A Study Guide for
Students and Educators
Play by Christopher Sergel
Adapted from the novel by Harper Lee
Study Guide materials compiled by Tracy Ann Evans
Student Matinee Program Underwritten by:
OVERVIEW
To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel by Harper Lee published in 1960.
It was immediately successful, winning the Pulitzer Prize, and has
become a classic of modern American literature. The plot and
characters are loosely based on the author's observations of her
family and neighbors, as well as on an event that occurred near her
hometown in 1936, when she was 10 years old.
The novel is renowned for its warmth and humor, despite dealing
with the serious issues of rape and racial inequality. The narrator's
father, Atticus Finch, has served as a moral hero for many readers
and as a model of integrity for lawyers. One critic, J. Crespino,
explains the novel's impact by writing, "In the twentieth century,
To Kill a Mockingbird is probably the most widely read book
dealing with race in America, and its protagonist, Atticus Finch,
the most enduring fictional image of racial heroism."
The primary themes of To Kill a Mockingbird involve racial injustice and the destruction of
innocence. Scholars have noted that Lee also addresses issues of class, courage, compassion, and
gender roles in the American Deep South. The book is widely taught in schools in the United
States with lessons that emphasize tolerance and decry prejudice. Despite its themes, To Kill a
Mockingbird has been subject to campaigns for removal from public classrooms, often
challenged for its use of racial epithets.
Reaction to the novel varied widely upon publication. Literary analysis of it is sparse,
considering the number of copies sold and its widespread use in education. Author Mary
McDonough Murphy, who collected individual impressions of To Kill a Mockingbird by several
authors and public figures, calls the book, "an astonishing phenomenon". In 2006, British
librarians ranked the book ahead of the Bible as one "every adult should read before they die". It
was adapted into an Oscar-winning film in 1962 by director Robert Mulligan, with a screenplay
by Horton Foote. Since 1990, a play based on the novel has been performed annually in Harper
Lee's hometown of Monroeville, Alabama.
To Kill a Mockingbird was Lee's only published book until Go Set a Watchman, an earlier draft
of To Kill a Mockingbird, was published on July 14, 2015. Lee continued to respond to her
work's impact until her death in February 2016, although she had refused any personal publicity
for herself or the novel since 1964.
Adapted from Wikipedia
GO SET A WATCHMAN
An earlier draft of To Kill a Mockingbird, titled Go Set a
Watchman, was controversially released on July 14, 2015. This
draft, which was completed in 1957, is set 20 years after the time
period depicted in To Kill a Mockingbird but is not a continuation
of the narrative. This earlier version of the story follows an adult
Scout Finch who travels from New York City to visit her
father, Atticus Finch, in Maycomb, Alabama, where she is
confronted by the intolerance in her community.
The Watchman manuscript was believed to have been lost until
Lee's lawyer Tonja Carter discovered it; however, this claim has
been widely disputed. Watchman contains early versions of many
of the characters from To Kill a Mockingbird. According to Lee's
agent Andrew Nurnberg, Mockingbird was originally intended to be
the first book of a trilogy: "They discussed publishing Mockingbird first, Watchman last, and a
shorter connecting novel between the two." This assertion has been discredited however [by the
rare books expert James S. Jaffe, who reviewed the pages at the request of Lee's attorney and
found them to be only another draft of To Kill a Mockingbird. The statement was also contrary to
Jonathan Mahler's description of how Watchman was seen as just the first draft of
Mockingbird. Instances where many passages overlap between the two books, in some case word
for word, also refutes this assertion.
Adapted from Wikipedia
SHORT SYNOPSIS
Scout, a young girl in a quiet southern town, is about to experience the dramatic events that will
affect the rest of her life. She and her brother, Jem, are being raised by their widowed father,
Atticus, and by a strongminded housekeeper, Calpurnia.
Wide-eyed Scout is fascinated with the sensitively revealed people of her small town, but, from
the start, there's a rumble of thunder just under the calm surface of the life here. The black people
of the community have a special feeling about Scout's father and she doesn't know why. A few of
her white friends are inexplicably hostile and Scout doesn't understand this either. Unpleasant
things are shouted and the bewildered girl turns to her father. Atticus, a lawyer, explains that he's
defending a young Negro wrongfully accused of a grave crime. Since this is causing such an
upset, Scout wants to know why he's doing it. "Because if I didn't," her father replies, "I couldn't
hold my head up."
When she asks why take on such a hopeless fight—the time of the play is 1935—he tells her,
"Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason not to try." He
goes on to prepare Scout for the trouble to come. "We're fighting our friends. But remember this,
no matter how bitter things get, they're still our friends." Things do get bitter—to the point where
Atticus props himself in a chair against the cell door of the man he's defending and confronts an
angry mob. Horrified Scout projects herself into this confrontation, and her inconvenient
presence helps bring back a little sanity. Atticus fights his legal battle with a result that is part
defeat, part triumph. As Atticus comes out of the courthouse, the deeply moved town minister
tells Scout, "Stand up. Your father's passing!"
Adapted from DramaticPublishing.com
SYNOPSIS
Set during the height of the Great Depression in the sleepy, fictional town of Maycomb,
Alabama, Mockingbird centers on the experiences of Jean Louise “Scout” Finch, a feisty young
girl, who lives with her older brother Jeremy (Jem) and her widowed father Atticus, a prominent
lawyer in town known for his strong moral fiber. The children see nothing extraordinary about
their father, and in fact, find the fact that he is much older and more boring than their friends’
fathers a bit embarrassing. The family is looked after by Calpurnia, a strict but caring cook and
housekeeper. Scout and Jem are the only children in their neighborhood until the arrival of a boy
named Dill, who spends the summer with his aunt who lives near the Finches.
