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To Kill a Mockingbird

by Harper Lee

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Who is Uncle Jimmy in To Kill a Mockingbird?

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In "To Kill a Mockingbird," Uncle Jimmy is the seldom-speaking husband of Aunt Alexandra and father of their son Henry. He resides at Finch's Landing and is known for his antisocial behavior. Unlike other family members, he doesn't accompany Alexandra when she visits Maycomb to care for Scout and Jem. His character, though minor, contributes to the diverse portrayal of Maycomb's citizens.

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You're right, some of these minor characters in To Kill a Mockingbird are hard to keep straight. As a precursor, I should mention something about the Finch family.  Put simply, Atticus has one brother and one sister:  Jack and Alexandra.  These are Scout's "Uncle Jack" and "Aunt Alexandra."

Uncle Jack is NOT Uncle Jimmy! 

Aunty [Alexandra] and Uncle Jimmy produced a son named Henry, who left home as soon as was humanly possible, married, and produced Francis. Henry and his wife deposited Francis at his grandparents' every Christmas, then pursued their own pleasures.

Let's make it simple.  Uncle Jimmy is Aunt Alexandra's husband.  In fact, Aunt Alexandra's married name is Alexandra Finch Hancock (because she married Jimmy Hancock). Therefore, he is not a "blood" Finch, but married into the family.  Alexandra and Jimmy live at "Finch's Landing," which is the family plot of land.  Aunt Alexandra and Uncle Jimmy...

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have one son: Henry.  Henry is grown up, gone form home, married, with a son of his own: Francis. 

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In To Kill a Mockingbird, Uncle Jimmy is James "Jimmy" Hancock, the husband of Atticus's sister (and Scout's aunt) Alexandra Finch Hancock.  In the course of the novel, Scout mentions that she has never taken notice of Uncle Jimmy because the only words he ever spoke to her were those telling her to get off a fence.  Scout mentions that Alexandra herself did not take much notice of Uncle Jimmy either, suggesting that they do not have a happy or close relationship in their marriage.  Uncle Jimmy is the father of Alexandra's son, Henry, and the grandfather of Henry's son, Francis.  When Aunt Alexandra goes to Maycomb, Uncle Jimmy does not go to Maycomb with her but, instead, stays at home.  When Scout asks Alexandra whether she misses her husband, Alexandra doesn't respond.  This leads Scout to state that "Uncle Jimmy present or Uncle Jimmy absent made not much difference, he never said anything."  For Scout, Uncle Jimmy is a nondescript, silent man who seems to be of virtually no importance to her, his wife, or the story itself.

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