The Prompt

To Kill a Mockingbird
Part 1 Essay

After reading part one of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, write an

essay that discusses what life lessons Scout learns through her
interactions with other characters.

- Write an introduction with a thesis

- Write body paragraphs. Each body paragraph should have a
clear topic sentence
Each body paragraph should have approximately two
smoothly integrated quotes
- Write a conclusion
Your essay will be typed, 2-3 pages in length, following MLA format for the essay itself, as
well as quotation citations.

The paper must be submitted to Turnitin.com before you hand me a printed copy.

Standards Being Assessed

Reading (LR) 3.3: Student explains how the interactions between main and subordinate
characters affect the plot.
Writing 2.2a: Student writes responses to literature that demonstrate a comprehensive grasp of
the significant ideas of literary works.
Writing 1.1: Student writes essays that establish a controlling impression or coherent thesis that
conveys a clear and distinctive perspective on the subject and maintains a consistent tone and
focus throughout the piece of writing.
Writing 1.4/1.6: Develop the main ideas within the body of the composition through supporting
evidence. Integrates quotations and citations into a written text while maintaining the flow of
ideas.
Writing (IM) 1.7: Student uses appropriate conventions for documenting sources in the body of
the paper.
Writing (IM) 1.8: Student publishes documents using word processing programs.
Conventions 1.4: Student produces legible work that shows accurate spelling and correct use of
the conventions of punctuation and capitalization.

Reminder: This is your opportunity to show me you can master the standards above. Do your
best and show me what you know and what you can do.
 To Kill a Mockingbird
Part I Essay

Standards Being Assessed

Reading (LR) 3.3: Student explains how the interactions between main and subordinate
characters affect the plot.

1 2 3 4
Basic Insightful

Writing 1.4: Develop the main ideas within the body of the composition through supporting
evidence.
1 2 3 4

Writing 1.6: Integrates quotations and citations into a written text while maintaining the flow of
ideas.

1 2 3 4

Writing (IM) 1.7: Paper is in MLA Format (Includes -- Student publishes documents using
word processing programs.)

1 2 3 4
Error Free

Conventions 1.4: Student produces legible work that shows accurate spelling and correct use of
the conventions of punctuation and capitalization.

1 2 3 4
Error Free
The Original Essay
The Influences of Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird

In To Kill a Mockingbird the author Harper Lee writes about a young girl who

goes through different life lessons before her brother breaks his arm. Harper writes different

stories that show ways and lessons Scout learns. Throughout these stories, Harper adds small

characters that make a big difference in the way the main character, Scout, views life. Mrs.

Caroline, Scout’s father Atticus, Miss Maudie, and Mrs. Dubose will show Scout that courage

and trust can go a long way.

The first character Scout learns an important lesson from is her first grade teacher Miss

Caroline. Miss Caroline is a new teacher from North Alabama who didn’t understand where

some kids came from. When Miss Caroline brought out some word cards, she expected her

class to stare at the cards and not understand but Scout “was bored, so I started writing a letter

to Dill. Miss Caroline caught me writing and told me to tell my father to stop teaching me”(24).

This shows how Miss Caroline expected her class to have not learned how to read or write but,

when Scout started to write Miss Caroline had to shut her down and tell her no. Furthermore,

Scout had been upset that she had been told that her father taught her wrong. So when she

went home that night and told her father how terrible school was and how she didn’t want to go

anymore if her father couldn’t teach her Atticus said “If you’ll concede the necessity of going to

school, we’ll go on reading every night just as we always have”(41). This shows how Scout had

to learn that the way she want to do things won’t always work. She has to agree with what other

people say but, she can still do what she likes. For instance, Scout has to listen to Miss Caroline

and follow instructions but she can still read and learn from her father at nights. The lesson

Scout learns from Miss Caroline helps her become a person who can cooperate.

Atticus is the next main influence Scout had in her life. Atticus is Scout’s father and a

lawyer of Maycomb. One day, when Atticus was at work, the kids spotted a dog with rabies
wandering the streets. Once Atticus and a man named Mr. Tate came home they started to

follow the dog to make sure it didn’t leave the area. At one point Atticus and Mr. Tate decided

that the dog had to be taken down and with Atticus being “the best shot in town” he was the one

who had to kill it. “Atticus pushed his glasses to his forehead; they slipped down, and he

dropped them to the street. In the silence, I heard a crack”(127). Even though Atticus didn’t want

to shoot the gun, he did it to protect his family and neighbors around him. Atticus shows Scout

that being selfless is better than being selfish in times when your family is in danger.

