To Kill a Mockingbird Tone
and Mood Essay
You can do it! Here’s a few tips to
help!
Prompt
In a 5 paragraph essay explain how Harper
Lee effectively sets a tone that creates a
mood for her reader. How does her
effective use of personification, simile and
metaphor as well as imagery affect the
overall perception of the novel?
Dissecting the Prompt
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Prompt: In a 4 paragraph essay explain
how Harper Lee effectively sets a tone
that creates a mood for her reader. How
does her effective use of personification,
simile and metaphor as well as imagery
affect the overall perception of the novel?
How many paragraphs?
What are we supposed to do?
What are we proving?
What evidence does the prompt ask us to use
to prove our point?
The thesis should include...
Term Review






Tone is
Mood is
Personification is
Metaphor is
Simile is
Imagery is
Getting our ideas together
Now for some decisions...
Discuss with the person sitting next to you the tone the
author has tried to set for the reader. Answer these
questions:
1. What over all feeling do you get from the novel?
2. How do you feel about a child telling the story?
3. Did you like the narrator? Did it help you understand
the story better?
4. Why do you think the author chose this narrator?
5. How do you feel about the setting? How does the
setting affect the events in the novel? How did it effect
your mood?
6. Remember the motifs we discussed at the beginning of
the novel? Review them! How do these fit in with the
tone set? Why do you think the author chose to use
these motifs?
Thesis Statement Ideas
1.
2.
3.
In “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper
Lee...
Harper Lee uses ___________ in “To Kill
a Mockingbird” in order to....
The _____________ tone that Harper
Lee uses in “To Kill a Mockingbird”
creates a sense of .....
Opening Paragraph

Hook Help – Let’s recall our options.
– Remember your historical context? What an
interesting way to start this essay!
– Use an important direct quote from the novel
– Use a vivid description from the novel
– Go online and look up something about the
author
– Talk to me about what exactly it means to set
a tone or create a mood
– Start with motifs and talk about how they
help create a feeling in the reader from the
very start
Body Paragraphs
Some questions to ask before we begin...
1. How many body paragraphs will there be?
2. How many sentences in each?
3. What information belongs in each one?
4. NEVER FORGET – REPEAT AFTER ME...
THE GOAL OF MY ESSAY IS TO PROVE THAT THE
POINT I AM MAKING IS VALID. THE PERSON
THAT IS READING THIS ESSAY ALREADY
READ THE STORY SO I DON’T NEED TO
RETELL IT. I JUST NEED TO PROVE I AM
RIGHT!
Body Paragraphs
Concrete evidence – This is a quote or an event
that you have paraphrased directly from the
story.
 Personal analysis – This is where you explain
why you chose this quote and tell how it helps
you prove that your thesis statement is correct.
This is where you show how SMART you are!
 For every 1 piece of concrete evidence you need
2 sentences of personal analysis
 RATIO 1:2

Concrete Evidence

The prompt asks me to use what as evidence to
prove what?
– Proving...
– Evidence I need to use....

To create my personal analysis I am asking
myself again and again...
– What point is the author trying to get across in this
quote?
– Why did the author choose this particular quote?
– How does this effect the reader?
Closing Paragraph
Don’t panic! Go back to your opening paragraph
and reread your hook. This is where to begin.
 Pull your reader back to your point...did you
prove your thesis after all of those paragraphs?
This is your LAST CHANCE to tell the reader that
you did!
 Ask yourself:

– How did this novel affect you?
– How do you think it effected other that read it?
– Do you think the author was trying to teach any
lessons here?
– How did she draw the reader in by the tone she
used?
– What about the author’s writing style made the novel
more interesting?
Watch for Grammar Mistakes

Direct quotations in sentences. Do this correctly!
WRONG
– Atticus highlights this mood when he talks about
mockingbirds and their benefits. “Mockingbirds don’t do
one thing but make music for us to enjoy.” (Lee, 134)
RIGHT
– Atticus highlights this mood when he talks about
mockingbirds and their benefits. He says to Scout,
“Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us
to enjoy.” (Lee, 134)
Watch for Grammar Mistakes

2 short sentences that could easily be
combined into a bigger, better sentences!
– Atticus is responsible for teaching Scout. He
teaches her how to read before school starts.
– As a proactive parent, Atticus takes on the
responsibility of teaching Scout to read before
school starts.
Watch for Grammar Mistakes

Using possessive incorrectly
– Both kid’s learn that Boo Radley is not the
enemy, but rather the protector.
– Both children learn that Boo Radley is not the
enemy, but rather the protector.
Fix Format Problems




Stick with the topic. YOU are proving the
MOOD that the author makes the reader feel.
Do not stray from this point.
Your examples MUST include personification,
simile and metaphor AND imagery – The
prompt demands this.
Funnel Introductions/Conclusions killed me
(and your grades)! If you start with your
thesis statement, you didn’t do it right. If
you ended with just restating your thesis
statement, you didn’t do it right!
WATCH OUT – Retelling the story is off limits!