book report to kill a mockingbird

• To Kill a Mockingbird
• Literature Notes
• Book Summary
• To Kill a Mockingbird at a Glance
• Character List
• Summary and Analysis
• Part 1: Chapter 1
• Part 1: Chapters 2-3
• Part 1: Chapters 4-5
• Part 1: Chapters 6-7
• Part 1: Chapters 8-9
• Part 1: Chapters 10-11
• Part 2: Chapters 12-13
• Part 2: Chapters 14-16
• Part 2: Chapters 17-20
• Part 2: Chapters 21-23
• Part 2: Chapters 24-26
• Part 2: Chapters 27-28
• Part 2: Chapters 29-31
• Character Analysis
• Scout (Jean Louise) Finch
• Atticus Finch
• Dill Harris
• Boo Radley and Tom Robinson
• Aunt Alexandra and Miss Maudie Atkinson
• Bob and Mayella Ewell
• Character Map
• About To Kill a Mockingbird
• Harper Lee Biography
• Critical Essays
• Racial Relations in the Southern United States
• Comparing To Kill a Mockingbird to Its Movie Version
• Famous Quotes from To Kill a Mockingbird
• Film Versions of To Kill a Mockingbird
• Full Glossary for To Kill a Mockingbird
• Essay Questions
• Practice Projects
• Cite this Literature Note

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 Maycomb, Alabama. Maycomb is a small, close-knit town, and every family has its social station depending on where they live, who their parents are, and how long their ancestors have lived in Maycomb.

A widower, Atticus raises his children by himself, with the help of kindly neighbors and a black housekeeper named Calpurnia. Scout and Jem almost instinctively understand the complexities and machinations of their neighborhood and town. The only neighbor who puzzles them is the mysterious Arthur Radley, nicknamed Boo, who never comes outside. When Dill, another neighbor's nephew, starts spending summers in Maycomb, the three children begin an obsessive — and sometimes perilous — quest to lure Boo outside.

Scout is a tomboy who prefers the company of boys and generally solves her differences with her fists. She tries to make sense of a world that demands that she act like a lady, a brother who criticizes her for acting like a girl, and a father who accepts her just as she is. Scout hates school, gaining her most valuable education on her own street and from her father.

Not quite midway through the story, Scout and Jem discover that their father is going to represent a black man named Tom Robinson, who is accused of raping and beating a white woman. Suddenly, Scout and Jem have to tolerate a barrage of racial slurs and insults because of Atticus' role in the trial. During this time, Scout has a very difficult time restraining from physically fighting with other children, a tendency that gets her in trouble with her Aunt Alexandra and Uncle Jack. Even Jem, the older and more levelheaded of the two, loses his temper a time or two. After responding to a neighbor's (Mrs. Dubose) verbal attack by destroying her plants, Jem is sentenced to read to her every day after school for one month. Ultimately, Scout and Jem learn a powerful lesson about bravery from this woman. As the trial draws nearer, Aunt Alexandra comes to live with them under the guise of providing a feminine influence for Scout.

During the novel's last summer, Tom is tried and convicted even though Atticus proves that Tom could not have possibly committed the crime of which he is accused. In the process of presenting Tom's case, Atticus inadvertently insults and offends Bob Ewell, a nasty, lazy drunkard whose daughter is Tom's accuser. In spite of Tom's conviction, Ewell vows revenge on Atticus and the judge for besmirching his already tarnished name. All three children are bewildered by the jury's decision to convict; Atticus tries to explain why the jury's decision was in many ways a foregone conclusion.

Shortly after the trial, Scout attends one of her aunt's Missionary Society meetings. Atticus interrupts the meeting to report that Tom Robinson had been killed in an escape attempt. Scout learns valuable lessons about achieving the ideal of womanhood and carrying on in the face of adversity that day.

Things slowly return to normal in Maycomb, and Scout and Jem realize that Boo Radley is no longer an all-consuming curiosity. The story appears to be winding down, but then Bob Ewell starts making good on his threats of revenge. Scout is in the Halloween pageant at school, playing the part of a ham. With Atticus and Aunt Alexandra both too tired to attend, Jem agrees to take Scout to the school. After embarrassing herself on-stage, Scout elects to leave her ham costume on for the walk home with Jem.

On the way home, the children hear odd noises, but convince themselves that the noises are coming from another friend who scared them on their way to school that evening. Suddenly, a scuffle occurs. Scout really can't see outside of her costume, but she hears Jem being pushed away, and she feels powerful arms squeezing her costume's chicken wire against her skin. During this attack, Jem badly breaks his arm. Scout gets just enough of a glimpse out of her costume to see a stranger carrying Jem back to their house.

