Summary
“To Kill a Mockingbird” is the story of two young children, Jem and Scout Finch. The story follows the two and their life in Maycomb, Alabama over four years. The story is set in the early 1930’s. Jem and Scout live with their father, Atticus who is a lawyer in Maycomb. The Radley Place is on the corner of the street and is a mystery to everyone. The Radley’s don’t open up their house and instead stay inside and are barley ever seen. One son, Arthur Radley or Boo as referred to by most has only been seen a few times and it becomes Jem and Scout’s goal to make him come outside. The first half of the novel focuses on the summer Jem, Scout, and their friend Dill spend together trying to make Boo appear outside. They try giving Boo a note attached to a fishing pole through the slats on the window, but instead, make his brother Nathan come after them with a shotgun. The kids get away quickly but Jem’s pants get caught on the fence and he is forced to remove them so he can get away quickly. Luckily, nobody realized it was the three of them on the Radley’s property. After summer is over, Dill returns to his home and Jem and Scout begin school. Scout dislikes school, but Jem enjoys it. The kids go to school and begin finding small presents such as a pocket watch, coins, gum, and soap in the tree on the Radley Place. The two figure it must be from Boo, but the hole is sealed before they have the chance to write a note thanking them for the gift. At Christmas time, the Finch’s go to Finch Landing to spend the day with Atticus’ sister Alexandra and her husband and son. At this time Scout gets into a fight with her cousin because he also causes Atticus racial slurs. As the winter months pass, Atticus only continues to receive more threats as the trail approaches.
The second part of the book focuses on Tom Robinson and the rape case. Tom Robinson has been accused of rape by the Ewells who are considered to be a white trash family. Atticus has been assigned this case which causes an uproar throughout the town. Robinson is a black man, and during this time race is still a large part of life. Atticus receives threats by many for defending Robinson and is called many racial slurs such as “nigger lover”. Jem and Scout also take heat from their peers at school. Other children make fun of them and confront the two about their father defending a black man and receive the racial slurs as well. During the summer Dill returns and the three spend their days playing, trying to keep their mind of the summer. When the day finally comes for the trial, Jem, Scout, and Dill all sneak into the courthouse and witness the entire trial. Even though Atticus makes a clear impression on the jury that Robinson is innocent, the jury still finds him guilty and Robinson is sent to jail. Bob Ewell, is furious that Atticus made a fool out of him at the trial and threatens to get him back which Atticus refuses to take seriously. Tom Robinson tries to escape from prison and is shot by guards and slowly Atticus’ normal life begins to return until Halloween evening. Jem and Scout were walking home after a school pageant when they hear somebody following them. At first they think it’s a fellow classmate just playing a joke but soon the noises become closer and closer and the two are attacked. It’s completely dark so Scout can’t see what’s going on but she knows Jem has been hurt and the attacker comes after her as well until it suddenly stops. A shadow picks Jem up and begins walking him home, Scout follows and Atticus sees them and rushes to Jem. Luckily Jem only suffered a broken arm but Scout comes to realize it was Boo Radley who had saved them. Bob Ewell was the attacker and fell on his own knife, killing himself. The story ends with Scout finally seeing Boo and her experience being just how she imagined it would be, saying hi to him and then walking him home and seeing the neighborhood from the Radley’s porch.
The second part of the book focuses on Tom Robinson and the rape case. Tom Robinson has been accused of rape by the Ewells who are considered to be a white trash family. Atticus has been assigned this case which causes an uproar throughout the town. Robinson is a black man, and during this time race is still a large part of life. Atticus receives threats by many for defending Robinson and is called many racial slurs such as “nigger lover”. Jem and Scout also take heat from their peers at school. Other children make fun of them and confront the two about their father defending a black man and receive the racial slurs as well. During the summer Dill returns and the three spend their days playing, trying to keep their mind of the summer. When the day finally comes for the trial, Jem, Scout, and Dill all sneak into the courthouse and witness the entire trial. Even though Atticus makes a clear impression on the jury that Robinson is innocent, the jury still finds him guilty and Robinson is sent to jail. Bob Ewell, is furious that Atticus made a fool out of him at the trial and threatens to get him back which Atticus refuses to take seriously. Tom Robinson tries to escape from prison and is shot by guards and slowly Atticus’ normal life begins to return until Halloween evening. Jem and Scout were walking home after a school pageant when they hear somebody following them. At first they think it’s a fellow classmate just playing a joke but soon the noises become closer and closer and the two are attacked. It’s completely dark so Scout can’t see what’s going on but she knows Jem has been hurt and the attacker comes after her as well until it suddenly stops. A shadow picks Jem up and begins walking him home, Scout follows and Atticus sees them and rushes to Jem. Luckily Jem only suffered a broken arm but Scout comes to realize it was Boo Radley who had saved them. Bob Ewell was the attacker and fell on his own knife, killing himself. The story ends with Scout finally seeing Boo and her experience being just how she imagined it would be, saying hi to him and then walking him home and seeing the neighborhood from the Radley’s porch.
Sources:
"Redirect Notice." Google. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2011. <http://www.google.com/imgres?q=to+kill+a+mockingbird&hl=en&gbv=2&biw=1191&bih=445&tbm=isch&tbnid=XjA-_OpzPEK3_M:&imgrefurl=http://digitaljournal
"Video Sparknotes: Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird Summary."- YouTubeYouTube - Broadcast Yourself. . N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2011.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqkohqLvClI>
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqkohqLvClI>