stabbing a family member with scissors. A rabid dog is shot in the street. The trial at the center of the story involves a man accused of raping and beating a woman. A prisoner is shot trying to escape.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Frequent use of "damn," one "bastard," and one "son-of-a-bitch." The "N" word and "('N'-word)-lover" is used liberally by some residents of Maycomb as if it's perfectly commonplace, and by others as a weapon.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Mr. Raymond drinks Coke (though others think it's liquor) and gives some to Dill. Jem eats a Tootsie Roll.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Mrs. Dubose is secretly addicted to morphine. A man named Dolphus Raymond is believed to be the town drunk, because he drinks something hidden in a paper bag, but it turns out to be a bottle of Coca-Cola. Bob Ewell is said to spend his relief checks on green whiskey, letting his children go hungry. Scout smells stale whiskey on a man's breath.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Harper Lee 's 1960 novel To Kill a Mockingbird addresses the terrible impact of racism in America through a little girl's point of view. The story takes place in Depression-era Alabama, in the fictional town of Maycomb, which Lee patterned after her own hometown of Monroeville. The narrator, 6-year-old Scout Finch, and her brother Jem and their friend Dill play children's games, but they also have a clear view of the adults in their world. Their youth and innocence contrasts with the prejudice, cruelty, and poverty they often observe. There's some threatened and real violence in this Pulitzer Prize winner: A man breaks a child's arm; a rabid dog is shot and killed; there is a stabbing death; the children and their father, Atticus Finch, confront a lynch mob; and the court case at the center of the novel involves a Black man who's been accused of raping and beating a white woman. Some of this violence is whiskey-fueled, as well. Profanity includes "damn," "bastard," and "son-of-a-bitch." The "N" word and "('N'-word)-lover" is used liberally by some residents of Maycomb as if it's perfectly commonplace, and by others as a weapon. The children in the novel learn powerful lessons about the impact of poverty and prejudice, and the importance of empathy, and so will those who read this classic. The 1962 film version starring Gregory Peck is one of those rare films that truly does justice to the original book. The audiobook read by Sissy Spacek is also note-perfect.

Where to Read

Community reviews.

Parents say (27)
Kids say (168)

Based on 27 parent reviews

So many levels to enjoy this book

What's the story.

Growing up in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the Great Depression, Scout Finch -- the narrator of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD -- and her brother, Jem, are being raised by their widowed father, Atticus. Some interesting characters live on their street, both seen and unseen. Dill Harris comes to stay with Scout and Jem's next-door neighbor Rachel Haverford every summer, and the three children develop a close friendship. Elderly Mrs. Dubose shouts insults at the neighbors from her porch. Miss Maudie offers the children friendly advice and baked goods. The young Finches are scared of the Radleys' house, as creepy stories are circulated about Mr. Radley and his sons, especially Arthur, also known as Boo. The children enjoy re-enacting make-believe versions of the stories they've heard about Boo. Scout goes through some growing pains in the story, as her first day of school goes poorly and Jem becomes less willing to play with his little sister. Atticus encourages his daughter to exhibit empathy and patience with others, and he warns both his children that tough times may be coming to their little family; they may hear things that upset them, and he wants them to keep cool. The children learn that Atticus, an attorney, has taken the case of a Black man who has been accused of raping and beating a White woman. The events that unfold surrounding the trial and its aftermath teach the children a lot about their father's inner strength and wisdom, and the effects of racism and poverty on their community.

Is It Any Good?

Told through the eyes of a child, Harper Lee's magnum opus may seem to take a simplistic point of view, but Scout's world is rich and complex. And the author doesn't stint when it comes to the realities Black people face in a racist society -- and the pressures that poverty puts on the Maycomb community. All of that said, Lee's story is about a White family and is told from a White perspective. The reader learns much about the history of the Finch family and very little about Tom Robinson's life other than what's revealed through Scout and her father. This is a beautifully written book, with important lessons to teach, but readers should also be encouraged to read great writing by Black Americans, such as Richard Wright and Toni Morrison .

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the prejudice exhibited by some characters in To Kill a Mockingbird . Could this story take place today? How have American attitudes about race changed since the 1930s? How have they remained the same?

This story is told through the eyes of a little girl. What does the author achieve by making Scout the narrator? How does this affect the way the story unfolds?

What does Boo Radley represent in the story? Why do you think the children enjoy re-creating stories they've heard about him?

Book Details

Author : Harper Lee
Genre : Literary Fiction
Topics : Activism , Brothers and Sisters , Friendship , Great Boy Role Models , Great Girl Role Models
Book type : Fiction
Publisher : Time Warner Books
Publication date : July 11, 1960
Publisher's recommended age(s) : 11 - 18
Number of pages : 281
Available on : Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
Last updated : August 11, 2020

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To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

The Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, 1961

Author: Harper Lee

Publisher: J. B. Lippincott & Co.

Genre: Bildungsroman, Historical Fiction

First Publication: 1960

Language: English

Major Characters: Scout Finch, Atticus Finch, Jem Finch, Arthur Radley, Mayella Ewell, Aunt Alexandra, Bob Ewell, Calpurnia (housekeeper), Tom Robinson, Miss Maudie Atkinson, Judge John Taylor, Dill Harris, Heck Tate, Stephanie Crawford

Setting Place: The fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama during the Great Depression

Theme: Community and Convention, Female Sexuality and Friendship, Faith, Suffering, and God’s Will, Science and Superstition, Justice and Judgment

Narrator: First person

Book Summary: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

The unforgettable novel of a childhood in a sleepy Southern town and the crisis of conscience that rocked it, To Kill A Mockingbird became both an instant bestseller and a critical success when it was first published in 1960. It went on to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and was later made into an Academy Award-winning film, also a classic.

Compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee takes readers to the roots of human behavior – to innocence and experience, kindness and cruelty, love and hatred, humor and pathos.

Now with over 18 million copies in print and translated into forty languages, this regional story by a young Alabama woman claims universal appeal. Harper Lee always considered her book to be a simple love story. Today it is regarded as a masterpiece of American literature.

Book Review: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

With endless books and infinitely more to be written in the future, it is rare occasion that I take the time to reread a novel. And this time it’s To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, a timeless classic. The first time I read this I was much, much younger and I remember loving it then. Over fifteen years later, it still held so much for me – wonderful language and characters that I never forgot about, profound themes explored , and relevancy even so many years later. Harper Lee is one of the best female authors.

The story in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is told from the point of view of Scout (Jean-Louise Finch), a six year old girl , through various events that happen in the town of Maycomb and in particular, the court case of Tom Robinson as her father Atticus Finch acts as Tom’s defence lawyer. Tom, a black man who has been accused of raping a young white woman, has to endure multiple racial attacks. Atticus, widely described as the “most enduring fictional image of racial heroism”, describes the events to Scout so that she sees that all people should be treated equally.

“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”

The narrator of this story is young tomboy Jean Louise (Scout), and her observations of Maycomb and people’s behavior are simple, honest, and visually very rich. I had no problem picturing Scout, Jem and Dill’s childish efforts to draw Boo Radley out of his house, or Calpurnia taking the kids to a colored church.

But when, after 128 pages, the court case begins and the plot really becomes intriguing, you immediately feel a rise in tension and excitement. Here Jem and Atticus become the main characters instead of Scout because they are more aware of the risks and importance of the case, although Scout’s moment with the mob was heartwrenchingly beautiful in it’s innocence.

“People generally see what they look for, and hear what they listen for.”

The last part of the book was less tense but never dull: it was important to show the aftermath and the effects of the case on different class – and races – of people to convey the impact of Atticus’ actions. Because back in 1935 and even now, in our current political situation, standing up for what’s right while the majority is against you, is an incredible brave and difficult thing to do.

One thing especially about this story that stood out to me, are the interesting gender roles in this book. We have Atticus who isn’t only presented as an amazing father but also as a great male character, because he’s patient, courteous, clever…but not traditionally masculine. In contrast with Bob Ewell, the main antagonist, Atticus isn’t physically strong, doesn’t use strong language, and hates violence (example: he keeps his shooting skills a secret from his children).

“The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.”

His sister, aunt Alexandra, is a very traditional female figure who wants Scout to behave more ‘lady like’, and because Scout doesn’t like her (at first), we as readers dislike her too. Acting as her opposites are Calpurnia and Miss Maudie, who neither show traditional feminine characteristics like politeness and charm, but both are presented as good and right.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a well-loved book for many good reasons, but I was very surprised by its diverse male and female characters, who make this story even richer than it already is.

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by Harper Lee

To Kill a Mockingbird Summary

To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in Alabama during the Depression, and is narrated by the main character, a little girl named Jean Louise "Scout" Finch. Her father, Atticus Finch , is a lawyer with high moral standards. Scout, her brother Jem, and their friend Dill are intrigued by the local rumors about a man named Boo Radley , who lives in their neighborhood but never leaves his house. Legend has it that he once stabbed his father in the leg with a pair of scissors, and he is made out to be a kind of monster. Dill is from Mississippi but spends his summer in Maycomb at a house near the Finch's.

The children are curious to know more about Boo, and during one summer create a mini-drama they enact daily, which tells the events of his life as they know them. Slowly, the children begin moving closer to the Radley house, which is said to be haunted. They try leaving notes for Boo on his windowsill with a fishing pole, but are caught by Atticus, who firmly reprimands them for making fun of a sad man's life. Next, the children try sneaking over to the house at night and looking through its windows. Boo's brother, Nathan Radley, who lives in the house, thinks he hears a prowler and fires his gun. The children run away, but Jem loses his pants in a fence. When he returns in the middle of the night to get them back, they have been neatly folded and the tear from the fence roughly sewn up.

Other mysterious things happen to the Finch children. A certain tree near the Radley house has a hole in which little presents are often left for them, such as pennies, chewing gum, and soap carved figures of a little boy and girl who bear a striking resemblance to Scout and Jem. The children don't know where these gifts are coming from, and when they go to leave a note for the mystery giver, they find that Boo's brother has plugged up the hole with cement. The next winter brings unexpected cold and snow, and Miss Maudie's house catches on fire. While Jem and Scout, shivering, watch the blaze from near the Radley house, someone puts a blanket around Scout without her realizing it. Not until she returns home and Atticus asks her where the blanket came from does she realize that Boo Radley must have put it around her while she was entranced by watching Miss Maudie, her favorite neighbor, and her burning house.

Atticus decides to take on a case involving a black man named Tom Robinson who has been accused of raping a very poor white girl named Mayella Ewell , a member of the notorious Ewell family, who belong to the layer of Maycomb society that people refer to as "trash." The Finch family faces harsh criticism in the heavily racist Maycomb because of Atticus's decision to defend Tom. But, Atticus insists on going through with the case because his conscience could not let him do otherwise. He knows Tom is innocent, and also that he has almost no chance at being acquitted, because the white jury will never believe a black man over a white woman. Despite this, Atticus wants to reveal the truth to his fellow townspeople, expose their bigotry, and encourage them to imagine the possibility of racial equality.

