to kill a mockingbird character essay

Everything You Need to Know About Analysing ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ for English | Summary, Context, Themes & Characters

One of the classics of American literature, ‘ To Kill a Mockingbird’ has been assigned to you for your English class and you need to conduct an essay analysis. Whether you’re looking for a summary of the themes in To Kill a Mockingbird or a quick refresher of the key characters or context, we’ve got you! 

You’ll also be able to download a copy of our analysed textual examples, as well as a sample paragraph so you can ace your tasks.

Let’s take a look together! 

To Kill a Mockingbird Summary Key Characters in To Kill a Mockingbird Symbols in To Kill a Mockingbird Context Themes Explored in To Kill a Mockingbird Essay Analysis of To Kill a Mockingbird

Summary of To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel that centres around the Finch family and is told through the perspective of Jean (nicknamed Scout), within the town of Maycomb, Alabama. Atticus, Jean’s father, is a prominent lawyer and the family lives relatively comfortably despite the impacts of the Great Depression. 

Image sourced from Wikimedia Commons

Scout, her brother Jem and their friend Dill spend the summer together where Dill eventually becomes fascinated by the Radley’s house where Boo Radley, a mysterious and ghostly figure that is the topic of much speculation and stories for the children of Maycomb .

Scout and Jem find gifts in the knothole of a tree on the Radley property, but Nathan Radley chases the children off the property and eventually seals up the knothole. When a fire breaks out, Jem tells Atticus that Boo is caused it. 

Access the To Kill a Mockingbird Downloadable Sample Paragraph and Examples of Analysis

The climax of the novel arrives when Atticus agrees to defend Tom Robinson, a Black man who has been accused of raping a white woman. As a result, Scout and Jem get bullied by other children in their conservative, racist town.

At a pivotal moment, Mrs Dubose, the neighbour of the Finch family, harasses the children and Jem lashes out by destroying her garden.

As punishment, Atticus tells Jem to read to Mrs Dubose every day, explaining to the children that she is addicted to morphine and trying to overcome her addiction. Thus, despite the children’s initial indignation, Atticus teaches them an important lesson in empathy and perspective. 

When Tom Robinson’s trial begins, he is held in the local courthouse where a group of people gather planning to lynch him. Atticus confronts the group the night before the trial, where Jem and Scout sneak out of the house to join him.

Recognising one of the men, Scout gently asks him how his son is doing, unknowingly shaming him and causing the group the disperse. 

At the trial, the siblings choose to sit with the town’s Black citizens as Atticus presents clear evidence that Mayella and Bob Ewell are lying about the rape.

Atticus demonstrates that the injuries on Mayella’s face are wounds from Bob when he found her with Tom. However, despite the convincing evidence indicating Tom’s innocence, the all-white jury convicts him. 

Tom is killed later on when he tries to escape prison. Additionally, despite his success at the trial, Bob Ewell feels that he has been made a fool and takes revenge.

First, he harasses Tom’s widow before finally attacking Jem and Scout as they walk home from a party. However, the children are saved by Boo Radley who fatally stabs Ewell during the struggle.

Boo carries an injured Jem home and Atticus insists that Ewell tripped over a tree root and fell on his knife to protect Boo.  The novel ends with Scout walking Boo home and reflecting on the events of the novel and the complexities of humanity. 

Key Characters in To Kill a Mockingbird

Jean Louise ‘Scout’ Finch Jean Louise ‘Scout’ Finch is the main character and we first met her when she is 6 years old, although it is narrated by an older Scout who is reflecting and looking back on her life. Through her, we learn about the town, her family and what it was like to live in the early 1930s during the Great Depression and the racial tensions that existed during that time.  

Atticus Finch Atticus Finch is a single father in To Kill a Mockingbird who is appointed as the defence lawyer for a Black man who is accused of raping a White woman. Throughout the novel, Atticus teaches the children about empathy and how to view situations from different people’s perspectives instead of judging them harshly. 

Jem Finch Jem Finch is Scout’s older brother who looks up to their father a lot. As an older brother, Jem accompanies Scout for a lot of her adventures and it is evident that the two are close. Being older, we watch Jem mature and often understand issues that Scout still does not. 