The sheriff arrives at the Finch house to announce that Bob Ewell has been found dead under the tree where the children were attacked, having fallen on his own knife. By this time, Scout realizes that the stranger is none other than Boo Radley, and that Boo is actually responsible for killing Ewell, thus saving her and Jem's lives. In spite of Atticus' insistence to the contrary, the sheriff refuses to press charges against Boo. Scout agrees with this decision and explains her understanding to her father. Boo sees Jem one more time and then asks Scout to take him home, but rather than escort him home as though he were a child, she has Boo escort her to his house as a gentleman would.

With Boo safely home, Scout returns to Jem's room where Atticus is waiting. He reads her to sleep and then waits by Jem's bedside for his son to wake up.

Previous To Kill a Mockingbird at a Glance

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To Kill a Mockingbird

Everything you need for every book you read..

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.

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To Kill a Mockingbird (Lee)

To Kill a Mockingbird   Harper Lee, 1961 HarperCollins 323 pp. ISBN-13: 9780061120084 Summary Winner, 1961 Pulitzer Prize At the age of eight, Scout Finch is an entrenched free-thinker. She can accept her father's warning that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird, because mockingbirds harm no one and give great pleasure. The benefits said to be gained from going to school and keeping her temper elude her.

The place of this enchanting, intensely moving story is Maycomb, Alabama. The time is the Depression, but Scout and her brother, Jem, are seldom depressed. They have appalling gifts for entertaining themselves—appalling, that is, to almost everyone except their wise lawyer father, Atticus.

Atticus is a man of unfaltering good will and humor, and partly because of this, the children become involved in some disturbing adult mysteries: fascinating Boo Radley, who never leaves his house; the terrible temper of Mrs. Dubose down the street; the fine distinctions that make the Finch family "quality"; the forces that cause the people of Maycomb to show compassion in one crisis and unreasoning cruelty in another.

Also because Atticus is what he is, and because he lives where he does, he and his children are plunged into a conflict that indelibly marks their lives—and gives Scout some basis for thinking she knows just about as much about the world as she needs to. ( From Barnes and Noble .) See the 1962 movie with Gregory Peck. Listen to the Screen Thoughts podcast as Hollister and O'Toole compare book and film.

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To Kill a Mockingbird

By harper lee.

An excellent novel that comes highly recommended for good reasons. Everyone should read 'To Kill a Mockingbird.'

About the Book

Article written by Onyekachi Osuji

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

To Kill a Mockingbird is Harper Lee’s literary masterpiece with commendable quality of universal appeal. It is a novel that can be enjoyed by everyone irrespective of age, race, or social class. The moral and intellectual value of the novel has made it have continued relevance for many decades after its publication.

Vivid Imagination and Storytelling

To Kill a Mockingbird is written in a manner that brings the imagination to life. The narrator practically holds the reader by the hand and them all the places and people of Maycomb County. The reader becomes a child again and begins to play as a child, react as a child, and see things from the perspective of a child.

Using a child as the narrator is a brilliant stroke that adds a fresh touch to the novel. The only downside to the child narrator Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird is that Scout sometimes exhibits intellect and wisdom that is unrealistic for a child of her age.

Meaningful Theme

The themes in the novel are meaningful and insightful . They teach the reader some truth about life, the good, the bad, the unfair, and the unjust, and leave a reader with a lot to think about.

Themes of injustice, race, parenthood, childhood, culture and law as a reflection of a people are all things that everyone reads about and draw lessons from.

• Great Characters

The characters in To Kill a Mockingbird incorporate a wide spectrum of people from innocent children to villainous old men. It is difficult to not have stirrings of emotions towards the character in To Kill a Mockingbird. The characters are also very relatable, and one can imagine one’s self, a family member, an acquaintance, or a neighbor as one or more of the characters.

Brevity of Volume

One feature of a novel that is often underrated is brevity. Novels that are not very voluminous appeal to a wider range of readers because reading them consumes less time. To Kill a Mockingbird is a book that an average child or teenager can read without being intimidated by the size.

Given the powerful story that is contained in so brief a volume, it will be a shame for every book lover not to read To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee .

To Kill a Mockingbird Review

Book Title: To Kill a Mockingbird

Book Description: 'To Kill a Mockingbird' by Harper Lee combines a deep moral message with a vivid portrayal of 20th-century Southern life.

