A Quick Guide To Composing An Essay On To Kill A Mockingbird


This Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Harper Lee is set in the Depression of the early 20th century in the small town of Alabama where the protagonist lives; a 10 year old girl named Jean Louise "Scout" Finch. Being Atticus Finch's daughter, a distinguished lawyer with high morals, the story revolves around Scout, her family and friends and how, when Atticus decides to defend a black man, Maycomb's racist community rises to an uproar against them.

Below are some tips that can help you write this essay:

  1. Read and analyze:
    2.

    Go through the novel extensively; focus on the events that emerge as you move forward and how the characters develop. Also, focus on the way the characters exhibit themselves through their dialogue deliveries. It's important that you see through to the nature of not only the protagonist, but also the story as a whole; what it represents and why.

    Don't forget to take notes as you go through this stage.

  2. Outline a sketch:
    3.

    Create a rough sketch of how you want your essay to look. Make portions based on characters (Scout, Jem, Atticus, Boo, Tom Robinson, Dill, etc), describe them and how they played their part in the story. Also, describe how you think everything and everyone connects throughout the plot.

  3. Read sample essays:
    4.

    Going through sample essays online on the same subject will help you discover fresh point of views. It will give a considerable view on how and what points other people have made and what directions they chose to give their essays.

  4. Produce a rough draft:
    5.

    Now is the time for you to roughly jot down your views on the essay by starting off with introductory paragraph(s) which summarily voice your argument and main point regarding the novel. Followed by that should be a body of paragraphs which dives more into your main point and extensively debates over it. Lastly, end your essay with a conclusion that ropes everything together.

  5. Finalize:
    6.

    Go back to the notes you had jotted down. Reread all the important character traits, plot turns, narration traits and the story's representation of the momentous issue of racism as a whole.

Now finalize your draft and remove all unnecessary errors. Read the essay aloud to yourself to ensure it is smooth and highlight areas it needs an improvement in. You could also ask a friend or relative to read it and point out any points that could be expressed in a better voice.