The children spend much of their free time speculating on the inhabitant of an unkempt and
spooky house on their street. Many stories surround the Old Radley Place, and most of these
spawn from the mysterious Arthur “Boo” Radley who has not ventured outside his home for
years. Dill, Jem and Scout plot to find a way to bring Boo outside. Atticus tells them not to
bother Mr. Radley. He maintains that though the children may find Boo’s desire to stay indoors
peculiar, it is certainly not peculiar to Boo. “You never really understand a person until you
consider things from his point of view;” he says, “Until you climb into his skin and walk around
in it.” Throughout the play, Scout discovers gifts in a knothole in the tree outside the Radley
Place. The children have no idea who has left them but Scout is intrigued by each new token that
appears: a stick of chewing gum, shiny Indian pennies, and two tiny figures carved out of soap.
As the play begins there is much talk among the townsfolk about the upcoming trial of Tom
Robinson, a black man who has been accused of attacking Mayella Ewell, a white woman from
the poorer part of town. The children face a great deal of ridicule from classmates, as well as
their neighbors, because their father has taken on the Robinson case. A respected white attorney
defending a black man in Maycomb was not looked on kindly. Scout asks her father why he is
defending the man if everyone thinks that he shouldn’t. Atticus replies that he is convinced of
Tom’s innocence and, despite (and possibly because of) the town’s opposition, he says, “If I
didn’t defend him, I couldn’t hold my head up.”
The children’s opinion of Atticus changes one afternoon when a rabid dog appears lumbering up
the street. Calpurnia rushes the children onto the safety of the porch as they await their father.
Atticus soon arrives with Sheriff Tate who is armed with a rifle. To the children’s amazement,
Tate hands the gun to Atticus, who kills the dog with a single shot. It is then that they discover
that their father, as a younger man, was known as “One Shot Finch.”
When Mrs. Dubose, one of their neighbors, hurls disparaging remarks about their father at Jem
and Scout, Jem goes into a rage and rips up her garden. When Atticus arrives and sees what his
son has done, he orders him to apologize to the elderly woman, who, as penance for his outburst,
asks to have Jem read to her for two hours each afternoon. It is only later that the children
discover that Mrs. Dubose has been fighting cancer and a morphine addiction, and that Jem’s
afternoon readings help distract her from the effects of withdrawal and her illness.
One evening, shortly thereafter, Sheriff Heck Tate informs Atticus that Tom Robinson has been
moved to the courthouse jail, and that he fears some of the townsfolk may attempt to lynch the
man. Atticus tells the children to stay home with Calpurnia as he goes into town. The children
sneak out against his orders and discover him seated in front of the jail. As Scout is about to
approach her father to find out why he is there, a number of townsfolk drive up and demand that
Atticus release Tom Robinson to them. When he refuses, the men begin to threaten violence. The
children rush to their father, and Scout kicks a man who attempts to pull Jem away. The tension
escalates until Scout recognizes Mr. Cunningham, the father of one of her classmates and a man
who Atticus has helped with legal problems. As she asks him about his son and the troubles her
father has helped him through, his temper subsides into shame and he orders the mob to disperse.
A few days later, Tom Robinson’s trial has become an eagerly-awaited public affair, with
everyone flooding into Maycomb to attend. Once again, Scout, Jem and Dill disobey Atticus’
orders and sneak into town to watch the trial. Trying not to be seen by Atticus, they arrive too
late to get seats on the main floor. Reverend Sykes, the minister of the local black church, offers
them seats in the “colored balcony.” During the proceedings, Atticus not only provides clear
evidence that the accusers, Mayella Ewell and her father, have been lying, but also that it was
Mayella who propositioned the innocent Tom Robinson, for which act her father beat her. In her
shame, she accused Tom of rape and of beating her. As the jury enters into their deliberations,
the children feel certain that their father will win the case. How could he not, with such clear
proof of Tom’s innocence? The adults in the community do not share the children’s optimism,
and despite overwhelming evidence, Tom Robinson is found guilty and taken back to jail. Jem
and Dill are especially bewildered, angry and disillusioned by the jury’s decision. Despite the
verdict, Bob Ewell (Mayella’s father) believes that he has been made a fool by Atticus and vows
revenge. Shortly after the trial, despite Atticus’ hope that Tom may be freed through the appeal
process, Tom attempts to escape from prison and is shot dead.
The following autumn, Jem escorts Scout to a school pageant in which she is cast as a ham. As
they return home, the children are attacked by an unseen assailant. Scout is thrown to the ground,
and Jem’s arm is broken. As the attacker goes after Scout, a mysterious figure comes out of the
Radley house and defends them. He then gathers up the unconscious Jem and takes the boy to the
Finch home. Atticus rushes to Scout’s aid and the doctor and the Sheriff are called. Sheriff Tate
informs Atticus that it was Bob Ewell who attacked the Finch children and was found dead,
stabbed with a kitchen knife. They soon discover that it was Boo Radley who saved the children.
Fearing what would become of Boo if the truth were known, the Sheriff decides to report that
Bob Ewell fell on his own knife and died. When Scout escorts Boo back to his home, she takes a
moment to see her neighborhood from the Radley porch for the first time, and imagines the
world through Boo’s eyes. She tells her father that she and the other children had been wrong
about Mr. Radley; he is in fact a nice man. With this realization, Scout seems to truly understand
her father’s advice about practicing compassion and understanding.
