PlotOverview

Toldthroughtheeyesofalittlegirl,
ToKilla
Mockingbird
takesplaceinthesmallfictional
townofMaycomb,Alabamabetween1933and
1935.ScoutFinchtellsofhermanyadventures
alongsideherbrotherJem,theirnewfriendDill,
andmanyothertownspeople.Schoolbegins
andtheybecomeinfatuatedwithBooRadley,a
manrumoredtobeamonstrouspersonwho
hasntbeenseeninyears.Betweenschoolyard
troublesandquarrelswithnosyneighbors,
Scoutbeginstobemoreinvolvedintheissues
oftheadultworld,butneverfullyunderstands
it.Oneday,ScoutsfatherAtticus,alawyer,
picksupthecaseofablackmanwrongly
accusedofrapingawhitewoman.Fromthere,
thetownstruecolorsshowasthepeopletake
astand.Scoutseestheworldfromadifferent
perspectiveandlearnsvaluablelifelessonsin
acourseofthreeyears.

AbouttheAuthor

NovelNotes
ToKillAMockingbird
ByHarperLee

HarperLeewasbornonApril28,1926in
Monroeville,Alabama.Shewastheyoungest
offourkidsofNelleandA.C.Lee.She
attendedHuntingdonCollegeandstudiedlaw

attheUniversityofAlabama.Sincethen,she
CarmenRamirez
hasearnedseveralawardsforherliterary

works,themostknownbeingthePulitzerPrize
April25,2016
forhernovel
ToKillaMockingbird.
Broadway

musiccomposerMichaelBrownhelpedher
EssentialQuotes
launchhercareer.Shenevermarried,butlived
Shootallthebluejaysyouwant,ifyoucan
closelywithherchildhoodfriendTruman
hit'em,butrememberit'sasintokilla
Capote.ShediedinhersleeponFebruary19,
mockingbird.ThatwastheonlytimeIever
2016,aged89.
heardAtticussayitwasasintodosomething,
HistoricalContext
andIaskedMissMaudieaboutit."Your
father'sright,"shesaid."Mockingbirdsdon'tdo

onethingexceptmakemusicforustoenjoy
Thestorytakesplaceinthefictionaltownof
(Lee103).
Maycomb,looselyresemblingLeeshometown

ofMonroeville.IttakesplaceduringtheGreat

Youneverreallyunderstandapersonuntil
Depression,whichisbetweenthe1930sand
youconsiderthingsfromhispointofview...
1940s.Theplotisntcompletelymadeupas
mostoftheeventssimilarlyoccurredinreallife Untilyouclimbinsideofhisskinandwalk
aroundinit(78).
inneighboringcitiesinAlabama.The

charactersadoptedmostoftheSouthern
stereotypeslikeracism,sexism,andprejudice. Lee,Harper.ToKillaMockingbird.
Philadelphia:Lippincott,1960.Print.
Alabamahadahugeinfluenceaswellasthe

personalexperiencesofLeeschildhood.

CharacterAnalysis

Themes

MotifsandSymbols

ScoutFinchHerrealnameisJeanLouise,but
everyonecallsherScout.Shestheprotagonist
andistheyoungestinthefamily.Shesvery
curiousandstandsupforherselfwhenshe
needsto.Shecanbestubbornattimesand
doesntunderstandwhythingshappen,but
thatsonlybecauseshesachildwhostillhas
herinnocence.

JemFinchHisrealnameisJeremyandis
Scoutsolderbrother.Heisanaturalleader
andattemptstofollowinhisfathersfootsteps.
Hewantstogrowupandactsmaturefar
earlierthanheshould,whichiswhyScoutand
himstoppedgettingalongastheyusedto.
Basically,hestryingtoactlikeanadulttohelp
hisagingfatherandhelpraiseScout.

DillHarrisHewasthenewneighborfrom
Meridianwhohadmuchknowledgeofthings
likelaysandcircuses.Heisanexaggerated
liar,butonlymeanswellashewantstofeel
likehebelongssomewhere.Hetakesa
romanticinteresttoScoutandpromisesto
marryherwhenhesoldenough.Toputit
shortly,healonelyboywantingtofindsome
company.

AtticusFinchHeisthefatherofScoutand
Jem,alawyerwhoisagoodandhonestman.
Heneverpunisheshischildrenandtellsthem
anythingtheywishtoknowaboutlife.Heis
trustfulanddedicatedtohisjobevenafterhe
takesthecaseofablackman.Heisagreat
fatherwhowantshischildrentoseetheworld
asitiswithnosecrets.

AlexandraHancockSheistheauntofScout
andJem,thesisterofAtticus.Sheisverystern
andwantstocensoreverythingfromthekids.

FriendshipJemandScoutmakefriendswith
severalpeopleinthestory,theirfirstfriendof
theiragebeingDill,theirnewneighbor.

MaturityJembeginstomaturequickerthan
Scoutandactsharshlytowardsherashe
believesheisanadultnow.

RivalryScouthasmademanyenemies,some
ofthemostnotablebeingherfirstgrade
teacher,hercousin,andLulafromCalpurnias
blackchurch.

JusticeAtticusisalawyerandpicksupthe
caseofaninnocentnegroaccusedofrapinga
whitewoman.Thepeoplesidewiththewoman
outofnature,butnotmanyknowsheislying.
Atticusiswillingtoriskhisimagetobringtrue
justicetothecourt.

RacismCalistheFinchsfamilyslave,butis
treatedverynicely.Tom,theinnocentnegro,is
shunnedinthetownforhissaidrapingofa
woman.WhenCaltakesthekidstoablack
church,sometreatthemterribly.

LoveThenewneighborDillbefriendsthe
children,buttellsScouttheyreengagedandto
marrywhentheyreoldenough.Dillkissesher
whenJemisnotlooking.AtfirstScoutthinks
itsweird,butlateronacceptsit.Itcanalso
representtheloveofAtticusandScoutasshe
sitsonhislapoftenandhekissesherwhenhe
comeshome.

MockingbirdAtticustellsJemandScoutthat
theycanhuntanybirdtheywantexcept
mockingbirds.Hesaysitsasintokilla
mockingbirdbecausetheydontdoanything
butsing.

RiflesOnebirthdayAtticusgivesthechildren
airsoftrifles,markingAtticustruststhemwith
weaponsandseesthemasmatureindividuals.

OverallsScoutlikestowearoverallslikeboys
doratherthanweardresses.Sheiscriticized
forthisbyherauntandoneoftheneighbors.It
isalsowhatJemripswhenhetriedtogetBoo
Radleyoutofhishouse.ForScout,ithighlights
howsheisdifferentandforJem,itsignifieshis
trustinBOoafterhefixeshisoverallsforhim.

MintgumThereisatreeneartheRadleys
homeinwhichBooleavespresentsforthe
children,thefirstonebeingWrigleysmint
chewinggum.Thismarksthebeginningofthe
childrensfascinationwiththeRadleys.

DogsAtticusshootsamaddoginfrontofhis
kidsbyforce.Itisrevealedthatdespitebeinga
lawyer,hehasmassivepowerwithweaponry
andforeshadowshemayhavetopickuphis
oldrifleagain.

Shewantstobeincontrolandraisethekidsas
howamodelcitizenshouldbe.Shedoesnt
allowanycreativityanddespiseshowAtticus
doesthings.Sheisfullofvanityandisamean
person.

CalpurniaSheistheblackslaveofthe
Finches.Sheisverykind,yetdisciplinesthe
kidsasmuchasshecan.Shehelpsaroundthe
houseandhelpsthekidsgetbyinlife.She
triestoexplainhowthingsworkintheworld,
butdoesntlikeexposingthekidstothereality
ofracismandothercontroversialissues.She
lovesthekidsandposesasarealmother,but
isscaredtoruintheirliveswiththetruth.

MissMaudieSheistheneighborrightacross
thestreetfromtheFinches.Sheisveryniceto
thekidsdespitebeingseenasaweirdperson
byadults.Sheisdedicatedtoherflowersand
tellsthekidsofhownothingtheydowillsend
themtoHell,sowhatevertheydoisfineas
longastheybelievetheydidgood.Sheisthe
encouragerinthekidslivesandnevertells
themtheyrewrong.

BooRadleyHeisamanwhohaslivedinside
hishouseforyearsafterhewasabouttobe
arrested.HeisthemysterymanofMaycomb,
nooneknowsabouthimandthereforerefersto
himasamonster.Thekids,atfirst,believethis
andarescaredofhim,butaftertheircuriosity
getsthebestofthem,theysecretlybefriend
themwithoutanyinteractionatall.Booisnice
tothekidsandhelpsthemalotlikeleaving
themtreatsandfixingtheirthings.