To Kill a Mockingbird

Nathan Radley is Boo Radley's older brother, and he continues their father's tradition of keeping Boo isolated from the community. Boo knows, however, that Jem and Scout have taken a great interest...

Arthur 'Boo' Radley is the reclusive individual who piques the interest and imagination of the children throughout the novel. Boo Radley's father was a strict "foot-washing Baptist" who kept Boo...

The quote refers back to what Scout and Jem were told when they got air rifles for Christmas, not to shoot a mockingbird. A mockingbird doesn't do anything but sing many bird songs and harms no...

In chapter 3, Atticus invites Walter Cunningham to stay for dinner. We have previously met Walter in Scout's first-grade classroom when he shows up without a lunch but won't take a quarter from the...

In chapter 24, Atticus interrupts his sister's missionary circle and breaks the news of Tom Robinson's tragic death to Calpurnia, Miss Maudie, Alexandria, and Scout in the privacy of the kitchen....

In Chapter 15, Atticus travels to the Maycomb jailhouse to sit out front of Tom Robinson's cell as a precaution. Jem and the children decide to look for Atticus and spot him outside of the...

To Kill A Mockingbird involves the maturation of the two Finch children, Jem and Scout. By looking at several quotations of Jem's, we can see how his character evolves and grows up throughout this...

In chapter 9, Scout overhears Atticus having a serious conversation with his brother about the trial. When Uncle Jack asks Atticus how bad it's going to be, Atticus tells him that it essentially...

An additional quotation that shows what people think about Boo Radley comes from Scout's reference to what Stephanie Crawford, the town gossip, has said about him. According to her, Boo was...

The tensions of this novel culminate in chapter 28, when Bob Ewell attacks Jem and Scout as they walk home after the school play. As the children walk through the dark, moonless streets of Maycomb,...

In Harper Lee's classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Judge Taylor appoints Atticus Finch to defend Tom Robinson in front of what will be a racist jury and audience. Judge Taylor recognizes Atticus...

In a novel that focuses on racial tensions in the South, specifically Alabama, there are a myriad of quotes and conversations between the characters which acknowledge direct and indirect prejudice....

While To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is not a particularly symbolic novel, the mockingbird is an inescapable symbol which both Miss Maudie and Atticus try to help Scout understand. After...

Scout fought with her cousin Francis at Christmas because he insulted her father for defending Tom Robinson. During the Christmas holiday, the Finch family visit the family homestead, Finch’s...

The trial of Tom Robinson hangs like an enormous weight over the Finch household in the chapters leading up to the actual court proceedings. Atticus, it is made clear in Chapter 9, is representing...

Boo Radley is a mysterious figure in Maycomb. In To Kill a Mockingbird, rumors surround him, but few people seem to know the truth. Scout, Jem, and Dill decide to learn more about Boo themselves...

In Harper Lee's classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout is depicted as an innocent child, who is naïve about the world around her but gains significant perspective as she matures. Scout displays...

When the children raid the Radley yard in hopes of looking at Boo through the window, they are forced to flee when Nathan Radley steps outside wielding a shotgun. Shortly after Jem leaps off the...

The main conflict between Scout and her first grade teacher concerns Miss Caroline's rigid teaching methods and Scout's advanced abilities. Scout is not a typical first-grader, and she already...

Scout is depicted as an outspoken, charismatic girl who continually demonstrates courage and is not afraid to take a stand for what she believes in. On Scout's first day of school, Walter...

Aunt Alexandra is sympathetic about Tom's death and treats Scout with compassion. Aunt Alexandra has clearly been affected by her time at the Finches’ house. She seems to be softening somewhat....

Much of Harper Lee's classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird, of course, involves the racism endemic to the fictional southern town in which the story takes place. So much a part of the culture of...

Bob Ewell's testimony comes directly after that of Heck Tate. Bob is well known for being a drunk, which has caused his family to fall on hard times. It's likely that the only reason Bob's...

It's easy to write a thesis statement if you understand what it is. Your thesis is your main idea of your essay, and your thesis statement must state your main idea. It's a good idea to plan out...

Although Scout tries her best to control her temper, Cecil Jacobs provokes her by announcing to the entire playground that her daddy "defended n*****s." Scout is too young and naïve to understand...

