Watch our helpful video summary of To Kill a Mockingbird here, then check out our study guide for more resources. Atticus and Calpurnia drive over to Tom’s house to give his wife, Helen, the news. Jem boasts about having touched the Radley house on the way home. To Kill A Mockingbird (film) study guide contains a biography of Robert Mulligan, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. One of their favorite games is a reenactment of an incident between their neighbor, Boo, and his father, Mr. Radley. Chapter 15 Summary and Analysis. At the table, Atticus and Walter discuss farming. Learn about events in part one, chapters 7-9 and what it means. Scout and Jem, who have until now been shielded from the worst of it, see how segregation affects African Americans firsthand when Calpurnia takes them to her church, which is on the far side of town and called First Purchase. Aunt Alexandra says Walter and the Cunninghams are “not [their] kind of folks.” It’s this behavior that leads Jem to say that he understands why Boo Radley stays inside: because he wants to. Other characters include Miss Maudie, the wise neighbor who spends most of her time gardening and baking cakes; Calpurnia, the African American servant who cares for the Finch children and runs the household; and Aunt Alexandra, whos excessively critical of the other characters in the novelespecially Scout. He wants to join the others at school with Jem and Scout. We do not know how Jem breaks his arm until the very close of the story, though it is mentioned casually here. Throughout the first half of the novel, Scout gets into fights with people, including her own cousin, who says bad things about Scout’s father Atticus, and her brother, who doesn’t want Scout to talk to him at school—only after school. However, it is important to note that the author, Harper Lee always defined it as a simple love story. The book sells one million copies per year, and Scout remains one of the most beloved characters in American fiction. Scout lives in Maycomb, Alabama with her brother Jem and her father Atticus, who is a widower and a prominent attorney in town. This proves to be an absurd experience for Scout, who’s forced to wear a dress, under which she defiantly continues to wear her britches. Chapter One. And when she saw Tom Robinson, that polite man walking by her house on the way to work, Mayella invited him inside on the pretense of busting up a chiffarobe. To Kill a Mockingbird Summary Next. About To Kill a Mockingbird; To Kill a Mockingbird Summary; To Kill a Mockingbird Video Maycomb is suffering through the Great Depression, but Atticus is a prominent lawyer and the Finch family is reasonably well off in comparison to the rest of society. After hearing the story of how Bob Ewell spat in Atticus's face and dared him to fight, Scout and the kids set about trying to force Atticus to carry a gun and defend himself. Parents Guide, Mark Fleetwood . No reason is given for his outburst, and because of it the children are afraid of Boo to the point where they run past his house to avoid being in front of it. Read our detailed summary of the novel and then have a look at the hand-picked essays! Everyone in Maycomb talked about it for a few days, then lost interest—except Mr. Underwood, who wrote an editorial saying that it’s a sin to kill a cripple. On the way back, they hear a sound behind them and assume, at first, that it’s just one of Scout’s classmates trying to spook her. Next, Mayella takes the stand, afraid that Atticus will embarrass her like he did her father. It was 31st october and Jem and Scout are outside in the darkness. The novel opens with the narrator, Jean Louise “Scout” Finch, relating that when her brother Jem was thirteen he broke his arm badly at the elbow. Of the three, Scout has perhaps the best relationship with Miss Maudie, who teaches her valuable life lessons and explains that Atticus is an upstanding man. In one scene, Dill dares Jem to touch the Radleys’ house, and in another, Scout accidentally rolls into the Radleys’ yard in a tire after Jem pushes her much too hard. For this, Scout grinds Walter’s face into the dirt and blames him for getting her in trouble at school. Scout relates a lesson her teacher gave on Adolf Hitler and democracy, defining the latter as “equal rights for all, special privileges for none.” This neatly frames the events of the subsequent chapter, in which Mr. Ewell stalks Helen in an attempt to intimidate her. She explains the situation to Jem, who realizes that Walter is Mr. Cunningham ’s son, invites Walter for lunch, and assures him that Scout won’t jump him. She has finally learned the lesson he tried to teach her earlier in the novel: that you can’t really understand a person until you walk in their shoes. Scout reconsiders her dislike of Walter Cunningham because of this, but Aunt Alexandra balks when Scout asks if it would be alright for Walter to stay over at their house sometimes. Next. It was published in 1960 and, instantly successful in the United States, it is widely read in high schools and middle schools. Presenting her tale first as a sweetly lulling reminiscence of events from her childhood, the narrator draws us near with stories of daring neighborhood exploits by her, her brother "Jem," and their friend "Dill." Her brother is four years older than her, and her father, Atticus Finch, is an attorney and member of the State Legislature who is, for the most part, well-respected in the community. There are, however, moments of extreme peril in Part I. To Kill a Mockingbird is a Pulitzer-Prize-winning novel written by Harper Lee and originally published in 1960.The book is widely regarded as an American classic and, until