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GCSE: Harper Lee

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605 GCSE Harper Lee essays

  • Marked by Teachers essays 10
  • Peer Reviewed essays 3
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  1. Marked by a teacher

    To Kill a Mocking Bird. In this essay, I will explore the ways in which family relationships are presented, specifically within the Cunningham, the Radley and Ewell families and will refer to the language devices and techniques used to explore theses rela

    5 star(s)

    An excellent essay in many ways most noticeably in the mature and reflective analysis throughout.
    The essay is fluently written with a wide vocabulary and uses quotes consistently.
    However…

    • Essay length: 2546 words
    • Submitted: 11/03/2011
    • Marked by teacher: (?) Katie Dixon 01/03/2012
  2. Marked by a teacher

    In this essay I will be exploring Jem and Scout's journey to maturity throughout the novel; To Kill a Mockingbird

    5 star(s)

    This is an excellent answer to a potentially difficult question.
    Thoughtful and perceptive discussion remains focused on the question throughout. Quotes are well selected and language is analysed accurately.…

    • Essay length: 2483 words
    • Submitted: 06/02/2007
    • Marked by teacher: (?) Katie Dixon 29/04/2112
  3. Marked by a teacher

    Discuss Harper Lee's portrayal of the black community in To Kill A Mockingbird

    5 star(s)

    This is an excellent essay. It remains focused on the question throughout and uses appropriate and well selected quotes to support statements. Shows a knowledge and understanding of the novel…

    • Essay length: 2199 words
    • Submitted: 30/01/2007
    • Marked by teacher: (?) Katie Dixon 29/04/2112
  4. Marked by a teacher

    Courage in To Kill A Mockingbird

    4 star(s)

    This is a good essay clearly showing understanding of the novel and the theme of racism throughout the novel.
    There are some examples of thoughtful analysis and where further explored…

    • Essay length: 1913 words
    • Submitted: 02/03/2011
    • Marked by teacher: (?) Katie Dixon 01/03/2012
  5. Marked by a teacher

    To Kill a Mockingbird: How Harper Lee presents the character of Atticus Finch

    4 star(s)

    A good essay which is fluently written for the most part and uses quotes effectively to support arguments.
    Shows understanding of novel and the themes Harper Lee is exploring.Some accurate…

    • Essay length: 1525 words
    • Submitted: 08/02/2011
    • Marked by teacher: (?) Katie Dixon 01/03/2012
  6. Marked by a teacher

    What Does 'To Kill a Mockingbird' Reveal About the 1930s American Society?

    4 star(s)

    This essay is well researched and has a great deal of social and historical context which is necessary in order to answer the question fully.
    There are some well chosen…

    • Essay length: 1644 words
    • Submitted: 06/06/2005
    • Marked by teacher: (?) Katie Dixon 29/04/2112
  7. Marked by a teacher

    Examine the nature of prejudice in 'To Kill a Mockingbird'. Are there any signs of this prejudice breaking down by the end of the novel?

    4 star(s)

    This has the potential to be a very good essay. It is well written and intelligently comments on the prejudice that is clearly depicted throughout the whole novel
    At times…

    • Essay length: 2235 words
    • Submitted: 05/04/2005
    • Marked by teacher: (?) Katie Dixon 29/04/2112
  8. Marked by a teacher

    How does Harper Lee convey her emotions about racism?

    3 star(s)

    This has some good analysis and shows understanding and knowledge both of the novel itself and the complex issues of race which the novel explores.
    Over simplistic in places and…

    • Essay length: 727 words
    • Submitted: 19/04/2011
    • Marked by teacher: (?) Katie Dixon 01/03/2012
  9. Marked by a teacher

    To Kill a Mockingbird: GCSE Coursework

    3 star(s)

    This essay shows knowledgeof the novel and addresses the question of prejudice with some thoughtful comments.
    However the essay needs to be more structured with topic sentences at the beginning…

    • Essay length: 1562 words
    • Submitted: 12/09/2005
    • Marked by teacher: (?) Katie Dixon 29/04/2112
  10. Marked by a teacher

    'How does Harper Lee use the trial scene to show the social divides in Maycomb's society?'