Book Author: Harper Lee

Book Edition: First Edition

Book Format: Hardcover

Publisher - Organization: J.B. Lippincott Company

Date published: July 1, 1960

ISBN: 978-0-451-52641-0

Number Of Pages: 324

• Novel Length

To Kill a Mockingbird: A Laudable Literary Piece

To Kill a Mockingbird is a great novel that was the center of Harper Lee’s career as a novelist. The brilliant balance of reality and imagination makes the book a work of genius. It is not often that we read a well-crafted story with so powerful a message within a few pages and that is many points to the credit of the novel. The novel teaches morals without sounding like a preaching. It skillfully depicts small town life in the 20th Century Deep South and allows readers to see both the beautiful and the ugly aspects of the Southern culture of the time. It is written in an engaging conversational style that gives room for the readers themselves to put elements together and deduce their own meaning. This novel comes highly recommended.  

• Profound Storytelling
• Meaningful Themes
• Scenic Setting
• The extent of wisdom exhibited by the children in the novel is somewhat unrealistic for their ages

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.

Cite This Page

Osuji, Onyekachi " To Kill a Mockingbird Review ⭐ " Book Analysis , https://bookanalysis.com/harper-lee/to-kill-a-mockingbird/review/ . Accessed 3 April 2024.

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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.

• Author: Harper Lee
• Publisher: Harper Collins
• Publication Year: 1960
• Binding: Paperback  

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.

Short Comment

Book Summary

Book review & analysis.

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

• How to get along with others? 
• How to handle complex interpersonal relationships in an honest manner? 
• How to be a friendly but self-persistent person? 

Main Storyline

How to get along with others?

• The reason why we don't get along well with a certain person (or a certain type of person) is that we disagree with this person's behavior style, and thus produce an overall negation of this person.
• If we always look at others from our own perspective, it is difficult to understand why others have such "weird" behavior;
• "Standing from the point of view of others": It is not simply imagining yourself as the other party, and guessing based on your own experience. It is to "get into someone else's body and wander around", which means that you have to really understand the person's past background and experience. If you still use your own experience to judge what this person is doing, you will not be able to achieve true transposition.
• If you have not been able to "get into someone else's body and wander around", at least, you should have such a belief in others: "After you finally understand them, you will find that most people are good people. ". This sentence is the last sentence that Father Atticus told Scott in the book. I think it is simply a well-known saying. Before we did not understand other people, at least we can first understand that "other people's actions are justified".

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, 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

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…

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 (167)

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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Book Review

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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To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - review

To Kill a Mockingbird is one of those books that almost everyone reads at some point in their lives. Whether you've been forced to read it at school, or you've had a look because everyone's been urging you to, most people have their own personal experience of reading Mockingbird.

The book is about Atticus Finch, who appears as an unconventional hero and role model due to his morality rather than his physical capabilities. The theme of morals is apparent throughout the whole novel, especially in relation to religion and perception of sin. Take Mrs Dubose, a recovering morphine addict: she vows that she'll die beholden to nothing and nobody. She's pursuing her own dream of being a free human being because she knows deep down that it's right.

To Kill a Mockingbird focuses on that gut instinct of right and wrong, and distinguishes it from just following the law. Even the titular quote: "Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird" is in itself an allegory for this message. Being in itself a generic message, the idea of 'doing what's right' obviously has a different meaning depending on when and where you're reading the book. If you take 1960, when the book was written, America was in a state of ethical development as social inequality was - very - gradually being overcome. Women's rights and black rights movements were beginning to emerge and some campaigned through violence. Would Atticus Finch condone this?

In the 1930s, when the book was set, America was in the midst of the Great Depression. This was a time when economic difficulties meant that the American Dream was receding further and further away. We could consider that Atticus Finch felt that his own dream of an equal, morally decent society was also heading in the wrong direction.

Without denying the constancy of the moral message, and the pure ingenuity of the book, it's still open to debate whether, as with all classics, schoolchildren should be forced to read the novel and go over it page-by-page. The beauty of literature and the reason why I love it so much is that a writer must eventually relinquish the meaning of his or her book. Therefore everyone who reads it can take something out of it which no one has before. I find that a beautiful notion myself, but it seems that looking for these life lessons has become a less and less popular exercise as the years have gone by. Let it not be forgotten that a true piece of literature, like To Kill a Mockingbird, is meaningful in every period and that today, Atticus Finch's message should be heard in the midst of all the global conflicts that we hear of on the news every night.

