To Kill A Mockingbird Thesis Statement

Capstone Essay

Literacy Thesis Statement: To Kill a Mockingbird is a literary classic because it has universal themes, it is forever lasting, and it teaches about the past. In order for literature to be considered "classic" it must contain several elements. One of those important elements is that it needs to be universal. To Kill a Mockingbird contains these universal elements such as: hardship, struggle, doubt, death, friendship, courage and hope. In “What Makes a Classic Novel a Classic?”, the author, Italo Calvino says that universal themes "can be representative of a host of feelings, beliefs, memories and observations of the world"(Calvino). Calvino expresses how themes can bring back these feelings and memories, which would

Classics stand the test of time. The stories ring as true today about human nature as when they were first written, whether 70 years ago or a thousand years ago. In the article, “What Makes Classical Literature Classic”, it talks about the elements and the traits that make a classic a true classic. An example of this from the article, is when she says, “These responses to life might seem justified at times, they never pay off in the long run” (Classical Literature). This connects to the element of everlasting when she says, “it will never pay off in the long run”. Long run is a synonym of everlasting, so this connects to everlasting. Another example of everlasting in her article, is when she says, "morality is fundamentally good and those who follow it, even when it costs them, are the genuine heroes in a real classic" (Classical Literature Classic). In a classic, there are just some things that you do and some you just do not do. In To Kill a Mockingbird, an example of this is when Atticus says, "Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird" (Lee 119). When Atticus says this, he is explaining that “to kill a mockingbird” means, “a sense of innocence”. To Kill a Mockingbird is a classic and contains all the elements of one, including the element of