    3 star(s)

    This essay shows knowledge of the novel and makes some mature and perceptive comments. More quotes are needed and also analysis of the way Lee builds tension and uses dialogue…

    • Essay length: 1910 words
    • Submitted: 03/06/2005
    • Marked by teacher: (?) Katie Dixon 29/04/2112
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The historical and social context of 'To Kill A Mockingbird'

  1. 1 The novel is set in a fictional town in Alabama in the American south during the depression of the 1930s.
  2. 2 The novel was published in 1960 – just before the Black Civil Rights Movement.
  3. 3 Harper Lee grew up in Alabama and her father was a lawyer, like Atticus, the father in the novel. The novel is autobiographical to some degree.
  4. 4 Harper Lee was awarded the Pulitzer prize for To Kill A Mockingbird.

Themes and ideas in the novel

  1. 1 Racism and Prejudice – The obvious theme throughout the novel is racism. Tom Robinson , a black man is accused of raping a white woman. Atticus, the father in the novel agrees to defend him knowing that even though innocent he will not be acquitted by the all white jury. There is also class prejudice against the shiftless Ewells who are looked down on by everyone in the town.
  2. 2 Courage – The courage shown by Atticus who is criticised by his own social circle for defending Tom. Courage is also shown by his children Jem and Scout as they protect their father and have to deal with taunts from other children and adults. This is shown by Boo who kills Ewell when he attacks the children, and by an old lady who chooses to die without the aid of morphine to which she is addicted.
  3. 3 Loneliness – Mayela is lonely which forces her to proposition Tom which leads to his being wrongfully accused, Boo Radley who is the local hermit and to some degree Atticus whose wife is dead.
  4. 4 Mockingbird – Throughout the book is a metaphor for human justice ie someone who is innocent and who has done no harm should not be killed.

Essay work on 'To Kill A Mockingbird'

  1. 1 Use PEE to structure your essays. This is Point, Evidence and Explanation.
  2. 2 The introduction and conclusion should refer to the essay question.
  3. 3 Use appropriate quotes to back up the statements made in the essay.
  4. 4 Topic sentences should be used at the beginning of each paragraph to introduce what is going to be discussed in the paragraph and also to refer to the question in order to keep the essay focused on answering the question.
  5. 5 The historical and social context is very important when discussing the novel's themes and issues.

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Conclusion analysis

Good conclusions usually refer back to the question or title and address it directly - for example by using key words from the title.
How well do you think these conclusions address the title or question? Answering these questions should help you find out.

  1. Do they use key words from the title or question?
  2. Do they answer the question directly?
  3. Can you work out the question or title just by reading the conclusion?

  • "Jem and Scout have a childhood that was different from that of the other kids." To what extent do you agree with this statement?

    "Conclusion: Although, Scout and Jem grow up in the same neighborhood and environment, going to the school like others, believing in the same rumours, they did not live like the other children because they weren't really affected by the Great depression. Moreover, they became more mature in their childhood due to their experiences in the trial and they learned more than other children through what their father taught them about moral values. Through their different childhood, they also learned resilience and self-control at a very young age and their minds are not clouded by racial prejudice, adult biases and false accusations. Therefore, we agree with the statement that Jem and Scout had a different childhood than other kids to a great extent."

  • To Kill a Mockingbird. In this essay, one will analyse the character of Arthur Radley (Boo) and discuss how he is displayed to the audience.

    "In conclusion, the reader is given a mixed image of Arthur Radley in the first 9 chapters of the novel. The first image of Arthur is mainly composed of imprudent defamation by Maycombers and the horror-fuelled imagination's of Scout, Jem and Dill. This side of Boo describes him to be an evil man who has no other intention but to prey on the week in the early our of the morning. On the other hand, through the characters of Atticus and Miss Maudie, we see that Boo is the victim of severe parenting and neglect and is not a monster but a "gentle and kind young man". The reader also begins to see in these chapters that, Boo is the ultimate symbol of innocence (a mocking bird)."

  • To Kill a Mockingbird. Discuss the ways in which the whites give the coloured folk hell in the novel.

    "To conclude, the 'hell' the whites force the 'coloured folk' and the suffering they make them endure may vary from case to case. In spite of this, the underlying cause of this is that the whites put themselves above the 'coloured folk' and fail to realize that they are all of the same race - the human race, and all deserve the same respect. Even in the courthouse, in which Atticus says 'all men are created equal', prejudice prevails and Tom Robinson is convicted and made to suffer for a crime he did not commit because of the colour of his skin, and the pigheadedness of a white family called the Ewells."

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Peer reviewed

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