Example research essay topic: Jem And Scout Kill A Mockingbird - 1,751 words

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To Kill a Mockingbird was written by Harper Lee and was published in 1960. To Kill a Mockingbird won many awards, they are; Pulitzer Prize, 1961, Alabama Library Association award, 1961, Brotherhood Award of National Conference of Christians and Jews, 1961, Bestsellers? paperback of the year award, 1962. Harper Lee was born on the 28 th day of April in 1926 in southwest, in a small town called Monroeville. Harper Lee went to Huntingdon College from 1944 - 45, from 1945 - 49 she studied law at the University of Alabama, and attended one year at Oxford University. In the 1950?

s she worked as a reservation clerk with BOAC in New York City and with Eastern Air Lines. In June 1966, President Johnson named Harper Lee to the National Council of Arts. To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in Maycomb Alabama, in the late 1930? s early 1940? s, because Jean Louise (Scout) and Atticus were reading in the newspaper how Hitler was killing the Jews (Hitler was in power between the early 1930? s to the mid 1940?

s). ? Maycomb was an old town, but it was a tired old town when I first knew it. In rainy weather the streets turned to red slop, grass grew on the sidewalks, the courthouse sagged in the square. Somehow it was hotter than: a black dog suffered on a summers day... ? (p 5). In this story a lot of characters were introduced to the reader. Jem Finch played a big role in this book. ?

When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm broken at the elbow... His left arm was slightly shorter than his right; when he stood or walked, the back of his hand was at right angles to his body, his thumb parallel to his thigh. ? (p 3). ? His hair stuck up behind and down in the front, and I wondered if it would ever look like a man? s...

His eyebrows were becoming heavier and I noticed a new slimness about his body. He was growing taller. ? (p 225). Both of these quotes say that he is a growing teenager and his arm was a little strange. ? He raced across the street, disappeared into Miss Maudie?

s backyard and returned triumphant. He stuck her sunhat on the snowman? s head and jammed her hedge clippers into the crook of his arm. ? (p 67 - 68). ? Jem ran into the backyard, produced the garden hoe and began digging quickly behind the woodpile, placing any worms he found to one side.

He went into the house, returned with the laundry hamper, filled it with earth and carried it to the front yard. ? (p 66). These two quotes show that Jem was creative and full of energy. Jem always tried to amuse Atticus. ? Run Scout!

Run! Run! ? (p 261). ? Let? s go home, Cal, they don?

t want us here. ? (p 119). Jem usually knows when he is or isn? t wanted. ? Jem was becoming almost as good as Atticus at making you feel right when things went wrong. ? (p 259). ? Son, I can?

t tell what your going to be? an engineer, a lawyer or a portrait painter. You? ve perpetrated a near libel here in the front yard. ? (p 67). ? ...

but from now on I? ll never worry about what will become of you, son, you? ll always have an idea. ? (p 67). These quotes show that a lot of people have faith in Jem and he is expected to do very good in the future. Another important character in the book is Scout. Scout is a girl that is four years younger than Jem.

She learned to read before she started school. ? But I still looked for him every time I went by. Maybe someday we would see him. ? (p 242). ? I took one giant step and found myself reeling: my arms useless, in the dark, I could not keep my balance. ? (p 261). ? ...

I fell to the ground and rolled as far as I could, floundering to escape my wire prison. ? (p 262). These quotes show that Scout was a very energetic and nosey girl. ? I imagined how it would be: when it happened he would just be sitting there in the swing when I came along. ? His do, Mr.

Arthur, ? I would say, as if I had said it every afternoon of my life. ? (p 242). This quote demonstrates just how much Scout wants to meet Arthur Radley. ? ... she caught me backstage and told me that I ruined her pageant. ? (p 258). This tells that Scout can some times screw up and it ends up affecting someone else. Atticus played a very significant role in this book. ?

Atticus was feeble: he was nearly fifty... He was much older than the parents of our school contemporaries. ? (p 89). ? ... he wore glasses. ? (p 89). Atticus got started late in life but he still managed to comprehend with his kids. ? Atticus was making his slow pilgrimage to the windows as he had been doing. ? (p 184).

