Do you have a map of Maycomb?
No. No one does, as far as I know. At least not an official map of Maycomb. After all, Maycomb is a fictional town (you knew that, right?).
I can point you to a map of Monroeville. Monroeville is Harper Lee's home town, and likely served, at least in part, as a model for Maycomb. Remember, however, Monroeville is not Maycomb. If you simply copy this map and turn it in, I predict you will not be too happy with the grade you receive.
But my teacher assigned me to draw a map of Maycomb! What am I supposed to do?
If you got this assignment, it's a pretty sure bet your teacher wants to (A) check your understanding of the novel and (B) compel you to go back to the text and review it. Pretty sneaky, huh? To be fair, however, most of the information you'll need is easy to find. There's a lot to be found in a few paragraphs in the first and second chapter (The Finch house, the Radley House, Mrs. Dubose's house, Ms. Rachel's house, and the location of the school, etc.). Chapter 15 will give you a good description of the layout of downtown Maycomb. Other locations are scattered throughout the novel.
Here's my advice: Get as much geographical information that you can from the novel. After that, use your imagination and your good sense. Since there is no one correct map, you can't be faulted as long as you don't make any silly errors - - such as putting the Radley home next to the Ewell's.
Can you help me prepare for the GCSE exam?
I'm sorry to report that I have absolutely no information about the GCSE. I have never taken it, taught it...I've never even seen it! I'm located in Los Angeles, California...in America, where students don't take this test. So I'm afraid I can be of no help to all of you UK students preparing for this examination. I do wish you well, however!
Can you send me a list of the characters in the novel?
Believe it or not, I do not have such a list. What I do have is the novel itself, and I assume you have that book too. Trust me, it's your best resource. All the characters in the novel are in the novel!
Why don't you have longer chapter summaries on your site?
Because that's not the purpose of the site. This site is intended to be an annotation of the novel -- not as a substitute for actually reading it! This site was designed to help you as you read by defining some of the book's tricky vocabulary, etc.
I have some essay questions my teacher gave me. If I send them to you, will you answer them for me?
No can do.
I realize that this is not the answer you want, but it's the best one I can give you. Please try to understand my position. On one hand, I'd like to help. On the other hand, were I to answer all such requests, I'd have little time to do anything else. In addition, as a teacher myself, I feel it is important that students attempt to complete their assignments on their own whenever possible. Assignments such as the one you have been given are intended to give you an opportunity to think for yourself and to grow as a reader and a scholar. Getting the answers from me or from anyone else may help you in the short run, but you will ultimately be cheating yourself out of part of the education you have been working to obtain.
Can you provide me with information about literary elements found in the novel - - like irony, foreshadowing, symbolism, etc.?
Nope. If I do this sort of work for you, you'll never learn to do it for yourself. And that is, after all, the whole point of the school thing you're involved in.
I can refer you to an excellent online glossary of literary terms. You will not find specific references to To Kill a Mockingbird there, but you will find helpful definitions and explanations of the various literary elements you may need to deal with.
I have to write a research paper on some topic in the book. Can you help?
Well, I can't write it for you. However, if you're looking for a topic, you might want to browse through the Related Links page of this site.
As far as the actual writing of a research paper is concerned, there are a number of helpful web sites out there. You might try Reasearchpaper.com, or you can get more links at Resource Central.
I need some quotes from the book. Will you send them to me?
This request always confuses me. All I can say is that you have the book, and any quotes you need are in the book. You don't need me for this one (unless you don't want to do the work, in which case, I still can't help you).
Where is Harper Lee today? Is she still alive? How can I contact her?
Harper Lee is very much alive. In her early 70s, the author resides in her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama -- the town that served as the model for Maycomb. You can find out more about her by visiting some of the web sites listed on my Related Links page. You might also enjoy this interesting 1997 article about the famous author.
You might try to contact Miss Lee either through her literary agent:
McIntosh and Otis
310 Madison Avenue, Suite 607
New York City, New York 10017
or her hometown:
Monroeville, Alabama 36401
May I place a link to your site on mine?
Absolutely! All I ask is that you email me the URL to your site, especially if you're an educator. I'm always interested in seeing other teachers' web sites!
Do you have any other Student Survival Guides?
So far, I have one other Student Survival Guide on the WWW. It's the Of Mice and Men Student Survival Guide. I'm always open to suggestions as to a new Student Survival Guide. Got an idea? Email me!