Because Atticus is defending a black man, Scout and Jem find themselves whispered at and taunted, and have trouble keeping their tempers. At a family Christmas gathering, Scout beats up her cloying relative Francis when he accuses Atticus of ruining the family name by being a "nigger-lover". Jem cuts off the tops of an old neighbor's flower bushes after she derides Atticus, and as punishment, has to read out loud to her every day. Jem does not realize until after she dies that he is helping her break her morphine addiction. When revealing this to Jem and Scout, Atticus holds this old woman up as an example of true courage: the will to keep fighting even when you know you can't win.

The time for the trial draws closer, and Atticus's sister Alexandra comes to stay with the family. She is proper and old-fashioned and wants to shape Scout into the model of the Southern feminine ideal, much to Scout's resentment. Dill runs away from his home, where his mother and new father don't seem interested in him, and stays in Maycomb for the summer of Tom's trial. The night before the trial, Tom is moved into the county jail, and Atticus, fearing a possible lynching, stands guard outside the jail door all night. Jem is concerned about him, and the three children sneak into town to find him. A group of men arrive ready to cause some violence to Tom, and threaten Atticus in the process. At first Jem, Scout and Dill stand aside, but when she senses true danger, Scout runs out and begins to speak to one of the men, the father of one of her classmates in school. Her innocence brings the crowd out of their mob mentality, and they leave.

The trial pits the evidence of the white Ewell family against Tom's evidence. According to the Ewells, Mayella asked Tom to do some work for her while her father was out, and Tom came into their house and forcibly beat and raped Mayella until her father appeared and scared him away. Tom's version is that Mayella invited him inside, then threw her arms around him and began to kiss him. Tom tried to push her away. When Bob Ewell arrived, he flew into a rage and beat her, while Tom ran away in fright. According to the sheriff's testimony, Mayella's bruises were on the right side of her face, which means she was most likely punched with a left hand. Tom Robinson's left arm is useless due to an old accident, whereas Mr. Ewell leads with his left. Given the evidence of reasonable doubt, Tom should go free, but after hours of deliberation, the jury pronounces him guilty. Scout, Jem and Dill sneak into the courthouse to see the trial and sit in the balcony with Maycomb's black population. They are stunned at the verdict because to them, the evidence was so clearly in Tom's favor.

Though the verdict is unfortunate, Atticus feels some satisfaction that the jury took so long deciding. Usually, the decision would be made in minutes, because a black man's word would not be trusted. Atticus is hoping for an appeal, but unfortunately Tom tries to escape from his prison and is shot to death in the process. Jem has trouble handling the results of the trial, feeling that his trust in the goodness and rationality of humanity has been betrayed.

Meanwhile, Mr. Ewell threatens Atticus and other people connected with the trial because he feels he was humiliated. He gets his revenge one night while Jem and Scout are walking home from the Halloween play at their school. He follows them home in the dark, then runs at them and attempts to kill them with a large kitchen knife. Jem breaks his arm, and Scout, who is wearing a confining ham shaped wire costume and cannot see what is going on, is helpless throughout the attack. The elusive Boo Radley stabs Mr. Ewell and saves the children. Finally, Scout has a chance to meet the shy and nervous Boo. At the end of this fateful night, the sheriff declares that Mr. Ewell fell on his own knife so Boo, the hero of the situation, won't have to be tried for murder. Scout walks Boo home and imagines how he has viewed the town and observed her, Jem and Dill over the years from inside his home. Boo goes inside, closes the door, and she never sees him again.

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To Kill a Mockingbird Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for To Kill a Mockingbird is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

How old was Scout when her mother died?

Scout's mother died when she was two years old.

Our mother died when I was two, so I never felt her absence.

Where can I find the literary devices used in each chapter a book?

To find literary devices used in each chapter of "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, you can refer to literary analysis guides, study aids, or academic resources that offer chapter-by-chapter breakdowns. Here are a few places where you might...

From the text:

We eased in beside Miss Maudie, who looked around. “Where were you all, didn’t you hear the commotion?” “What happened?” asked Jem. “Mr. Radley shot at a Negro in his collard patch.” “Oh. Did he hit him?

Study Guide for To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird is a book written by Harper Lee. The To Kill a Mockingbird study guide contains a biography of Harper Lee, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

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Essays for To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

The Impact of Class Structure
Justice in To Kill a Mockingbird
The Journey Motif in Works of American Literature
Prejudice in To Kill a Mockingbird and Goin' Someplace Special
Character Analysis in To Kill A Mockingbird

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About the Author
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To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Publication Date: March 5, 2002
Genres: Historical Fiction
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Harper Perennial Modern Classics
ISBN-10: 0060935464
ISBN-13: 9780060935467
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To Kill a Mockingbird

Introduction to kill a mockingbird, summary of to kill a mockingbird, major themes in to kill a mockingbird, major characters in to kill a mockingbird, writing style of to kill a mocking bird, analysis of literary devices to kill a mockingbird.

“Cry about what, Mr. Raymond?” Dill’s maleness was beginning to assert itself. “Cry about the simple hell people give other people—without even thinking. Cry about the hell white people give colored folks, without even stopping to think that they’re people, too.” “Atticus says cheatin‘ a colored man is ten times worse than cheatin’ a white man,” I muttered. “Says it’s the worst thing you can do.” (Chapter-20)

I wouldn’t be so sure of that, Atticus . . . His kind’d do anything to pay off a grudge. You know how those people are. (Chapter-23). “ Ruth Jones, the welfare lady, said Mr. Ewell openly accused Atticus of getting his job. She was upset enough to walk down to Atticus’s office and tell him about it. (Chapter-27) High above us in the darkness a solitary mocker poured out his repertoire in blissful unawareness of whose tree he sat in, plunging from the shrill kee, kee of the sunflower bird to the irascible qua-ack of a bluejay, to the sad lament of Poor Will, Poor Will, Poor Will. (Chapter-28)

A day was twenty-four hours long but seemed longer. There was no hurry, for there was nowhere to go, nothing to buy and no money to buy it with, nothing to see outside the boundaries of Maycomb County. (Chapter-1)

Maycomb was an old town, but it was a tired old town when I first knew it. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view -“ “Sir?” “- until you climb into his skin and walk around in it. One time (Atticus) said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them.