Tom Robinson Tom Robinson is the Black man who Atticus defends during the rape trial. During the trial, there is compelling evidence that Tom is innocent and that the Ewells falsely accused him of rape. Despite this, Tom Robinson is found guilty due to the jury’s racial prejudice. 

Boo Radley Arthur ‘Boo’ Radley is the Finch’s mysterious neighbour which the children in the town often speculate and make up scary stories about him. While he was a teenager, Boo was part of a gang of boys who caused trouble in Maycomb by drinking and gambling. As a result of this, he was locked in his home for many years and not allowed out. However, he has a soft spot for the children, leaving them gifts in the knothole of a tree and saving Jem when he is attacked by Bob Ewell. 

Symbols in To Kill a Mockingbird

Mockingbird In “To Kill a Mockingbird,” the symbolic significance of the mockingbird resonates deeply. It represents innocence and goodness . Atticus Finch’s advice to his children, Scout and Jem, to never harm a mockingbird metaphorically extends beyond the bird itself. The innocent characters like Tom Robinson and Boo Radley are likened to mockingbirds, as they bring no harm but are subjected to cruelty and injustice due to societal prejudices .

The Radley Place The ominous Radley house and its reclusive occupants, particularly Boo Radley, symbolise the fear of the unknown . The town’s gossip and myths surrounding the Radleys serve as a reflection of the community’s prejudiced attitudes. Boo Radley, initially feared and misunderstood, eventually becomes a symbol of compassion and kindness, challenging the town’s preconceived notions.

These symbols intricately weave into the narrative, adding layers of depth to the novel’s themes of innocence, prejudice, empathy, and the complexities of morality and human behavior.

To Kill a Mockingbird is set in Alabama during the 1930s, allowing Harper Lee to explore the impact of racism and the Great Depression on people. While slavery had been abolished in 1890, most White Americans continued to hold racial prejudices against them.

Segregation laws meant that Black people were separated from White people. This is reflected in Maycomb where they live in a separate part of town and even sit in a separate area during Tom Robinson’s trial. 

Image sourced from Britannica

Additionally, Lee demonstrates the racism in America during this time through the town’s response to Atticus agreeing to defend Tom and his subsequent trial. From the children being harassed, the attempted lynching of Tom and finally being found guilty by the jury despite overwhelming proof of his innocence, the novel demonstrates how racism affected Black people in all aspects of their lives during this time. 

While the novel was set in the 1930s, Lee wrote it during the 1960s when the Civil Rights Movement was happening . The legal system continued to be discriminatory towards Black people, thus many of the racial themes that Lee explores in the novel would easily be recognisable to the public when the book was published.

The continued relevance of To Kill a Mockingbird during the 21st century can still be seen in the Black Lives Matter movement in America and ongoing racial injustices. 

Image sourced from Minnesota Historical Society

Themes Explored in To Kill a Mockingbird

As you read through To Kill a Mockingbird, you will encounter themes such as:

• Empathy and courage
• Loss of innocence 

The Complexities of Humanity

To Kill a Mockingbird explores the complexities of humanity and how both good and evil can exist at the same time within people. Told through the perspective of Scout between the ages of 6-9, readers are offered an opportunity to watch Scout mature while also learning alongside her. 

Social Prejudice

Themes of social prejudice are also strong within the novel, featuring various social outcasts from Mrs Dubose who is a morphine addict, Boo Radley and the Black citizens of Maycomb.

Through these characters, Lee is able to explore the different prejudices society often holds and encourages us to be empathetic to people we may think of as unpleasant or weird due to their differences or behaviours. Instead, we are encouraged to see a different point of view and “climb into his skin and walk around in it”. 

The Enduring Relevance of the Text

While To Kill a Mockingbird was set in the 1930s and written in the 1960s, many of the themes continue to remain relevant more than 50 years later. It is likely that your English classes will ask you to consider why we continue to study this book and what it teaches us about social prejudices.