1. In chapter nine, Atticus explains to Scout his primary reason for defending Tom Robinson. Atticus tells his daughter, The main one is, if I didn’t I couldn’t hold up my head in town, I couldn’t...

In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, the minor characters of Walter Cunningham Jr. and Burris Ewell share several similarities. Although Burris is older, both boys are roughly Scout's age and...

Harper Lee, the author of To Kill a Mockingbird, didn't create chapter titles; she simply used numbers to order her work. Her reasoning for this is unclear, but after reading the novel, we can...

Since Walter Cunningham Sr. has very few lines, I will focus on his son. Walter Cunningham Jr. is a shy, minor character, who also does not have many quotes throughout the novel. In chapter 2,...

Calpurnia is the Finch family's African American cook and housekeeper, who acts as one of Jem and Scout's surrogate mothers. Cal is a memorable character, who is depicted as a strict, no-nonsense...

At the beginning of chapter 15, Sheriff Tate, Link Deas, and several of Atticus's friends visit his home to warn him about the Old Sarum bunch. Sheriff Tate is worried that the Cunninghams will...

At the beginning of chapter ten, Scout laments about her father's age and boring occupation. Although Scout and Jem love Atticus, they are ashamed that he is old and less physically active than the...

While standing on Boo Radley's porch at the end of Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout says the following: I turned to go home. Street lights winked down the street all the way to town. I had never...

Similes are figurative expressions in which the author wishes to convey his or her perceptions to the reader and create an image in the reader's mind. The author draws a direct comparison between...

Atticus's response is great, because it is likely the way that most people in this world would not have responded. Bob Ewell spits in Atticus's face, berates him verbally, and tries to incite a...

Foot washing is found in the New Testament book of John. Before He is betrayed and crucified, Jesus ended his final meal with his disciples by pouring water into a basin and washing their feet....

In chapter 12, Atticus is called away for an emergency meeting of the state legislature, and Calpurnia decides to take Jem and Scout to Sunday service with her at First Purchase African M.E....

As the story progresses, we learn why Walter Cunningham Jr.’s classmates hold certain views about him. Maycomb regulars like Aunt Alexandra think of Walter and his kin as lower-class residents....

A hook differs from a thesis statement. You have shared your thesis statement, which will structure your paragraph or essay and which is an arguable statement you can defend using evidence. A hook...

During Aunt Alexandra's missionary circle, the Christian ladies of Maycomb reveal their hypocrisy, prejudice, and ignorance throughout their conversations. Though the purpose of the missionary...

Atticus Finch rarely makes negative comments about anyone in To Kill a Mockingbird, but early in the story he reveals that the Ewell family has been ... the disgrace of Maycomb for three...

Scout is a little fearful about her first day of school in To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, and it turns out she was right to feel that way. Her teacher is Miss Caroline, and she seems quite...

In chapter 18 of To Kill a Mockingbird, Mayella Ewell takes the stand to accuse Tom Robinson of rape. She is the daughter of Bob Ewell, a man disliked by most in his community. The Ewell family...

In chapter 1, we are introduced to the character of Boo Radley. The children make up strange and scary stories about Boo Radley, and the character comes to represent the dangers of intolerance and...

To Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird, being told she is “like a girl” by her brother Jem is one of the worst insults ever. Scout is a tomboy who despises wearing dresses (much preferring her old...

In one of the most memorable scenes of the novel, Scout attempts to explain to Miss Caroline that Walter comes from a poor family and will not be able to pay her back for lending him a quarter....

Ten life lessons from To Kill a Mockingbird are as follows: 1. The first and most important lesson in To Kill A Mockingbird is that we should not judge other people without at least first trying to...

Chapter 14 has a lot to do with relationships, and what the characters think of each other. It deals with Calpurnia's relationship with the family, Scout's relationship with Jem, Scout's...

As stated in the novel To Kill A Mockingbird, no one should harm a mockingbird because all it does is sing and bring beauty in the lives of those it encounters. In one way, Boo is like a...

A further example of hypocrisy in To Kill a Mockingbird comes in relation to the treatment of Dolphus Raymond. To everyone in town, Dolphus is an eccentric drunk who displays his eccentricity by...