Adapted from Shakespeare New Jersey’s To Kill a Mockingbird study guide
AUTHOR—HARPER LEE
Nelle Harper Lee was born on April 28, 1926 and passed away on February
19, 2016 in Monroeville, Alabama, which produced two world-renowned
authors in the same generation. Harper Lee was the grade-school classmate
of the young Truman Capote, with whom she maintained a friendship well
into adulthood. (In 1966, Capote dedicated In Cold Blood to her.) The
youngest of four children of Amasa Coleman Lee and Frances Finch Lee,
Harper attended Huntingdon College
1944-45, studied law at University of
Alabama 1945-49, and spent a year at Oxford University.
In the 1950s she moved to New York City where, after
working briefly as an airline reservation clerk, she
decided to focus exclusively on her writing. She moved
into a cold-water flat and began writing To Kill a
Mockingbird. In 1957 she submitted the manuscript to
the J. B. Lippincott Company and was told that her novel
read too much like a series of loosely connected short
stories. She spent the next two and a half years revising the book, and in 1960 it was published to
widespread acclaim, winning the Pulitzer Prize and thousands of devoted readers.
Adapted from To Kill a Mockingbird.com
PLAYWRIGHT— CHRISTOPHER SERGEL
Christopher Sergel's interests and talents led him on many adventures
throughout the world. As captain of the schooner Chance, he spent two
years in the South Pacific; as a writer for Sports Afield
magazine, he lived in the African bush for a year; as a
lieutenant commander during WWII, he taught
celestial navigation; as a playwright, his adaptation of Sherwood
Anderson's Winesburg, Ohio was seen on Broadway. But throughout his
life, his greatest adventure and deepest love was his work with Dramatic
Publishing. During this time, he wrote adaptations of To Kill a
Mockingbird, Cheaper by the Dozen, The Mouse That Roared, Up the
Down Staircase, Fame, Black Elk Speaks and many more. His love of
theatre and his caring for writers made him a generous and spirited mentor
to many playwrights here and around the world. His inspiration and
integrity attracted to the company fine writers including C.P. Taylor,
Timberlake Wertenbaker, Arthur Miller, Roald Dahl and E.B. White - to name just a few. He
once said he hoped to be remembered as E.B. White described Charlotte, "…a true friend and a
good writer."
"In his play, Christopher Sergel has shifted the focus slightly. The result of this shift, I believe,
highlights the novel's universal qualities. [He] reminds us...that the issues explored are not those
of a 'regional' work of art (as the novel is often categorized) but are of importance in
Nottingham, Manchester, Birmingham or wherever the play is seen by an audience." - from Ray
Speakman's introduction [to the 1995 edition of the script].
Adapted from DramaticPublishing.com
PRODUCTION HISTORY
[Christopher Sergel’s adaptation] debuted in 1990 in Monroeville, a town that labels itself "The
Literary Capital of Alabama". The play runs every May on the county courthouse grounds and
townspeople make up the cast. White male audience members are chosen at the intermission to
make up the jury. During the courtroom scene the production moves into the Monroe County
Courthouse and the audience is racially segregated. Author Albert Murray said of the
relationship of the town to the novel (and the annual performance): "It becomes part of the town
ritual, like the religious underpinning of Mardi Gras. With the whole town crowded around the
actual courthouse, it's part of a central, civic education—what Monroeville aspires to be."
Image from Alabama travel
According to a National Geographic article, the novel is so revered in Monroeville that people
quote lines from it like scripture; yet Harper Lee herself refused to attend any performances,
because "she abhors anything that trades on the book's fame". To underscore this sentiment, Lee
demanded that a book of recipes named Calpurnia's Cookbook not be published and sold out of
the Monroe County Heritage Museum. [Harper Lee formed the Mockingbird Company in 2014
to assure the play would continue in Monroeville under her supervision.]
Sergel's play toured in the UK starting at West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds in 2006, and again
in 2011 starting at the York Theatre Royal, both productions featuring Duncan Preston as Atticus
Finch. The play also opened the 2013 season at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre in London
where it played to full houses and starred Robert Sean Leonard as Atticus Finch, his first London
appearance in 22 years. The production returned to the venue to close the 2014 season, prior to a
UK tour.
Adapted from Wikipedia
Photo by Alastair Muir (UK production of To Kill A Mockingbird 2014)
According to an article in the February 10, 2016 edition of the New York Times, an adaptation of
To Kill a Mockingbird by Aaron Sorkin (of TV’s West Wing) is in the works for the 2017-2018
season on Broadway.
stock image from dreamstime.com
MAJOR CHARACTERS
Jean Louise “Scout” Finch – The narrator and protagonist of the story. Scout lives with her
father Atticus, her brother Jem, and their black cook Calpurnia, in Maycomb. She is intelligent
and, by the standards of her time and place, a tomboy. Scout has a combative streak and a basic
faith in the goodness of the people in her community. As the [play] progresses, this faith is tested
by the hatred and prejudice that emerge during Tom Robinson’s trial. Scout eventually develops
a more grown-up perspective that enables her to appreciate human goodness without ignoring
human evil.
Atticus Finch – Scout and Jem’s father, a lawyer in Maycomb, descended from an old local
family. A widower with a dry sense of humor, Atticus has instilled in his children his strong
sense of morality and justice. He is one of the few residents of Maycomb committed to racial
equality. When he agrees to defend Tom Robinson, a black man charged with raping a white
woman, he exposes himself and his family to the anger of the white community. With his
strongly held convictions, wisdom, and empathy, Atticus functions as the novel’s moral
backbone.
Jeremy Atticus “Jem” Finch – Scout’s brother and constant playmate at the beginning of the
story. Jem is something of a typical American boy, refusing to back down from dares and
fantasizing about playing football. Four years older than Scout, he gradually separates himself
from her games, but he remains her close companion and protector throughout the [play]. Jem
moves into adolescence during the story, and his ideals are shaken badly by the evil and injustice
that he perceives during the trial of Tom Robinson.