While segregation may be a thing of the past, themes like racism’s impact on the justice system can still be seen in movements like Black Lives Matter. Additionally, while the book deals with racism specifically, social prejudices like how we interact with people from different backgrounds, those with a disability or LGBTQ+ people can also be examined through this book. 

Events to Keep in Mind

While Tom Robinson’s case is the climax of the novel, there are various characters and events that you should keep a lookout for as well!

From the children going to the Black church, their interactions with Mrs Dubose and Boo Radley — there are various events where the children build empathy and challenge their own opinions of other citizens in the town , providing an opportunity for the readers to learn alongside them too. 

How to Analyse To Kill a Mockingbird in 3 Steps

Usually, when students try to write their essay for To Kill a Mockingbird, or any other text, they’ll try to work on their thesis first when responding to an essay question — however, we recommend starting with your analysis!

Doing this will allow you to expand your knowledge of the text before thoroughly answering anything about it. Once you’ve analysed your text, then you can draw ideas from it and properly build your thesis.

We’re going to walk you through writing up an essay analysis for To Kill a Mockingbird in three simple steps!

Step 1: Choose your example

When picking an example ensure that you are able to identify a technique in the text.

Here, we have chosen to look at Atticus’s statement to the Court and jury at Tom Robinson’s trial:

“We know all men are not created equal in the sense some people would have us believe – some people are smarter than others, some people have more opportunity because they’re born with it, some men make more money than others, some ladies make better cakes than others… But there is one way in this country in which all men have been created equal… That institution, gentlemen, is a court.”

This is quite a long quote from To Kill a Mockingbird, so remember when you’re actually writing up your analysis for your essay, you don’t actually need to include the complete quote — just excerpts.

We’ve got a list of 50 quotes that you should check out from To Kill a Mockingbird!

Step 2: Identify your technique(s)

Ensure that the technique you choose for your quote supports your analysis or helps you to build your argument.  

To enhance your response, you want to discuss techniques that have a lot more depth — you should keep an eye out for any literary techniques such as metaphors, similes and motifs!

For the above quote, there is repetition, cumulative listing, inclusive language and allusion. 

Step 3: Write the analysis

When writing the analysis, focus on the effect of the technique and how it supports your argument. In this case, we are going to analyse how the quote addresses the theme of racial prejudices. 

The opening of “we know all men are not created equal” subverts the American declaration of independence , as Atticus utilises cumulative listing to demonstrate all the ways in which men and women are not equal.

However, he also reminds the jury during this trial that the law is a “way in this country in which all men have been created equal”, alluding to the American Declaration of Independence and the core values of the nation . Analysis for this quote may look like: 

Atticus, aware that the jury is likely to find Tom Robinson guilty despite strong evidence of his innocence due to the racial prejudices the White jury is likely to hold tries to challenge this t hrough the inclusive language of in “we know all men are not created equal”, Atticus presents the jury and the defence as being on the same side. Furthermore, the allusion to the core American values when he states “in this country there is one way all men have been created equal”, creates an appeal to both the jury’s sense of justice and core American values. 

Need to write a Feature Article on ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’? Look no further than this incredible in-depth guide to help you ace your writing!

Need some help analysing other texts?

Check out other texts we’ve created guides for below:

• All the Light We Cannot See
• Lord of the Flies
• The Meursault Investigation
• In Cold Blood
• Pride and Prejudice
• Jasper Jones
• Romeo and Juliet

Read also: how to write a feature article for English ! 

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Tiffany Fong is currently completing a double degree in Media and Communications with Law at Macquarie University. She currently contributes to the university zine, Grapeshot where she enjoys writing feature articles, commentary on current affairs or whatever weird interest that has taken over her mind during that month. During her spare time, Tiffany enjoys reading, writing, taking care of her plants or cuddling with her two dogs. 

• Topics: ✏️ English , ✍️ Learn

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To Kill a Mockingbird

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Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

To Kill a Mockingbird: Introduction

To kill a mockingbird: plot summary, to kill a mockingbird: detailed summary & analysis, to kill a mockingbird: themes, to kill a mockingbird: quotes, to kill a mockingbird: characters, to kill a mockingbird: symbols, to kill a mockingbird: literary devices, to kill a mockingbird: theme wheel, brief biography of harper lee.

