To Kill a Mockingbird

By Harper Lee

To Kill a Mockingbird is a story that is set in the time of racial discrimination after blacks have been set free at the Civil War. The story tells the tale of a family struggling to be socially accepted after the father must defend a black man in court that is charged with the rape of a young white girl.

Scout

Scout is the daughter of the lawyer Atticus. She is the main character of the story, as well as the narrator. She is quite young, and consequently very childish, as well as curious. Her passion for adventure reaches no bounds, but it often gets her into more than she bargained for. As the story progresses, she faces discrimination from her friends, family, and much more.

Atticus

Atticus is one of the main characters in the story. He is the father of Jem, and Scout. He is to defend a black man in court that is charged with the rape of a young white girl. Atticus is probably my favorite character, due to the fact that he lets his children learn their own lessons, instead of trying to control them directly. He is also extremely intelligent, and he can see through a person like no other.

Maycomb

Maycomb is a small southern town, that evolved around a family ranch. Due to the small town atmosphere, nearly everyone in the town knows each other, and most are related as well. Due to this, rumors get around faster than in any big city, so everyone knows pretty much everything that is going on. Maycomb represents peace and innocence.

The Climax

There are many Climaxes in the story, To Kill a Mockingbird, but I chose the one that seems the most important to me. The trial at the courthouse is by far the most monumental, due to the fact that it is where most of the action happens. Here, Atticus makes his case to the court about how Tom Robinson didn't rape the Ewell girl. Atticus nails his case and nearly ensures victory for himself.

The Resolution

Atticus made the Ewells look like idiots at his court case. However, the court still convicted Tom Robinson. As a result, Tom Robinson attempted to escape from prison, and was killed. Later, Mr. Ewell out of revenge attempted to kill Scout and Jem. Luckily, Boo Radley was able to help save the children. This provided closure to the conflict of the court case.

The Mockingbird

The Mockingbird symbolized pure innocence. To quote Miss Maudie Atkinson, Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, the don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a Mockingbird. Tom Robinson didn't do anything, and it would be a sin to condemn him. That's why the Mockingbird is significant.

Historical Context

The story takes place during the time after the Civil War, when blacks are freed but still heavily prejudiced. The reason this is important is because Atticus I hated simply because he is defending a black man in court. He didn't do anything else to provoke the townspeople. This is completely absurd and it gives the Finch family a hard time.

Theme

The theme of the story is: Just because it seems everyone in the world is against you, it doesn't mean that you have to back down.

Conclusion

The conclusion of the story is Mr. Ewell and Tom Robinson are dead, so the dispute is entirely over. The blacks living in Maycomb now feel very endeared to Atticus. And lastly, Scout and Boo Radley now have a friendship that will last a long time. In my opinion, the book was extremely good, without many boring moments.

Works Cited

Open Office for their Powerpoint program

To Kill A Mockingbird for quotes, etc.

Thanks to Google Images for the Pictures