To Kill A Mocking BirdSara Jessica L. Carillo

Summary Part 1

• Scout Finch (the female narrator) lives with her brother Jem and their widowed father Atticus in the small town of Maycomb in Alabama.

• Atticus Finch is a lawyer in the town and as a result is well off. He is an upstanding citizen and an honorable man.

•Scout and Jem befriend a young boy named Dill and we see the events of the story through their eyes as the stories are narrated by Scout.

• Dill becomes fascinated by a house called Radley place where Boo Radley lives. Boo Radley becomes a fascination for the children as they are left presents by the strange man in a tree in his garden. These gifts are left during the first section of the novel.

• The focus of the novel shifts when Atticus agrees to defend a local black man Tom Robinson who has been accused of raping a white woman.

•The case is particularly prominent in a predominantly white community who disagree with Atticus’ role.

• The Maycomb society are largely racist and as a result of Atticus’ role Jem and Scout both suffer abuse from other children.

• In the summer aunt Alexandra (Atticus’ sister) comes to live with Jem and Scout. Dill is supposedly living with his ‘new father’ in a different town runs away to join Scout and Jem in Maycomb.

• The Tom Robinson trial begins, Mayella Ewell is the woman who has accused Tom of rape.

• At the trial Jem and Scout sit on the colored balcony with the town’s black citizens. Atticus provides very clear evidence that Mayella and her father Bob are in fact lying. Mayella had propositioned Tom and was caught by her father, to cover her shame she accused Tom of rape.

Summary Part 2

•Despite the impressive evidence which Atticus provides proving Tom’s innocence the all white jury convict Tom.

•Tom recognizing his innocence tries to escape from prison but is shot. Jem’s faith in the justice system is shaken and he becomes despondent and doubtful.

•Bob Ewell believes he has been made a fool of and vows to seek his revenge on Atticus and the judge.

•He abuses Tom’s widow and attempts to break into the judge’s house.

•Eventually Bob attacks Jem and Scout on their way home from a Halloween party.

• Boo Radley intervenes and saves the children. Boo attacks Ewell in his attempt to save the children and stabs him during the struggle. Bob Ewell is killed.

• Boo carries a wounded Jem back into the house where the sheriff in a plea to save Boo insists that Bob Ewell tripped over the tree and caused his own injury by falling on his knife.

•Boo once more disappears to live his solitary life.

•Later on Scout feels as though she finally understands Boo. He has become human to her no longer a shadow of danger or something to be feared.

•Scout finally embraces her father’s attitude to show sympathy and understanding to all.