conclusion to kill a mockingbird essay

To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee

To Kill a Mockingbird essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

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To Kill a Mockingbird Essays

The good, the bad, and the deep south: character analysis of aunt alexandra anonymous 9th grade, to kill a mockingbird.

The novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee explored the racist south during the Jim Crow era through the lense of a girl, Scout Finch. Through the novel, we learn of the experiences of the people living through this time, and how racism was...

Walk in Their Footsteps: The Importance of Empathy in To Kill a Mockingbird and A Time to Kill Kristin Virginia Freitas 10th Grade

In the novels To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee and A Time to Kill by John Grisham, the towns of Maycomb and Clanton Mississippi have two men accused and most people already know who they are voting guilty. Their outlooks on each other...

To What Extent Do To Kill a Mockingbird, The Help, and Get Out Engage with White Poverty in their Depiction of White Women? Summer Jade Dolan College

With the defeat of Jefferson Davis’ confederacy in 1865, the American South became a region marked by poverty. The Civil War not only destroyed large amounts of Southern infrastructure, but also devastated the demographic that would typically be...

The Impact of Class Structure John Florio

The rigid class structure and social stratification of Maycomb County had a profound effect on the events in the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. The impact of this class structure and the underlying prejudice was especially evident in...

Justice in To Kill a Mockingbird Yiran Guo

Justice and its relationship with prejudice is the central theme of the timeless 1960 novel, Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. Its focal point is the trial of Tom Robinson, an African-American erroneously charged with the rape of a white girl,...

The Journey Motif in Works of American Literature Anonymous 10th Grade

The journey motif is one of the most widely used elements in American literature. The journey is a powerful symbol often used to represent a character’s adventure leading to an epiphany, or some sort of self-realization. This literary device can...

Prejudice in To Kill a Mockingbird and Goin' Someplace Special Anonymous 10th Grade

Prejudice is a pre-judgement formed about something or someone - but it is more than this as well? This complex idea is highlighted in the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee and the picture book Goin’ Someplace Special by Patricia...

Character Analysis in To Kill A Mockingbird Katherine Dufour 10th Grade

While most people in society strive to have moral attributes, not everyone understands what traits are important in achieving this goal. Often, people attempt to model themselves after another’s example. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, by...

Through Scout's Eyes: The Concept of Perspective Kyle R. Keenan College

“To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee is one of the greatest works of American literature of all time. It has been reprinted again and again, and is a staple in almost any writing or history class. There are a number of reasons why it can be...

Scout’s Perception of Truth and Reality Anonymous 10th Grade

“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” (Lee 33). Atticus Finch tells this quote to the main character, Scout Finch, in the book To Kill a...

Mayella Ewell Anonymous 12th Grade

In the coming of age novel, To Kill a Mockingbird , Harper Lee portrays many characters in various ways, but none more insidious than Mayella Violet Ewell. Mayella is the story’s boldest antagonist. She is a static character who undergoes no inner...

The Key Influences in Scout's and Jem's Lives Anonymous 9th Grade

The course of growing up is always influenced by the people around you, since the people in your environment are vital in shaping the person you will become. Harper Lee demonstrates this reality in the classic tale To Kill a Mockingbird , through...

Dill in To Kill a Mockingbird: Farewell to Childhood Anonymous 9th Grade

Often, there is no greater power that influences an individual’s development than his or her surroundings. It is one’s society that establishes what is generally accepted and how one comes to act within that society. In the novel To Kill a...

Who's Afraid of Boo Radley?: An Essay on To Kill a Mockingbird Mahyar Mirrashed 9th Grade

Throughout the novel To Kill a Mockingbird , Scout’s feelings and notions regarding Arthur “Boo” Radley change from her initial preconceived impression that he was a monster, to accepting Boo as a person and empathizing his perspective of the...

Jem the Visionary: Characterization in To Kill a Mockingbird Anonymous 9th Grade

In Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird , Scout's (the narrator's) older brother, Jem, plays an ironically important role. He may seem similar to other boys in Maycomb given his brotherly characteristics, but there is more to his character. Jem is a...

