To Kill A Mockingbird (film) Essay Questions

The relationship between Arthur “Boo” Radley and the Finch children is one of the most fascinating components of To Kill a Mockingbird. How does their relationship change over the course of the film, and what catalyzes these developments?

At the beginning of the film, Jem and Scout view Boo as a terrifying childhood phantom down the street. Since the children have never seen Boo in person but have heard multiple gossipy stories about him, Boo is the subject of their fantasies; they spend much of their summer trying to get into the elusive Radley property and get a glimpse of Boo. This sort of behavior is well-meaning but ultimately cruel, yet Boo admires the naive purity of children. He begins to communicate with them via the knothole trinkets, but Boo's father abruptly puts an end to this. The relationship between Boo and the children evolves to one of mutual respect at the end of the film. The protective and loving Boo saves the children, and Scout begins to consider his point of view and acknowledges both his goodness and the trials he has faced, comparing the subjecting of Boo to the killing of a mockingbird. Scout’s newfound maturity catalyzes the changes in her and Boo's relationship.

Analyze the setting of Maycomb, Alabama in the film. Is the small town idyllic, corrupt, or both? How do the defining features of Maycomb evoke some of the film’s themes?

Maycomb plays a complex role in the film. In the first few scenes of the movie, Maycomb embodies idyllic Southern small-town lif. The older Scout describes a slow-paced, languid town, where “the day was 24 hours long, but it seemed longer. There was no hurry, for there was nowhere to go and nothin' to buy...and no money to buy it with.” Jem, Scout, and Dill spend their carefree summers looking for trouble, hanging out in a tree-house, and playing tire games. However, the film juxtaposes the seemingly perfect town with Southern Gothic details, which reveals the spine-crawling darkness—drunks, racial tensions, abuse, poverty—lying beneath the town’s facade. With this contrast between the ideal and the morbid, Mulligan renders the complicated, inscrutable features of small-town life.

Justice and the law are two major themes of To Kill a Mockingbird. Do you believe that justice is achieved by the end of the film? Back up your argument with supporting evidence from the film.

The failure of the legal system to provide a fair, non-discriminatory trial for Tom is, in many ways, a major injustice present in the film. Tom never gets justice, and his wrongful conviction and death are tragic. One could argue that some forms of penance and justice surface in the film. Ewell’s death provides some closure and justice in the film, due to his attack on the children and the crucial role he played in convicting Tom. Atticus’s defense speech forces many members of the community to reconsider their prejudices. Thus, whether justice is attained in the film is largely up to viewer interpretation.

Analyze the character of Jem. In what ways does he change throughout the film? What is his moral development?

Jem begins the film as a typical pre-adolescent, with an interest in playing football with his father and accepting rebellious dares. Like many children, Jem has not yet had to deal will many of the evils in the world, of which there are plenty in his town (racism, prejudice, abuse, the failure of the criminal justice system) so he believes in the essential goodness of humanity by default. However, once he observes Ewell calling Atticus a “n—er lover,” Jem becomes disillusioned and struggles to reconcile these encounters with the immorality he begins to see around him, a sense that only deepens after he witnesses Tom’s trial and verdict. Jem’s loss of innocence renders him jaded and cynical about his fellow man, and because Scout’s moral development becomes the emphasis of the final act, we don’t see him thoroughly restore his faith in humanity. However, because Jem has Atticus as a father, we can assume that he will be just fine.

Discuss Atticus’s parenting style. How is he a role model for Jem and Scout?

Atticus applies his virtuous principles of supreme morality and fairness to his children. He permits Jem and Scout to call him by his first name, as he considers them equals. Atticus teaches valuable moral lessons to Scout and Jem: he introduces Scout to the importance of empathy and other people’s point of views, and he notifies Jem of how he (Atticus) cannot protect him (Jem) from the evils of the world.