Choose one of the following essay topics:
Thematic Interpretation I: In addition to being the title of the book, the senseless killing of (mocking)birds is mentioned in a few key places in the novel. Why is the killing of birds important to the novel as a whole? Who are the symbolic mockingbirds in the novel? How do the symbolic mockingbirds, the title, and the mockingbird quotations show the main theme of the novel? What messages about society and human interaction does Lee convey through this theme? What does the novel tell readers about respect, understanding, hatred, and human interaction? Please support your opinions and interpretation with specific examples and direct quotations from the book.
Thematic Interpretation II: Use the story of “The Gray Ghost” to show how Harper Lee develops the theme "you never really understand a man until you walk around in his shoes" through her novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. Be sure to give examples of characters who were judged unfairly: Mr. Dolphus Raymond, Boo Radley, Mrs. Dubose, Tom Robinson, and the Gray Ghost. Does the novel effectively teach readers about respect, understanding, prejudice, hatred, and human interaction? Please support your opinions and interpretation with specific examples and direct quotations from the book.