Irreality in‭ ‬To Kill a Mockingbird: An Overview of Scholarly Perspectives Anonymous College

Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird (1960) is commonly understood to be a coming of age story that deal with the theme of racial discrimination in the American South during the Great Depression. Close inspection of the novel reveals many...

Bob Ewell: A Journey into the World of an Alcoholic Christopher J Parsick 10th Grade

To Kill a Mockingbird is many things: just to name a few, it is a comment on racism, class, and the mob mentality. In this brilliant novel, there are a lot of well defined characters whose goings on in the fictional Maycomb County help to propel...

Understanding the Meaning of the Books Mentioned in Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird" Amotz Fraenkel 11th Grade

In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, a variety of allusions to other works of literature arise, suggesting to the adept reader their significance to the plot and in our understanding of many characters and themes. Two books of special...

Influences of Society on Gender in The Color Purple and To Kill a Mockingbird Zaneb Mansha 11th Grade

Gender roles are learned mainly through social interaction rather than biologically. When people are born, they are supplied with very little knowledge of gender. Certain behavior is taught by means of social interactions and through relationships...

Jem and Gender, Calpurnia and Race: Challenging and Defying Stereotypes in To Kill a Mockingbird Anonymous 10th Grade

In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird , multiple characters defy stereotypes made about them and are even able to change opinions and lifestyles of people around them. The book takes place in Maycomb County, Alabama during the 1930s. The book...

The Standards of Love Anonymous 9th Grade

Every society has unwritten rules that everyone respects, and it is momentous when these boundaries are crossed. In To Kill a Mockingbird , Harper Lee develops the argument that love creates a loyalty that can overcome any standards. The author...

A Comparison of Justice in Harper Lee’s ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ and Charles Dickens’ ‘Great Expectations’ Anonymous 12th Grade

While both Harper Lee and Charles Dickens have parallels in the way they portray justice and the legal system in their respective novels, there are contrasts in the way they portray both Victorian London and the Deep South in the 20th Century....

Discrimination to Destruction: The Impact of Individuals on Communities in Harper Lee and Anne Frank Anonymous 8th Grade

Throughout history, racism has been the cause of thousands of historical events that have ripped populations apart. To be more general, the discrimination of individuals always leads up to the split of the community itself. Within Harper Lee’s To...

Unexpected Models: The Importance of Neighbors as Seen in To Kill a Mockingbird Anonymous 10th Grade

The main focus of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird (1960) is that neighbors are, and always will be, the essence of a town and that they are important in many respects. Neighbors not only being those that live directly next to you but also those...

Essays About To Kill a Mockingbird: Top 5 Examples

Understand Harper Lee’s intention for the novel and successfully write essays about To Kill a Mockingbird. Here are some examples and prompts.

To Kill a Mockingbird is an iconic novel created by Harper Lee and published on July 11, 1961. It tells the story of a girl, Jean Louise “Scout” Finch, and how she absorbed her father’s lessons through events over three years. She initially struggled to understand his lessons until she had to experience them firsthand through other characters. These include their recluse neighbor Boo Radley, African-American cook Calpurnia, and her father’s client accused of rape, Tom Robinson.

To further understand why this book is a timeless classic and why it deserves to be in teachers’ lesson plans, here are five sample essays you can read:

1. Metaphor, Foreshadowing, And Allusion In The Book To Kill A Mockingbird By Anonymous On Edubirdie.Com

2. growth in to kill a mockingbird by anonymous on samplius.com, 3. parenting in “to kill a mockingbird” by writer terra, 4. critical essays racial relations in the southern united states by anonymous on cliffsnotes.com, 5. my ‘to kill a mockingbird’ problem… and ours by zack graham, 1. to kill a mockingbird as an iconic novel, 2. literary elements in to kill a mockingbird, 3. lessons to learn from “to kill a mockingbird”, 4. why is it titled “to kill a mockingbird”, 5. what impacted the creation of to kill a mockingbird, 6. is to kill a mockingbird worth reading , 7. the characters in to kill a mockingbird, my reflection on a to kill a mockingbird movie.

