To Kill A Mockingbird is a Pulitzer Prize-winning 1960 novel by Harper Lee that is still considered one of the best books of all time. It tells the story of Scout Finch, her brother Jem, and their father Atticus in 1930s Alabama. Key themes are prejudice, courage, and the legal system. Atticus serves as the town lawyer defending Tom Robinson, a black man falsely accused of raping a white woman. The novel highlights issues of racism and social justice that are still highly relevant today.

1. To Kill A Mockingbird

2. Background
• Written by American
author Harper Lee
• Published in 1960
• Won a number of
awards, including the
Pulitzer Prize, and is
still considered one of
the best books of all
time
• An Oscar winning film
was made based on
the novel in 1962

3. About the Author
• Born in Alabama in 1926
• Her father was a lawyer
who defended many
black clients
• Many of the events
within the novel are
based on her life and
experiences
• Was good friends with
another renowned
American author Truman
Capote, who the
character Dill is based on

4. About the Novel
• The story takes place
during three years (1933–
35) of the Great
Depression in the fictional
town of Maycomb,
Alabama, which is in the
south of the United
States.
• Many of the town’s
inhabitants are suffering
from poverty and
unemployment, so
prejudice is more rife than
ever before.

5. Key Themes
• Prejudice (racism and
class)
• Courage
• Coming of Age
• The Legal System and
Justice
• Male and Female Roles
in Society
Which one of these themes is still most relevant today?
Create a pie chart and explain why you chose one to be more
relevant than the others.

6. Scout Finch
• Is the main protagonist and
narrator of the novel
• At the beginning of the
novel, she is quite naïve
and idealistic
• However, the reader
observes both the lessons
that she learns, as well as
how she matures over the
course of the novel
• Loosely based on Harper
Lee

7. Jem Finch
• Is Scout’s older brother
by four years
• Is the instigator of many
of the plots committed
by the children
• Has a greater
understanding of the
events portrayed within
the novel so is more
affected by them than
Scout

8. Atticus Finch
• Is the fifty year old
widowed father of both
Scout and Jem
• Serves as the town of
Maycomb’s attorney
• As a character, has a
strong sense of right and
wrong (a strong moral
compass), and attempts
to instil this into his two
children

9. Tom Robinson
• Is the African American
man accused of raping
Mayella Ewell
• Has a disfigured left arm
due to an accident from
his youth
• Is represented at trial by
Atticus Finch, a move
which shocks and angers
many of the
townspeople

10. Bob Ewell
• Is the main antagonist of
the text
• Is the shame of the town,
who is known to be a
violent alcoholic
• He accuses Tom Robinson
of assaulting and raping
his daughter Mayella, even
though Atticus is able to
prove beyond a
reasonable doubt that it
was in fact Bob who
committed the crime

11. Dill Harris
• Is Jem and Scout’s best
friend who visits them
every summer from
Mississippi
• Lacks the security of a
loving family, and
creates fanciful stories to
make up for it
• Is loosely based on
author Harper Lee’s
friend Truman Capote

12. Boo Radley
• The most mysterious and
misunderstood character
in the novel who
fascinates the children
• Is a recluse who has not
been seen by the people
of Maycomb for years
• Boo’s life story is
shrouded in violence and
legend

13. The Big Question
Why do you think so many schools select ‘To Kill
A Mockingbird’ to study after so many years?