Story: To Kill A Mockingbird: Empathy and Compromise
Summary: To Kill a Mockingbird is a story about a young girl growing up in a small town in the South the 1930's. Jean Louise Finch is the narrator and central character of the story. Everyone calls her Scout. The story begins when Scout is 6 years old but she tells us the story as an adult looking back on her childhood. Because this story is narrated by an adult woman about her life as a young girl, this story is a good way to reflect on childhood as an adult. Through Scout's eyes, we learn a lot about race, racism and justice in the American South in the early 20th Century. But we can also appreciate even more universal themes of growing up, education, gender, fear, courage and character.
Page: 1 To Kill a Mockingbird
The Book by Harper Lee from 1960
To Kill a Mockingbird is a story about a young girl growing up in a small town in the American South in the 1930's. <break time="2s"/> It was a very popular book by Harper Lee, first published in 1960. <break time="2s"/>
Page: 2 The Film with Gregory Peck
To Kill a Mockingbird: Poster from 1963
To Kill a Mockingbird also became a award winning film, starring Gregory Peck in 1963. <break time="2s"/> Its focus on morality, courage, and education, helped draw attention to problems of race, class, and justice in American society. <break time="1s"/> And its popularity helped propel the American Civil Rights Movement. <break time="2s"/>
Page: 3 Scout
Jean Louise Finch (aka Scout)
Jean Louise Finch is the narrator and central character of the story. Everyone calls her Scout. <break time="2s"/> Scout is a tomboy who prefers the company of boys and doesn't care for dresses or school. <break time="1s"/> She is strong-willed, quick to anger, and sometimes gets into fights. <break time="2s"/>
Page: 4 Atticus and Scout
Scout and Atticus Finch
Scout loves her father, Atticus, and learns to read from him. <break time="2s"/> On her first day of school, her teacher criticized her reading and told her that her father was teaching her all wrong. <break time="2s"/> She was worried that her teacher would not permit her to continue reading with Atticus.
Page: 5 Atticus Comforts Scout
Scout learns empathy and compromise
In this scene, Atticus comforts Scout. <break time="2s"/> He explains empathy and compromise to her. <break time="2s"/> He promises to continue reading to Scout every night if she would go back to school and try to understand her teacher's point of view. <break time="2s"/>
Page: 7 Talking about Empathy and Compromise
Scout learns about empathy and compromise
What would you like to talk about.