Dear Colleague,

When students open To Kill a Mockingbird, they often expect a story about a trial, a hero, and a moral lesson. But Harper Lee’s novel is not simply a story—it’s a study of how a community defines itself, who it includes, and who it excludes.

Before we introduce Scout and Jem, we can prepare students to read Maycomb not just as a setting, but as a system—one built on identity, assumptions, and unspoken rules. This is why I recommend beginning the unit by explicitly introducing and exploring three core concepts: identity, stereotypes, and shared moral codes (both written and unwritten).

Starting with these concepts does not mean teaching the novel in advance. It means bringing them to the center of classroom discussion, inviting students to reflect on their meaning, question their impact, and recognize how they operate in real communities. Through guided conversation and critical thinking, students begin to see how these forces shape people’s choices and social roles.

Once this conceptual groundwork is in place, students are better equipped to recognize these dynamics as they emerge in the story. The novel becomes not just a narrative to follow, but a space in which they can identify patterns, question judgments, and read Maycomb—and its characters—with a sharper lens and a deeper sense of empathy.

One of the most powerful themes in To Kill a Mockingbird is that people are shaped by more than personal choice. Identity is not just who we think we are—it is also how society defines us.

Students often believe identity is completely personal. But when they explore the difference between traits they control and traits they don’t, they begin to understand that identity is also shaped by family expectations, cultural norms, historical context, and social labels. This realization becomes essential when students read about Maycomb, where characters are often defined by race, class, or family reputation.

Stereotypes are a natural human tendency: we categorize the world to make it understandable. But To Kill a Mockingbirdshows how this process can become dangerous when it turns into fixed assumptions about people.

By discussing stereotypes early, students become more aware of how stereotypes form, why they feel “normal,” and how they distort reality. They also begin to recognize how stereotypes can be used to justify unfair treatment. When students later encounter characters like Tom Robinson, Calpurnia, or the Ewells, they will be better prepared to see how stereotypes influence the community’s thinking—and how they contribute to injustice.

The third concept—shared moral codes—is the bridge between personal beliefs and social behavior. Every community has rules, some written like school policies, and others unwritten like social expectations. These unwritten rules can be just as powerful, and often more dangerous, because they are invisible until they are challenged.

In Maycomb, the “rules” of race and class are unspoken yet universally accepted. Students who understand this concept are better equipped to recognize the novel’s tension between law and morality, justice and prejudice.

This introductory framework creates a foundation for meaningful discussion throughout the novel. Students begin to see To Kill a Mockingbird as a study of social systems—not only a story about events.

They begin to ask questions like:

• Why do people accept certain beliefs as “natural”?
• How do stereotypes shape behavior even when we don’t notice them?
• What happens when a community’s “rules” conflict with justice?

These questions guide students toward deeper literary analysis and personal reflection—without turning the unit into a lecture.

Beginning To Kill a Mockingbird with identity, stereotypes, and community rules is more than a “pre-reading activity.” It is a way to help students read with awareness, empathy, and critical thinking.

And when students read the novel through this lens, the story becomes not only more understandable—but more relevant to their own lives.

Warmly,

Chiara

P.S. This pre-reading framework pairs particularly well with later character analysis. In this article—Atticus Finch Character Analysis: A Teaching Approach—I explore how Atticus’s moral position and social role can be examined once students understand Maycomb as a system. Check it out!