While I was researching my author, I learned that some of the main characters in the book were based on Lee herself.  Lee based the main character, Scout Finch, on herself.  She based another main character, Atticus Finch, the father of Scout, on her own father.  And she based the little boy who the character Scout was good friends with, Dill, on her good friend in real life, Truman Capote.  I think this is really cool, because it makes the book seem deeper and more real.  By giving these characters personalities based on real world people, I can connect more to these characters, and understand why they do what they did, instead of having a character have an unreal personality that I can't connect to.  The fact that she makes the characters based on real people makes me enjoy the book even more.
 
The character that I am choosing to sketch about is Jem Finch.  He is an average young boy, and he fits in well with the society that he lives in.  I would be friends with him because he is a smart kid, while not being unadventurous.  He has a really good personality and is very supportive of his little sister.  All in all, Jem is a really cool kid.  In the novel, Dill dared Jem to go touch the Radley house.  Jem had to make a decision about whether or not to touch the house.  He decided to, and ran into the yard, slapped the house, and ran away as fast as possible.  I agree with his decision because it made him look cool in front of his peers, and it wasn't something that would hurt or be bad for anyone.
 
My author's style is to connect with a readers appeal and make real life situations.  She makes the scenes in the book seem a lot like they would in real life.  She uses language like people in that area and time period would use.  She also uses similes and metaphors.  Her book is written in first person.  I know this because there is uses of the words "I" and "me."  Also, she uses flowery descriptions.  There are a lot of descriptions that are very detailed and colorful.  Her style is descriptive and real, she really makes a reader connect to her book and like the book.
 
My book takes place in a quiet little county known as Maycomb County, Alabama.  The setting greatly affects the mood of the story, because it makes the mood what it is.  The mood in my story so far is peaceful, relaxed, and quiet.  The mood is peaceful, relaxed, and quiet because the setting is a small, relaxed, quiet southern town where not very much action happens.  If the setting had taken place in, say, a busy city, the mood would probably be a lot different.  However, since the setting takes place where it does, it creates the mood and makes me feel relaxed when reading the book.
 
The movie of To Kill a Mockingbird is actually a lot like the book.  The storyline is the same, the characters for the most part act the same, and the setting is the same.  Scout and Jem live with their father Atticus n a small Alabaman town.  Atticus is appointed to be the lawyer of a black man who is accused of raping a white woman.  Boo Radley is the crazy guy who lives down the street.  Tom Robinson, the black man, is found guilty, but it is obvious to everyone that he is not guilty.  The man who pressed the charges was so humiliated that he attacked Jem and Scout, but Boo Radley saves them.

The actor that played Atticus in the movie was Gregory Peck.  In he been in many, many other movies, but is best known for his performance in this one.  The actress that played Scout was Mary Badham.  I believe my director, Robert Mulligan, did an excellent job of creating this movie.  Robert Mulligan has directed 19 other movies.  I believe Gregory Peck was wonderful in the movie, and so was Mary Badham.  There were some character traits that I didn't expect though.  Jem is supposed to be four years older than Scout.  However, in the movie, he only looks to be about 2 years older than her.

There were some other differences between the film and the novel, such as left out scenes, character traits, and small details.  In the movie, a fire scene was left out, and Calpurnia was barely a part of it.  However, in the book, there was a fire scene, and Calpurnia was a pretty big character.  In the novel and film comparison I go into more detail about the similarities and differences.

 
What makes a novel a classic?  Well, a classic is timely.  This means that it has to do with things that are happening in the time it was written.  It is also timeless.  Its theme applies to all societies and cultures, no matter who or what they are, in any time or period of history.  A real classic also presents what is really true.  In other words, the Judeo-Christian ethic that doing the right thing instead of the wrong thing always pays off is presented.  A classic will still be around for a while after it is written.  It is also well written.  Finally, a classic makes connections.  It expresses the time in which it is written, yet still stands alone as unique.

I believe my story is a classic.  Even though it isn't timely, it has everything else.  My book isn't timely because it doesn't have to do with things that were happening during the time it was written; it has to do with things that happened thirty years earlier.  However, it is timeless, true, been around for a while, well written, and makes connections.  This story is definitely a classic, and that's why I think it is a great novel.