“…Harper Lee excellently uses metaphors, foreshadowing, and allusion to show the theme of coming of age. Coming of age is something that occurs in everyone’s life whether it be at a young or old age.”

The essay retells To Kill a Mockingbird’s plot to refresh its readers on the novel’s contents. The author focuses on the literary elements in the book and how they helped to develop the story’s theme. 

The writer gives examples of these elements. Metaphors for Atticus asking Scout to put herself in someone else’s shoes to understand their point of view. Allusions for referring to Mockingbirds, alluding to innocent people. Foreshadowing for Atticus telling his daughter to resist the urge to fight, followed by Scout being unable to control her anger.

“Scout and Jem are both excellent examples of growth and maturity during a childhood. Jem learns what it really means to be brave, and Scout gets a true representation of the prejudice in her town.”

The piece delves into Jem’s bravery and how it changes throughout the novel. From simply touching the side of Boo Radley’s house, understanding what racism is through Tom Robinson’s trial, and coping with the attack of Bob Ewell. In the end, Jem grew up to be his sister’s savior. 

It also expounds on Scout’s growth and how she learned lessons worth a lifetime in just three years. In addition, the author recounted times when Scout was narrow-minded as a kid and how the people who love her corrected her ways. 

“There is a wide diversity of parenting styles in Maycomb which leads to many children behaving poorly… Atticus, Calpurnia, and Miss Maudie combine to make parental figures during the childhood of Jem and Scout.” 

Terra scrutinizes the many parenting styles in To Kill a Mockingbird and examines their effects on the characters’ children. For example, she labels Bob Ewell a lousy parent, resulting in mean, stubborn, and uneducated kids. On the other hand, Scout and Jem have many parental figures they learned from, such as their father, Atticus, nanny Calpurnia, and family friend Miss Maudie.

The author relates instances in the book to prove why Atticus is a great parent and how he tried to protect them despite the hate around their town. Terra further narrates other times when Calpurnia and Miss Maudie taught Scout and Jem valuable life lessons. 

“The racial concerns that Harper Lee addresses in To Kill a Mockingbird began long before her story starts and continued long after. In order to sift through the many layers of prejudice that Lee exposes in her novel, the reader needs to understand the complex history of race relations in the South.”

The writer lists relevant headlines during the time of Harper Lee’s creation of her book. The list includes Jim Crow laws that legalized racial segregation, banned interracial marriage, the Scottsboro Trials, where nine black teenage boys were falsely accused of rape, and Rosa Parks’ part in the Civil Right Movement.

“…after re-reading To Kill a Mockingbird, I can’t help but think about how the more things change, the more they stay the same. The book’s themes and dramatic tensions are anything but dated: they live on around us, appearing on the news and on social media. When you teach this book, I implore you to use it as a way of exploring what’s happening in this country to your students. “

Graham labels his essay an open letter to teachers. He shares his honesty on how he didn’t appreciate reading To Kill a Mockingbird in middle school and how the Black Lives Matter movement motivated him to re-read the book. Finally, he debates why teaching To Kill a Mockingbird to children doesn’t send them the right message. 

He highlights how the heroes in the novel are white people in the characters of Atticus and Boo Radley. Next, he compels teachers to teach their students about racism, such as how white people demonize blacks. He also mentions allegories in the book that can be used to explain cybersecurity, mental disabilities, and other information teachers should give more attention to when discussing the novel. Finally, he also points out the parts of the book he finds “ugly” and infuriating.

For help with your essay, check out our round-up of best essay writing apps .

8 Prompts on Essays About To Kill a Mockingbird

Below are persuasive prompts you can use for your essay:

For this prompt, explain why To Kill a Mockingbird is considered an iconic book. What makes it different from other books? Highlight the key points that make this bestseller a famous English literature example. Then, discuss its themes and provide a summary of the plot for those who haven’t read the book.

In this essay, study the key literary elements that make this book so groundbreaking. First, talk through the literary elements Harper Lee used in this novel, such as the settings, plot, and motif. How did they make the story more digestible? Then, discuss your favorite elements within the book and expand on the points made.

