To Kill a Mockingbird Final Essay Prompts
Choose ONE of the following essays and write a thorough, thoughtful essay of at least 750 words
discussing the topic. Due to turnitin.com by ________________________
Topic #1:
Despite the unwavering dedication of Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird, the absence of evidence, and a
moving courtroom speech, Tom Robinson is convicted of a crime that he quite likely did not commit. This jury
ruling causes both those who advocated Robinson’s conviction and those who were convinced of his
innocence to question their notions of justice and fairness. As if a false conviction was not enough, Tom is
eventually killed, and the sense of justice and fairness seem to be completely violated. Write an argumentative
essay on To Kill a Mockingbird in which you establish what Lee is trying to convey regarding these two
concepts that are so important to civil society. Questions that you might want to consider include: If justice and
fairness are so elusive, how can Atticus and Scout continue to believe in them?, and Are justice and fairness
conflicting concepts in To Kill a Mockingbird?
Topic #2:
The most obvious form of discrimination in To Kill a Mockingbird is racism; however, there are other types of
prejudice and discrimination that typify relationships among the novel’s characters. Scout, for example, is
ridiculed in To Kill a Mockingbird because she is a tomboy. Boo Radley is ostracized despite the fact that
hardly anyone knows him. Tangential racism is also present in the novel, as evidenced by the threats against
Atticus Finch and his family as he defends Tom Robinson. Take one or more of the forms of discrimination in
To Kill a Mockingbird and write an analytic essay in which you explain the forms and, if applicable, compare
and contrast the types of discrimination. You should argue whether the lessons about discrimination that Scout
learns are applicable to all types of prejudice, or whether they apply to racism alone.
Topic #3:
Scout and her brother Jem are both children of the morally passionate lawyer, Atticus Finch, and both are
exposed to the same experiences that shape their sense of right and wrong. Yet Scout and Jem come to
dramatically different conclusions about good and evil and the essential nature of humankind. Write an
expository essay on To Kill a Mockingbird in which you develop an understanding of how Scout and Jem arrive
at such disparate concepts of the world. Be sure to consider not only the final worldview at which each arrives,
but to look at the novel as a whole and identify how their belief systems develop. Include relevant quotations
that demonstrate how, despite their shared experiences, Scout and Jem begin to part ways, philosophically
speaking, early in the novel.
Topic #4:
The town of Maycomb is described in great detail in To Kill a Mockingbird, so much so that the reader gets the
sense that Maycomb is more than a setting: It takes on the weight and importance of a character. Write an
expository or persuasive essay on To Kill a Mockingbird in which you describe Maycomb and explain its
significance with respect to the events and meaning of the novel. Be sure to dig beneath the surface: It’s easy
to say that Maycomb is a Southern town and that certain social dynamics—such as racism—shape the
characters and their circumstances, but there are also more subtle characteristics about the town that exert
influence over the novel’s outcome. Finally, consider whether Maycomb is changed by the conclusion of the
trial and its aftermath.