Historical Context of To Kill a Mockingbird

Other books related to to kill a mockingbird.

• Full Title: To Kill a Mockingbird
• When Written: 1950-1960
• Where Written: New York City and Monroeville, Alabama
• When Published: 1960
• Literary Period: Modernism
• Genre: Bildungsroman; Social Novel
• Setting: The fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama during the Great Depression
• Climax: The trial of Tom Robinson; or when Bob Ewell attacks Scout and Jem
• Antagonist: Bob Ewell; more broadly, racism and mob mentality
• Point of View: First Person

Extra Credit for To Kill a Mockingbird

“Dill” Capote. The character of Dill is based on Harper Lee’s real-life childhood friend, Truman Capote, who went on to become a national literary star in his own right. He wrote the bestselling true crime book In Cold Blood .

Atticus in Real Life. Harper Lee became close friends with Gregory Peck, the actor who played Atticus in the Academy Award-winning film adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird . She remained close with his family after Peck died, and Peck’s grandson is even named Harper after her.

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Plot summary

• Analysis, adaptations, and Go Set a Watchman

What is To Kill a Mockingbird about?

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

To Kill a Mockingbird

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• National Endowment for the Arts - To Kill a Mockingbird
• Encyclopedia of Alabama - To Kill A Mockingbird
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• Academia - To Kill a Mockingbird: Race, Class and Innocence in the Contemporary Society INTRODUCTION
• To Kill a Mockingbird - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)
• Table Of Contents

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Global Health and Education

To kill a mockingbird essay: scout finch, to kill a mockingbird essay: character analysis and growth of scout finch, a great path to maturity: scout finch.

“A mature person is one who does not think only in absolutes, who is able to be objective when deeply stirred emotionally, who has learned that there is both good and bad in all people and all things, and who walks humbly and deals charitably,” promoted Eleanor Roosevelt during her dedicated years as an advocate for the U.S.’s citizens.  As the First Lady, she, like many other good people in the world, had achieved the success of maturity and gave her life to the people.  Likewise, in the fiction book To Kill a Mockingbird , Harper Lee concocted a brilliant masterpiece filled with themes about a young girl named Scout and connected her adventures to her own memories of growing up in the prejudiced South, specifically in Alabama, in the 1930s.  The story reflects a major meaning of life and maturity through the prejudiced death of an innocent black man, and the events before and after the case prove to be enlightening experiences for Scout.   Known as tomboy Scout, Jean Louise Finch transforms in the course of three years from an innocent child to a courageous young lady by learning to control her originally stormy temper, apprehending the prejudice and racism around her, and caring for others after absorbing different perspectives.

Character Traits of Scout Finch in the Beginning of To Kill A Mockingbird

How Scout Finch Grows

Furthermore, Scout matures as she experiences the harsh realities of prejudice and racism around her when she learns about Walter Cunningham’s lifestyle and encounters the unfair trial of Tom Robinson.  At the beginning of the school year, she previously hurts Walter Cunningham after she is punished by the teacher for trying to defend him.  At the same time, she is learning from her aunt, who comes to stay with Scout and her family to serve as her feminine role model.  When Scout suggests to her father that she wants to visit their cook’s home and play with Walter Cunningham, Aunt Alexandra erupts with disdain, “…she said, ‘Because-he-is-trash, that’s why you can’t play with him…’” (225).  In addition, Scout’s older brother calms her as she furiously reacts, “…and he led me away sobbing in fury to his bedroom” (225).  Scout considered everyone, including impoverished Walter, equally. When Aunt Alexandra disapproves of him, Scout sobs because the unfairness in the world angers her. She matures in her thinking and sees people as a big dysfunctional family, but everyone is still considered equal to each other.  Therefore, she views the world with equality in mind and knowing that it was unfair, which is further revealed in her reaction to the verdict of Tom Robinson’s trial.  He is wrongly accused of raping an impoverished and neglected white girl, and the society wrongly uses prejudice of black people to influence their conclusions, “A jury never looks at a defendant it has convicted, … not one of them looked at Tom Robinson” (211).  Scout is now aware of the prejudice around her.  In this, she displays insight of the world beyond her and how it affects equality.  Her instinctive guess of the outcome also shows her experience with the racism that exists between white and black people.  Unraveling the injustice in the world and experiencing it strengthens Scout’s mental and emotional growth .

