Table of Contents

Synopsis	1
Characters	2
Quotes	3-5
Settings	6
Diary Entries	7-8
Calpurnia	9
Crossword	10
Song	11-12
Biography: Harper Lee	13

Synopsis

In the small town of Maycomb, the Finch family's life is turned upside down. Jem and Scout Finch are growing up in an unjust world plagued with cruelty, violence, and racism. Their father, Atticus, is caught in a battle between a white man's hatred and a black man's fear.

Arthur (Boo) Radley, a scary legend of the Maycomb community, intrigues both Jem and Scout. Their curiosity gets the best of them more than once, and they learn many valuable lessons in the process. They desperately want to see and talk to him, but may never get the chance.

Tom Robinson, a poor Negro, is arrested and put on trial for raping Mayella Ewell. In such a time as we are in, it seems that no one will believe a black man's word over a white man's. As Tom's lawyer, Atticus Finch fights with every ounce that he has to make his case heard.

It doesn't look like there is any hope for the Finch's, but the strong-willed family strives to hang on. Is there any reason to keep going? Will justice be served in this case of good vs. evil?

Characters

Scout is a young girl that is forced to grow up during times of racial and social ostracism. She is constantly questioning Jem and any adult around her about her curiosities. She doesn't fully understand the reasons for the different levels of society. She always thought her fist was the solution to her problems, but she matures in different ways throughout the story. She begins to find reasonable explanations for all of her questions.

Tom Robinson is a respectable Negro. He has been a victim of racial prejudice and was wrongfully accused of raping a white girl. He is obviously innocent, but the jury couldn't bring themselves to take his word over a white man's. He was taken advantage of because of his kindness. Just because the girl couldn't face her own mistake, she decided to cover her guilt by getting rid of the one person who knew the truth. Everyone else went along with the assumption that Tom Robinson was convicted of a crime he didn't commit.

Atticus Finch is the lawyer who defended Tom Robinson in the case of wrongful accusation and racial injustice. Even Atticus is treated sorely by some of the citizens of Maycomb County just for representing a black man in a court of law. His virtues of patience and forgiveness help to get him through the trial. He is also Scout and Jem's father. He tries to be a good father to them, but cannot break down and punish them for doing things wrong.He is a good father to the children, but as Scout put it, some things just need a woman's touch. Atticus is in his mid-fifties.

Jem Finch is a boy who is near the age of thirteen. Since he is

older than Scout is, he likes to boss her around. He likes to make her think that because she is young, she can't participate in any of his "grown-up" activities. She is frequently left out of his plans and propositions. He is almost seems obsessed with trying to get Boo Radley out of his house. He even invented a game they could

plan to make fun of Boo Radley.

Quotes

" but sometimes the bible in the hand of one man is worse than a whiskey bottle in the hand... oh, of your father."

-Miss Maudie p.48

When Miss Maudie says this, she is explaining her attitude towards religion. She thinks that some people can cause bigger problems by arguing with the bible, than by being drunk.

"Try fighting with your head for a change.... it's a good one, even if it does resist learning."

-Atticus p.80

Atticus says this to Scout to make her understand how much more you can influence a person by words, than by violence. He wants her to stop fighting when she is angry and start working out her problems by talking it over.

"Mockingbirds don 't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don 't eat up people's gardens, don 't nest in corncribs, they don 't do one thing wrong but sing their little hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird."

-Miss Maudie p.94

This quote is very important to the book. It explains how it is wrong to hurt something, or someone, when they haven't done anything wrong. In this statement, Miss Maudie is talking about mockingbirds, but as the story unfolds, the mockingbird is substituted with Tom Robinson.

"People in their right minds never take pride in their own talents."

-Miss Maudie p.98

When Miss Maudie says this to Scout, she is explaining the concept of humility. She is telling Scout that no matter how good you are, or how much people look up to you, you should never take pride in yourself.

"...but before I can live with other folks I've got to live with myself"

-Atticus p.105

In this quote, Atticus is speaking to Scout. He is trying to explain to her how important it is to treat other people with utmost respect: the respect that you give yourself. At the same time, he is saying that he is uncertain about how he feels about himself and the situation that he is m.

"I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you 're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what."

-Atticus p.112

Atticus is talking to Jem in this quote. The key point he is making to Jem is that when you have the will and determination to do something, even if the odds are against you, you have extreme and genuine courage.

"I try to give 'em a reason, you see. It helps folks if they can latch onto a reason.... you see they could never, never understand that I live like I do because that's the way I want to live."

-Dolphus Raymond p.20

This quote implies another important theme in the book. Dolphus is explaining to Jem that people search for reasons to persecute those who seem different to them. Dolphus thinks it is just as easy to give them something to talk about, than to try to deny it.

"You know the truth, and the truth is this: some Negroes lie, some Negroes are immoral, some Negro men are not to be trusted around women - black or white. But this is a truth that applies to the human race and no particular race of men.”

-Atticus p.207

As Atticus spoke these words during the closing arguments of the trial, we were reminded of the main theme of this story. The people in the town of Maycomb, and most white people at this time, thought that black people were much worse than they were. They were blind to their own faults because they focused on the faults of others.

“Atticus, he was real nice....“

“Most people are, Scou4 when you finally see them.”

