PAPER TOPICS AND WRITING TIPS FOR TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
Your assignment: Choose ONLY ONE topic from the following list:
1. Analyze the childhood world of Dill, Scout, and Jem, and their relationship with Boo Radley in the book.
3. How do Jem and Scout's characters change during the course of the novel? How do they remain the same?
4. What is Atticus' relationship to the rest of Maycomb? What is his role in the community?
5. Discuss the role of family in To Kill a Mockingbird, paying close attention to the character of Aunt Alexandra.
6. Analyze the trial scene and its relationship to the rest of the novel.
7. Discuss the author's portrayal of the black community and the characters of Calpurnia and Tom Robinson. Are they realistic or idealized?
8. Examine Miss Maudie's relationship to the Finches and to the rest of Maycomb.
9. Discuss the author's descriptions of Maycomb. What is the town's role in the novel?
10. Analyze the author's treatment of Boo Radley. What is his role in the novel?
11. Analyze three vulnerable characters in Maycomb society who issue cries for help, which are systematic of a deeper, more server problem.
12. Compare and contrast Remember the Titans movie and the book To Kill a Mockingbird.
13. Give three examples of how complacency is used in the novel.
14. Compare and contrast the Tom Robinson Trial to the Emmett Till Trial.
15. Discuss three Biblical references given in novel.
Technical Details:
Five paragraphs, typed. (Rough copy must be included).
DO NOT put your name on the front page- write it in pencil on the back page.
One inch margins – no more, no less.
Twelve point font – no more, no less; preferably in Times New Roman.
Proper footnote and page number citations.
Include a "Works Cited," even though you will have only one source to list.
Write this as a five paragraph essay but use one quotation from the book per body paragraph to help make your point. Be sure to indicate the page number that you got the quote from.
Getting started: The thesis of your paper is the position you are taking on that general subject. Use words out of the topics I've given you to come up with a thesis.
The body or substance of your paper would then consist of demonstrating that your thesis is correct. Then you would interpret that evidence for your readers and tie your evidence back to your thesis. Papers thus involve a) the statement and development of a thesis (substance), b) the organization of arguments to support your thesis, and c) the clear, careful, and concise communication of ideas.
a) Substance
The substance of a paper is the "backbone" of the paper. It involves the statement of the thesis and the defense of that thesis throughout the paper. A good paper is thesis-driven. If an argument does not relate to the thesis, it does not belong in the paper.
A thesis involves the statement of a claim or proposition that will be defended in the body of the paper. A thesis is not a statement of fact. It is a position against which one could argue. Your thesis can be established only by using relevant evidence and logical arguments.
b) Organization
Organize your arguments logically to support or defend your thesis. Arguments, in which you present the "facts" and make inferences from those facts, should build on one another as you make your case. You also might wish to divide your paper into introduction, body, and conclusion (at least in your own head). The introduction states the thesis; it tells the reader what claim will be argued in the paper. The body develops the thesis in terms of a series of clear, concise, and careful arguments based on the evidence you provide. The conclusion evaluates the importance of the case you have made.
c) Writing
A good paper is grammatically correct and stylistically complex. Some suggestions: use proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation marks; avoid slang, abbreviations, and contractions; and use the active, as opposed to passive, voice. Your sentence structure should vary; you must make effective transitions between paragraphs. You as author, are in control of your material, and you must tell your reader how what you are saying relates to the thesis and make the reader understand why it is important to know what you are saying. Do not make the reader figure this out on their own.
Final Draph
Typed + Rough Copy
Due Dates: Rough Draph 03/13/02 Final Draph 03/18/02
5 paragraphs
Write A Precis (also known as an abridgment, paraphrase, abstract or condensation)
Things to remember for a Précis:
1 to 2 pages (500 words)
objective, just the facts, no opinions
5 paragraphs
illustrates the major actions and omits the inessential details
Includes: major characters, setting, plot, theme. No plagiarism!