Character Development of Scout Finch

Conclusion: the growth of scout and her maturity.

Overall, Scout gains the power of knowledge and experience by learning to suppress her originally short temper, realizing the unfairness in society, and viewing the world thought others’ points of view.  Moreover, she learns to be more careful with her actions after she hurts her classmate Walter and realizes her mistakes while later, Scout is respectful with her aunt’s hypocritical missionary circle.  Scout also senses the inequality in the world with her aunt’s comments about Walter’s impoverished lifestyle and the prejudiced verdict of Tom Robinson.  Finally, Scout completes an essential step to her maturity when she learns from her misunderstanding of her aunt’s caring intentions, and she masters the art of understanding others, especially Boo Radley, after placing herself in his perspective of events.  Scout not only masters maturity physically but also emotionally, socially, and mentally.  Often, she makes mistakes that cause her to stop and consider them, and as a result, she matures by learning from them and improving herself for later events in the story.  Conquering her temper was a small step to advance into the adult world while protesting inequality and understanding others brings her to another level of maturity that is evident in many of her later actions.  Equipped with the knowledge and experience of controlling temper, disapproval of inequality, and the art of comprehending those around her, Scout, like other benevolent people, earns the honor of reaching true maturity after conquering obstacles.  Finally, achieving those aspects of maturity allows people like Scout to face society with confidence, respect, and kindness , allowing them to be ready for the real world.

Learn More about Jem Finch, Scout Finch, and Atticus Finch’s Character Analysis in Our Second To Kill a Mockingbird Essay

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Your article is excellent. My class just started reading the book and I showed this all my students. Insightful read.

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Character Development in to Kill a Mockingbird

This essay will analyze the character development in Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird.” It will focus on the growth and changes in key characters like Scout, Jem, and Atticus Finch. The piece will explore how the events in the story, particularly those related to racial injustice and moral dilemmas, contribute to the characters’ development. It will also discuss how these characters’ evolutions reflect the broader themes of the novel, including empathy, integrity, and the loss of innocence. Additionally, PapersOwl presents more free essays samples linked to To Kill A Mockingbird.

How it works

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a story of a girl named Scout Finch and her friends who live in a town called Maycomb County, in the racially charged atmosphere of the early 1960s. Her mother is deceased, and her and her brother are cared for by Calpurnia, an African American housekeeper and Her father, Atticus, is a lawyer who takes on a case defending a black man accused of rape, and he confronts the racist justice system of the Depression-era South.

Scout, Jem, and Atticus are three characters who develop in the story and advance the themes in TKAM.

Scout Finch helps develop the story in many ways. Throughout the novel she matures and gains more self control. She shows ignorance in the book when she says Jem, i ain’t ever heard of a [negro] snowman (Lee 75). She had heard so many people around her use it and thought it was the common way to address black people. Several incidents in the novel force Scout to confront her beliefs. I Towards the end of the book, it shows how Scout has matured, I sometimes felt a twinge of remorse, when passing by the old place, at ever having taken part in what must have been sheer torment for Arthur Radley (Lee 277). She sees boo radley at the end as her friend not a monster, and walks him home holding his hand as reassurance. He had just killed a man to save her life and now she is his guide and friend. This is one of many implications of her growing maturity and the drastic effects it had on herself and the others around her. By the end of the novel, she has lost much of her innocence, Scout gains insight into her town, her family, and herself. As she matures she grew outside herself to view the world around her with new eyes, she sees things other than herself and views the experiences of others, and how her actions affect them, instead of just what affects her and what she has to do for herself.