Arthur “Boo” Radley – A recluse who never sets foot outside his house, Boo dominates the
imaginations of Jem, Scout, and Dill. He is a powerful symbol of goodness swathed in an initial
shroud of creepiness, leaving little presents for Scout and Jem and emerging at an opportune
moment to save the children. An intelligent child emotionally damaged by his cruel father, Boo
provides an example of the threat that evil poses to innocence and goodness. He is one of the
novel’s “mockingbirds,” a good person injured by the evil of mankind.
Bob Ewell – A drunken, mostly unemployed member of Maycomb’s poorest family. In his
knowingly wrongful accusation that Tom Robinson raped his daughter, Ewell represents the dark
side of the South: ignorance, poverty, squalor, and hate-filled racial prejudice.
Charles Baker “Dill” Harris – Jem and Scout’s summer neighbor and friend. Dill is a
diminutive, confident boy with an active imagination. He becomes fascinated with Boo Radley
and represents the perspective of childhood innocence throughout the novel.
Miss Maudie Atkinson – The Finches’ neighbor, a sharp-tongued widow, and an old friend of
the family….She shares Atticus’ passion for justice and is the children’s best friend among
Maycomb’s adults.
Calpurnia – The Finches’ black cook. Calpurnia is a stern disciplinarian and the children’s
bridge between the white world and her own black community.
Mayella Ewell – Bob Ewell’s abused, lonely, unhappy daughter. Though one can pity Mayella
because of her overbearing father, one cannot pardon her for her shameful indictment of Tom
Robinson.
Tom Robinson – The black field hand accused of rape. Tom is one of the novel’s
“mockingbirds,” an important symbol of innocence destroyed by evil.
Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose – An elderly, ill-tempered, racist woman who lives near the
Finches. Although Jem believes that Mrs. Dubose is a thoroughly bad woman, Atticus admires
her for the courage with which she battles her morphine addiction.
Nathan Radley – Boo Radley’s older brother. Scout thinks that Nathan is similar to the deceased
Mr. Radley, Boo and Nathan’s father. Nathan cruelly cuts off an important element of Boo’s
relationship with Jem and Scout when he plugs up the knothole in which Boo leaves presents for
the children.
Heck Tate – The sheriff of Maycomb and a major witness at Tom Robinson’s trial. Heck is a
decent man who tries to protect the innocent from danger.
Mr. Walter Cunningham – A poor farmer and part of the mob that seeks to lynch Tom
Robinson at the jail. Mr. Cunningham displays his human goodness when Scout’s politeness
compels him to disperse the men at the jail.
Adapted from SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2002. Web. 13 Sept. 2016.
MAJOR THEMES AND SYMBOLS
The Coexistence of Good and Evil
The most important theme of To Kill a Mockingbird is the book’s exploration of the moral nature
of human beings—that is, whether people are essentially good or essentially evil. The novel
approaches this question by dramatizing Scout and Jem’s transition from a perspective of
childhood innocence, in which they assume that people are good because they have never seen
evil, to a more adult perspective, in which they have confronted evil and must incorporate it into
their understanding of the world. As a result of this portrayal of the transition from innocence to
experience, one of the [play’s] important subthemes involves the threat that hatred, prejudice,
and ignorance pose to the innocent: people such as Tom Robinson and Boo Radley are not
prepared for the evil that they encounter, and, as a result, they are destroyed. Even Jem is
victimized to an extent by his discovery of the evil of racism during and after the trial. Whereas
Scout is able to maintain her basic faith in human nature despite Tom’s conviction, Jem’s faith in
justice and in humanity is badly damaged, and he retreats into a state of disillusionment.
The moral voice of To Kill a Mockingbird is embodied by Atticus Finch, who is virtually unique
in the [play] in that he has experienced and understood evil without losing his faith in the human
capacity for goodness. Atticus understands that, rather than being simply creatures of good or
creatures of evil, most people have both good and bad qualities. The important thing is to
appreciate the good qualities and understand the bad qualities by treating others with sympathy
and trying to see life from their perspective. He tries to teach this ultimate moral lesson to Jem
and Scout to show them that it is possible to live with conscience without losing hope or
becoming cynical. In this way, Atticus is able to admire Mrs. Dubose’s courage even while
deploring her racism. Scout’s progress as a character in the [play] is defined by her gradual
development toward understanding Atticus’ lessons, culminating when, in the final [scenes],
Scout at last sees Boo Radley as a human being. Her newfound ability to view the world from his
perspective ensures that she will not become jaded as she loses her innocence.
The Importance of Moral Education
Because exploration of the [play’s] larger moral questions takes place within the perspective of
children, the education of children is necessarily involved in the development of all of the
[play’s] themes. In a sense, the plot…charts Scout’s moral education, and the theme of how
children are educated—how they are taught to move from innocence to adulthood—recurs
throughout the [play]…This theme is explored most powerfully through the relationship between
Atticus and his children, as he devotes himself to instilling a social conscience in Jem and
Scout…As is true of To Kill a Mockingbird’s other moral themes, the [play’s]conclusion about
education is that the most important lessons are those of sympathy and understanding, and that a
sympathetic, understanding approach is the best way to teach these lessons.
The Existence of Social Inequality/Classes
Differences in social status are explored largely through the overcomplicated social hierarchy of
Maycomb, the ins and outs of which constantly baffle the children. The relatively well-off
Finches stand near the top of Maycomb’s social hierarchy, with most of the townspeople beneath
them. Ignorant country farmers like the Cunninghams lie below the townspeople, and the white
trash Ewells rest below the Cunninghams. But the black community in Maycomb, despite its
abundance of admirable qualities, squats below even the Ewells, enabling Bob Ewell to make up
for his own lack of importance by persecuting Tom Robinson. These rigid social divisions that
make up so much of the adult world are revealed in the [play] to be both irrational and
destructive…Lee uses the children’s perplexity at the unpleasant layering of Maycomb society to
critique the role of class status and, ultimately, prejudice in human interaction.
