To Kill a Mockingbird Themes

Race

Justice and Judgment

Youth

Morality and Ethics

Fear

Women and Femininity

Family

Compassion and Forgiveness

Harper Lee wrote To Kill a Mockingbird during the 1950s, a decade of immense change in the social landscape of the United States. This includes but is not limited to the fight for social justice pertaining to race, class, and gender equality, all which are important themes for To Kill a Mockingbird.

Understanding To Kill a Mockingbird’s Themes

While To Kill a Mockingbird largely focuses on the themes listed above, each chapter explores these issues with depth, making for nuanced views. The characters from this novel are likely to make you question their beliefs surrounding justice, forgiveness, femininity, and morality regardless of social status, wealth, race, or upbringing.