Jem Finch also changes throughout the story. At first, he is very childish and defiant. During the first summer in the book, Jem came up with a game pretending to be Boo Radley and the family. Making fun of their family drama. When Atticus caught them, Jem did not care He still maintained, however, that Atticus hadn’t said we couldn’t, therefore we could; and if Atticus ever said we couldn’t, Jem had thought of a way around it (Lee 46). In other words, even though they had been scolded by Atticus and told to stop playing the game, Jem did not care and continued playing it. But as the book goes on, he starts to develop empathy for the people he had made fun of. When they put cement in the tree Jem freaks out and says he’s crazy, i reckon, like they say, but Atticus, i swear to God he ain’t ever harmed us, he ain’t ever hurt us, he coulda cut my throat from ear to ear that night but he tried to mend my pants instead (Lee 81). At the trial, Scout and Jem sneak in and sit with the black spectators, even though Atticus forbade them from attending. Jem is heavily affected by what happens at the trial and this trial opens up his view to the wrongdoings of others and how African Americans are unjustly treated in his hometown. This view has come from a newfound maturity that has developed throughout the story. Seeing the injustice and oppression of Tom Robinson shows the level he has grown to and how he went from childish games of making others look bad, to recognizing the injustice of his own kind.When he is attacked by Bob Ewell he doesn’t want revenge, he just wants to be able to play football. He, like scout, realizes his childish ways and sees that the world around him isnt as good as he thought. He changes a little faster than Scout and helps develop the story that way.

The final person we can see change in ‘To Kill A Mockingbird is Atticus. Throughout the story he remains ethical and honest, he knows the difference between right and wrong and helps Jem and Scout know it too. He is risking his life to defend a black man, something that was looked down upon. When scout asks him if he defends negroes, he says Of course i do, don’t say [negro], Scout. That’s common. (Lee 85). He tries to help Scout understand that some things shouldn’t be said. As the trial for Tom Robinson starts and goes on, Atticus remains hopeful and doesn’t lose confidence, even once the trial is over and Tom is arrested he doesn’t lose hope. Atticus assured us that nothing would happen to Tom Robinson until the higher court reviewed his case, and that Tom had a good chance of going free (Lee 250). But once he finds out that Tom was killed, trying to escape, his optimism disappears. The front door slammed and i heard Atticus’s footsteps in the hall.. He stopped in the doorway. His hat was in his hand, and his face was white seventeen bullet holes in him. They didn’t have to shoot that much (Lee 268). He lost his hope and was distressed by what had happened. Throughout the trial he showed that he thought they were going to win and Tom wouldn’t be punished. When Tom dies Atticus realized that what he had done wouldn’t have made a difference. Throughout the book, Atticus, represents morality and justice, but we start to see the effect of his struggle to stay purely good in a compromised world.

Several characters in ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ showed change, but these three impact the story the most. Scout and Jem mature and realize things about their town they hadn’t before, and Atticus almost loses himself in the trial for Tom Robinson. The story shows that for all three of these characters, one person cannot truly understand another without first stepping into his or her shoes. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a powerful story and every character helps to develop it.

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To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Atticus Finch — Analysis of Atticus Finch as a Static Character in “To Kill a Mockingbird”

Analysis of Atticus Finch as a Static Character in "To Kill a Mockingbird"

• Categories: Atticus Finch To Kill a Mockingbird

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Words: 1040 |

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Published: Jun 29, 2018

Words: 1040 | Pages: 2.5 | 6 min read

Table of contents

Character analysis essay outline, character analysis essay example, introduction.