What was the evidence of her offense? What did she do? What did her father do?

He was as good as his worst performance. (Chapter 4). The tire bumped on gravel, skeetered… and popped me like a cork onto pavement. (Chapter-4)

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Book Review: To Kill a Mockingbird

Spoilers! (lol)

To paraphrase Ta-Nehisi Coates, there is beauty in the struggle — sometimes, to struggle is all we can do, and truth be told, it’s more than most offer. Not that it assuages our sense of injustice, the breadth of it all, but if there weren’t Atticus Finches of the world struggling against it, then we’d be a lot worse off than we are. I’ve finally read Harper Lee’s seminal classic, 1960’s To Kill a Mockingbird , and it’s revelatory as a coming-of-age story — the shattering of innocence, i.e., to “kill a mockingbird,” who merely wants to sing for us — but it’s also a deeply resonate love story, of a father who aches to look his two children square in the eye with a clean conscience in a world replete with dirtying it.

To Kill a Mockingbird is told from the point-of-view of Atticus’ daughter of around 7, Jean Louise, who goes by Scout, who is bucking societal expectations herself as someone who belies the delicacies, desires, and manners of a “lady.” Set in the 1933-1935 Great Depression era Alabama in the fictional town of Maycomb, Scout comes to realize that fellow children and the townsfolk see her father as a “nigger lover” because he’s a defense lawyer defending Tom Robinson, a Black man accused of raping a white woman. Those are fighting words for Scout, not because she (at that point) has affection for Black people, but because she can ascertain the invective of the phrase and is defending Atticus’ honor.

Meanwhile, like the classic perspective of children in a small town, there is a small town boogeyman, Boo Radley, who is said to be deranged, snacks on cats and squirrels at night, and has been locked in the Radley house for decades. Scout, her older brother, Jem, and their friend, Dill, become enthralled with dragging Boo Radley out of his place. They want to see what he looks like. Their attempts don’t work, and even turn dangerous when Radley’s father attempts to shoot Jem, thinking Jem a “Negro.”

Back to the Robinson case, a group of white men form a mob intent on tearing Robinson out of the county jail and lynching him. Scout, Jem, and Dill happen across the scene when seeking out Atticus, and Scout recognizes one of the men immersed within the violent mob. Her plain talking to him is able to dissuade the mob from violence on that night. But think of it. A man who knows Atticus well was willing to initiate violence against him merely because he stood in the way of their ultimate violent desires. Such is how dangerous the mob mentality is, and the hatred wrought by racism.

Atticus is clear-eyed about the Robinson case, though. While he knows Robinson is innocent, and he’s going to give the most steadfast defense he can proffer, he also knows he can’t overcome the racism embedded in the hearts of the white men of the town (and indeed, men, because women weren’t allowed on the jury). An exchange between Atticus and Scout elucidates this point and it’s why I started out paraphrasing Coates about the “beautiful struggle.”

“Atticus, are we going to win it?”

“No, honey.”

“Then why—”

“Simply because were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win,” Atticus said.

That’s everything. When you’re morally right and righteousness, and you know the odds are against you, that you are perhaps even a minority of one, that you were “licked” before you started, you start and try anyway precisely because it is the right thing to do. To struggle against injustice and the wrongness of the thing. The real futility is to acquiesce to the licking. To stay silent. Atticus can’t stand for it, and eventually, as he teaches Scout and Jem through his actions, neither can Scout, Jem, Dill, and even a few others within the town, who I think through Atticus’ example, found their own voices in little ways.

Robinson is accused of raping 19-year-old Mayella, who comes from the Ewell clan, who would in today’s derogatory sense, be known as “white trash.” They live on welfare, the father, Bob, is a drunk, the children go hungry, stay dirty, and skip school. Yet, when you clear away the grime, they’re still white and that counts for more than being Black. So, if a white woman says Robinson raped her, even if it never happened and her injuries occurred because her father, Bob, witnessed her coming onto Robinson and beat her savagely, it doesn’t matter. The outcome was licked the moment Mayella hollered and Bob witnessed it. Robinson is found guilty, then later allegedly tries to escape and is shot and killed.

At first, Scout doesn’t understand a newspaper editorial criticizing the verdict. She thinks justice was done; after all, Robinson had her father’s defense through an open, public jury trial, and was convicted by a jury of 12 people (notably, not his peers). Then, it occurs to her:

“ Atticus had used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson, but in the secret courts of men’s hearts, Atticus had no case.” Agh, Lee with another gut punch. Scout later also questions how her teacher could understandably be aghast at Hitler’s actions toward Jewish people, while also having approved of Robinson’s conviction and that “his kind” had it coming. Which also echoes one of the reasons she can’t bring herself to become a “lady”: the hypocrisy.

Robinson’s conviction and death is not enough for Bob, however, because while he knows the town gave into its racist ways, they were looking down upon him and his clan. He threatens Atticus. He tries to go after the judge. Then, eventually, he tries to murder Jem and Scout on their way back home after a Halloween party. Who comes to their defense, if not Boo Radley, real name Arthur. What a lovely way for Lee to bring that story back around, to show that the children never had anything to fear from Arthur and that they shouldn’t have believed the “othering” of him.

