To Kill a Mockingbird Essay (leading to research paper)

A.  Write an essay on one of the following topics. Make sure that you have a clear and specific thesis statement, and that you support your ideas with specific references to the text.

I.  The theme of justice in To Kill a Mockingbird.

Some questions to consider about the theme of justice:

·  What does justice mean to Atticus? To the townspeople? To the Ewells? To the children?

·  What do the children learn about justice through their experience with the trial?

·  What other lessons about justice do the children learn through the course of the novel?

·  What connection can you make between the theme of justice and the title of the novel? Boo Radley? The death of Bob Ewell?

II.  What does Scout learn about compassion in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Some questions to consider about compassion in the novel:

·  What are some examples of Scout’s failure to be compassionate?

·  What learning experiences does she undergo that teach her to be more compassionate?

·  What is Atticus’s definition of compassion?

·  How do her experiences with Boo Radley show her growth in understanding about compassion?

·  How do Walter Cunningham, Miss Maudie, Calpurnia, and Mrs. Dubose help her learn lessons about compassion?

·  Why did Harper Lee make these choices? What is the effect of her choices on the reader and the meaning of the novel?

III.  Why is Scout the narrator of To Kill a Mockingbird?

Some questions to consider about the point of view of the novel:

·  Would the story have been more/less effective from another character’s point of view?

·  How do Scout’s youth and naivete affect the story being told?

·  How does the reader know what Scout doesn’t know?

·  What are specific examples of Scout’s unreliability as a narrator?

·  How is the story told by both the grown-up and the child Scout at the same time?

·  Why did Harper Lee make these choices? What is the effect of her choices on the reader and the meaning of the novel?

B.  Choose ONE of the topics. Brainstorm the answers to the questions, and any other ideas you can come up with for this topic.