To Kill a Mockingbird

50th-anniversary edition

> "*You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.*"
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**To Kill a Mockingbird** is a 1960 novel by Harper Lee. It tells the story of a young girl and how she sees her hometown of Maycomb in her own eyes, as she witnesses the acts of morality, injustice and racism and how it impacts her as she grows up.

An instant success, it won the Pulitzer Prize, is widely read and taught in middle and high school courses, and is even considered a masterpiece in modern American literature. The novel is also famous for exploring the civil rights, social class and racism in the Southern United States in the early 20th century.

*To Kill a Mockingbird* was adapted into a 1962 Academy-Award-winning film, and a sequel to the novel *Set a Watchman*was published in 2015, a year before Lee's death.

## Plot Summary

Scout Finch is a 6-year-old girl living in the sleepy, old town of Maycomb, Alabama, with her widowed father Atticus, her brother Jem and their black cook Calpurnia in the early years of the Great Depression. Atticus is the local lawyer and works hard despite the family living in poverty, and he assigns Calpurnia to be a mother figure and caregiver to his children.

Jem and Scout meet a boy named Dill Harris, who stays with his aunt in Maycomb during the summer. The children become friends and are fascinated by the Radley house, which is the home to the reclusive Arthur “Boo” Radley, whom nobody has seen in years. The children tried several attempts to make him come out but couldn't.

Scout goes to school for the first time and resents it. But when she walks past the Radley house on her way home, she discovers that someone is leaving gifts for her in a tree's knothole on the Radley property until the hole is plugged up with cement. Another night, a fire breaks out at a neighbour's house, and as Scout watches, someone sneaks behind her and places a blanket around her.

Atticus is assigned to defend Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a white woman named Mayella Ewell. This causes a significant racist outrage in Maycomb, and the residents and children constantly torment Jem and Scout. A group of men come after Atticus to lynch him one night, but Scout protects him by saying something sympathetic to a classmate's father before the mob disperses.

Tom Robinson's trial begins, and Scout, Jem and Dill secretly watch. Atticus provides objective evidence that Mayella and her father, the town-drunk Bob Ewell, are lying. He says that Ewell had beaten his daughter as she made sexual advances toward Robinson. Despite Atticus speaking out the best way he could, the all-white jury convicts Robinson of the crime. Jem becomes distraught by the unfair injustice, and Atticus hopes that his client will have an appeal. But Robinson was shot and killed as he tried to escape prison.

Despite Robinson being convicted, Ewell is outraged for being humiliated and vows revenge. He breaks into the judge's house, menaces Robinson's widow, and one night, when Jem and Scout are walking home alone from a Halloween party, Ewell attacks them. Jem's arm is broken, but someone arrives and kills Ewell by stabbing him. He then carries Jem back home, and Scout finds out that the man is Boo Radley, who had saved her and her brother.

The sheriff arrives and finds out about Ewell’s fatal stab wound, but to protect Boo's privacy and prevent him from being accused, he declares that Ewell had tripped and fallen onto his own knife. Scout walks Boo home, and she never sees him again after he returns to his house. Afterwards, Scout begins to imagine life from Boo's perspective and the critical lessons she learned from childhood.

## Characters

Scout Finch- The main protagonist. She is six years old when the story begins and eight when it ends. She is a mischievous, tough tomboy who is innocent of life around her and her family. She soon learns how cruel and harsh people can be to one another, especially during Robinson's trial, but she also understands the importance of kindness in others and how it would change how she views life. Scout is also the story's main narrator, as she may have been looking back on her childhood as an adult from her point of view.

Jem Finch- Scout's older brother, is ten years old as the novel begins and is thirteen when it ends. A playmate to his sister, Jem is seen as the ringleader of his group, consisting of his sister and their friend Dill, and wouldn't back down on daring tasks such as attempting to knock on the Radley's door. He idolizes his father, Atticus, as a protector of his sister. He is heavily shaken by the unfair injustice he endures following the conviction of Tom Robinson.

Atticus Finch- The father of Jem and Scout. He is a local lawyer in Maycomb and is well-respected by the townsfolk. After losing his wife, Atticus raises his two children alone but often teaches them important lessons about social prejudice and morality. Wise, level-headed and honest, Atticus is one of the very few Maycomb citizens who takes the racist outrage calmly, mainly when he is tasked to defend a black man accused of rape. Even if he fails to prove his client's innocence, Atticus still manages to be solid and moral throughout the trial and the novel.

