tkam essay prejudice

To Kill a Mockingbird

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Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird , Scout witnesses many different types of prejudice—and even promotes these attitudes herself—including classism, sexism, and racism. Regardless of the type of prejudicial worldview, each one treats people as stereotyped groups, demands conformity, and doesn’t give any credit to individuals. Over and over again, To Kill a Mockingbird illustrates how prejudice can be closed-minded and dangerous, as well as seemingly benign—but in all cases, it’s ridiculous and misguided.

Though racism is the type of prejudice that shines through the novel the most, Mockingbird is careful to show that this not the only kind of prejudice at work—and, at least for a white girl like Scout, it’s not even the most pressing issue in her life. However, it’s worth keeping in mind that racism isn’t Scout’s biggest issue exactly because she’s white, and what bothers her more is the sexism she experiences, and the classism expressed most often by her Aunt Alexandra . Scout is a tomboy and states clearly that she has no interest in being a lady, so she finds attempts by her Uncle Jack , Aunt Alexandra, and occasionally Jem to force her into acting more like a lady to be especially offensive, especially when this concerns wearing dresses instead of her preferred overalls. While certainly not a direct equivalent to racism, the sexism that Scout experiences at times impresses upon her just how silly prejudice is in general. Despite this, she still holds and espouses her own sexist views—she laughs when her cousin Francis says that Aunt Alexandra is going to teach him to cook, as she believes that boys don’t cook. To an outside observer, the juxtaposition of Scout’s annoyance with others’ clothing preferences with her own sexist ideas makes the point that anyone, even the victims of unfair treatment themselves, can hold questionable views.

Similarly, Scout gradually comes to the understanding that a person’s financial situation or family history shouldn’t have any bearing on whether or not they’re thought of as good people—though in many cases, she sees clearly that it does. While Aunt Alexandra outright forbids Scout from playing with Walter Cunningham , a poor farm boy at school, Scout sees that the only thing that separates her and Walter is that Walter has to miss school to work on the farm and his family doesn’t have any money—neither of which are things with which Scout (whose father, Atticus , is a lawyer) has to contend. Further, Scout feels especially warm toward the Cunningham family in general following Tom Robinson ’s trial, as someone in the family was on the jury and was the one who fought to acquit Robinson. For Scout, this is proof that Walter isn’t all that different from her, and moreover, is a good person deserving of respect and kindness. To Aunt Alexandra, however, the possibility of Scout being friends with Walter represents an existential threat to the Finch family name, as she believes that being anything but polite and detached toward poor individuals sullies one’s own reputation—again, something Scout sees as being ridiculous, misguided, and selfish.

While the existence of racism in Maycomb becomes clearest to Scout during and immediately after Tom Robinson’s trial, the novel goes to great lengths to show that the racism hurled at Robinson doesn’t exist in a vacuum—it’s a part of the way Maycomb operates. Scout learns in the year or so before the trial that segregation and a general dislike of black people isn’t something benign or normal: rather, it exists thanks to a strong undercurrent of hate on the part of white people in Maycomb. During and after the trial, Scout hears friends, family, and neighbors verbally attack Atticus for taking Tom Robinson’s defense seriously—in their opinion, Robinson doesn’t deserve a fair trial because of the color of his skin. She and Jem also suffer abuse for Atticus’s choice to defend Robinson, suggesting that in Maycomb, treating a black person with anything other than distant contempt is an unspeakable offense. Similarly, Atticus makes the case in his closing argument that the case, which relies on he-said-she-said argumentation rather than medical evidence or eyewitness testimony, asks the jury to believe that all black men are dangerous rapists—even if there’s no compelling evidence that Robinson raped Mayella Ewell , and even if there’s a very good chance that Mr. Ewell , Mayella’s father, was the one who beat her instead.

Through all of this, Scout gradually comes to the conclusion that prejudice of any kind is ridiculous and misguided—after all, she sees that the town becomes increasingly hostile toward Atticus, whom she believes is unwaveringly good, when he stands up against prejudice by defending Robinson. Further, she begins to interrogate her own prejudiced thoughts about Boo Radley , especially after he saves her and Jem’s lives. Scout’s gradual realization that it’s not fruitful or worth her time to dislike or fear people for their differences, no matter what they are, makes the case that it’s possible to move on from prejudice as people gain exposure to others who are different—especially when those seemingly different people turn out to be not so different from oneself.

