“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.” “Atticus said to Jem one day, ‘I’d rather you shot at tin cans in the backyard, but I know you’ll go after birds. Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.’ That was the only time I ever heard Atticus say it was a sin to do something, and I asked Miss Maudie about it. ‘Your father’s right,’ she said. ‘Mockingbirds don’t do one thing except make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corn cribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.’” “‘If there's just one kind of folks, why can't they get along with each other? If they're all alike, why do they go out of their way to despise each other? Scout, I think I'm beginning to understand something. I think I'm beginning to understand why Boo Radley's stayed shut up in the house all this time. It's because he wants to stay inside.’” This quote highlights one of the book’s main themes, empathy. Here Scout realizes her mistake in demonizing Boo Radley, and learns the importance of not making judgements based on what other people say or think. This serves a metaphorical purpose as well as a literal one. When the town declares Tom Robison and Boo Radley no good, when neither has done anything wrong, they are shooting at mockingbirds - people who do nothing but good in the world. This quote emphasizes another major theme in the novel: growing up. Scout, Jem, and Dill begin the book as innocent children, but as the Robinson case progresses (along with the novel), they learn about the true presence of evil in the world, and begin to better understand the way society works.
Major Works Data Sheet Characters Name Role in the story Significance Adjectives Scout Finch Jean Louise “Scout” Finch is the protagonist in the story and we read it from her point of view. She lives with her father, Atticus, and her brother, Jem. The story revolves around her life as she faces many hardships and different moral dilemmas including the father’s case of a We read of her development into an understanding of how the world really works, while keeping her optimism for humans’ goodness. Being the main character her significance is obvious in that we see her grow up and as the novel focuses on her we get to see the time period through the eyes of a Intelligent Tomboy Wise beyond her Inquisitive Adventurous
black man who is accused for raping a white woman. young white girl in the south. Atticus Finch Atticus Finch is Scout’s father. He is a lawyer in the town they live in, and one who is certain of his morals fore he believes in racial equality, unlike many of the other townspeople. His wife is gone and dead so he is raising the children on his own. He has shaped Jem and Scout into moral, upstanding human being and he serves as the strong moral compass for the entire novel. He is the one who accepts Tom’s case and fights for him to be free of his charges, even though many of the townspeople think it bad that he is fighting for a black man’s rights. Wise Strongly opinionated Empathetic Caring of his children Jem Finch Jem is the brother, by four years, of Scout. He is also impacted by the moral dilemmas posed by the novel, and must himself realize what his morals will become as he ages. The was very impactful on his life and came at a crucial time during his transition during puberty. He has always been Scout’s close friend and protector, and this by and large does not change much throughout the novel. He, much like Scout, goes through a of sorts as he must face the idea that justice does not always win in the end. He ends up retaining his optimism of human goodness even if it is not always true, which is has come to learn in the case in life. Protective Imaginative adventurous Arthur “Boo” Radley Arthur “Boo” Radley is a character barely seen at all throughout the novel, yet holds great significance and weight in the Boo Radley is the prime example of a “mockingbird” in this story. A person who is innocent and represents goodness, and how they A mockingbird pale white Thin quiet
Calpurnia She is the Finch’s black cook and is stern towards the children, but is also gentle to them in their time of need. She is the children’s step-in mom since their mother had died when they were young. She is there to teach them right from wrong and help them understand the harsh world the blacks must live solely because of their skin color. Motherly Caring Aunt Alexandra She is the children’s actual aunt, Atticus’s sister, and comes to help raise the children. She tries to teach Scout to be a good and proper young lady, much of the time with no avail. While she is not totally on board with Atticus defending Tom, she eventually gives in and in the end stand by her family proudly knowing that Atticus would only do something he knows is right. She is always at odds with Scout and on Scout’s case for the things Scout wants to do that she deems unsuitable for a “Finch” to do. She represents this obsession with Family image and the idea that all families have an outstanding stereotype or “streak” as she calls it. Dignified Concerned with other’s perceptions of their family Family-image comes first Strict Concerned in a caring way Tom Robinson Tom is the black man falsely accused of raping and beating up the white girl and is defended by Atticus in the courts. Tom is just living his life when Mr. Ewell accuses him. Tom not only is a husband and father himself, but also has a He is another “Mockingbird” in the as he is just an innocent black man who is placed in a terrible situation and eventually never receives the justice he deserves because the world is cruel. It was obvious beyond a doubt that Tom was not the Powerless Innocent Scared Practical Good husband/father
deformed which makes it very unlikely that he could have done the things he was accused of. The person who hit the girl was definitely left-handed by the side her face was hit on. perpetrator, and it was obvious that the dad was. But even still, the courts ruled in favor of the father and Tom ends up dying because of it as he tries to escape jail. Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose Mrs. Dubose it a neighbor of the and is hated by Jem. After Jem goes crazy in her yard and he apologizes, Jem and Scout are forced to go over each day and help her become to morphine. They don’t know this at the time, and don’t figure out until after she is dead. She is here as a parallel or foreshadowing of Atticus. Like Atticus, Mrs. Dubose is so courageous and ends up quitting morphine so she can die knowing she wasn’t on it. She is like atticus in this way because she is doing something no one would blame her for just giving up, and she did it just because it’s what she thought was right, no matter how impossible it seemed. Perseverance Old and grumpy Courageous Major Works Data Sheet Setting Significance of the opening scene Maycomb, Alabama in 1933-35 The first sentence of the book essentially tells us how the book ends - Scout reflects on the summer when her brother broke his arm and Boo Radley came out. This sets the reader up for the story ahead. Symbols or Motifs (at least three) Significance of the ending / closing scene
Boo Radley and the Radley Place- symbolizes empathy, misunderstanding, and social ills of the day Mockingbirds - symbolize innocence, Tom Robinson, and Boo Radley The Mad Dog - symbolizes hatred, fear, and mob violence The book’s ending scene finally introduces us to Boo Radley, and we and Scout learn about the cause of his reclusiveness and his true moral character. It also emphasizes the importance of compassion and decency. Possible Themes – Topics of Discussion (elaborate) minimum of 3 Some common themes in To Kill a Mockingbird are: Race: Much of the plot is driven by Southern racism towards African-Americans, particularly Tom Robinson’s trial. Growing Up: Scout’s character development in the book comes from her growing sense of empathy as she encounters evil in the world. Justice: Justice, or lack thereof, defines Tom Robinson’s as well as Boo Radley’s exclusion from society. Empathy: Throughout the novel, Scout goes from being unempathetic and somewhat selfish to realizing the importance of compassion in her encounters with Boo Radley and Tom Robinson.