Arthur "Boo" Radley- A recluse who never goes outside his home and whose life and presence are shrouded by mystery. As depicted in their imaginations, Scout and the local children believe he is a monster, and she, Jem and Dill are obsessed with him, even making multiple attempts to make him come out. However, Boo is a good-hearted man who endured a miserable childhood with his strict father and committed several acts of kindness, such as leaving gifts for Scout in a tree knothole and placing a blanket around her to keep her warm while outside. He eventually rescues the children from Bob Ewell’s vicious attacks and is seen as one of the book's "mockingbirds," as he is an innocent human being hurt by humanity's cruelty.

Calpurnia- The Finch family's black cook and servant. She had served the Finchs for many years, and the children looked up to her as a mother figure. She was among the few literate black citizens who taught Scout how to write. She is a stern but loving woman who would reprimand Scout for her behaviour that she doesn't appreciate. Calpurnia also serves as a bridge for Jem and Scout between the white and black communities.

Charles Baker "Dill" Harris- Jem and Scout's friend who stays in Maycomb every summer. Dill has an active imagination and is fascinated by Boo Radley. He is a lonely child whose mother divorced and later remarried, and his interaction with his friends helps him hide the pain he suffers back home. His character is loosely based on Lee's childhood friend and famous author, Truman Capote.

Miss Maudie Atkinson- The Finch's neighbour and a friend of Atticus. She's an open-minded widow who enjoys gardening, baking and interacting with Scout. Like Atticus, Miss Maudie also teaches Scout about morality and equality, even thinking Boo Radley is most likely different from evil. After her house burns down, she is satisfied as she hates her home and would make more room for her flowers.

Bob Ewell- The patriarch of the Ewell family who lives in Maycomb’s dump. He is a racist drunk who spends most of his welfare on alcohol and hunts game to feed his children. The townsfolk don’t often punish him for his aggressive behaviour and heavy drinking, as keeping his children in school or hunting out of season is worthless. Tom Robinson allegedly raped his daughter Mayella Ewell, but Bob may have pressed charges against him. His racism and impoverished lifestyle make him a menace to some, especially to Atticus.

Tom Robinson- A black man accused of raping Bob Ewell’s daughter Mayella. Atticus was assigned to defend him, even though Tom was likely to be convicted because of his race. He was a young husband and father and a beloved member of the black community. Atticus points out that Tom cannot use his left arm, as it became crippled and lame from a childhood accident, and a left-handed person inflicted the wounds on Mayella. Like Boo Radley, Tom symbolizes a mockingbird, representing innocence destroyed by evil.

Mayella Ewell- Bob’s 19-year-old daughter. She is a lonely, abused young woman frequently used by her father and is responsible for caring for her younger siblings, but no matter how hard she tries to be clean, she is unsuccessful. Tom Robinson allegedly raped her, but Atticus can sense her miserable, abused life, and, understandably, she was beaten by Bob, making her accuse Tom of rape.

Aunt Alexandra- Atticus’ sister and Scout and Jem’s aunt. She is the only Finch relative to live at Finch’s Landing but moves into her brother’s home during the trial. She is a strong-willed woman who is devoted to her family but is concerned about Scout not having any femininity and even considers dismissing Calpurnia from her services.

Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose- An elderly widow who lives two doors from the Finches. She is an ill-tempered old woman who yells racist words from her porch at anyone passing her home, even children. Scout and Jem are tormented by her words, and after Jem destroys her camellias in a fit of rage, Atticus makes him and Scout read to Mrs. Dubose for a few weeks. She later dies due to her morphine addiction, and Atticus thinks she is brave for attempting to overcome her addiction.

Uncle Jack- Atticus’ brother and Scout and Jem’s uncle. He is an unmarried doctor who spends a week at Christmas with his brother and his children. Scout is primarily fond of him, but when he punishes her at Christmas for fighting her cousin Francis, she scolds him for how he treats children and finds it unfair that he doesn’t believe in her side of the story.