Prejudice ThemeTracker

Prejudice Quotes in To Kill a Mockingbird

“There's some folks who don't eat like us," she whispered fiercely, "but you ain't called on to contradict 'em at the table when they don't. That boy's yo' comp'ny and if he wants to eat up the table cloth you let him, you hear?” “He ain't company, Cal, he's just a Cunningham—“ “Hush your mouth! Don't matter who they are, anybody sets foot in this house's yo' comp'ny, and don't you let me catch you remarkin' on their ways like you was so high and mighty!”

“There are just some kind of men who—who're so busy worrying about the next world they've never learned to live in this one, and you can look down the street and see the results.”

“If you shouldn't be defendin' him, then why are you doin' it?”

“For a number of reasons,” said Atticus. “The main one is, if I didn't I couldn't hold up my head in town, I couldn't represent this county in the legislature, I couldn't even tell you or Jem not to do something again.”

"Atticus, are we going to win it?"

“No, honey.”

“Then why—”

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

“Atticus, you must be wrong…”

“How's that?”

“Well, most folks seem to think they're right and you're wrong…”

Lula stopped, but she said, “You ain't got no business bringin' white chillun here—they got their church, we got our'n. It is our church, ain't it, Miss Cal?”

When I looked down the pathway again, Lula was gone. In her place was a solid mass of colored people.

One of them stepped from the crowd. It was Zeebo, the garbage collector. “Mister Jem,” he said, “we're mighty glad to have you all here. Don't pay no 'tention to Lula, she's contentious because Reverend Sykes threatened to church her. She's a troublemaker from way back, got fancy ideas an' haughty ways—we're mighty glad to have you all.”

Somewhere, I had received the impression that Fine Folks were people who did the best they could with the sense they had, but Aunt Alexandra was of the opinion, obliquely expressed, that the longer a family had been squatting on one patch of land the finer it was.

“Well how do you know we ain't Negroes?”

“Uncle Jack Finch says we really don't know. He says as far as he can trace back the Finches we ain't, but for all he knows we mighta come straight out of Ethiopia durin' the Old Testament.”

“Well if we came out durin' the Old Testament it's too long ago to matter.”

“That's what I thought," said Jem, “but around here once you have a drop of Negro blood, that makes you all black.”

“If you had a clear conscience, why were you scared?”

“Like I says before, it weren't safe for any nigger to be in a—fix like that.”

“But you weren't in a fix—you testified that you were resisting Miss Ewell. Were you so scared that she'd hurt you, you ran, a big buck like you?”

“No suh, I's scared I'd be in court, just like I am now.”

“Scared of arrest, scared you'd have to face up to what you did?”

“No suh, scared I'd hafta face up to what I didn't do.”

“The way that man called him 'boy' all the time an' sneered at him, an' looked around at the jury every time he answered— … It ain't right, somehow it ain't right to do 'em that way. Hasn't anybody got any business talkin' like that—it just makes me sick.”

“They've done it before and they did it tonight and they'll do it again and when they do it—seems that only children weep.”

“Oh child, those poor Mrunas,” she said, and was off. Few other questions would be necessary.

Mrs. Merriweather's large brown eyes always filled with tears when she considered the oppressed. “Living in that jungle with nobody but J. Grimes Everett,” she said. “Not a white person'll go near 'em but that saintly J. Grimes Everett.”

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. Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed.

“When they finally saw him, why he hadn't done any of those things…Atticus, he was real nice…” His hands were under my chin, pulling up the cover, tucking it around me. “Most people are, Scout, when you finally see them.” He turned out the light and went into Jem's room. He would be there all night, and he would be there when Jem waked up in the morning.

101 To Kill a Mockingbird Essay Titles & Examples

If you struggle to find “To Kill a Mockingbird” essay topics on prejudice, race, the characters’ courage, or any other issue, look no further. Our team has prepared a list of titles and essay writing tips for this book.

