Discussion Questions and Theme Selections for the Novel

Use these themes from To Kill a Mockingbird and the related questions in family and group discussion, in personal reflection, and as reference points for further reading.

1. Describe the evolution of Scout’s relationship to reading. What importance does literacy have for her, and how does this change? 
2. How does literacy play into class distinction in the text? What boundaries are created by literacy in the culture of the novel? 
3. Scout encounters tension between reading and formal education. What changes does she have to undergo to reconcile the two concepts?
4. Today we struggle to become literate in many different arenas: cultural literacy, computer literacy, communication literacy…What are our literacy challenges and how have they changed over time?
5. Literacy has been defined by the United States Congress, in the Literacy Act of 1991, as “…an individuals ability to read, write and speak [a language], and compute and solve problems at the levels of proficiency necessary to function on the job and in society to achieve one’s goals and develop one’s knowledge and potential.” What are the role and the importance of literacy in our society today? In the global community?

1. Who are the eccentric characters in the book? In which cases is the eccentricity endearing or charming? In which cases is it frightening or repellent?
2. What are the racial and cultural differences portrayed in the book? Which events and people challenge Scout’s understanding of these differences?
3. Why does Scout experience both fear and pleasure when she has cross-cultural encounters?
4. When you have crossed cultural lines in your own experience, what have you gained or lost? How have such experiences changed your perceptions and behaviors?
5. Do we celebrate individual and cultural difference more or less in American society now than we have in previous eras? What tools communicate difference to us or help us define it?

1. How is Southern culture portrayed in the text? What familiar stereotypes are presented?
2. There are unwritten social codes expressed throughout the book. Which characters appear to abide by these codes? Which do not?
3. Reflecting on the society represented in the book, what is the significance of race? Of social class? Of the labor struggle? Of unconventional family life?
4. How is gender dealt with in the text? What stereotypes and assumptions are presented? Who reinforces these ideas? Who challenges them?
5. What is the role of mass media in forming assumptions and stereotypes? Have those you hold changed in recent years? If so, how and why?

1. What examples from the book reflect the unique language of children? How does their use and misuse of language add to the richness of the text?   “I won’t say you ran out on a dare an’ I’ll swap you The Gray Ghost if you just go up and touch the house.” Dill Harris 
2. What is the role of imagination and superstition in the children's lives?
3. In chapter 15, Scout’s innocent dialog disperses an angry crowd. What does this scene say about the wisdom of children?
4. How does the reader experience Scout’s change of perspective from the shelter of childhood to the awareness of the young adult? Trace some of the moments when the reader knows more than Scout, as the narrator, does.
5. The use of first person narrative creates a personal relationship between the narrator and the reader. What nostalgic recollections have surfaced for you because of this? How has the voice of childhood changed over time? What forces have caused this change? In what ways has it remained the same?

1. Which characters in the book recognize the voice of conscience? How do they act or fail to act on this knowledge?
2. Atticus strives to teach Scout the importance of following her conscience. How does his instruction affect her understanding of society? How does it affect her behavior?
3. What are the different roles of truth in the text? How does truth figure into the life of Dill? Of Scout and Jem? Of Tom Robinson?
4. In today’s society, how do you reconcile peer group decisions with conscience-based thoughts and behaviors? Does this differ from the way characters behaved in the book? In what ways?
5. What role does personal conscience play for members of a global community? What effect does it have on our personal relationships? On international relations?

• Point of View describes the voice used by the author to relate the story to the reader. This story is told from a child’s point of view, with Scout looking back through time once "enough years had gone by." Framing the story at the either end is narrative in Scout’s adult voice. Think about the use of this style and its effect on your understanding of the story.
• Plot: The plot of a story is the central story line. In To Kill a Mockingbird, the plot is driven by the events of one summer. What are some of the key elements of the plot? Are their other possible outcomes to the story?
• Setting: The setting of a story, time and place, is an important tool for creating an understanding of the characters and their behaviors. To Kill a Mockingbird is set in the South during the years 1933 – 1935. How might the story have been different in a different setting?
• Character: A writer uses narrative and dialog to define the characters of a story. In this book, the reader learns about the other characters through Scout. Which characters are not clearly defined, and why? How does this affect the reader’s understanding of the story?
• Language: A writer often takes license with language and uses phrases and speaking styles to help define the characters and the setting. With Scout as narrator, this text uses simple sentences and childish words to relate the events of the story. How would the story be different if told through the language of another character?
• Other Works: There are a number of other works of literature mentioned throughout the novel. What are they, and why are they mentioned?
• Symbolism: When a writer uses a person or object to represent something else it is called symbolism. In this book what is the symbolism of flowers? What are the symbols of imprisonment? What other symbols are there?