Atticus, Scout, and Jem are instant classic characters, as the two children come-to-age within the world they actually live in, Atticus unwilling to lean into the veneer of “live and let live” one Southerner espouses as a philosophy with race relations. More like, they (white people) want to live, and if they feel like killing a Black person for any reason, they can and nobody ought to interfere with that. Atticus is stoic, steady, and steadfast, his own veneer of his convictions rarely slipping, albeit Scout remarks upon his age and seeing him sweat for the first time in defense of Robinson. He was not infallible, merely a man standing athwart history, at least the microcosm of Maycomb, Alabama, saying, “No.” Scout was scrappy, inquisitive, and full of heart. Jem so clearly idolizes his father and takes the verdict harder perhaps than Atticus did, and even as he ages into a teenager, he still loves and protects his sister.

I feel I could go on and on about Lee’s work here. It hit all my feels: rage, righteous approbation of the path Atticus chose, laughter at the childlike and sibling ways of Jem and Scout, sadness about the plight of the Robinsons of that time, and happiness that even in our darkest of hours, there are Atticus Finches around to provide a light, and to stop the bleeding of generational hate.

If you’ve avoided To Kill a Mockingbird because you think it’ll be unapproachable as a literary “classic,” I would advise against that notion. Again, it reads as a coming-of-age love story, and in that fashion, it is endlessly readable while being abundantly profound.

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Themes of racial injustice and morality, character development and loss of innocence, narrative style and symbolism, bibliography.

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Related Essays on To Kill a Mockingbird

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This powerful work by Harper Lee has left many people wondering why no other book by this writer followed it. Perhaps she said all she had to say; perhaps she didn't want to disappoint us after the reception this book received. This classic story is set in the South and told through the eyes of a young girl --- a real tomboy --- named Scout. Set in a time of discrimination, she sees her community involved in a battle that is much more than just over the crime a black man is accused of. Basic human instinct and emotion are the driving forces in this book. This powerful book is a favorite among my high school students ---many who don't normally like to read --- as well as among many adults. It is also a favorite target of groups looking to try to ban books. It is a must read for everyone.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Publication Date: March 5, 2002
Genres: Historical Fiction
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Harper Perennial Modern Classics
ISBN-10: 0060935464
ISBN-13: 9780060935467

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In this paper the author argues for a “re-visioning” of two young adult literature texts by examine the ways in which race is constructed/deconstructed within To Kill a Mockingbird and Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. The piece begins by examining how the books are perceived in mass culture, then leads into an analysis of how race is (de)constructed through key scenes related to family, history and land ownership. By examining the two pieces of literature in tandem, differing ideologies become apparent. Implications for the teaching of these texts in light of these ideologies, the selective tradition, and authenticity in the selection of multicultural texts conclude this piece. See http://journals.shareok.org/index.php/studyandscrutiny/issue/view/19

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Description In the file named Topic_Sentences, the topic sentences are written in and underlined. Make sure to begin each paragraph as the outline states. so the research paper has to be about the exploration of the devastating consequences of social, gender, and racial prejudice during the Great Depression era in small-town Alabama. Oh okay gotcha! And yes, the book to kill a mockingbird is the primary source. the paper should have 4 sources total MINIMUM

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To Kill a Mockingbird is often described as "the American story." The film was released in 1962, and it seemed to inaugurate a new genre of race film. Its admirable effort to avoid many of the racist caricatures from earlier decades helped To Kill a Mockingbird reach a wide audience. The hero of the story is Atticus Finch, a lawyer and widower played with cloying intensity by

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To Kill a Mockingbird Mass Market Paperback – International Edition, October 11, 1988

Part of series To Kill a Mockingbird
Print length 384 pages
Language English
Lexile measure 870L
Dimensions 6.69 x 4.13 x 0.98 inches
Publisher Grand Central Publishing
Publication date October 11, 1988
ISBN-10 0446310786
ISBN-13 978-0446310789
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Amazon.com review.

Like the slow-moving occupants of her fictional town, Lee takes her time getting to the heart of her tale; we first meet the Finches the summer before Scout's first year at school. She, her brother, and Dill Harris, a boy who spends the summers with his aunt in Maycomb, while away the hours reenacting scenes from Dracula and plotting ways to get a peek at the town bogeyman, Boo Radley. At first the circumstances surrounding the alleged rape of Mayella Ewell, the daughter of a drunk and violent white farmer, barely penetrate the children's consciousness. Then Atticus is called on to defend the accused, Tom Robinson, and soon Scout and Jem find themselves caught up in events beyond their understanding. During the trial, the town exhibits its ugly side, but Lee offers plenty of counterbalance as well--in the struggle of an elderly woman to overcome her morphine habit before she dies; in the heroism of Atticus Finch, standing up for what he knows is right; and finally in Scout's hard-won understanding that most people are essentially kind "when you really see them." By turns funny, wise, and heartbreaking, To Kill a Mockingbird is one classic that continues to speak to new generations, and deserves to be reread often. --Alix Wilber

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Publisher ‏ : ‎ Grand Central Publishing (October 11, 1988)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0446310786
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0446310789
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 14+ years, from customers
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 870L
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.1 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.69 x 4.13 x 0.98 inches
#233 in Classic American Literature
#239 in Legal Thrillers (Books)
#1,865 in Classic Literature & Fiction

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Harper Lee was born in 1926 in Monroeville, Alabama. She attended Huntingdon College and studied law at the University of Alabama. She is the author of the acclaimed To Kill a Mockingbird, and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and numerous other literary awards and honours. She died on 19 February 2016.