🏆 Best To Kill a Mockingbird Essay Topics & Examples

📌 most interesting to kill a mockingbird essay titles, 👍 good to kill a mockingbird research topics, ❓ to kill a mockingbird essay questions.

Before we will talk about the do’s and don’ts in essay writing, let’s clarify the types of essay.

When working on “To Kill a Mockingbird” essay thesis, you can focus on the facts of the book or concentrate on your attitude towards its key issues and characters. According to your approach, we can divide essays into two main areas:

• Objective essay: you set out your personal thoughts on a chosen issue and provide supporting arguments and evidence;
• Subjective essay: you express your point of view on a specific topic without claiming the truth and strengthening it with facts.

For example, when you choose a “To Kill a Mockingbird” essay topics on goodness, you will state that Atticus is a kind and fearless. No doubt that this character has a positive role.

On the other hand, when you describe Mayella, you will have to choose: will you condemn her or express pity.

As for the essay content, it can be divided into many subcategories:

• Philosophical essay
• Critical essay
• Literary analysis
• Historical essay, etc.

There are also a few key literary types:

• Feature article, etc.

Do’s & Don’ts When Writing To Kill a Mockingbird Essays

Now, it’s time to talk about what you should write and what to avoid in your paper. First of all, you have to remember that all “To Kill a Mockingbird” essay titles should reveal the essence of the issue.

Recommendations for essay writing:

• Do mark your essay subject at the beginning of the text. “To Kill a Mockingbird” essay hooks will help you to catch the reader’s attention. Don’t forget to emphasize the central issue in the conclusion.
• Do support the style of presentation by your emotions, vision, and opinion. Use the “question-answer” in paragraphs. Make the transitions between paragraphs harmonious and smooth.
• Do use quotes, historical facts, and observations to argue the thesis statement, solve the main issue, and describe the key subject of the paper.
• Do stick to the central thesis of your essay. Avoid deepen into philosophical reflections — tell about concrete facts and examples. Here’s an example: don’t include the facts from the author’s biography if you focus on the events of the book and factors that affect discrimination.
• Do proofread the paper. Read carefully your essay several times and think if your readers will understand your expressions.
• Do not use specific terminology in “To Kill a Mockingbird” essay. For example, when you write about discrimination, you don’t necessarily have to provide its dictionary definition or use complex law, historical and psychological literature, and samples. Just your own language. However, it doesn’t mean that your opinion should seem ungrounded.
• Do add your emotions to the paper. Let your readers feel that you believe in your ideas when defending the essay thesis.
• Don’t choose the header before you write an essay. First, you should write an essay, and only then compile the title of your paper.

Well, now you know about the essay types, what to do, and what to avoid in your essay. Of course, you may ask: “What to write in my own essay?”

The key to success is to start. Check “To Kill a Mockingbird” essay examples on our website to get inspiration. Even the topic seems to you too complicated, start your research, and then you will be able to express new and original thoughts.

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To Kill A Mockingbird Essay on Prejudice

In today’s society men, women and children experience prejudice in their lives, either as victims themselves or being guilty of using prejudice towards others due to differences between them. Prejudice is a preconception of a person based on stereotypes without real facts and discrimination based on gender, age and skin colour. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird , Harper Lee isolates characters and depicts ways prejudice is used. She also demonstrates the evils of prejudice and the negative consequences that lie in the city of Maycomb. By taking the reader, step by step, through various real life situations, and analyzing the impact of prejudice on people’s lives, she manages to go to the root of the problem in attempting to eliminate prejudice.

In To Kill a mockingbird , Lee depicts the ways of how prejudice is demonstrated based on discrimination by gender, age and skin colour. These different types of prejudice are illustrated in the book and show how awful it is to judge others on these grounds.