Atticus shares four lessons with his children in the book. Briefly summarize these lessons and share how you understand them. Then, give your opinion on whether they are good or bad advice and include your relevant experience connected to these lessons.

Explain to your readers why the novel is titled as such. Include what you thought of Harper Lee’s title, are there any other title you think better fits the book? For example, you may think the title should be: Atticus’ Four Lessons because the book revolves around his four core messages.

Many events inspired Harper Lee during her time. For example, explain how Rosa Parks’ bus incident and the murder of Emmett Till affected the book’s plot. Then, to give you an idea, you can create a timeline of these events and add their possible impact on Harper Lee.

To Kill a Mockingbird was praised back when it was first published in 1960, but some comment that it has a one-dimensional view of racism. For this essay, share your thoughts and your stance on this debate. Also, include what you felt during and after you read the book and why you would or would not recommend it to others.

Discuss the characters in the story — Scout, Jem, Atticus, Boo Radley, Bob Ewell, Tom Robinson, etc. Include why their parts are relevant in the novel. For example, if you pick Scout, share how her father’s lessons guided her through the book. 

To Kill a Mockingbird Movie was directed by Robert Mulligan and released in 1962. Highlight the elements that you think the movie managed to convey well. You can also point out what the movie missed.

If you are interested in learning more, see our essay writing tips .

Maria Caballero is a freelance writer who has been writing since high school. She believes that to be a writer doesn't only refer to excellent syntax and semantics but also knowing how to weave words together to communicate to any reader effectively.

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To Kill a Mockingbird Essay, with Outline

Published by gudwriter on May 24, 2020 May 24, 2020

Ready for a To Kill a Mockingbird Essay ? Take a look at this informational resource featuring an outline, APA style format and a list of references. Use ideas from this essay sample to form the focus of your writing assignment.

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“To Kill a Mockingbird” Essay Outline

Introduction.

Thesis: “To Kill a Mockingbird” teaches society through its themes of morality, good versus evil, racism, and education.

Paragraph 1:

Throughout the story, a strong sense of morality is displayed continuously through Atticus Finch, one of the characters.

• He helps in establishing a moral code for Scout and Jem, his children.
• He emphasizes that one should not judge another person by appearance and should not pass judgments against others if they are not aware of their situations.
• He admonishes his children for damaging flowers belonging to their neighbor even though they do not know her situation in life.

Paragraph 2:

The theme of good versus evil is constantly present throughout the novel through various characters.

• As it begins, the story presents Scout and Jem as having childhood innocence as they believe that everyone is inherently good.
• However, they start encountering evil in the form of racism, ignorance, and hatred as the story progresses.
• Through their father, they are able to navigate their new world and understand that not everyone is inherently all evil or all good.

Paragraph 3:  

There is blatant prejudice and racism in the story as practiced by the residents of Maycomb.

• The Maycomb society falsely accuses Tom Robinson, an African American, of raping a white woman.
• The wrath of the racism from the community is also felt by the Finch family because Atticus Finch agrees to be Robinson’s attorney.
• Finch decries the existence of racism in law courts and in society at large.

Paragraph 4:

The story drives home the important theme of education.

• There is much to be desired in Maycomb’s education system even as Scout starts her first year in school as the story begins.
• She has been taught to read and write by Finch back at home and she thus is ahead of her classmates.
• She is punished by her teacher who tells her that she should not learn anything more at home because her father does not know how she should be taught.

“To Kill a Mockingbird” provides invaluable lessons to society through its various themes as discussed herein. It explores how society is affected by morality, good versus evil, racism, and education.

“To Kill a Mockingbird” Example Essay

“To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee was originally published in 1960 and since then, it has been widely read and has provided vital lessons to society. The central issues and themes discussed in the novel are relevant to the contemporary society in spite of it being set in the fictional American town of Maycomb in the 1930s. The issues are prevalent in society today and are applicable to how humans coexist. It could be said that Harper had foreseen what the 21st Century world would be like through the novel. Indeed, “To Kill a Mockingbird” teaches society through its themes of morality, good versus evil, racism, and education.

