Expository Literary Essay: Moral Conflict


DIRECTIONS: Write a well-organized composition on the topic below.

Often in literature, the main character faces a conflict between his or her moral principles and society’s conventions (rules of conduct or behavior). The character must choose between doing what he or she thinks is right or conforming to the demands of society.

From To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, select a character who faces a conflict between personal morality and society’s conventions. Identify the character. Using specific references from the work, explain the nature of the character’s conflict, the fears associated with the conflict, the struggle of this character to resolve the conflict, and the overall effect of this conflict on the work.

As you write your composition, remember to:

  • Give the title and the author of the work.
  • Focus on a character who faces a conflict between personal morality and society’s conventions.
  • Give specific examples, reasons, and details from the work to explain the nature of this conflict, the character’s struggle to resolve it, and its overall effect on the work.
  • Give any necessary plot information but avoid giving a plot summary.
  • Write in complete sentences.
  • Write coherent and well-developed paragraphs.
  • Use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization.
Expository Literary Essay Plan
Expository Literary Essay Plan
Holistic Expository Essay Rubric
Holistic Expository Essay Rubric
Critical Response Rubric
Critical Response Rubric