Harper Lee, also known as Nelle Harper Lee, was born on April 28, 1926 in Monroeville, Alabama. She is the youngest of three children of Amasa Coleman Lee, a lawyer. Her mother was Frances Finch Lee. Her only book, To Kill a Mockingbird, has received numerous awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1961. It was made into a film in 1962, in which star Gregory Peck won an Oscar, and has been translated into ten languages. The story was based on Lee’s childhood experiences. Harper Lee began a second novel in 1961, but it was never finished. She lives with her older sister in Monroeville, Alabama and maintains an apartment in New York City. Discussion Questions:

1. Who was the mockingbird?
2. How was the mockingbird killed?
3. How is Atticus's sense of justice inferred when he tells the children they can shoot all the bluejays they want, but “it is a sin to kill a mockingbird”?
4. Was Atticus successful in instilling conscience in his children?
5. Was the teacher Miss Caroline unfair to Scout? How was the education system viewed?
6. What happened to Dill? And how does his childhood compare to Scout’s and Jem’s?
7. Why was Boo Radley never seen? Was he a villain, victim or hero?
8. How were Scout and Jem affected by the trial?
9. Was Capurnia happy with the Finches? Why did her personality change when she was at Church? Was she a realistic or idealized character?
10. How is the town of Maycomb and the morality of its people portrayed? Did the trial make a difference in their lives?

Add your thoughts in the comments.