• Setting the stage for the importance of moral attributes in society
• Mentioning Atticus Finch as a character in the novel "To Kill a Mockingbird"

Character Analysis of Atticus Finch

• Atticus as a static character with consistent traits
• Examination of Atticus' understanding, fairness, and honesty

Atticus' Understanding

• Examples of Atticus' ability to understand others' perspectives
• Impact of his understanding on his children, Jem and Scout

Atticus' Fairness

• Atticus' commitment to justice and fairness in the courtroom
• His defense of Tom Robinson and belief in a fair trial

Atticus' Honesty

• Atticus' honesty in his interactions with others, including Tom Robinson
• How his sincerity and candidness earn him trust and respect in the community
• Summarizing Atticus Finch's character traits and their significance in the novel
• Reinforcing the idea that Atticus serves as a moral exemplar in the story

Works Cited

• Lee, H. (1960). To kill a mockingbird. HarperCollins.
• Conner, M. (1999). Atticus Finch and the Mad Dog: Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. The Mississippi Quarterly, 53(2), 223-240.
• Jolley, D. J. (2017). Atticus Finch and the Limits of Southern Liberalism. In To Kill a Mockingbird: A Reader's Companion (pp. 98-113). Routledge.
• Kachur, K. (2010). To Kill a Mockingbird: Character Portrayal. Salem Press.
• Lethem, J. (2008). Why should Atticus defend Tom Robinson? Legal Ethics, 11(1), 39-57.
• Nissen, A. (2015). Atticus Finch, White Savior Mythology, and the Misuse of American History. Southern Cultures, 21(4), 52-73.
• Orkin, M. (2015). Toward a Feminist-Dialogic Perspective: Scout, Atticus, and the Construction of Liberal Virtue in To Kill a Mockingbird. In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird (pp. 83-97). Routledge.
• Stegmaier, M. (2018). To Kill a Mockingbird: The Life and Afterlife of Atticus Finch. The Southern Quarterly, 55(3), 18-33.
• Vidal, G. (2003). Palimpsest: A memoir. Penguin.
• Wood, J. C. (2019). The Moral Importance of Fiction and Literature: The Case of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. Routledge.

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Lee, H. (1960). To Kill a Mockingbird. J. B. Lippincott & Co.

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To Teach or Not to Teach To Kill a Mockingbird

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Ask anyone in humanities education what they think about To Kill a Mockingbird , and one thing is certain: they’ll have an opinion to share. Mockingbird , published 64 years ago, is a shining example of the adage that “two things can be true at once.” The novel is taught widely in US classrooms and, for many people, is a beloved and deeply important American classic. It is also problematic , deeply polarizing, and one of the most consistently challenged books of the last 60 years.

But as we know, holding two truths at the same time creates cognitive dissonance that can leave people uncomfortable and spoiling for a fight. And when we spend six decades fighting about the same thing, perhaps what’s really worthy of attention is not the thing itself, but our debate about it. To Kill a Mockingbird is undoubtedly a lightning rod, but it is also a cultural barometer. Paying attention to the conversation around it can give us a sense of our cultural concerns, fears, agreements, and disagreements, and how those things change—or don’t—over time. There has never been a time in which the book was universally accepted, but its challenges and defenses have evolved in fascinating ways from the 1960s to the present. In the 1960s and 70s, challengers called the novel “immoral” and “vulgar” for its sexual content. In the 1980s and 90s, critiques often focused on the book’s prolific use of racial slurs.

The debate around Mockingbird in schools reached a fever pitch in 2017 when the book was removed from the district reading list in Biloxi, Mississippi . The public forum of the internet overflowed with statements, from tweets to treatises, both critiquing and defending the teaching of the book in schools. As our nation reckoned with current and historical injustices, the debate took on new layers of nuance, focusing on the book’s decentering of Black characters, its dated and oversimplified treatment of racism, and its promotion of a “white savior” narrative.

As an English teacher and curriculum developer, I am also fascinated by arguments that our cultural love affair with the book might be predicated on a fundamental misinterpretation of its characters and themes. Of the famous quote, “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,” one scholar points out that Lee’s choice of “climb into his skin” as a metaphor rather than the more common “walk a mile in his shoes” points to the fact that what Atticus suggests is literally and figuratively impossible. Perhaps the book is actually about the limitations of our ability to understand the experiences of others, rather than the “anodyne” message that is typically marketed: that if we learn to adopt one another’s perspective, we’ll all be able to get along. While this argument may not make headlines, it points to the complexity of the novel and the nuance required to make sense of it.

It’s clear that Mockingbird is something we’ll be fighting about for a long time to come. But if you are an educator, you may have a pressing decision to make. About whether to teach the book, or about how to teach it in a way that creates meaningful and safe learning experiences for all of your students.

