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Mockingbird Exam Essay Questions

 1*Passage based questions.

Find a passage of about 2 pages in length. Select an extract which:

 Answer the question below.

 *Comment on the significance of the extract. Consider the ways in which Harper Lee explores themes, characters and ideas.

2 General Questions

Remember that your answers should show a good understanding of the novel’s themes and must also include quotations and an exploration of the effects of language.

 1.      Choose one of the following characters:

 Miss Maudie, Aunt Alexandra, Calpurnia, Dill, Boo Radley.

 Write about the character’s significance in the novel. Consider the ways in which they are introduced and presented throughout the novel and comment on their function in relation to the novel’s themes and ideas.

 2.      Comment on the significance of the ways in which Maycomb and Maycomb traditions are presented in the novel.

 3.      “I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun.” To what incident does the phrase “a man with a gun” refer? What other kinds of courage are shown in To Kill a Mockingbird?

 4.      Consider the different parent-child relationships in the novel and discuss the ways in which some of these relationships contrast with others.

 5.      Describe Mr Dolphus Raymond and his way of life, and show how, though he plays only a small part in the novel, his presence has much to contribute to the message of To Kill a Mockingbird.

 6.      “Atticus Finch is the same in his house as he is on the public streets.” Explain what Miss Maudie means by these words and, referring to both his professional and private life, comment on his important qualities.

 7.      Write about the significance of Scout’s experiences in school, both in class and at the Halloween pageant.

 8.      From which three characters in the Novel do you think Jem and Scout learned most? Discuss with close reference to the events of the novel.

 9.      “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view – until you climb into his skin and walk around in it,” says Atticus. Choose two of the people Jem and Scout learn to understand in the course of the novel and write about the experiences through which the children climb into their skins.

 10. What is the significance of the title of the novel?  Discuss the symbolism of the mockingbird, considering several references throughout the novel and the characters and situations to which they are related.

 11. At first the children believed Boo Radley to be a “malevolent phantom”. Write about the events which lead them to change their views and comment on the function of Boo in relation to the themes of the novel.

 12. Comment on the use of Scout as a narrator.

 13. In what ways is To Kill a Mockingbird a novel about childhood and growing up?

 14. Comment on the ways in which Harper Lee presents the black community in To Kill a Mockingbird

 15.  In what ways is To Kill a Mockingbird a plea for change?

 16. Write about the importance of setting in the novel.

 17. “Harper Lee was so desperate to make the reader sympathise with Tom Robinson that she made him an idealised, unconvincing character.” Do you agree with this statement?

 18.  Write about the significance of the Cunninghams and the Ewells in the novel. How are these two families presented and what ideas does Lee explore through her handling of them?

 19. Comment on the importance of humour in the novel, using two or three specific events to support your ideas.

 20.  How is the Maycomb Missionary Society presented in the novel and what is significant about the views of the Missionary Society that different characters hold?

3 Empathic Questions

Make sure you show a very detailed knowledge of the text and a very good understanding of characters’ thoughts and feelings. Use a style which is appropriate to the character you are writing as. You should show an implicit awareness of the themes and ideas of the novel.

1. Imagine you are Dill leaving Maycomb at the end of chapter 6. Reflect on the events of your summer with Jem and Scout and describe your feelings about leaving.
   

2. Imagine you are Jem at the end of chapter 6. You have just found your mended trousers, folded over the fence. Reflect on the Boo Radley games you have played and comment on the ways in which your understanding of Boo has begun to change.
   

3. Imagine you are Jem at the end of chapter 10. Write your thoughts about the mad dog incident and comment on your father’s lack of pride in his skill with a gun. What have you learned about your father?
   

4. Imagine you are Jem just after you have thrown Mrs. Dubose’s candy box in the fire at the end of Chapter 11. Describe your thoughts and feelings about Mrs. Dubose and the events surrounding your visits to her bedside.
   

5. Imagine you are either Scout, Dill or Jem at the end of chapter 22, the morning after the trial’s verdict. Write your thoughts and feelings about the trial and its outcome.
   

6. Imagine you are Aunt Alexandra at the end of chapter 24. Write your response to the news of Tom Robinson’s death. Refer to your conversation with Miss Maudie about Atticus, and your feelings about the Missionary Society.
   

7. Imagine you are Atticus at the end of chapter 30. Write about the attack on Scout, your mistake in assuming that Jem had caused Bob Ewell’s death, your gratitude to Arthur Radley and your acceptance of Heck Tate’s white lie about Bob Ewell falling on his own knife. Describe your thoughts and feelings.