To think that children are suffering across the world because of a tyrannical regime or an unfair justice system is a depressing notion, and I think a modern Atticus Finch would agree. I don't think he would be comfortable knowing that innocent lives were suffering because of inequality. Atticus would now be defending issues that Harper Lee did not consider when writing the book, such as gay and lesbian rights, because what is at the heart of his character is an acceptance of who people are. That is a moral standpoint that you can hold whoever you are or wherever you are born. Atticus Finch is not xenophobic or homophobic. He's not racist or sexist. He's human and he sees everyone else in the same way. Who knows? Maybe Atticus Finch would even be an animal rights supporter.

Should it be analysed, taught in schools and pulled to pieces? I can't say, but what I will say is I'm not against anyone reading for the sake of reading. I've read many a book which I've enjoyed, put down and never thought about since. But I honestly feel that Mockingbird is a book which should be read, be it in school or in adult life (or both), without complete and utter absorption. It's a book with so many layers of meaning that you can get so much out of it. I for one know that To Kill a Mockingbird is a book that really has changed my life and that every time I go back over it, I find something new that I assimilate into my own code of ethics. Going over it, whilst being an arduous task, was in the long run worth all the time it took, and plenty more besides.

I would really advise picking up a copy of Harper Lee's magnificent novel and giving it a try. Because whatever happens, it will never stop being a good book, and it will never stop inspiring good people.

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How ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ Changed Their Lives

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By Sona Patel

• Feb. 19, 2016

Harper Lee’s “ To Kill a Mockingbird ” has transported generations of readers to small-town Alabama in the 1930s and confronted them with a sobering tale of racial inequality in the Deep South during Jim Crow. Read by many students in middle school and high school, it has left a mark on innumerable lives.

On the day of Ms. Lee’s death , The New York Times asked readers to share scenes from the novel, published in 1960, and movie (1962) that had stuck with them. Hundreds responded.

“To me, it beautifully captures both the hardships and oppressions human being inflict on one another time and again,” Sarah Twiest, 42, of San Francisco, wrote of the book. She continued, writing that it “also leaves us with a sense of hope that with a clear heart, things may change. This message was relevant in America in the 1960s, and it continues to be so important today in the face of continued and persistent injustice in our nation.”

Below are a selection of responses.

More Than Classroom Reading

”I reread the novel for the first time since eighth grade this past summer, and I will always be struck by the scene where Atticus has lost the trial and Jem struggles to understand how something so undeniably wrong has been allowed. One quote from it was everywhere after it was decided Darren Wilson would face no charges for killing Michael Brown, and it made me want to revisit the book. Everyone has a moment in their adolescence where the world’s injustice is so clear and seems so powerful that your childlike optimism and naiveté is taken. Lee beautifully captured that moment here, but also reaffirmed how hope still lies in people like Atticus who reassures Jem and us. For me, I turned back to the book for Atticus’s wisdom to serve as a model for how to go forward after a moment of blatant injustice.”

— Gabby Gillespie , 18 , Old Bridge, N.J.

“I have many memories of freshman year, some that I’d prefer to forget. But one I will always keep close is the memory of reading ‘To Kill a Mockingbird.’ It was the first book we studied, and its impact on my life was significant. The novel showed me the distinction between understanding others and imposing my views on them, and the transformative power of empathy. For, isn’t that what literature is all about? Taking us on a journey of the trials and joys of the human experience, and guiding us through times where the distinction between morality is all too subtle? My academic experience has been markedly defined by the books I have read, and I am certain that if I can approach life with the same curiosity, empathy and joy that permeates ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ I will be a wholly better person.”

— Janie Booth , 18, Durham , N.C.

“As a young girl, my father read ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ to me; in high school I used that copy of the book as my English class read it together; and when I myself became a high school English teacher, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ was always my favorite book to teach and many of my students’ favorite to read. For me the line that has always stood out is when Scout thinks to herself, ‘Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.’ This truly captures my love of reading, and what I hoped to help cultivate in my students.”

— Allison Quijano , 32, Gilbert , Ariz.

Writers, Teachers and Lawyers React to Harper Lee’s Death

Reflections on the legacy of the celebrated American writer.

A Role Model in Atticus Finch

“The courtroom scene taught me that people are often treated unfairly based on their color instead of who they are. I’ve tried to live as honorably as Atticus Finch and earn the respect of all races by treating my students fairly. I hope to be remembered with the same admiration that those in the balcony showed him as he left the courtroom, when they rose as he exited.”