Throughout the story, a strong sense of morality is displayed continuously through Atticus Finch, one of the characters. This character also helps in establishing a moral code for Scout and Jem, two other characters who act as his children. Finch emphasizes throughout the novel that one should not judge another person by appearance and should not pass judgments against others if they are not aware of their situations. He rhetorically but wisely asks his children, “Are you proud of yourself tonight that you have insulted a total stranger whose circumstances you know nothing about?” (Lee, 2014). Here, he is admonishing the children for damaging flowers belonging to their neighbor even though they do not know her situation in life. He emphasizes to them that they should be more considerate and should not be judgmental in how they treat others. He further tells Scout that “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” (Lee, 2014). Through this, Finch passes across the important message that people should consider how they interact with one another because everyone has their own struggles and challenges in life. To learn more on human nature read the analysis of candide essay .

The theme of good versus evil is also constantly present throughout the novel through various characters. As it begins, the story presents Scout and Jem as having childhood innocence as they believe that everyone is inherently good. However, they start encountering evil in the form of racism, ignorance, and hatred as the story progresses. It is through their father Finch that they are able to navigate their new world and develop an understanding that not everyone is inherently all evil or all good. As Finch well notes about people, “They’ve done it before and they’ll do it again and when they do it — seems that only the children weep” (Lee, 2014). Here, he is saying that only children care about the injustice that is meted out on a man, Tom Robinson, who is falsely accused of rape. He also laments that “The one place where a man ought to get a square deal is in a courtroom, be he any color of the rainbow, but people have a way of carrying their resentments right into a jury box” (Lee, 2014). He brings to light how the concepts of goodness and justice are often widely flawed. That is, while society may appear to uphold these two virtues, the reality is that it is often very difficult to get justice in the 21st century.

Additionally, there is blatant prejudice and racism in the story as practiced by the residents of Maycomb. This is most evident in the story’s major incident where the Maycomb society falsely accuses Tom Robinson, an African American, of raping a white woman. The wrath of the racism from the community is also felt by the Finch family because Atticus Finch agrees to be Robinson’s attorney. Finch decries the existence of racism in law courts and in society at large. He says, “In our courts, when it’s a white man’s word against a black man’s, the white man always wins” (Lee, 2014). He however believes that whenever a white man mistreats 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” (Lee, 2014). This implies that an injustice is an injustice whether committed by a black man or a white man. Thus, Finch’s suggestion is that equal punishment should be meted out to perpetrators of injustice irrespective of their skin color.

Finally, “To Kill a Mockingbird” drives home the important theme of education. There is much to be desired in Maycomb’s education system even as Scout starts her first year in school as the story begins. She has been taught to read and write by Finch back at home and she thus is ahead of her classmates. Normally, such a student should be hailed by her teachers. Surprisingly though, Scout is punished by her teacher who goes on to tell her that she should not learn anything more at home because her father does not know the proper way she should be taught (Lee, 2014). This shows that in Maycomb, there is a clear conflict between education at home and institutionalized education. Apparently, the “right” education, as per this society, is only the one offered at school.

“To Kill a Mockingbird” provides invaluable lessons to society through its various themes as discussed herein. It explores how society is affected by morality, good versus evil, racism, and education. It points out that people are always quick to judge others from outward appearance. It also observes that the human race is plagued by such evil as hatred and ignorance and that not everyone may be good or bad. The story additionally touches on racism, a societal evil that is still persistent in the U.S. and elsewhere in the world to-date. Further, it teaches that a student can acquire basic educational knowledge at home if there is someone to help them achieve that.

Lee, H. (2014). To kill a mockingbird (enhanced edition) . New York, NY: Harper Collins.

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"To Kill a Mockingbird": Empathy Quotes

• Categories: Empathy To Kill a Mockingbird

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Published: Mar 16, 2024

Words: 588 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Table of contents

Atticus finch's wisdom, miss maudie's metaphor, tom robinson's example.

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