Adapted from SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2002. Web. 13 Sept. 2016.
Courage and Compassion
The novel has been noted for its poignant exploration of different forms of courage. Scout's
impulsive inclination to fight students who insult Atticus reflects her attempt to stand up for him
and defend him. Atticus is the moral center of the novel, however, and he teaches Jem one of the
most significant lessons of courage. In a statement that foreshadows Atticus' motivation for
defending Tom Robinson and describes Mrs. Dubose, who is determined to break herself of a
morphine addiction, Atticus tells Jem that courage is "when you're licked before you begin but
you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what."
Charles Shields, who has written the only book-length biography of Harper Lee to date, offers
the reason for the novel's enduring popularity and impact is that "its lessons of human dignity
and respect for others remain fundamental and universal." Atticus' lesson to Scout that "you
never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view—until you
climb around in his skin and walk around in it" exemplifies his compassion. She ponders the
comment when listening to Mayella Ewell's testimony. When Mayella reacts with confusion to
Atticus' question if she has any friends, Scout offers that she must be lonelier than Boo Radley.
Having walked Boo home after he saves their lives, Scout stands on the Radley porch and
considers the events of the previous three years from Boo's perspective. One writer remarks,
"while the novel concerns tragedy and injustice, heartache and loss, it also carries with it a strong
sense [of] courage, compassion, and an awareness of history to be better human beings."
Gender roles
Just as Lee explores Jem's development in coming to grips with a racist and unjust society, Scout
realizes what being female means, and several female characters influence her development.
Scout's primary identification with her father and older brother allows her to describe the variety
and depth of female characters in the [play] both as one of them and as an outsider. Scout's
primary female models are Calpurnia and her neighbor Miss Maudie, both of whom are strong
willed, independent, and protective. Mayella Ewell also has an influence; Scout watches her
destroy an innocent man in order to hide her desire for him. The female characters who comment
the most on Scout's lack of willingness to adhere to a more feminine role are also those who
promote the most racist and classist points of view. For example, Mrs. Dubose chastises Scout
for not wearing a dress and camisole, and indicates she is ruining the family name by not doing
so, in addition to insulting Atticus' intentions to defend Tom Robinson. By balancing the
masculine influences of Atticus and Jem with the feminine influences of Calpurnia and Miss
Maudie, one scholar writes, "Lee gradually demonstrates that Scout is becoming a feminist in the
South, for with the use of first-person narration, she indicates that Scout/ Jean Louise still
maintains the ambivalence about being a Southern lady she possessed as a child."
Absent mothers and abusive fathers are another theme in the [play]. Scout and Jem's mother died
before Scout could remember her, Mayella's mother is dead, and [the] Radley[s are] silent about
Boo's confinement to the house. Apart from Atticus, the fathers described are abusers…Bob
Ewell and Mr. Radley represent a form of masculinity that Atticus does not, and the [play]
suggests that such men…can lead society astray. Atticus stands apart as a unique model of
masculinity; as one scholar explains: "It is the job of real men who embody the traditional
masculine qualities of heroic individualism, bravery, and an unshrinking knowledge of and
dedication to social justice and morality, to set the society straight."
Image from Universal Picture’s 1962 film starring Gregory Peck
Laws, written and unwritten
Allusions to legal issues in To Kill a Mockingbird, particularly in scenes outside of the
courtroom, have drawn the attention from legal scholars. Claudia Durst Johnson writes that "a
greater volume of critical readings has been amassed by two legal scholars in law journals than
by all the literary scholars in literary journals." The opening quote by the 19th-century essayist
Charles Lamb reads: "Lawyers, I suppose, were children once." Johnson notes that even in Scout
and Jem's childhood world, compromises and treaties are struck with each other by spitting on
one's palm and laws are discussed by Atticus and his children: is it right that Bob Ewell hunts
and traps out of season? Many social codes are broken by people in symbolic courtrooms: Mr.
Dolphus Raymond has been exiled by society for taking a black woman as his common-law wife
and having interracial children; Mayella Ewell is beaten by her father in punishment for kissing
Tom Robinson; by being turned into a non-person, Boo Radley receives a punishment far greater
than any court could have given him. Scout repeatedly breaks codes and laws and reacts to her
punishment for them, [such as her refusal] to wear frilly clothes.
Johnson states, "[t]he novel is a study of how Jem and Scout begin to perceive the complexity of
social codes and how the configuration of relationships dictated by or set off by those codes fails
or nurtures the inhabitants of (their) small worlds."
Class
In a 1964 interview, Lee remarked that her aspiration was "to be...the Jane Austen of South
Alabama." Both Austen and Lee challenged the social status quo and valued individual worth
over social standing. One writer notes that Scout, "in Austenian fashion", satirizes women with
whom she does not wish to identify. Literary critic Jean Blackall lists the priorities shared by the
two authors: "affirmation of order in society, obedience, courtesy, and respect for the individual
without regard for status".
Scholars argue that Lee's approach to class and race was more complex "than ascribing racial
prejudice primarily to 'poor white trash'. Lee demonstrates how issues of gender and class
intensify prejudice, silence the voices that might challenge the existing order, and greatly
complicate many Americans' conception of the causes of racism and segregation." Sharing Scout
and Jem's perspective, the [viewer] is allowed to engage in relationships with members of the
[whole] community. The children internalize Atticus' admonition not to judge someone until they
have walked around in that person's skin, gaining a greater understanding of people's motives
and behavior.