recently, was the only novel Lee had published. Last Updated on June 29, 2016, by eNotes Editorial. Only after Dr. Reynolds arrives to take care of Jem and Heck Tate asks her to tell him what happened does Scout realize that the pale man standing in the corner is Boo. To Kill a Mockingbird - Summary and Analysis Chapters 6-7. To Kill A Mockingbird is now considered an American masterpiece about the power of childhood innocence, morality, and love. In To Kill a Mockingbird, what is the testimony of Heck Tate, Bob Ewell, Mayella Ewell, and Tom Robinson, and what is Atticus's summary? Scout, Jem, and Dill spend most of the summer playing elaborate games, and these end up being the subject of the next few chapters of the novel. Through the eyes of "Scout," a feisty six-year-old tomboy, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD carries us on an odyssey through the fires of prejudice and injustice in 1932 Alabama. | It’s a sad life, and Atticus makes a point of showing this to the audience, in the hopes that they’ll understand that her father, a drunk, is an antagonistic force in her life. Many of the townspeople try to get Atticus to pull out of the trial, but he decides to go ahead. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee tells the story of Scout Finch, a young girl growing up in a small Alabama town during the 1930s. Mrs. Dubose, a mean old woman who sits out on her porch and shouts at passersby, says such terrible things about Atticus that Jem cuts down her camellias with Scout’s baton. According to town lore, Boo was sitting at a table, cutting up some papers, when suddenly he took up the scissors and stabbed his father in the thigh as he was walking past. In that time, Maycomb is suffering from the Great Depression… This incident adds a little levity to otherwise grim and serious events, like those of Chapter 15, when Atticus sits in front of the jail house to protect Tom Robinson from all the racist citizens of Maycomb. The place: Maycomb, Alabama, finalist for Most Boring Town in America. Mr. Ewell blamed Tom for his crimes, both to keep him out of trouble and to save him from embarrassment, and Mayella does the same thing. Of the three, Scout has perhaps the best relationship with Miss Maudie, who teaches her valuable life lessons and explains that A… Start your 48-hour free trial and unlock all the summaries, Q&A, and analyses you need to get better grades now. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. Scout tells the story as an adult, but within the narrative she is a little girl who’s just six years old at the beginning of the novel and eight years old at the end. As Atticus explains, race often comes between a person and their reason, making an otherwise logical or moral man turn into the kind of person who would, for instance, declare Tom guilty. Scout fights Walter Cunningham, but Jem breaks it up and Walter is invited to lunch at the Finches. To Kill a Mockingbird is a classic novel set in Maycomb, Alabama during the Great Depression. Overview. The time: the early 1930s. This incident leads Boo to start leaving presents (soap dolls, pennies, gum) for Scout and Jem in a knothole in the tree by their house, and this in turn leads the children to become curious about Boo and develop a sort of friendship. To kill a Mockingbird and Go set a watchman are novels written by the same author – Harper Lee, which both showed the process of the development of scout’s characteristics from Scout’s perspective, how she changes from a young ignorant girl to an independent thoughtful young woman who looks forward to … Heck Tate says left, then right. When the prosecutor starts belittling Tom for this, Dill starts crying, and Scout has to take him outside. Inside, Atticus makes his closing argument, telling the jury that Tom is innocent and that, even if they aren’t entirely convinced of this, they must be absolutely sure “beyond all reasonable doubt” that he’s guilty in order to convict him. At the end of the novel, Scout walks Boo back to his house, stopping for a moment on his porch to look out at the town from his perspective: the children playing, leaves turning, Miss Maudie’s house burning. Already a member? Taglines That jury will never take the word of a Black man over the word of a white one, regardless of how drunk, amoral, and ornery that white man is. No one to look out for her. Atticus Finch is currently defending Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a white woman. Scout Finch lives with her brother, Jem, and their widowed father, Atticus, in the sleepy Alabama town of Maycomb. It was published in 1960 and, instantly successful in the United States, it is widely read in high schools and middle schools. The story: A black man is accused of raping a Caucasian woman, and an idealistic lawyer offers to defend him. Related Questions. Without meeting face to face, the two characters form a special bond. In fact, Atticus did so well that Mr. Ewell spits in his face outside the post office. A summary of Part X (Section4) in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. | So they all keep Boo’s secret. To Kill a Mockingbird Summary. A short summary of part 1, chapters 7-9 in "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. Scout tells Atticus that Boo was really nice. Use this CliffsNotes To Kill a Mockingbird Study Guide today to ace your next test! When Aunt Alexandra berates the kids about their manners and their lack of interest in their heritage, Atticus makes it clear that this is of no importance to him. Mayella has no friends. The following chapters are about the night of halloween. Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. Detailed Summary & Analysis Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter … Next. Chapter 19 Summary and Analysis. Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird Chapter Summary. Atticus trips him up a little when he asks if Mayella’s black eye was on the right or left side of her face. To Kill … On Dill's last night in Maycomb, he and Jem decide to "peep in the window with the loose shutter to see if they could get a look at Boo Radley." Her reasons are somewhat different, though, because she doesn’t want anyone to know she tried to kiss an African American man. Unsurprisingly, Scout finds the Dewey Decimal System boring and finds school to be a … To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel by the American author Harper Lee. To kIll a mockingbird. In addition to Miss Maudie’s house fire, there are mentions of animals being tortured by a character named Crazy Addie, of houses being broken into, and of course the attack on Mayella. Boo Radley has been largely absent from this second half of the book, and after Tom’s death, the kids aren’t really afraid of Boo anymore. The place: Maycomb, Alabama, finalist for Most Boring Town in America. In the following text, I am going to create a summary of the whole book "To kill a Mockingbird" written by Harper Lee. Small-town Alabama, 1932. To Kill a Mockingbird Plot Summary. Chapter Summary for Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, chapter 5 summary. But fear keeps them at a distance until one night, in streetlight and shadows, the children confront an evil born of ignorance and blind hatred, and must somehow find their way home. This chapter opens with Tom Robinson attempting to guide his left arm (the bad one) to swear on the Bible. Scout discourages them from going to the Radley house, but reluctantly decides to join them. Scout Finch lives with her brother Jem and their father Atticus in the fictitious town of Maycomb, Alabama. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of To Kill a Mockingbird and what it means. To Kill a Mockingbird Summary . … Being a man of high moral principles, Atticus refuses to pass on the case to another lawyer and instead stands firm in his conviction to defend Tom. “She just fell down in the dirt,” Dill said, speaking of Helen when she heard the news. Scout also comes with Dill and Jem and they all peak through the windows. Atticus then asks him his age (twenty-five), if he has any children (three), and if he has ever been in trouble before (once; he did thirty days for disorderly conduct). For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one: ). She suggests it was no accident Atticus was assigned to defend Tom—Judge Taylor might’ve done it on purpose to give Tom a fair shake. He shouldn’t have helped her bust the chiffarobe, but he felt sorry for her. The chapter opens with the introduction of the narrator, Scout (Jean Louise) Finch, her older brother Jem (Jeremy), and their friend and neighbor, Dill (Charles Baker Harris). Atticus is out of town at this time, attending a meeting of the State Legislature, and doesn’t know about the church visit until after it happens. The To Kill a Mockingbird study guide contains a biography of Harper Lee, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. The To Kill a Mockingbird quotes below are all either spoken by Tom Robinson or refer to Tom Robinson. He’s lying, and so, Atticus suggests, is she. Having bought several slaves, he established a largely self-sufficient homestead and farm, Finch's Landing, near Saint … Synopsis Through the eyes of "Scout," a feisty six-year-old tomboy, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD carries us on an odyssey through the fires of prejudice and injustice in 1932 Alabama. In the process of fleeing, Jem gets his pants caught and has to leave them behind. Miss Maudie, hearing about the verdict (as one of the few people who didn’t watch the trial), wakes up at five to bake the kids cake, in the hopes that this will make them feel a bit better. Scout withholds the exact cause of his accident, transitioning instead to her memories of the events leading up to Jem’s injury and their childhood in Maycomb, Alabama, in the 1930s. Then Mr. Ewell takes the stand and makes a show of accusing Tom of rape. Plot Keywords It was written by Harper Lee and is loosely based on her observations of events that occurred during her childhood in … To Kill a Mockingbird Character Analysis | LitCharts. Atticus then embarrasses him in front of everyone by proving that he’s left-handed and, thus, capable of giving Mayella a black eye on her right side. They all run as fast as the can and hear a shotgun noise go off behind them. Find a summary of this and each chapter of To Kill a Mockingbird! Nathan Radley, assuming that he was shooting at an African American man trespassing on his property, doesn’t realize that the children were trying to sneak a peek inside his house, and to make sure nobody finds out about it, Jem goes back for his pants. Juxtaposed against the story of the trial, is the children's hit and run relationship with Boo Radley, a shut-in whom the children, and Dill's Aunt Rachel, suspect of insanity, and whom no one has seen in recent history. Atticus Finch is a lawyer in the fictional town of Maycomb, a racially divided Alabama town, set in the early 1930s, and modeled after Monroeville where Harper Lee grew up. Atticus is a lawyer and makes enough to keep the family comfortably out of poverty, but he works long days. Log in here. The book: To Kill a Mockingbird. Get free homework help on Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird: book summary, chapter summary and analysis, quotes, essays, and character analysis courtesy of CliffsNotes.