All men and women are created equal and have the same rights. Prejudice against gender lurks in the city of Maycomb. Mrs. Maudie experiences this unfairness in the novel due to the fact that she is a woman. “Miss Maudie can’t be on a jury because she’s a woman” (Lee 221) is a fact that cannot be contradicted in Maycomb County. The prejudice is against women. Townsmen think that women are frail and emotional so they will not be able to witness such intense trials. It takes a man to be on a jury, is a common belief by most of the townspeople. This belief should be eliminated because this is not true at all! If a woman wants to be on a jury and meets all the qualifications required then she deserves a spot in the jury box and let her be there. Some women are less emotional than men and women do offer valuable insights and views about people. Men and women should have equal opportunities and should have the same rights.

It is not only adult that commit prejudice. Harper Lee shows us that children at a young age can also innocently follow the footsteps of the wicked, make poor judgements and stereotype others. Dill, Scout and Jem all assume that Boo is crazy and that he eats squirrels based on the fact that he doesn’t come out of his house. “When people’s azaleas froze it was because he had breathed on them” (Lee 9) is an example of a stereotype towards Boo by the kids. Another example is illustrated by the absurd ideas conjured by the children about Boo Radley. They believed that Boo attacked his father. “Boo drove the scissors into his parent’s leg, pulled them out, wiped them on his pants, and resumed his activities.” (Lee 11). The novel illustrates that it is wrong to prejudge people in this way even if it is children who are discriminating others. In the end, after prejudice is unveiled, Boo Radley is portrayed as a silent hero.

This is a preview of the whole essay

Discriminating people due to their race is another type of prejudice that is demonstrated in the book To Kill a Mockingbird . Tom Robinson, a black man, is stereotyped and put down by some of the townspeople who see coloured people as weak and useless humans. However the reader knows that it is wrong to treat people like that and the reader feels pity for Tom. This pity cannot be felt by the creators of prejudice unless they change their real values and beliefs. “Guilty…guilty...guilty…guilty...guilty…” (Lee 211) is a quote that depicts how Tom is being discriminated. It is quite obvious that Tom is innocent but due to the racism and hatred towards black he was convicted nonetheless. This act is engraved in the reader’s mind throughout the entire book, this injustice infuriates the mind and this lingers throughout the novel and truly shows the prejudice that exists in this corrupted town.

Causes of prejudice are all based on the differences of humans whether it’s on gender, age and skin colour. Lee has demonstrated how prejudice is used and how an innocent person’s life can be changed due to evil assumptions made on that person.

Prejudice leads to many consequences. In the book To   Kill a Mockingbird  Harper Lee shows us how the evils of prejudice impact on the lives of innocent people such as Atticus Finch and Tom Robinson.

Atticus Finch, the most famous lawyer in Maycomb County, is a highly respected and honoured individual in the community who becomes a victim of prejudice. Atticus, a white man is defending Tom Robinson, a black man. This is quite peculiar because in Maycomb County, blacks and whites are separated and whites usually despise colored folks. Atticus suffers many vigorous consequences by some of the townspeople. “Mr. Bob Ewell stopped Atticus on the post office corner, spat in his face, and told him he’d get him if it took the rest of his life.” (Lee 217) Mr. Ewell spat in Atticus’ face, a disgusting and offensive thing to do. In the reader’s mind one thinks of what a cruel demeaning act this is. Why do such a thing just because a white man is defending a black man for a good cause? There is no point of behaving that way. Not only did Mr. Ewell spit on Atticus’ face but he claimed he will seek revenge as long as he lives.

As the residents of Maycomb were informed of how Atticus was dedicated in freeing Tom Robinson, they lost respect for him and started bad mouthing him and calling him a “nigger lover”. A simple act of prejudice like that can have such an impact on people. The penalty that Atticus suffered for this great courageous act of kindness, emanating from the bottom of his heart, resulted in a fierce act of hatred from ignorant residents in the County. Atticus was a very strong ambassador of peace and justice, stood on his ground, retained his faith in equality for all and didn’t let any of the bad gossips going around town affect him in any way.