Here are some resources that can help you find the signal in the noise and make a decision that works for your classroom or school system.

Tools for Text Selection

If you have choice in what books you teach and are on the fence about Mockingbird , these resources can help you make a decision that is grounded in your students’ needs and informed by reflection about your own identity and relationship with the book.

The Principles of Text Selection section of our ELA Unit Planning Guide walks you through seven considerations: 

• Consider your identity.
• Consider your students’ identities.
• Know your purpose.
• Examine text complexity (in a new way).
• Identify the text’s purpose.
• Consider the representation of adolescents and adolescence. 
• Assess your readiness to address racist and other derogatory language . 

These are principles I wish I’d had in my early days as a high school English teacher. In those early years, I often chose to teach a text because it was something I had loved as a young reader, only to find that it flopped with my students. In those moments, I was centering my own perspective and missing an opportunity to examine what texts my students might have similarly powerful connections with.

When selecting texts for the classroom, start with your purpose. What do you want this text to do? Is the first text that comes to mind one that you found personally meaningful? Are there other texts that do similar work but may be more relevant, more resonant, more engaging for your students? What harm could result from reading and discussing this text? Are you prepared and equipped to prevent that harm?

The ELA Unit Planning Guide also features several videos with Dr. Kimberly Parker, one of the founders of #DisruptTexts: 

• In Humanizing Text Selection  Dr. Parker invites us to ask, “What’s the text that kids need in this moment ?” 
• In Where Do You Start with Text Selection?  she encourages us to look across our entire curriculum and consider what story it tells, explicitly and implicitly. 

For a more concrete guide to evaluating specific texts, try using one of two text selection tools from Learning for Justice. They offer a condensed one-page version with 14 simple yes-or-no questions, and an extended version ideal for curriculum coordinators, literacy coaches, and book selection committees. 

Once you’ve considered your options, you might land in one of three places:

1. Add Contemporary Voices to Your Curriculum

One of the most frequently cited critiques of To Kill a Mockingbird in schools is that it is often the only book in the curriculum that addresses racial injustice, and it does so through the dated, white lens of the young Scout. Consider adding or swapping in a contemporary novel that addresses similar issues and themes in ways that center Black voices and connect to your students’ lived experiences. These lists offer specific alternatives: 

• 10 Books Besides To Kill a Mockingbird that Tackle Racial Injustice (PBS)
• Reading Alternatives to Three Problematic Classics (School Library Journal)

If you don’t find the right fit, check out these four sites that help you curate diverse, contemporary titles on a wide range of topics: 

• #DisruptTexts
• NCTE Build Your Stack
• Social Justice Books: A Teaching for Change Project
• We Need Diverse Books

If you have enough time, you might consider pairing Mockingbird with one of these contemporary texts and analyzing the connections and contrasts between the two.

2. Expand the Historical Voices in Your Curriculum

Some Mockingbird supporters argue that replacing the book with contemporary fiction takes away an important opportunity for historical learning and reflection. There is an easy response to this criticism: teach literature by Black authors from the mid-twentieth century. Despite inequities in the publishing industry, the 1930s - 1970s brought us the seminal works of James Baldwin, Maya Angelou, Richard Wright, Zora Neale Hurston, Ralph Ellison, Gwendolyn Brooks, Nikki Giovanni, Toni Cade Bambara . . . and that’s just a start. The novels, essays, and poems of these writers offer rich and varied windows into the decades leading up to and encompassing the civil rights movement of the mid-twentieth century.

3. Teach To Kill a Mockingbird with nuance and care for the emotional well-being of your students

With an understanding that Mockingbird remains a central part of the curriculum in many schools around the United States, Facing History continues to deliver resources to help educators navigate this text thoughtfully and deliberately. Our Teaching Mockingbird Guide and its accompanying resource collection support you in teaching Mockingbird responsibly by setting Harper Lee’s fictional story in its historical context, centering Black voices that are missing from the text, and examining the story and its messages with a critical lens.

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