Loss of innocence
Lee used the mockingbird to symbolize innocence in the novel. Songbirds
and their associated symbolism appear throughout the [play]. The family's
last name of Finch also shares Lee's mother's maiden name. The titular
mockingbird is a key motif of this theme, which first appears when
Atticus, having given his children air-rifles for Christmas, allows their
Uncle Jack to teach them to shoot. Atticus warns them that, although they
can "shoot all the blue jays they want", they must remember that "it's a sin
to kill a mockingbird". Confused, Scout approaches her neighbor Miss
Maudie, who explains that mockingbirds never harm other living
creatures. She points out that mockingbirds simply provide pleasure with their songs, saying,
"They don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us.” Writer Edwin Bruell summarized the
symbolism when he wrote in 1964, "'To kill a mockingbird' is to kill that which is innocent and
harmless – like Tom Robinson. "Scholars have noted that Lee often returns to the mockingbird
theme when trying to make a moral point.
Tom Robinson is the chief example among several innocents destroyed carelessly or deliberately
throughout the novel. However, scholar Christopher Metress connects the mockingbird to Boo
Radley: "Instead of wanting to exploit Boo for her own fun…, Scout comes to see him as a
'mockingbird' – that is, as someone with an inner goodness that must be cherished. "The last
pages of the book illustrate this as Scout relates the moral of a story Atticus has been reading to
her, and in allusions to both Boo Radley and Tom Robinson states about a character who was
misunderstood, "when they finally saw him, why he hadn't done any of those things...Atticus, he
was real nice," to which he responds, "Most people are, Scout, when you finally see them."
The novel exposes the loss of innocence so frequently that reviewer R. A. Dave claims that
because every character has to face, or even suffer defeat, the book takes on elements of a
classical tragedy. In exploring how each character deals with his or her own personal defeat, Lee
builds a framework to judge whether the characters are heroes or fools. She guides the reader in
such judgments, alternating between unabashed adoration and biting irony. [For example], when
Atticus loses Tom's case, he is last to leave the courtroom, except for his children and the black
spectators in the colored balcony, who rise silently as he walks underneath them, to honor his
efforts.
Adapted from Wikipedia
As the [play] progresses, the children’s changing attitude toward Boo Radley is an important
measurement of their development from innocence toward a grown-up moral perspective. At the
beginning of the [play], Boo is merely a source of childhood superstition. As he leaves Jem and
Scout presents and mends Jem’s pants, he gradually becomes increasingly and intriguingly real
to them. At the end of the [play], he becomes fully human to Scout, illustrating that she has
developed into a sympathetic and understanding individual. Boo, an intelligent child ruined by a
cruel father, is one of the book’s most important mockingbirds; he is also an important symbol of
the good that exists within people. Despite the pain that Boo has suffered, the purity of his heart
rules his interaction with the children. In saving Jem and Scout from Bob Ewell, Boo proves the
ultimate symbol of good.
Adapted from SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2002. Web. 13 Sept. 2016.
VOCABULARY
air rifle – a rifle that fires projectiles by means of compressed air or other gas, in contrast to a
firearm, which burns a propellant. Most air guns use plastic rather than metal projectiles.
azaleas – a flowering shrub that blooms in the spring. Mobile, Alabama is home of the Azalea
Trail Maids, fifty women chosen to serve as ambassadors of the city while wearing antebellum
dresses.
camellia bush – a flowering plant, and the state flower of Alabama.
chiffarobe – a wardrobe-like piece of furniture with a long space for hanging clothes on one side
with a chest of drawers on the other.
cotton gin – a machine that quickly and easily separates cotton fibers from seeds, a job formerly
performed by hand. It uses a combination of wire screens and small wire hooks to pull the cotton
through, while brushes continuously remove the loose cotton lint to prevent jamming.
entailment – a restriction on a property that prevents it from being divided or sold, but requiring
that it be passed down to a commonly accepted heir, regardless of the intent of the owner.
frog sticking – a manner in which, armed with a small pitchfork, one catches frogs from the
bayou bank.
haints – ghosts, apparitions, or lost souls.
Indian head penny – a coin produced by the U.S. Mint from 1859 to 1909; also known as an
Indian Penny.
Ivanhoe – an historical novel by Sir Walter Scott , written in 1819. Set in 12th-century England,
the legendary Robin Hood and his Merry Men appear in the book, helping to shape the modern
notion of Robin Hood as a cheery, noble outlaw.
Johnson Grass – a fast growing “weed grass” that can spread so quickly as to choke out crops
planted by farmers.
lemon drops – a lemon flavored lozenge; candy.
lye soap – a very basic soap made from lye (often from hardwood ashes) and lard. For a long
time it was the only source of basic hygiene, and it is still believed to be ideal for stopping the
spread of poison ivy, eliminating bed bugs and lice, as well as for cleaning everything from
antique linens to hardwood floors. Lye soap was generally made only once a year, coinciding
with the harvest and the slaughter of hogs in preparation for winter.
mad dog – a dog suffering from rabies, a dangerous and deadly disease that causes inflammation
of the brain.
Morphine – a highly addictive narcotic often prescribed to patients dealing with extreme pain.
rabbit tobacco – a flowering plant in the daisy family; commonly smoked or brewed into tea as
a remedy for the common cold, the flu or a sore throat.
Rose Bowl – an annual American college football game played on New Year’s Day. Considered
“The Granddaddy of Them All” because it is the oldest bowl game, first played in 1902.
ruttin’ – slang for sexual intercourse; a term used to describe aggressive breeding in animals
during mating season
sass – impudence.
scuppernong – a large variety of grapes native to America with a greenish
or bronze color with a rounder and larger fruit.
smilax – a woody climbing flowering plant.