“Tom’s dead...seventeen bullet holes in him.” (Lee 235) An innocent man is killed, seventeen bullet holes…what an outrage! The worst possible outcome of prejudice, DEATH! The most severe ultimate consequence of prejudice, that no man should expect to succumb to, one that should not occur but unfortunately did! The reader knows that Tom is innocent and his unfair futile death touches everyone to the very bottom of the heart. There is no reason for lives to be lost so innocently due to prejudice. Lee convinces the reader to fully dedicate oneself to strive against this injustice and eliminate it from the face of earth.

Prejudice can have deadly consequences and people’s lives can be profoundly changed because of it as it was for the families of Atticus Finch and for Tom Robinson.

Harper Lee wrote the book To Kill a Mockingbird  in a way that exposes readers to all kinds of prejudice, and then she leads them to the root of the problem and teaches them how prejudice is eliminated in the small town of Maycomb County.

Atticus is a lawyer and he is the main character in the novel who is trying to eliminate prejudice. “The assumption – the evil assumption – that all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are basically immoral beings, that all Negro men are not to be trusted around our women, an assumption one associates with minds of their caliber.” (Lee 204) This saying was firmly articulated by Atticus to all the jury during the trial. The reader already knows that the jury is in favour of white people who in this case would be the Ewells. What Atticus is trying to do is to convince the jury that all men are created equal and that they should not discriminate against people who are different. In other words Atticus is doing his best in eliminating the prejudice that lies in the hearts of the members of the jury.

Miss Maudie is another character in the novel who believes in equality. “I have no reason with court this morning”(Lee 159) would be a saying that people would say if they indeed knew that the trial was unfair and that they were disgusted from all the prejudice. The reader now ponders that more and more characters are being freed from the evils of prejudice and that the residents have begun to understand the wrongfulness of prejudice. This is a sign to the reader that more characters are eventually going to switch over to the good side and that is exactly what happens.

Jem and Scout are both children with developing minds and we cannot give them 100% guilt for being a little prejudice towards others especially when they are living in a prejudice country. Nevertheless the children also manage to overcome prejudice. “We never put back into the tree what we took out of it; we had given him nothing, and it made me sad.” (Lee 278) The children realized the wrongfulness of assuming that Boo Radley was crazy. Scout now realizes that Boo is a human just like anyone else and should be treated equally. “It is a sin to kill a mockingbird” is a lesson that Scout has learned from her dad. She realized that Boo was represented by a mockingbird and she was the so called hunter. Now Scout has grown up and matured and she followed after the footsteps of her dad and managed to get rid of the evil assumptions towards Boo Radley.

Harper Lee through the portrayal of these major characters has shown us how they realized that prejudice in Maycomb County existed and how they all managed to isolate prejudice from their lives and eliminate it in an understanding manner.

Prejudice is an evil assumption made about a person due to differences in age, gender, and race. In To Kill a Mockingbird,  Harper Lee, through the portrayal of various characters, depicts the uses, causes and negative consequences of prejudice. Lee strips the book right down to the bare wire and exposes the problems of prejudice and measures taken by the characters to eliminate the evils of prejudice.

“You’ll see white men cheat black men everyday of your life, but let me tell you something and don’t you forget it – whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, that white man is trash…don’t fool yourselves – it’s all adding up and one of these days we’re going to pay the bill for it.” (Lee 220-221).

Prejudice is atrocious and one must strive to eliminate it at all cost from the face of this world in order to achieve real freedom, justice and peace!

Document Details

• Word Count 1848
• Page Count 6
• Subject English

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To Kill a Mockingbird Essay

The Historical Context of “To Kill a Mockingbird”

This essay is about the historical context of Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird,” set in the 1930s during the Great Depression in Maycomb, Alabama. It explores how the economic hardships and racial segregation of the era shape the novel’s events and themes. The essay highlights the impact of Jim Crow laws and the systemic racism depicted in Tom Robinson’s trial. It also examines the social hierarchies, gender roles, and educational disparities of the time, as well as the novel’s portrayal of Southern life. Understanding the 1930s setting is crucial for grasping the characters’ struggles and the novel’s exploration of justice and equality.