-Atticus p.284

By the end of the story, Scout has matured into an incredible young lady. She starts to look deeper into a person than what meets the eye. When Atticus says this quote, he is putting in words what she has finally realized.

Settings

The most important setting in the book is the Courtroom. This is where the most conflict with racism takes place. Tom Robinson is trialed and convicted of a crime he didn't commit, Scout and Jem witness acts of racial and social intolerance, and they also learn how brave and wise their father, Atticus, really is. The courtroom is where many of the main aspects of the story interact. The feeling in the courtroom is one of suspense and hatred. It is the focal point of the entire book.

Another important setting is the home of Atticus, Jem, and Scout.In the home, we see the values that Atticus tries to instill in his children. He wants them to be wise, but he wants them to have the wisdom that comes from the heart. He wants them to be loving and sincere.It is obvious in the book, that hatred plays a major role in all of their lives. Atticus is a man of love and he wants Jem and Scout to realize how powerful that love can be.

A final setting would be the schoolroom. It shows evidence of the different levels of society. An example of that is when Mrs. Caroline, Scout's teacher, can't accept the fact that she already knows how to read, and her father is the one that taught her. She tells Scout not to read with Atticus any longer. Mrs. Caroline also refuses to understand that Walter Cunningham can't afford to bring his own lunch.

Diary Entries

Dear Diary,

Scout, Dill and I went to Tom Robinson's trial today. We had to sit in the colored balcony because there weren't any seats in the white section. It kind of made me uncomfortable. Atticus didn't see us until the middle of the trial, but he let us stay. He was so convincing that I thought sure the jury would acquit Tom. I couldn't believe it when the jury came out and said that Tom was guilty! They sure are stupid to convict an innocent man just because some no good loser that can't even keep a steady job said that Tom did something to his daughter. That made me mad!! It was all I could do to sit in my seat and not go down there and strangle every one of them! I didn't do it because I thought it would be a bad example for Scout, her just getting over her fighting days and all. I don't think Scout frilly understood all the things that they were talking about. She's too young, so she kept asking me things like what rape meant and things like that.

Jem Finch

Dear Diary,

Jem, Dill, and I went to Tom Robinson's trial today. Reverend Sykes got us a seat in the colored balcony since there was nowhere else to sit. We stayed through most of the trial without Atticus knowing we were there. Some of the things in the trial seemed confusing to me, but Jem helped me out. I seen Atticus do things I ain't never seen him do before. I think Atticus done a great job of defending Tom. He proved that Mayella's wounds were done by someone that is left-handed. He tried to prove it was actually Bob Ewell that had done it. He got Tom Robinson up there to tell his side of the story. Tom's side was very convincing to me, but I guess it wasn't enough to convince the jury. I knew what the verdict was before they let us know. I could tell because when the jury came out they didn't look at Tom. I think everyone believed Tom's testimony, but they didn't want to take his word over a white man's. I guess I'm still having trouble understanding why there is so much conflict between blacks and whites.

Scout Finch

Calpurnia

Calpurnia works in the home of Atticus Finch. She cooks, cleans, and takes care of the household duties, but is much more than a maid. She is a dear friend and role model to the children.Calpurnia is not the mother of Jem and Scout, but she serves as a mother figure. She loves Atticus and the children very much and provides for them in many different ways.

Crossword Puzzle

The crossword puzzle was omitted from the Internet example because of the size of the file.

Ebony & Ivory

Ebony and Ivory

Live in perfect harmony

Side by side on my piano keyboard

Oh Lord, why don't we?

We all know

That people are the same wherever you go

There is good and bad in everyone

We learn to live, we learn to give each other

What we need to survive

Together alive

Ebony and ivory

live together in perfect harmony

Side by side on my piano keyboard

Oh Lord, why don't we?

Ebony, ivory living in perfect harmony Ebony, ivory

We all know

That people are the same wherever you go

There is good and bad in anyone

We learn to live, we learn to give each other

What we need to survive

Together alive

Ebony and Ivory

live together in perfect harmony

Side by side on my piano keyboard

Oh Lord, why don't we?

Side by side on my piano keyboard

Oh Lord, why don't we?

Ebony, Ivory, living in perfect harmony...

This song, Ebony & Ivory, reflects the theme of racism in the book. It describes how the black and white keys live so well together on the keyboard of a piano, and yet in our society we can't live in peace with one another. We only give each other what little respect is needed to survive.

Biography: Harper Lee

Harper Lee was born on April 28, 1926 in Monroeville, Alabama, a city of about 7,000 people in Monroe County. She is the youngest of four children of Amasa Coleman Lee and Frances Finch Lee. Harper Lee attended Huntington College from 1944-1945, studied law at the University of Alabama from 1945-1949, and studied one year at Oxford University. In the 1950's, she worked as a reservation clerk for Eastern AirLines and BOAC in New York City. She gave up her position with the airline and moved into a cold-water apartment with makeshift furniture in order to concentrate on writing. Her book, To Kill A Mockingbird, was published in 1960 by J.B. Lippincott.

Our Thoughts

"In order to understand the world we live in today, we have to understand what it once was. We think that this book paints a harsh, but true, picture of what life used to be. It shows us how far we have come and how far we still need to go. It is a book that should be read by all."

Timothy Capps

Kristy Collins

Danielle Hefner

9/14/99