Temerity – excessive confidence or boldness; audacity.
Tollable – Mayella’s mispronunciation of “tolerable.”
Adapted from Shakespeare New Jersey’s To Kill a Mockingbird study guide
FAMOUS QUOTATIONS
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
“What’s My Line?” (Promoting Active Listening)
Before attending the production, give each student one line from the novel/play to listen for.
Discuss the meaning of the line and encourage their input in deciphering what the author and
playwright meant by the line. How would the student perform the line? Why is the line important
to the play? Does it advance the plot, or give the audience particular insight into a character or
relationship? Following the production, discuss the line again. Did the actor present the line in
the way your student expected? If not, how was it different?
Adapted from Shakespeare New Jersey’s To Kill a Mockingbird study guide
Stand the Line
Objective:
This activity provides an opportunity for students to explore and share their opinions on some of
the themes in the play in a structured and non-judgmental setting. By using general statements
and quotes from the play, students will examine their beliefs, hear alternate points of view, and
have an opportunity to rethink their position on some of the major themes of the play.
Materials:
 A space in which to move
Directions:
1. Ask students to imagine a line running along the length of floor.
2. Explain that a series of statements and quotes from the play will be read out loud and it is
the students’ job to agree or disagree with the statements by choosing their position on
the line on the floor.
3. Define with the class the end of the line which represents “strongly agree” and then
indicate that the opposite end represents “strongly disagree”. The midpoint of the room is
a neutral position where students can stand if they neither agree nor disagree with the
statement.
4. When each statement is read aloud, students decide which place on the line represents
their own opinion. They can stand anywhere on the line, near either end, or somewhere in
the middle.
5. After each statement is read, pick a few students to explain their choice of position. This
is not a debate. The students’ viewpoints should not be judged, just shared.
6. After a number of viewpoints have been shared on each statement or quote, offer students
the chance to move to a new position on the line if they have changed their mind, or feel
differently about the statement.
Statements:
Children need to be protected from learning about the injustices in the world.
Everyone deserves to be treated fairly.
People with less money should not be trusted.
Children are born with a sense of fairness.
Honesty is not always the best policy.
Some people aren’t worthy of compassion and forgiveness.
Racism is learned, so it can be unlearned.
Quotes from the Play:
“Grownups don’t have hiding places.”
“People generally see what they look for or hear what they listen for.”
“Having a gun around is just an invitation to somebody to shoot you.”
“…a court is only as sound as its jury.”
Debriefing Questions:
 Did hearing the perspectives of fellow students change your ideas on any of the
statements? Why or why not?
 What or who would make you change your opinion?
 Did you learn anything from hearing your classmate’s viewpoints?
Image from Universal Picture’s 1962 film starring Gregory Peck
Naming Characters
Objective:
This exercise allows students to discuss how assumptions and stereotypes affect the process of
giving a name to newly-created characters.
Materials:
 A space in which to move
Directions:
1. Ask students to spread out around the room. Have them start to walk around the space,
not talking or interacting with each other.
2. Explain that you will be calling out an animal (i.e. lion, giraffe, etc.). Students are to
move around the space like that animal.
3. Ask students to freeze. Ask students to take notice the position of their hands, legs, feet
and head. Now ask students to stand upright in a more ‘human’ position while trying to
maintain the similar gestures of the animal pose.
4. Ask students to think of a person/character that would move or gesture in the same way
and to move around the space as that new character. Practice this with different animals,
creating new characters.
5. Form a circle. Have one student demonstrate one of the characters they created by
moving within the circle. While the rest of the students watch, ask them to make
observations about the new character being portrayed (i.e. Are they old or young? Do
they look mean or friendly? Trusting or dishonest?).
6. Ask the students to suggest the occupation of the new character being performed.
Debriefing Questions:
 Was it easy to name the occupation of the new characters?
 What were the characteristics that fed your suggestion? In reflection, can you identify any
assumptions or judgements that you made in choosing the character occupation?
 Do the characters in the play make similar assumptions or judgements about one another?
What are they?
 What do the characters in the play learn about the nature of a person’s character versus
the assumptions that are made based on outward appearances and/or the values of their
community?
A Day in the Life
Objective:
This exercise invites students to track the journey of a character through the play, providing an
opportunity for students to understand character choices, motivations and actions.
Materials:
 Space in which to move
Directions:
“You can never understand a person until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”
–Atticus Finch
1. Ask students to spread out around the room and sit/lay down and close their eyes.
2. Read the following “A Day in the Life” excerpt.
3. Ask students to choose a character that they would like to embody.
4. Have students find a space on the floor on their own and instruct them not to speak.
“A Day in the Life”
It is the morning. You are lying in bed. What do you hear? What do you smell? Is your bed hard
or soft? Think about the day ahead of you. What are your plans for the day? Who do you expect
to see? Are you excited or nervous or do you not care at all about the day to come? It is hot
already this morning. You get out of bed and get dressed in your favorite clothes and shoes.
What do they look and feel like? Are the clothes old or new? You walk to the kitchen. What will
you eat for breakfast? Do you see anyone else in your house? You finish with your breakfast and
leave the house. Where do you need to get to? How will you get there? Walk, drive or ride a
bike? You take a look around your neighborhood. What do you see? Any neighbors out? Do you
say hello?
Debriefing Questions:
Was it easy or hard for you to picture your character in the scenario?
Did you learn anything new about the character after participating in this exercise?
Did your character say hello to their neighbors? What does that tell you about his/her status in
their neighborhood or community?