How it works

Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” unfolds against the backdrop of the 1930s, an epoch marked by the profound societal upheavals of the Great Depression and entrenched racial segregation in the American South. The narrative’s locale in Maycomb, Alabama, serves as a pivotal stage for unraveling the intricate social dynamics and character interplays woven throughout the tale. Far from being a mere backdrop, the historical milieu of the 1930s assumes a central role in shaping the narrative’s themes and unfolding events.

The cataclysmic onset of the Great Depression, precipitated by the stock market crash of 1929, cast a long shadow across the United States, plunging the nation into unprecedented economic turmoil. With unemployment soaring to unprecedented heights and widespread destitution gripping millions of Americans, the palpable specter of economic hardship looms large over Maycomb. Even the Finch family, comparatively affluent by local standards, grapples with financial constraints, exemplified by Atticus Finch’s acceptance of goods and services in lieu of monetary remuneration for his legal services. This period of economic strife lays bare the vicissitudes of everyday life in Maycomb, exacerbating communal tensions and fraying social bonds.

Racial segregation and discrimination emerge as overarching motifs in “To Kill a Mockingbird,” their potency amplified by the historical setting of the 1930s. In this era, the pernicious tendrils of Jim Crow laws enshrouded the South, institutionalizing racial inequity and segregation. African Americans found themselves ensnared in a web of systemic prejudice and violence, both judicially sanctioned and extrajudicial in nature. The trial of Tom Robinson, a black man falsely accused of assaulting a white woman, stands as a pivotal narrative juncture, spotlighting the entrenched racism of the period. Atticus Finch’s valiant defense of Robinson serves as a beacon of moral rectitude, challenging Maycomb’s entrenched racial norms while also laying bare the inherent limitations of justice in a society steeped in prejudice.

The novel further delves into the stratified social hierarchies and gender roles endemic to the 1930s. Scout Finch, the precocious young protagonist, navigates a world suffused with entrenched gender norms and societal expectations. Her spirited refusal to conform to traditional feminine roles and her tomboyish demeanor serve as a poignant indictment of the era’s gendered strictures. The suffocating constraints imposed upon women and the dearth of opportunities available to them find resonance in characters like Scout’s Aunt Alexandra, epitomizing the prevailing orthodoxy surrounding womanhood and propriety.

Education emerges as another salient theme in the novel, its portrayal filtered through the lens of the 1930s educational milieu. Disparities in educational access between white and black children are glaring, reflecting broader societal fault lines. The character of Calpurnia, the Finch family’s black housekeeper, offers a poignant glimpse into the stark educational inequities confronting African Americans and the resilience requisite for surmounting such barriers.

Moreover, the novel paints a vivid tableau of Southern life in the 1930s, characterized by its languid pace, insular communities, and adherence to time-honored values. Maycomb’s social tapestry is interwoven with gossip, familial ties, and age-old vendettas, serving as a microcosm of Southern society. The Finch family’s interactions with their neighbors, the enigmatic Radleys, and other denizens of the town offer a kaleidoscopic view of human behavior and the intricate dance of societal expectations.

The historical backdrop of “To Kill a Mockingbird” transcends mere window dressing, assuming the mantle of a vital narrative element that informs the characters’ motivations and the thematic undercurrents coursing through the tale. The 1930s stand as a crucible of economic, social, and racial strife, and Lee’s evocative portrayal of this period furnishes readers with a prism through which to comprehend the existential struggles and ethical quandaries confronting the characters. The enduring resonance of the novel lies in its probing exploration of themes such as justice, equity, and human dignity, all refracted through the prism of a tumultuous historical epoch.

In summation, “To Kill a Mockingbird” unfolds against the tumultuous backdrop of the 1930s, a crucible of economic deprivation, racial segregation, and entrenched societal norms. Harper Lee’s masterful depiction of this era serves as a linchpin for elucidating the novel’s thematic tapestry and the characters’ lived experiences. The historical context of the Great Depression and pervasive racism suffuses the narrative with depth and nuance, enriching its resonance and underscoring its enduring relevance as a profound meditation on the human condition and the ceaseless quest for justice and equality.

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Evergreen To Kill a Mockingbird Essay Topics for High-Flying Essays

To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the most taught and popular books in American literature. It contains the story of a young Scout Fitch, her brother Jem, and their dad Atticus. Reading this novel also exposes you to different academic assignments that require thorough analysis and interpretation. 