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Mass Market Paperback To Kill a Mockingbird Book

ISBN: 0446310786

ISBN13: 9780446310789

To Kill a Mockingbird

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Voted America's Best-Loved Novel in PBS's The Great American ReadHarper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning masterwork of honor and injustice in the deep South--and the heroism of one man in the face of... This description may be from another edition of this product.

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Wrong edition sent, my favorite books., best book ever, exactly what i ordered, to kill a mockingbird, disappointed, great purchase: consistent with product description and an awesome book, the book is great, i ordered good condition and the only complain i have is i received a very torn u, timeless classic, classic book, green eggs and ham is my favorite children’s book., to kill a mocking bird is my favorite book ......but, no dust jacket, the book came intact, wonderful story, the greatest novel ever written, not version pictured, i did not get the 50th anniversary edition cover i ordered, not exactly good quality, not the 50th anniversary edition, i dont want to read it this is not the book i wanted, an american classic, thank you so much. i love this book., mindblowing, simply essential reading vividly encapsulates depression-era racial hatred in the deep south, pulitzer prize winner, a true classic, tightly written with a message for everyone, to kill a mockingbird mentions in our blog.

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Rule to give state board control over books in SC schools now in effect

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCSC) - A controversial new rule that could restrict which books are allowed in South Carolina public schools is now in effect.

Its implementation has caught some state lawmakers by surprise because they say they never fully vetted it.

Earlier this year, the State Board of Education signed off on the regulation implemented by the South Carolina Department of Education and sent it to the General Assembly. Lawmakers then had 120 days to approve or reject it, or else it would automatically kick in.

That time ran out Tuesday, so the rule is now in place, without a vote in the legislature or a full evaluation at the State House.

“We didn’t vet it because we thought it wasn’t going to go into effect, so that has surprised a lot of people, and I don’t like that,” Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, R-Edgefield, said.

That’s because in previous years, a regulation like this one would not have automatically been implemented.

Before the General Assembly wraps up its regular legislative session each May, it passes an agreement that, among other provisions, typically includes language concerning regulations.

Usually, it allows regulations that have yet to hit that 120-day mark to expire when the session ends to stop them from automatically going into effect while the legislature is out of session.

But, somehow, that language got left out of this year’s agreement, which lawmakers say they did not realize until it was too late.

Massey chalks it up to an oversight — but a consequential one.

“I don’t think there was anything nefarious,” Massey said. “This regulation will matter, and the fact that it’s going to go into effect potentially without having been fully vetted, I think that’s a problem.”

The regulation allows the State Board of Education to have the final say in local disputes over what materials are appropriate, ranging from school library books to even those read by an afterschool student book club.

In a summary of the regulation, the South Carolina Department of Education said it was promulgated in response to “the current patchwork of district practices,” to establish “a clear, transparent, and uniform process that provides certainty for local educators, respects the legitimate prerogatives of parents, and protects students from materials that are not age or developmentally appropriate.”

Patrick Kelly of the Palmetto State Teachers Association said that is a worthwhile goal, but the definition of “age-appropriate,” he said, is too vague.

“Any description or depiction of sex in a book would make it age-inappropriate for all grade levels under this regulation,” Kelly explained.

Those kinds of descriptions or depictions, Kelly noted, can be found in the Bible and classics like “To Kill a Mockingbird” and “The Scarlet Letter.”

“My fear is that these particular classic works will get caught by this unnecessarily wide net because the regulation didn’t get refined as much as it should’ve,” Kelly said.

Under the new rule, the State Board sets a statewide policy with its rulings.

So, for example, if it determines a book is inappropriate for students of all ages, stemming from a challenge in a single district, that book is not allowed on shelves in any school across the state, affecting all South Carolina students and teachers.

This regulation will be in place when the new school year begins in a few months.

Massey said if there are issues with it, the General Assembly can fix them when it returns for a new legislative session, but that won’t be until January.

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Getting Started: Suggested Audiobooks For Grades 9-12

Learn more about the Learning Ally Audiobook Solution.

Our volunteers, who are subject matter experts and voice-over artist, spend hours recording our audiobooks to secure the right for all students to learn and out of their love for reading and education. It’s the human narration of our audiobooks that provides an added advantage to our members. Here at Learning Ally we use terms like prosody and fluency to discuss a struggling reader’s need to hear tone, pitch, stress, and timing to support content absorption and ensure that your child is not just reading but also learning.

Here’s a list of audiobooks that we recommend for 9-12 grade level readers to help you get started with your Learning Ally membership have been newly recorded and added to our library. Enjoy!

The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton

Lexile Level: 750L

Synopsis No one ever said life was easy. But Ponyboy is pretty sure that he’s got things figured out. He knows that he can count on his brothers, Darry and Sodapop. And he knows that he can count on his friends—true friends who would do anything for him, like Johnny and Two-Bit. But not on much else besides trouble with the Socs, a vicious gang of rich kids whose idea of a good time is beating up on “greasers” like Ponyboy. At least he knows what to expect—until the night someone takes things too far.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Lexile:870L

Synopsis The unforgettable novel of a childhood in a sleepy Southern town and the crisis of conscience that rocked it, To Kill A Mockingbird became both an instant bestseller and a critical success when it was first published in 1960. It went on to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and was later made into an Academy Award-winning film, also a classic. Compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving, To Kill A Mockingbird takes readers to the roots of human behavior – to innocence and experience, kindness and cruelty, love and hatred, humor and pathos.

Animal Farm by George Orwell

Lexile: 1170L Synopsis George Orwell’s timeless and timely allegorical novel–a scathing satire on a downtrodden society’s blind march towards totalitarianism. “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” A farm is taken over by its overworked, mistreated animals. With flaming idealism and stirring slogans, they set out to create a paradise of progress, justice, and equality. Thus the stage is set for one of the most telling satiric fables ever penned–a razor-edged fairy tale for grown-ups that records the evolution from revolution against tyranny to a totalitarianism just as terrible.

