Abstract / Introduction

When writing a “To Kill a Mockingbird” essay, keep in mind Harper Lee’s 1960 novel is a Pulitzer Prize winning classic.  It was well-received at the time and is still loved and admired by new readers today.  One of the reasons the story is so successful is that Lee uses archetypes to present a world of good and evil that is easy for audiences to understand.  Atticus Finch is the archetypal hero, defending the good; Bob Ewell is the archetypal villain, pursuing evil at all costs even unto his own destruction.  In this article, we’ll take a look at a list of related topics that a student could use to write a paper on this book.  We’ll also provide a summary, analysis, quick description of characters, some good quotes, and a short list of themes.  Let’s get started!

Related Topics

Racism

The novel’s main conflict is embedded in the issue of racism.  If you wanted to make this your main topic, you could explore how race impacts the characters of the novel and whether racist attitudes prevail.  What attributes does the hero display that suggests a positive approach to the problem of racism?

The Criminal Justice System

The outcome of the trial suggests that the American system of criminal justice is flawed.  In some ways, it reflects the same message as that made by 12 Angry Men.  Is trial by a jury of one’s peers really the best approach to justice, especially when the defendant is likely to be viewed with hostility by the members of the jury?

Mob Justice

Mob violence is a problem in the novel, and at one point the children shame a mob into dispersing.  While the realities of mob violence are typically much more harrowing, the point that Lee makes in the book is one similar to that made by Shakespeare in Julius Caesar when Brutus incites the mob to violence following the assassination of the title character.  Mobs are unruly and unthinking in their actions and many innocents can suffer.  Yet at times these same mobs feel there is no other recourse to justice because of an inept system.

Neighborliness

Boo Radley represents neighborliness as does Atticus, though the former is private while the latter is public.  How do their two representations of neighborliness reflect on the overall themes of the novel?  What do their two approaches to neighborliness suggest about the nature of community?

Virtue

Atticus insists on virtue in his own life as well as in that of his children.  Moreover, he sets the example of virtuous behavior so that his children can see how one should behave.  How does the example set by Atticus impact his children?  What are some examples of virtue that they demonstrate in the novel?  What does it mean to be virtuous and where does the term originate?

Good

Atticus personifies the good in the novel.  He is the archetypal good character—the hero who does what is right in spite of the pressures he faces.  In what ways is “the good” depicted in the novel?  What makes Atticus particularly heroic?

Evil

Bob Ewell personifies evil in the novel.  He is duplicitous and spiteful.  His venom inevitably leads to his own death.  How is his story and character different from that of Atticus?  How do the two contrast?  Is Bob Ewell sympathetic in any way or is he thoroughly and utterly corrupt and irredeemable?

Coming of Age

The story is a coming of age tale in some ways, both for Scout and Jem, who go through a maturation process over the course of the novel’s telling.  The story is told from Scout’s perspective, as she looks back from her adulthood.  Does the fact that the story is told essentially from an adult’s point of view but through the eyes of a child undermine the coming of age narrative since the narrator has already come of age and is simply retelling the story?

Innocence

As the story is told from the point of view of a child, it retains a great deal of innocence and avoids having to deal with some of the more grisly aspects of life that might be depicted were the novel more “adult” in its orientation.  Is innocence lost, however, by the end of the novel—or is it maintained?  And is innocence something that can be carried forward into adulthood?

Judgment

There is a sense in the novel that although judgment through the justice system might be lacking, a higher judgment prevails in all things.  How does the novel reflect this idea?  Do you agree that a higher judgment tends to come around, delivering that which is deserved to all parties in the end?

Summary

Set over the course of three years during the Great Depression in Maycomb, Alabama, the novel is told using first-person narration.  The narrator is the adult Jean Louise Finch; the events she describes take place during her childhood.  As a child, she goes by the name Scout.  Her older brother is Jeremy, who goes by the name Jem.  Their father is Atticus Finch, a lawyer and the main hero of the novel.  The two Finch children...  Nonetheless, Scout looks kindly on both Boo and Atticus, who nurses Jem to health.

Analysis

The novel uses the backdrop of the Great Depression in the South to frame a battle between Good and Evil.  Atticus Finch represents the good man, who does his duty without prejudice, while Bob Ewell represents the bad man, full of spite, prejudice and violence.  Atticus tries to save Tom by working within the system of justice provided to the characters—but ultimately he is unable to save him because corruption exists within the system.  As the system of justice does not function properly without properly motivated individuals with properly formed hearts and minds, the system relies upon the development of good will.  If good will is lacking, however, the system of justice is more than likely to be considerably faulty.

The story of Atticus thus indicates that in order for a society to function as it should, everyone must strive to uphold the ideals and virtues embodied by the novel’s hero.  In other words, every member of society is called upon to act heroically.  Other characters who respond to this call in their own ways are Boo Radley, who comes to the defense of the children in their hour of peril, and the children themselves who defend Atticus and Tom from the lynch mob.

Characters

Atticus Finch

The main hero of the novel, he is the widowed father of Jem and Scout.  He is a trial lawyer and he is appointed to defend the African American Tom Robinson, who is accused by Mayella Ewell and her father of rape.  Atticus proves Tom’s innocence but loses the case anyway.  He never shows resentment or a mean spirit but constantly demonstrates himself as a man of good will.

Jem

The oldest of Atticus’s two children, Jem is the brother of Scout.  He is attacked at the end of the novel by Bob Ewell and injured in the fight.  It is suggested that Jem possibly kills Bob, but Lee takes care to leave it ambiguous.  Jem is carried home by Boo and nursed to health by Atticus in the end.

Scout

The youngest child of Atticus and sister to Jem, she tells the story as an adult but as though still a child seeing the events unfold for the first time.  Scout’s perspective allows for the events of the story to unfold as though through a veil of innocence.

Dill

A summer resident of the town, Dill befriends Jem and Scout.  Together they speculate as to the character of Boo Radley and discuss the reasons for his reclusiveness.  Dill makes up the third child of the trio that serves as the guide for the reader through its difficult moments.

Judge Taylor

The judge is the one who appoints Atticus to the role of defense attorney for Tom Robinson.  The judge presides over a court in a system that is heavily flawed, as the outcome of the trial indicates but does allow Atticus time to prepare an adequate defense.

Tom Robinson

Somewhat of a hapless character, Tom is the unfortunate African American who is wrongfully accused of rape.  He is defended well by Atticus but still convicted by a racist jury.  He is later killed while attempting an escape though it is unclear as to whether this escape was actual or just imagined by the police.

Mayella Ewell

The daughter of Bob, she is shown to be so starved for affection that she is the one who actually makes advances towards Tom, who rebuffs her.  Feeling scorned, she concocts the story of rape and along with her father persecutes Tom.

Bob Ewell

Bob has a bad reputation throughout town and is known for his drinking.  He is vengeful and full of malice.  His name is utterly destroyed by Atticus during the trial and he vows revenge.  He attacks the Finch children on their way home and is killed by his own knife during the melee.

Sheriff Tate

The sheriff judges that Bob fell on his own knife during the fight and that no one is responsible for taking his life other than himself.  The sheriff’s judgment suggests that the…