Through Scout’s interactions with Miss Maudie she learned that being optimistic is the

best way to go through life. Miss Maudie is a neighbor of the Finches and one of their close

friends. One night when everyone was sleeping a fire started and Scout saw the whole thing

happen “At the front door, we saw the fire spewing from Miss Maudie’s dining room windows. As

if to confirm what we saw, the town fire siren wailed up the scale to a treble pitch and remained

there, screaming”(92). That was just when the fire started. All the neighbors including Miss

Maudie sat there, nothing they could do but watch the flames rise higher and higher and the

firemen try and put it out. But, the next day when the Scout and Jem went outside to play they

saw Miss Maudie “in her backyard gazing at her frozen charred azaleas” (97). Miss Maudie

even said “Always wanted a smaller house, Jem Finch. Gives me more yard. Just think, I’ll have

more room for my azaleas now”(97). This shows how instead of looking at the destruction in her

life, she looked at what she could do better like making her house have the best backyard in

Maycomb. Scout learned that even through the hardships of life your positive perspective will

make things better.

Mrs. Dubose's lesson was the most important lesson Scout learned because it is to

never stop thinking that you can do something. Mrs. Dubose was the old cranky lady on the

street who hated everyone. The only thing that she truly loved were her flowers. But Jem,on his

twelfth birthday, made a bad decision to smash some of Mrs. Dubose’s flowers. As a

punishment, Jem had to read to Mrs. Dubose for a few hours each day for one month. Scout
would go with Jem to keep him company. And each day it was the same thing. Jem and Scout

would sit down, Mrs. Dubose would set a timer and Jem would read. Most of the time when Jem

was reading, Mrs. Dubose would have random fits like moving her head side to side or just

staring off to space. When the timer went off Jem would be done for the day. Each day the

timer would get a few minutes longer. Once the month was up, Jem and Scout asked why they

had to read to Mrs. Dubose and their father said that “Mrs. Dubose was a morphine

addict”(147). This poor lady had been suffering from addiction and before she died, she wanted

to quit her addiction. The reading was to distract her from reaching over to take the pills and the

fits she had were withdrawals. A day later, Mrs. Dubose had dies but she had died happy. The

last thing Atticus, Scout and Jem's father, had said “Mrs. Dubose won, all ninety-eight pounds of

her. According to her views, she died beholden to nothing and nobody. She was the bravest

person I ever knew” (149). This shows how Mrs. Dubose battled through her most terrible time

and made it through. She showed Scout that even though things may seem hard and not worth

fighting for, everything will turn out in the end.

Just like all young people, Scout had many lessons to learn. She was fortunate enough

to have people like Miss Caroline, Atticus, Miss Maudie, and Mrs. Dubose that could guide her

and show her the right path in life.

 The Revised Essay

Rebecca Beutz

Pre AP English 9B/ Period 1

Mr. Boyatt

25 April 2018

ALL CHANGES WILL BE UNDERLINED

The Influences of Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird

In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird the author, Harper Lee, wrote about a little

girl, Scout, and the lessons she learns that led up to her older brother breaking his arm. Harper

uses these stories to not only help the main character grow but to show her audience that there is

alway something new to learn and you can always grow as a human being. There is not one thing

that defines someone and looks can be deceiving. Throughout these events in the novel, Harper

adds small characters that make a big difference in the way the main character views life and her

surroundings. Mrs. Caroline, Scout’s father Atticus, Miss Maudie, and Mrs. Dubose will show

Scout that courage and trust can go a long way.

The first character that Harper used to teach Scout an important lesson is her first grade

teacher Miss Caroline. Miss Caroline was a new teacher from North Alabama who didn’t

understand the different backgrounds her students came from. When Miss Caroline brought out

some word cards, she expected her class to all be at the same reading level but some were behind

and others, like Scout, were taught by their parents how to read. Instead of staying with the class,

Scout claimed that she “was bored, so [she] started writing a letter to Dill. Miss Caroline caught

[her] writing and told [her] to tell [her] father to stop teaching [her]” (Harper 24). Miss Caroline

was frustrated that Scout was not paying attention to the lesson but instead doing her own tasks.
From this, Scout should have learned that it is better to pay attention and not do other things

when someone is talking. Miss Caroline had to teach the other students who may have been

behind on their reading and writing and it was most likely frustrating to have Scout as a

distraction by not following the lesson. Furthermore, Scout had been upset that she had been told

that her father taught her wrong. So when she went home that night and told her father how

terrible school was and how she didn’t want to go anymore if her father couldn’t teach her

Atticus said “If you’ll concede the necessity of going to school, we’ll go on reading every night

just as we always have”(Harper 41). This shows how while Scout had a valid point on wanting

her father to still be able to help her with advancing her reading and writing skills, Atticus

understood the importance of Scout attending school. By making this compromise with Scout, it

taught her that just because one person told her something, it doesn’t make it true and you should

always try and go to family for support if you have the option to. He also taught her that people

will always have their own opinions on what you should and shouldn’t do and instead of arguing

or just giving up, the best thing to do is to keep pushing forward but without causing a scene.

There was no reason for Scout to talk back to the teacher because it would only cause more harm

than good. Scout has to listen to Miss Caroline and follow instructions because she is the teacher

and deserves that respect but Scout can also still read and learn from her father at night. The

lesson Scout learned from Miss Caroline helped her become a better person who can cooperate

with others who have different opinions..