Adapted from Young People’s Theatre of Canada’s Study Guide for their 2014 production
Narrative Voice and Memory Exercise
Narrate a memorable incident from your childhood involving curiosity or daring or not
understanding that uses the point of view of the child you were then. (Be your own "Scout.")
Then re-narrate the incident adding the perspective you now have on the incident. (Be "Jean
Louise" considering and commenting on your "Scout.") What is the difference in effect between
these two narrations? What is the value of each? Do you prefer the child's view, the older view,
or a blended view? Why?
Adapted from Alabama Shakespeare Company’s To Kill a Mockingbird study guide
SUGGESTED STUDY QUESTIONS AND ESSAY TOPICS
*Who else in the story and in your community would be mockingbirds?
*Who do you know that has the courage to stand up for an unpopular cause or a person who has
been wrongfully accused of something?
*Besides To Kill a Mockingbird, what could be a good title of the book? Explain your choice.
*Atticus is a widower, and a single parent of two children. How do the interests, lives, and
curiosities of Jem and Scout Finch compare to your life or the lives of your friends?
*What things do Jem, Scout, and Dill do during their free time? How do their activities compare
to your interests?
*Boo Radley’s house is a place of mystery, suspicion, and myth. What place in your neighborhood is similar to Boo’s house? Discuss the mysteries, suspicions, and myths of that place and
write a story about what could happen in your neighborhood with the house.
*Discuss Atticus’ parenting style. What is his relationship to his children like? How does he seek
to instill conscience in them?
*Analyze the trial scene and its relationship to the rest of the [play].
*Discuss the author’s portrayal of the black community and the characters of Calpurnia and Tom
Robinson. Are they realistic or idealized?
*How do Jem and Scout change during the course of the novel? How do they remain the same?
*What is Atticus’s relationship to the rest of Maycomb? What is his role in the community?
*What is the town’s role in the [play]?
*Analyze the [play’s] treatment of Boo Radley. What is his role in the [play]?
SOURCES AND RESOURCES
DramaticPublishing.com – good background on the playwright and his experiences adapting the
script from the book and meeting Harper Lee.
SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2002. Web. 13 Sept. 2016. – good academic treatment of the
book; themes, symbols, and motifs; chapter by chapter analysis; key facts; quotations explained
ToKillaMockingbird.com – good resource for background on the author, book, play, and film.
Wikipedia article on To Kill a Mockingbird – good resource for background on the book, play,
and film; good information on style, themes, the book’s reception, and adaptations.
STUDY GUIDES FROM PREVIOUS PRODUCTIONS
Alabama Shakespeare Company – extensive background on Harper Lee and Truman Capote;
great information on the Great Depression; article on significance of Boo Radley’s character;
adapting the novel; discussion topics – especially prejudice; article on character of Atticus;
production designs
Lied Center for Performing Arts in Lincoln, NE – regular background on plot, characters, etc.;
good questions, especially on characters’ motivations
Prime Stage Theatre of Pittsburgh, PA – Timeline of Harper Lee and Mockingbird; profile of
American South in the 1930’s; cultural history; Scottsboro Boys Trial; two interviews of
growing up black and white in the South in the 1930’s; very good study questions and/or essay
topics; production designs
Sacramento Theatre Company – basic background information, plus two essays on the play
and Harper Lee; good questions for before and after seeing the play for those who have and
haven’t read it
Shakespeare New Jersey – notes from the playwright; sources and history (including a map of
Maycomb); commentaries and criticism; “Who Said That?” quiz; topics for discussion; “Test
Your Understanding” quiz; excellent follow-up activities
Utah Shakespeare Festival – three scholarly articles on the authors and play’s analysis
Young People’s Theatre of Canada – great suggestions for links to the curriculum; pre-show
unit and post-show exercises; suggestions on reviewing a play
Theatre Etiquette
The audience plays an important part in the success of any theatrical performance.
Students who are used to watching television and DVDs at home and those who attend movies
and rock concerts are used to eating snacks, sharing comments out loud, getting in and out of
their seats, and moving around during a show. Please help your students understand that the rules
are different for a live theatre performance.
Please review the following theatre rules with your students prior to your visit:
Food, drinks, candy, and gum are not allowed in the theatre. Concessions will not be
open for the student matinees.
Electronic devices are not permitted in the theatre as they interfere with our sound
system. Please ask your students to leave cell phones, radios, pagers, iPods, etc. at home
or at school. Students seen with such equipment will be asked to leave them at the box
office for pick-up after the show.
Photography and both audio and video recording during a performance is strictly
prohibited. Students will be asked to leave cameras and recording devices at the box
office.
Please encourage them to be considerate to the actors and other members of the
audience. Talking, whispering, and excessive moving around in one’s seat is disruptive
to others. Encourage your students to laugh, clap, or cheer at appropriate times. Students
will be asked to leave if their behavior becomes too disruptive.
Please ask them to stay in their seats during the performance. Encourage them to use
the restrooms before or after the play. We plan to take a five-minute standing
intermission which will not allow enough time for them to leave the auditorium without
disrupting the performance. Students are not allowed to leave the building without adult
supervision.
Ask students not to throw anything onto the stage or into the audience.
Ask students to be respectful of the Hale Centre Theatre staff. They are available to
ensure that all audience members have the best possible experience at the Theatre. Please
report any disturbances or disruptive behavior you are unable to correct to a staff
member.
Please remember, your students are representing your school when on a field trip, and their
behavior is the responsibility of your school’s staff and volunteers. We expect your group’s
adults to sit among your students to help them be on their best behavior. The performers,
artists, technicians, and staff at Hale Centre Theatre work hard to create an educational and
entertaining experience for your students. With your help in following these guidelines, it will be
an enjoyable experience for all.