TKAM

//** To Kill a Mockingbird ** // Essential Questions | Topics | Themes | Images | Links | Map


 * __Essential Questions__ **
 * What does TKAM have to say about the process of coming of age?
 * What does TKAM have to say about Alabama in the 1930's?
 * What distinguishes the novel from other types of literature we have studied? (Short stories, poetry, drama)


 * __Topics We See Addressed in the Novel__**
 * Coming of age
 * Raising children
 * Dealing with hardships
 * Racial indifference/racism
 * Innocence
 * Growing up
 * Caring
 * Friendship
 * Overcoming prejudices
 * Learning to love everybody
 * Killing innocent things
 * Siblings together
 * Awareness of the world
 * "Mockingbirds"
 * Tragedy
 * Family
 * Triumph
 * Changes
 * Social class
 * Responsibility
 * Curiosity
 * The ideal of the Southern woman
 * Helping others
 * Judgment
 * Social outcasts (CPTs)
 * The South in the 1930s
 * Tradition
 * Hatred


 * __Theme Statements from Group Work__**
 * Coming of age involves becoming more aware of the world around you and who you are as a person (Scout starts off as a naïve young girl --for example, she beats up Walter Cunningham when she should feel sorry for him -- and turns into a caring and well-adjusted young woman--for example, she comes to understand that Atticus is trying to do the best he can for his children.)
 * "…I just hope that Jem and Scout come to me for their answers instead of listening to the town…." (p. 88).
 * Race shouldn't be the basis upon which one judges people. Everyone is owed respect (for example, Scout and Jem learn to love Tom Robinson despite the town's prejudices against him.)
 * Changes in life can result from growing up or from gaining first-hand experience with something. For instance, Scout spends most of the book terrified of Boo Radley, but later learns that he is harmless and even kind after meeting Boo in Jem's room.
 * TKAM shows readers that keeping one's head high and believing in oneself can lead to success and happiness in life. Atticus, for one, keeps arguing for Tom Robinson's innocence despite the town's constant criticism of Atticus' work in the forms of name-calling ("n***** lover"), violent protests, and the intimidation and attack upon his children. Atticus thinks for himself.
 * Growing up isn't always easy, but the challenges you face can help you become a better person. For instance, Scout and Jem see the effects of racial prejudice on people they know and love, such as Calpurnia and Tom Robinson, and this helps them to understand why racism is wrong.
 * "When we were small, Jem and I confined our activities to the southern neighborhood, but when I was well into the second grade at school and tormenting Boo Radley became passe, the business section of Maycomb drew us frequently up the street past the real property of Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose" (p. 99).
 * TKAM argues that the model of the Southern woman is changing. Aunt Alexandra represents the old mindset, believing that a person's worth is determined by his or her family background and wealth and holding very traditional ideas about what a woman should look like and do. Scout, on the other hand, seems to judge people according to actions and personalities rather than on how well they conform to society's expectations.

**__Images Presentation__**


 * [[file:Southern Sights.ppt]]**

**__Links__**
 * [|Harper Lee Wikipedia page]
 * [|National Public Radio story about Harper Lee's essay contest for Alabama youth]

**__Google Map of TKAM Places__**

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