Atticus is the next main influence Scout had in her life. Atticus was Scout’s father and a

lawyer of Maycomb. One day, when Atticus was at work, the kids spotted a dog with rabies

wandering the streets. Once Atticus and a man named Mr. Tate came home they started to follow

the dog to make sure it didn’t leave the area. At one point Atticus and Mr. Tate decided that the
dog had to be taken down for the safety of the children and the people of Maycomb. Atticus was

known for having “the best shot in town” so he had to be the one to kill it. There was a clear

sense of nerves during this scene because “Atticus pushed his glasses to his forehead; they

slipped down, and he dropped them to the street. In the silence, I heard a crack” (127). This

taught Scout that sometimes hard things need to be done in order to protect others. It was clear

that Atticus was reluctant on killing the dog but if he hadn’t, his own children or someone else in

the town could have been severely injured or even killed. This scene taught that sometimes the

hardest battles are the most necessary to fight and although it may be sad to see an animal be

killed, it is ten times better than seeing someone you know or love be killed by the animal that

should have been put down.

Through Scout’s interactions with Miss Maudie she learned that being optimistic is the

best way to go through life. Miss Maudie is a neighbor of the Finches and one of their close

friends. One night when everyone was sleeping a fire started and Scout saw the whole thing

happen, “At the front door, we saw the fire spewing from Miss Maudie’s dining room windows.

As if to confirm what we saw, the town fire siren wailed up the scale to a treble pitch and

remained there, screaming” (92). This was just the start of the night. As the flames grew higher,

neighbors from all around started to gather outside of their houses and watch as Miss Maudie’s

house burned. There was nothing they could do but wait for the fire trucks to arrive and attempt

to distinguish the flames. The next day when the Scout and Jem went outside to play they saw

Miss Maudie “in her backyard gazing at her frozen charred azaleas” (97). Miss Maudie then said

that she had “Always wanted a smaller house, Jem Finch. Give me more yard. Just think, I’ll

have more room for my azaleas now” (97). Instead of focusing on the negative about losing all of

her belongings including her house, Miss Maudie focused on what she was looking forward to,
like a bigger garden. She understood that things happen and sometimes there is nothing they can

do about it. Spending all day thinking about how negativity can lead to depression and stress that

is not needed on top of the current situation. This shows how instead of looking at the destruction

in her life, she looked at what she could do better like making her house have the best backyard

in Maycomb. Scout learned that even through the hardships of life, a positive perspective will

help to make things better.

Mrs. Dubose's lesson was the most important lesson Scout learned because it is to never

stop thinking that you can do something. Mrs. Dubose was the old, cranky lady on the street who

hated everyone. The only thing that she truly loved were her flowers. But Jem,on his twelfth

birthday, made a bad decision to smash some of Mrs. Dubose’s flowers. As a punishment, Jem

had to read to Mrs. Dubose for a few hours each day for one month. Scout would go with Jem to

keep him company. And each day it was the same thing. Jem and Scout would sit down, Mrs.

Dubose would set a timer and Jem would read. Most of the time when Jem was reading, Mrs.

Dubose would have random fits like moving her head side to side or just staring off to space.

When the timer went off Jem would be done for the day. Each day the timer would get a few

minutes longer. Once the month was up, Jem and Scout asked why they had to read to Mrs.

Dubose and their father said that “Mrs. Dubose was a morphine addict”(147). This poor lady had

been suffering from addiction and before she died, she wanted to quit her addiction. The reading

was to distract her from reaching over to take the pills and the fits she had were withdrawals. The

day after Atticus had explained Mrs. Dubose situation to his kids, she had passed away. While

Mrs. Dubose had struggled the majority of her life with a morphine addiction, she had overcome

her problem by the end which led her to be able to die in peace. The last thing Atticus, Scout

and Jem's father, had said “Mrs. Dubose won, all ninety-eight pounds of her. According to her
views, she died beholden to nothing and nobody. She was the bravest person I ever knew” (149).

This shows how Mrs. Dubose battled through her most terrible time and made it through. She

showed Scout that the best thing someone can do for themselves is to continue to push and

uphold their goals.

Scout, like many other people, had small experiences in her life that made a big impact.

She will never forget these experiences and will be able to share them with friends and family for

the rest of her life. She was fortunate enough to have people like Miss Caroline, Atticus, Miss

Maudie, and Mrs. Dubose that could guide her on her journey through life.

Reflective Paragraph

Looking back at one of my first big essays in high school, I have realized just how far I
have come. I went from barely being able to write six sentences to averaging ten to twelve per
paragraph. When re-writing my To Kill a Mockingbird essay, I realised how much better I have
gotten at explaining the quotes I use. Instead of writing one basic sentence, I can now expand
my thoughts and describe a bigger picture. I am so thankful for the teachers here at Great Oak
who have helped me become a better writer and pushed me to be the best version of myself
when it comes to writing.