## Writing History/Reception

In the mid-1950s, after completing law school, Harper Lee moved to New York City to pursue her writing career, where her childhood friend Truman Capote had already earned fame as a successful novelist. She initially worked as an airline reservation until her friends. Joy and Michael Brown sent her a salary cheque as a Christmas gift, which had enough money for her to write for an entire year. After quitting her job, she focussed more on her writing; after being influenced by her childhood in the Deep South, she started working on her famous novel inspired by her early years.

Lee initially wrote the *Go Set a Watchman* manuscript and set it to publisher J.B. Lippincott. Her editor, Tay Hohoff, advised her to revise the story and include some flashback sequences, such as the narrator’s childhood. Following *Go Set a Watchman’s* rejection, Lee rewrote the manuscript retitled “Atticus” but later changed it into *To Kill a Mockingbird*, published on July 11th, 1960.

The novel immediately succeeded, selling over 40 million copies worldwide and winning the Pulitzer Prize in 1961. A film adaptation of the same name was released in 1962 to critical acclaim and won 3 Oscars, including Best Actor for Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch.

However, Lee admitted that she thought her novel would not be successful, as she stated, “I never expected any success with Mockingbird. I didn’t expect the book to sell in the first place.” Lee also reportedly spent at least 6 to 12 hours a day writing the novel but only produced one manuscript page a day. After the novel's publication, she avoided the spotlight, declining interviews for 14 years. She did not publish another book until 55 years later, when her first rejected manuscript for *Go Set a Watchman* was published in 2015. It is a sequel to *To Kill a Mockingbird*, set 20 years after the main events of the first novel; where it focuses on an adult Scout Finch returning to Maycomb, where her beloved father, Atticus Finch, had descended into racism. Despite its controversy and mixed reviews, it sold at least 1.1 million copies, and Lee died a year after its publication.

Although *To Kill a Mockingbird* is considered one of America’s greatest novels, it is also controversial since it contains rape, racial slurs and profanity. While it challenged censorship, it was banned in several school districts to prevent readers and students from being subject to its offensive content. In 2017, the novel was banned in 8th-grade classrooms in Biloxi, Mississippi, after a parent complained about the common usage of the N-word and how it would negatively affect her daughter and classmates. In 2018, schools in Duluth, Minnesota, banned it in their classrooms, along with *The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn*, which is also controversial for its racist content.

## Themes

### Good vs Evil

As children, Scout and Jem believe everyone is good as they don't know about the evil side of nature; in addition, the children are naïve to think about their harsh reality from their innocent perspective. It wasn't until tragic events such as Tom Robinson's conviction and Boo Radley's troubled past that Scout realized that nothing in life is fair. Atticus advises her to see that instead of seeing good and bad people, she should see only the good and bad qualities in everyone, and despite their cruelty or prejudice, they should still be treated with respect.

From the beginning, Scout could only see different types of people she sees as good or bad. She believes most of the citizens in Maycomb are generally good but believes that Boo Radley is evil, based on the stories she has heard about him from the local children. Another person she sees as evil is her elderly neighbour, Mrs. Dubose, who yells racist slurs at her and Jem. But throughout her childhood, Scout starts to see the inner selves of the people she doesn't thoroughly look at. Despite Arthur Radley being pictured as a frightening man or barely existing, he reveals that he is a kind, heroic man when he leaves presents for Scout, places a blanket around her when she stands in the cold, and saves her and Jem from Bob Ewell's attacks. Mrs. Dubose, despite being stubborn and rude toward Scout and Jem, struggled with her morphine addiction and managed to overcome it before she died, with Atticus seeing her as a fearless woman.

At Tom Robinson's trial, Scout thinks that Atticus will win the case and Robinson will be acquitted. In actuality, Atticus knows he will lose since racism is a raging conflict with the townsfolk, but he is determined to do whatever he can instead of setting a bad example for his children. After Robinson's conviction, the children are devastated by the unfair injustice. Jem suffers it the most when the knothole where their presents were left is filled up, and he is heavily shaken by the trial, so much so that he gets angry at Scout whenever she brings it up. At this point, Scout realizes that the other townsfolk she believed were good were the opposite of it. Bob Ewell is a harsh drinker who accuses Robinson of raping his daughter and vows revenge on Atticus for making a fool out of him. As he attempts to murder the Finch children, Boo Radley saves them from Ewell's wrath and saves the lives of the people of Maycomb, including the Ewell children, who were subject to his cruelty. In the end, Scout finally sees Radley as a human being and accepts the fact that she shouldn't judge people by their appearance or attitude; with the ability to view her world from her perspective, she can eventually realize how certain people may turn out evil at first but can turn to the other side by their good deeds.