Atticus always took everything slow, he never wanted to rush anything. ? Do you remember him beating you about the face? ? (p 185). Atticus always wanted to make things clear, he never wanted anything misunderstood. ? ... Atticus is a nigger lover, but I? m here to tell you it certainly does mortify the rest of the family. ? (p 83). Many people thought that Atticus was going against his own people when he decided to be a lawyer for a Negro.

There were many other vital characters in this book, they were; Calpurnia was the Finch? s maid, she was a great help raising Jem and Scout. Aunt Alexandra was Atticus? sister, she came to help raise Jem and Scout, but the Jem and Scout didn? t really like her because she was very strict.

Miss Maudie was Scout? s favourite person to talk to, she always made cakes for Jem and Scout. Arthur (Boo) Radley was a man who lived in a big old house down the street from the Finch? s, Jem, Scout and Dill always wondered who Boo Radley was because he never came out of his house.

Dill was a close friend of Jem? s and Scout? s, he always spent the summer with his Aunt across the street. Tom Robinson was a black man convicted of raping Mayella Ewell.

Mayella Ewell lived out in the country, didn? t go to school, and just worked for her family. Miss Stephanie Crawford lived across the street and always gave advice to Jem and Scout. Reverend Sykes was the priest at the black church outside of town. Judge Taylor was the judge during the trial of Tom Robinson.

Bob Ewell was Mayella? s father, he was an enemy of the Finch? s. Mrs. Dubose was a mean old lady who always put down Jem, Scout, and Atticus. Miss Rachel lived across the street and always told Jem and Scout anything they needed to know.

Mr. Heck Tate was the sheriff in town. In the story To Kill a Mockingbird there was lots of struggles and hardships that the Finch? s and the town of Maycomb had to go through. Atticus was a lawyer and he was defending Tom Robinson, who was convicted of raping Mayella Ewell. There was a big court battle after many witnesses and questions Tom Robinson was found guilty on very little evidence.

Tom Robinson was then shot later trying to escape from jail. Jem, Scout and Dill always wanted to know what Boo Radley looks like. They always tried to lure him out of his own house. They tried to send messages to him by a fishing pole, but they could never figure out why he doesn?

t come out. Mrs. Dubose lived down the street from the Finch? s and when ever Jem and Scout used to walk by she would tell them that there dad was a? nigger lover. ? One day Jem got really mad at this pestering, so he took some hedge clippers and cut up all her hedges.

For punishment Jem had to read to her after school for a month. Soon after Mrs. Dubose died. Miss Maudie lived across the street from Jem and Scout and she always use to bake cakes for them. But early one morning her house caught on fire and she lost everything. One night after Jem and Scout got in a fight, they were both sent to there rooms.

When Scout reached her room and had shut the door behind her she had found Dill hiding under her bed. Dill had ran away from home and stayed with his Aunt for the rest of the summer. One night walking home from Scout? s pageant Jem and Scout were attacked by Bob Ewell. They were chased through the woods and down the streets of Maycomb. Scout was pushed and she hit the ground hard, but since she had her wire costume on she wasn?

t hurt. Jem had gone into a fight with Bob Ewell, they wrestled on the ground until Boo Radley came to his rescue. Jem was knocked out from this incident and ended up with a broken arm. When Boo Radley went out side to see if Bob Ewell was still there he found him with a kitchen knife stuck into his ribs.

The theme of this story is that if people didn? t focus in on what they see hear and remember from the past the world would be a better place. In this story many people stereotype each other. For example the inner city white people would not associate themselves with the farmers or hicks that live out in the country. But the black? s had the hardest time, if they were charged with a crime it didn?

t matter if they were guilty or innocent they would be convicted. The blacks would not be able to get a job because the white people would be afraid that they would lose customers. You might not think that we live in the same way that these people did, but we still do, maybe not to the same degree, but we still do and we always will.

Research essay sample on Jem And Scout Kill A Mockingbird