Divergent Trilogy ; Book 1 by Veronica Roth

Lexile: HL700L Synopsis In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue-Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is – she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself. During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are – and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she’s chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she’s kept hidden from everyone because she’s been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves… or it might destroy her. Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series – dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

1984 : A Novel by George Orwell

Lexile Level: 950L Synopsis Written in 1948, 1984 was George Orwell’s chilling prophecy about the future. And while 1984 has come and gone, his dystopian vision of a government that will do anything to control the narrative is timelier than ever… “The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.” Winston Smith toes the Party line, rewriting history to satisfy the demands of the Ministry of Truth. With each lie he writes, Winston grows to hate the Party that seeks power for its own sake and persecutes those who dare to commit thoughtcrimes. But as he starts to think for himself, Winston can’t escape the fact that Big Brother is always watching… A startling and haunting vision of the world, 1984 is so powerful that it is completely convincing from start to finish. No one can deny the influence of this novel, its hold on the imaginations of multiple generations of readers, or the resiliency of its admonitions—a legacy that seems only to grow with the passage of time.

All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

Lexile: 830L Synopsis The Fault in Our Stars meets Eleanor and Park in this exhilarating and heart-wrenching love story about a girl who learns to live from a boy who intends to die.

Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee

Lexile: 870L

Synopsis An historic literary event: the publication of a newly discovered novel, the earliest known work from Harper Lee, the beloved, bestselling author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning classic, To Kill a Mockingbird. Originally written in the mid-1950s, Go Set a Watchman was the novel Harper Lee first submitted to her publishers before To Kill a Mockingbird. Assumed to have been lost, the manuscript was discovered in late 2014. Go Set a Watchman features many of the characters from To Kill a Mockingbird some twenty years later. Returning home to Maycomb to visit her father, Jean Louise Finch—Scout—struggles with issues both personal and political, involving Atticus, society, and the small Alabama town that shaped her.

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

Lexile: 1010L Synopsis On a May afternoon in 1943, an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared, leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil, gasoline, and blood. Then, on the ocean surface, a face appeared. It was that of a young lieutenant, the plane’s bombardier, who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard. So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War. The lieutenant’s name was Louis Zamperini. In boyhood, he’d been a cunning and incorrigible delinquent, breaking into houses, brawling, and fleeing his home to ride the rails. As a teenager, he had channeled his defiance into running, discovering a prodigious talent that had carried him to the Berlin Olympics and within sight of the four-minute mile. But when war had come, the athlete had become an airman, embarking on a journey that led to his doomed flight, a tiny raft, and a drift into the unknown.

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A book report on Harper Lee`s "To kill a mockingbird"
To Kill a Mockingbird, The stunning graphic novel adaptation by Harper
To Kill A Mockingbird Literature Report (Summary)
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
To Kill A Mockingbird