### Morality

In the two years the novel is set, Scout learns how to grip morality education. Atticus serves as a personal role model and a mentor to Scout and teaches her that everyone has a different perspective from her. For example, he explains to Scout that she must walk in their shoes to understand another human.

The citizens of Maycomb often ignore the morals they have. The teachers would scold Scout since they are either hypocritical or don't seem to care about their young students' needs. Maycomb is also segregated, as they prefer to live separately from the black citizens. When Calpurnia took Scout and Jem to her community church, they received mixed reactions from Calpurnia's fellow black churchgoers; white society doesn't value them or show inequality. Atticus boldly defends his client, Tom Robinson, and points out to Scout that cheating on a man of colour is terrible as he has little to prove his innocence. However, Atticus wants his children to make critical decisions about rights and wrongs. He also shows personal morality by having Calpunia treated as a member of the family and serves to be seen as an equal since she loves Atticus and the children as her own, and he will want her to stay for as long as she wants.

Harper Lee writes an essential moral in the novel: everyone should be treated equally and not judge anyone as prejudiced. In the community the Finch children live in, where not everyone has good morals, Atticus still wants his children to know that some people may seem discriminatory. However, their morality will show them they can still appreciate everything their father taught them.

### Social Class

Maycomb has four social classes that divide how its citizens live and work. The Finchs are among the highest in the social class since Atticus is a lawyer and is well-off in his community. He and his children are also white; white citizens are often regarded as the most important in the higher social class. Maudie Atkinson shares the same category as the Finch and is also respected. An essential rule of the social course in *To Kill a Mockingbird* is to show that the higher social class should be more sympathetic and respectful to the less fortunate who live at the bottom of the social course. The Cunninghams may be in the lower class, but they still work hard to make ends meet and be valued in their society. When Scout invites Walter Cunningham for dinner, and he pours his gravy over his food, she rudely criticizes him before Calpurnia reprimands her that Walter is in the lower social class. He deserves a good meal served to him by the higher rank.

Calpurnia is part of the wealthy middle class where black people like her mainly belong; like the Finchs, she is still respected and liable by the Finchs. The Ewells are poor, filthy people who are rude to others, but since they are white, they are part of the higher class. The poor, black people are at the bottom of the lower social class. One of the black women, Lula, is disgraceful to her race and insists that the blacks stay in their community rather than be with the opposite race. She is harsh to Calpurnia and berates Jem and Scout because of their race and lifestyle.

The black Maycomb citizens usually accept their status and live in a run-down community they don't mind living in. They accept that they barely have an education and don't get much credit for their hard work. The white class, however, doesn't treat black people equally as they see them as racially prejudiced; the hierarchy is proven when the black citizen's fellow class member Tom Robinson is accused of a crime he didn't commit.

All the social classes are present at the trial, and it is one of the only times in the novel when they all gather for a social event. The first two classes represent the white audience, who have the most important jobs during the trial, such as the judges and jurors. Still, even as they planned to do a fair trial, their racial prejudices would affect the defendant and those attending. The citizens mostly see the trial as a special event or an occasion. Since all the lower classes, including Robinson and the other black people, cannot have a word against the white citizens, and in addition, they will always defeat their opposite race and get away with their racism. The class structure affects the citizens of Maycomb. The status everyone lives in defines their lifestyle or their skin colour. Harper Lee used this theme in how her characters live, but even if it is not explained more about the structure, readers can understand how the social network defines Maycomb.

### Injustice

As a young child, Scout learns a valuable lesson on how unfair life is in her community, but justice is not always served in a courtroom. No matter how hard Atticus convinces the jury about justice and equality, Tom Robinson is still convicted, leaving Scout and Jem heavily shaken by the injustice they have just witnessed. They think revenge can solve injustice, such as when Scout fights her cousin when he calls Atticus a racist slur or when Jem destroys Mrs. Dubose's Camellias for her racist insults. But, Atticus teaches his children that revenge does not achieve justice but can only be achieved when the guilty person atones themselves. Bob Ewell wanted revenge for being humiliated, but it didn't give him justice. His revenge attempt backfires when he is killed, and his intended victims are safe.