— Beverly Wixon , Florida

“I read the book when I was in high school shortly after the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act had been passed and Martin Luther King Jr. had been assassinated. I liked the point of view of the novel being presented through the eyes of a young girl. I liked the way family interactions were portrayed. The book was part of my decision to become an activist and go to law school. I’ve reread the book several times.”

— James Roth , 63 , Minneapolis

“I grew up in the Midwest where there really wasn’t the depth of racism that I read and saw in the book and movie and was intrigued that one man would take such a stance against so many. He became my lifelong hero and I always wanted to be just and fair like him. It felt like a David and Goliath moment as I got older, and it made me very aware of the racism around the country and how awful it must be. That book and movie formed me into the staunch humanitarian that I am today and I will be forever grateful to Ms. Lee for writing such an honest, moving story.”

— Kerry B. Weaver , 60 , Smyrna, Tenn.

“Born and raised in Texas, the only Southerners I saw or heard about in movies and TV growing up in the 1960s and 1970s were racists. Finally, in Atticus Finch, I had a true Southern hero I could admire, respect and emulate. I memorized his summation in the trial and still use some of its basic principles in discussing tolerance issues at dinner parties. Simple? Yes. A bit glib? Yes. But, to a young man in Texas it was the first glimpse of a heroism that I could relate to.”

— Glenn Hawkins , 52 , Vancouver

Harper Lee: Her Life and Work

Highlights from the career of Ms. Lee, the author of “To Kill a Mockingbird,” who died on Friday at 89.

Finding Strength and Conviction

“I love how Scout is so sure in her beliefs and ignores the people around her when they tell her she is wrong, even people in authority, like her teacher. This book reminds you that even when it seems like all that exists are negative people with negative thoughts, there are positive people hidden among them. And all it takes is for that one person to have the courage to stand up for what he or she believes to make a difference. I loved Scout because she was strong, vocal and not afraid to think differently or share her opinion (even when it differed from others). These were qualities that I envied and wished I possessed myself.”

— Mary Hetrick , 35 , Cleveland

“I read ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ in high school, and while I found the racial commentary compelling, the part I found most intriguing was Jem reading to the morphine-addicted Mrs. Dubose. The way Mrs. Dubose is described as Jem reads to her is burned in my memory, and the scenes powerfully illustrated how spending a few uncomfortable hours with someone could drastically change their life. Later, the lesson encouraged me to stand up to drug addiction when it touched my own family, and a few uncomfortable hours a week have led to a lifetime free of addiction.”

— Patrick D. , 30, Warren, Ohio

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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
• About the Book
• Reading Guide (PDF)
• Critical Praise

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Book Report: To kill a Mockingbird

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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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Meyer, M. J. (Ed.). (2010). Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird : New essays. Scarecrow Press.

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This article combines frameworks of new racism and critical literature pedagogy to provide ideas and strategies for critically engaging, teaching, and reading with To Kill a Mockingbird.

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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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Study Guide for Decoding To Kill a Mockingbird

With typical questions and answers, publisher description.

This comprehensive study guide for Harper Lee's seminal work, "To Kill a Mockingbird," is meticulously crafted to enhance the understanding and appreciation of one of the most significant novels in American literature. Tailored for students, educators, and literary aficionados alike, the guide meticulously explores the novel's profound thematic elements, complex character dynamics, and the pivotal historical backdrop against which the story unfolds, offering a layered understanding of its continued relevance and impact. "Decoding To Kill a Mockingbird" is an in-depth analysis of the novel's exploration of themes such as racial injustice, moral integrity, empathy, and the transition from innocence to a nuanced understanding of the world. This guide dissects the intricate relationships and development of characters, including Scout, Atticus Finch, Tom Robinson, and Boo Radley, offering insights into their motivations and contributions to the novel's moral and ethical questions. It also delves into the narrative structure and the use of symbolism-such as the iconic mockingbird-enhancing appreciation for Lee's literary craftsmanship. Understand the broader historical context of the American South in the 1930s, enriching the narrative's social and cultural commentary. The study guide is replete with thought-provoking questions and discussion prompts designed to foster deep reflection and debate, making it an invaluable resource for classroom discussions and book club meetings. From detailed accounts of the novel's climax and resolution to considerations of its legacy and cultural impact, this guide provides comprehensive coverage to grasp fully and appreciate Harper Lee's masterpiece. Whether approaching "To Kill a Mockingbird" for academic purposes, preparing to teach it, or seeking to delve deeper into the novel's rich layers of meaning, this study guide is an essential companion. It equips readers with the tools and insights necessary to engage with this enduring classic fully, ensuring a deeper connection with the novel's themes and its portrayal of the human condition.

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