To Kill a Mockinbird
One of the major masterpieces of American literature, To Kill A Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee originally as a love story, was published in 1960 and won a Pulitzer Prize in 1961. It also won an Academy Award when it was later made into a film starring Gregory Peck. The story is set in imaginary Maycomb County in southern Alabama. The time frame for the story is the early 1930's during the great depression. Poverty was common and times were extremely tough. This book is loaded with interesting characters. Here is an outline and description of some of the most important characters. The story revolves around the Finch family, led by Atticus Finch, a lawyer. Atticus has two children: Jem, short for Jeremy, his eldest son and Scout, nickname for Jean Louise, his younger and only daughter. Scout is a bit of a tomboy and enjoys hanging out with her brother and their friend Dill. Dill is a young boy who comes to stay in Maycomb every summer with his aunt, Miss Rachel. Aunt Alexandra is Atticus' sister and the family has a maid named Calpurnia. The children spend a great deal of time at the house of Arthur "Boo" Radley. Bob Ewell who lives with his daughter Mayella Ewell is the man who
The story begins when Jem and Scout meet a new friend, Dill, who has come to spend yet another summer with his aunt, Miss Rachel. The town is full of gossip about Boo Radley, which fascinates the three friends. Dill, Jem and Scout try to think up creative ways to lure Boo out of his house with no success. The next summer Dill returns and is even more curious and becomes more daring in his attempt to see Boo. On the last evening of Dill's stay in Maycomb the children decide to sneak up on Boo's porch to see what they can see. Just as Jem reaches the window, Nathan Radley, Boo's son, fires his shotgun and scares them off. One night during the following winter one of the Finch's neighbor Miss Maudie's house burns to the ground. As Scout was standing and watching the efforts of the town in fighting the fire, someone placed a blanket over her shoulders. Jem later realizes that it must have been Boo who tried to warm Scout with the blanket because everyone else in town was fighting Miss Maudie's fire. The children now see Boo in a new light and realize that he must be a nice person. Their interest in the Radley house fades. The book's title is important in some parts of the novel. In chapter 10 the children each receive an air rifle for Christmas. Their father tells the children that killing a mockingbird is a sin. Later in the novel their neighbor Miss Maudie elaborates saying that mockingbirds sing for enjoyment and that they are harmless creatures. Tom Robinson is a victim of racial prejudice and is accused of doing wrong when he is real
Some common words found in the essay are:
Jem Scout, Miss Maudie's, Tom Robinson, Bob Ewell, Mayella Ewell, Boo Scout, Maycomb County, Scout Scout, Tom Robinson's, Ewells Tom, jem scout, tom robinson, bob ewell, summer aunt miss, friend dill, boo radley, stay maycomb, mayella ewell, summer aunt, miss maudie's, children father, aunt miss rachel,
Approximate Word count = 1053
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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