Tom Robinson is undoubtedly a victim of injustice. He was an innocent black man who was falsely accused of rape. Even if he was convicted and shot while trying to escape, it's clear that he will never get justice from the legal system, and some people found his conviction and potential death to fail in justice. It is a sign that those with a different race or social status are mistreated and, like Robinson, are victimized by injustice.

It isn't the black community affected by injustice. Mayella Ewell isn't like her father and siblings; she isn't drunk or dirty but is just used as an object for Bob to take his rage out on and have her be a victim of a crime. She can hardly do anything about it, as she will likely be forever stuck in her family home and unable to fend for herself, as she is seen as an outcast for living in the most impoverished area of Maycomb. Boo Radley, having been locked up in his own home nearly his entire life due to the troubled mishaps he got into, makes the townsfolk and the local children think he is a monster. He is sometimes compared to Robinson since he is treated as a victim in their society and isn't seen as someone who deserves justice. Towards the novel's end, he finally emerges from his mysterious shell. He proves he justified himself by ending his struggles against the social class that treated him poorly over the years. Overall, no matter who it is, everyone suffers from social injustice. But if they do a heroic or a good act for once, perhaps they may finally receive the justice they want.

## Symbols

### Mockingbirds

The mockingbird symbolizes innocence. Atticus tells his children it is a sin to kill mockingbirds because they do not cause harm but sing and improve the world. Killing a mockingbird symbolizes destroying innocence, and various novel characters such as Boo Radley and Tom Robinson are often described as mockingbirds. Their prejudiced society overlooked them, but their innocence was lost by injustice.

### Boo Radley

Boo Radley is a mysterious, reclusive man who symbolizes virtuousness and kindness. Jem and Scout believed that Boo could be a scary man, but after he leaves gifts for them, mends Jem's pants and saves them from Bob Ewell's attack, Boo is a natural, generous human toward Scout. In addition, his troubled childhood allows his pure heart to interact closely with the children.

### Geraniums and Camellias

The camellia is the state flower of Alabama and is seen around Mrs. Dubose’s house. They symbolize prejudice that cannot be ignored or brushed off easily. Many people believe that Mrs. Dubose is a nasty, racist woman who keeps camellias as a symbol of her character. When Jem destroys the camellias, he harms Mrs. Dubose’s prejudice and belief that she can fight her inner demons by overcoming her morphine addiction. Jem receives one from Mrs. Dubose after her death, which symbolizes that she has forgiven him.

Mayella Ewell keeps some geraniums around her family home in the town dump. They symbolize hope and beauty in a world where there is little hope. In addition, they also represent love as Mayella longs to be beautiful and loved rather than be treated as a lonely outcast. The flowers are the only shining light of the Ewells’ miserable home.

## Foreshadowing

* Scout mentions Jem had broken his arm at age 13 in the opening lines of the first chapter. Foreshadows the part near the end where Ewell attacks them by breaking Jem's arm as they walk home alone; therefore, she tells the story leading up to his injury.
* Burris Ewell's first and only appearance in school. Foreshadows his father, Bob Ewell's villainous and demented presence later on.
* The strange gifts Jem and Scout find in the knothole tree. Foreshadows the truth that Boo Radley is a kind, good man.
* Atticus shoots a mad dog. Foreshadows the same fate his client Tom Robinson would meet.
* Bob Ewell's threats of revenge. Foreshadows the part near the end where he attempts to kill the Finch children.
* Tom Robinson is shot and killed while trying to escape prison, mainly because he is black. Foreshadows that African-Americans at the time were trying to win their freedom from slavery, not to mention that it explains that the innocent would sometimes die because of racial discrimination that affected their race.

## Adaptations

The novel was adapted into a 1962 film directed by Robert Mulligan. It featured Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch, which earned him an Oscar for Best Actor for his performance, Mary Badham as Scout Finch, and Robert Duvall as Boo Radley.

## References

1. ↑ The Great Depression was an economic disaster that started with the Wall Street Crash in 1929 and spanned throughout the 1930s until the beginning of WWII.