Producing excellent To Kill a Mockingbird essays requires a good foundation, which includes finding the most suitable To Kill a Mockingbird essay topics . This post shares the best sample topics for your writing. It also offers tips for selecting suitable TKAM essay topics . Keep reading to learn more.

Tips for Selecting Suitable To Kill a Mocking Bird essay topics

Choosing the right To Kill a Mockingbird essay topics is necessary for drafting papers that fetch good marks. Accurate selection also captures readers’ interest from the start. Below are tips for selecting titles for To Kill a Mockingbird essays .

• Brainstorm your To Kill a Mockingbird essay ideas to determine their suitability. 
• Choose topics that you can easily research without facing unnecessary difficulties defending your ideas.
• Your potential titles must interest readers.
• Select TKAM essay topics you are genuinely passionate about so you can easily research and write about them.
• If possible, let your trusted friends or classmates give their feedback on the prospective topics before choosing them.

To Kill a Mockingbird Essay Topics About Racism

Racism is one of the leading themes in this novel. Here are sample To Kill a Mockingbird essay topics for future consideration. 

• Describe the racist attitudes expressed by people in Maycomb County.
• Describe how racism impacts this novel’s characters.
• Discuss the trial of Tom Robinson and how it exposes racism.
• Explore Atticus Finch’s views on racism and how they change in the novel.
• Describe how racism impacts the relationships between the novel’s characters.
• What does the trial of Tom Robinson say about racism in the so-called “land of the free?”
• How does this novel expose the prejudices African Americans face across the United States today?

To Kill a Mockingbird Essay Titles About the Family

Family is a central theme in this novel. Here are great To Kill a Mockingbird essay topics for jumpstarting you.

• Discuss the various types of families represented in this novel.
• Explore how the family shaped the characters in this novel.
• Dissect Atticus Finch as a father figure in the novel.
• Discuss how Scout’s family affected her development.
• Explain how the absence of mother figures affects the characters in this thriller. 
• Explore how parents influence their children.
• Discuss the family and how Lee presents the American family model. 

Good Research Topics for To Kill A Mockingbird About Injustice

Injustice dots this novel’s landscape. Here are inspiring To Kill a Mockingbird essay topics on this theme.

• Discuss how injustice manifests through Tom Robinson’s trial. 
• Explore how injustice flows through the novel .
• Discuss how the characters in the book handle injustice.
• How does injustice affect human relationships in the novel?
• Discuss Atticus Finch’s perspectives on justice.
• Explore unjust persecution as a central theme in this novel.
• Explore the plight of stereotyped victims in the novel.

Top To Kill a Mockingbird Essay Questions

Asking and answering the right questions is critical to understanding this thrilling novel . It also helps generate suitable To Kill a Mockingbird essay topics . Below are the top questions to ask.

• How old is Atticus Finch?
• What does Mrs. Maudie’s Nut Grass epitomize in the thrilling novel? 
• Are femininity and the power of women still relevant in modern American society?
• How does this book represent fathers?
• What is the main theme in the novel?  
• How does this novel present racism in the 1930s?
• What are the most vital lessons people can learn from this book?
• Are the novel’s themes still relevant?
• Why is Atticus Finch a hero in this novel?
• What does this novel teach modern society about family life, values, and bonds?
• What would you describe as this novel’s climax?
• How does this book expose prejudice and hypocrisy?
• How does this American masterpiece benefit students?
• How can readers connect to the social setting in the thriller? 
• Who is the novel’s protagonist?

Closing Remarks

Succeeding in To Kill a Mockingbird theme essays requires a careful selection of suitable To Kill a Mockingbird essay topics . Therefore, we provided you with the best sample topic ideas to help you succeed in your future assignments. We also give tips to help you choose the right titles.

Do you still need further assistance with To Kill a Mockingbird essay topics or any other academic task? Go ahead and contact us for timely help.

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To Kill a Mockingbird Thesis Statement

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Published: Mar 20, 2024

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