To Kill A Mockingbird

What is it about?

To Kill a Mockingbird was written in 1960 by Harper Lee. The story centers around a little girl named Scout in the town of Maycomb, a small southern town in Alabama. This is a coming of age story and starts with Scouts retelling of her adventures with her brother and a friend while they hunt for the mysterious Boo Radley. As the story goes on we learn that Scout's father, Atticus, is a lawyer who is defending a black man. During the time the story takes place, the 1930s, defending a black man was frowned upon. As Atticus fights for the rights of Tim Robinson, the reader will be swept up in a story of racism, loyalty, and coming of age. Information about the author is in a slideshow below.

Why is it taught?

This story teaches students about discrimination, rascism, cruelty, and growing up, which are all topics teenagers connect with. It is very well-written so it is fairly easy to become engrossed in Scout's story. The narrator, Scout, it also a character that is very east to relate to and fall in love with. As the readers are learning so is Scout. This story is also written at the time of the civil rights movement and reflects an important time in America's history.

Themes

Below are a list of themes that we will be going over in class in regards to the text.

Youth Fear Women and Femininity Judgement

Race Family Compassion Morality Ethics

Justice Forgiveness