CliffsNotes on Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird

by Tamara Castleman

The original CliffsNotes study guides offer expert commentary on major themes, plots, characters, literary devices, and historical background. The latest generation of titles in this series also feature glossaries and visual elements that complement the classic, familiar format.In CliffsNotes on To Kill a Mockingbird, you explore Harper Lee's literary masterpiece—a novel that deals with Civil Rights and racial bigotry in the segregated southern United States of the 1930s. Told through the eyes of the memorable Scout Finch, the novel tells the story of her father, Atticus, as he hopelessly strives to prove the innocence of a black man accused of raping and beating a white woman.

Chapter summaries and commentaries take you through Scout's coming of age journey. Critical essays give you insight into racial relations in the South during the 1930s, as well as a comparison between the novel and its landmark film version. Other features that help you study include

Character analyses of the main charactersA character map that graphically illustrates the relationships among the charactersA section on the life and background of Harper LeeA review section that tests your knowledgeA Resource Center full of books, articles, films, and Internet sitesClassic literature or modern-day treasure—you'll understand it all with expert information and insight from CliffsNotes study guides.

Genres: Reference, Nonfiction

114 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 12, 2000

About the author

Tamara discovered Montessori education when she was told her daughter was “failing” traditional preschool. When she saw her daughter thriving in a Montessori environment, Tamara’s interest grew and soon she found herself working as the Parent Liaison at Montessori Centres in Indianapolis, IN. From there, she discovered the TIES program and completed her M.Ed. in Montessori Integrative Learning. Having been a writer and editor by trade, she was offered the opportunity to edit student papers and remained part of the TIES orbit. In 2018, she was invited to join the faculty as an assistant mentor. Outside of TIES, she has designed programs for the Peace Learning Center that foster peaceful family relationships using Montessori principles, has certification to teach Godly Play, and uses Montessori materials to tutor elementary students struggling in a traditional environment. She makes time to write about education reform and possibility intended for mainstream audiences.
Tamara’s first love is her family. In her free time she likes to take walks, train her dogs, read, and watch film. She has a lifelong love of classic country and bluegrass music and has promised herself that one day she really will learn to play her banjo.

Reviews

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read through this pretty quickly after I finished the actual book. It did bring up a few points I had not caught while reading the book.

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

It helped so much to read this simultaneously with the book. I felt I was getting a much deeper experience because Castleman pointed out some major themes of the book that I wasn't noticing, i.e., bravery, education vs school, trust, gender, honesty vs lies. I was so busy reading the details that I wasn't thinking of these things.

[Trisha Howard · Rating 3 out of 5]

When fall comes, Scout enters the first grade. Because she has already taught herself how to read and write, Scout finds school a disappointment. Both she and Jem are intrigued, however, by the discovery that someone has been leaving small gifts in a knothole in one of the large oak trees on the corner of the Radley property.

[Pau · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like reading this book it is so quick and how each person react to certain things and the book is fascinating.

[F. Herrera · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is really amazing, and cute.

[Jemma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good notes for any student studying TKAM!