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COMMENTS

To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the Great Depression. The protagonist is Jean Louise ("Scout") Finch, an intelligent though unconventional girl who ages from six to nine years old during the course of the novel. She is raised with her brother, Jeremy Atticus ("Jem"), by their widowed ...
To Kill a Mockingbird Summary
To Kill a Mockingbird book report - detailed analysis, book summary, literary elements, character analysis, Harper Lee biography, and everything necessary for active class participation. Introduction. To Kill a Mockingbird is a groundbreaking novel written by Harper Lee and published in America in 1960. The novel was one of the first of it's ...
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
To Kill a Mockingbird is the centerpiece of Harper Lee's career as a novelist. It was her first novel, published in July 1960 when she was thirty-four years old, and was her only published novel for most of her life until July 2015, when she published a second novel at eighty-nine years old. The second novel was titled Go Set a Watchman and ...
To Kill a Mockingbird: To Kill a Mockingbird Book Summary & Study Guide
Book Summary. To Kill a Mockingbird is primarily a novel about growing up under extraordinary circumstances in the 1930s in the Southern United States. The story covers a span of three years, during which the main characters undergo significant changes. Scout Finch lives with her brother Jem and their father Atticus in the fictitious town of ...
To Kill a Mockingbird: Book Review, Summary & Analysis
Introduction: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - Book Review, Summary & Analysis. "Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird ." A lawyer's advice to his children as he defends the real mockingbird of Harper Lee's classic novel—a black man charged with the rape of a white girl.
To Kill a Mockingbird
281. To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel by the American author Harper Lee. It was published in June 1960 and became instantly successful. In the United States, it is widely read in high schools and middle schools. To Kill a Mockingbird has become a classic of modern American literature; a year after its release, it won the Pulitzer Prize.
To Kill a Mockingbird Study Guide
Historical Context of To Kill a Mockingbird. In 1931, nine black teenage boys were accused of rape by two white girls. The trials of the boys lasted six years, with convictions, reversals, and numerous retrials. These trials were given the name The Scottsboro Trials, made national headlines, and drastically intensified the debate about race and ...
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Summary
Mrs Henry Lafayette Dubose, a mean old lady that lives two houses away from Atticus's house sees Jem and Scout and begins to taunt them for their father's legal defense of a black man. In a fit of rage, Jem destroys the flowers in her front yard. Atticus finds out and instructs Jem to go and apologize to Mrs Dubose.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Plot Summary
To Kill a Mockingbird Summary. In the small town of Maycomb, Alabama, in the middle of the Great Depression, six-year-old Scout Finch lives with her older brother, Jem, and her widowed father, Atticus. Atticus is a lawyer and makes enough to keep the family comfortably out of poverty, but he works long days.
'To Kill a Mockingbird' Study Guide
The first part of To Kill a Mockingbird tells of one summer. Jem and Scout play, make new friends, and first learn of a shadowy figure by the name of Boo Radley, who lives in a neighboring house yet is never seen. A young Black man named Tom Robinson is accused of raping a white woman. Atticus takes on the case, despite the vitriol this arouses ...
To Kill a Mockingbird Book Review
A ma. Parents Need to Know. Parents need to know that Harper Lee's 1960 novel To Kill a Mockingbird addresses the terrible impact of racism in America through a little girl's point of view. The story takes place in Depression-era Alabama, in the fictional town of Maycomb, which Lee patterned after her own hometown of Monroeville.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Genre: Bildungsroman. "It is a well-loved book for many good reasons, but I was very surprised by its diverse male and female characters, who make this story even richer than it already is." Title: To Kill a Mockingbird. Author: Harper Lee. Publisher: J. B. Lippincott & Co. Genre: Bildungsroman, Historical Fiction. First Publication: 1960.
To Kill a Mockingbird Summary
To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in Alabama during the Depression, and is narrated by the main character, a little girl named Jean Louise "Scout" Finch. Her father, Atticus Finch, is a lawyer with high moral standards.Scout, her brother Jem, and their friend Dill are intrigued by the local rumors about a man named Boo Radley, who lives in their neighborhood but never leaves his house.
To Kill a Mockingbird Chapter Summaries
Chapter Summaries Chart. Chapter. Summary. Chapter 1. To Kill a Mockingbird opens with Scout recalling the events leading up to when her brother, Jem, broke his arm when he w... Read More. Chapter 2. September comes and Dill leaves for home in Meridian, Mississippi, just before school starts for Jem and Scout.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
3. The title of Lee's book is alluded to when Atticus gives his children air rifles and tells them that they can shoot all the bluejays they want, but "it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." At the end of the novel, Scout likens the "sin" of naming Boo as Bob Ewell's killer to "shootin' a mockingbird." Do you think that Boo is the only innocent, or ...
To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird is a masterpiece written by Harper Lee. The novel was published in 1960 and became an instant hit. Since then, it has found inroads into schools, colleges, and libraries across the world. The novel presents the story of Lee's hometown, Monroeville in Alabama, her family members, neighbors, and the events that took place ...
Book Review: To Kill a Mockingbird
I've finally read Harper Lee's seminal classic, 1960's To Kill a Mockingbird, and it's revelatory as a coming-of-age story — the shattering of innocence, i.e., to "kill a mockingbird," who merely wants to sing for us — but it's also a deeply resonate love story, of a father who aches to look his two children square in the eye ...
A Book Report for to Kill a Mockingbird
A Book Report for to Kill a Mockingbird. Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird is a timeless classic that explores themes of racial injustice, morality, and the loss of innocence. Set in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama during the 1930s, the story follows Scout Finch, a young girl growing up in the segregated South, as she navigates ...
To Kill a Mockingbird
It is also a favorite target of groups looking to try to ban books. It is a must read for everyone. To Kill a Mockingbird. by Harper Lee. Publication Date: March 5, 2002. Genres: Historical Fiction. Paperback: 336 pages. Publisher: Harper Perennial Modern Classics. ISBN-10: 0060935464.
Book Report: To kill a Mockingbird
I. Description The quoted passage above is one of the lines of Atticus Finch - a defense lawyer of a Negro accused of rape in the novel To Kill A Mocking Bird written by Harper Lee. The story was set in Maycomb Country in Alabama sometime in 1935 when "white" population despise "coloredpeople" thru chronic racism.
To Kill a Mockingbird: Lee, Harper: 9780446310789: Amazon.com: Books
Compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving, To Kill A Mockingbird takes readers to the roots of human behavior - to innocence and experience, kindness and cruelty, love and hatred, humor and pathos. Now with over 18 million copies in print and translated into forty languages, this regional story by a young Alabama woman claims universal appeal.
To Kill a Mockingbird book by Harper Lee
Set in the town of Maycomb, Alabama during the Depression, To Kill a Mockingbird tells the tale of the Finch family: widower father Atticus, young son Jem and younger daughter (and narrator) Scout. Atticus, an attorney, has been appointed to represent Tom Robinson, accused of raping a 19-year-old girl named Mayall Ewell.
23 Books That Will Profoundly Change Your Perspective on Life
Set in the Deep South during the 1930s, To Kill a Mockingbird confronts the themes of racial injustice and moral growth. Through the innocent eyes of Scout Finch, readers are led through a story ...
Movie vs. book: Which is better? 6 adaptations taken to task
The movie: Almost out of necessity, the movie version of To Kill a Mockingbird recenters the story more firmly on Atticus. As a result, it becomes a more conventional story about a white lawyer ...
Iowa book ban's toll: 3,400 pulled books, including '1984' and 'To Kill
A Des Moines Register survey found nearly 1,000 unique titles were removed from Iowa public schools. Classics such as "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "1984" were among the books removed.
Rule to give state board control over books in SC schools now in effect
"Any description or depiction of sex in a book would make it age-inappropriate for all grade levels under this regulation," Kelly explained. Those kinds of descriptions or depictions, Kelly noted, can be found in the Bible and classics like "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "The Scarlet Letter."
Getting Started: Suggested Audiobooks For Grades 9-12
An historic literary event: the publication of a newly discovered novel, the earliest known work from Harper Lee, the beloved, bestselling author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning classic, To Kill a Mockingbird. Originally written in the mid-1950s, Go Set a Watchman was the novel Harper Lee first submitted to her publishers before To Kill a ...

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