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Chapter 1
Scout Finch (the narrator) introduces Maycomb, a small Southern town.
She lives with her brother Jem and father Atticus, a lawyer.
They befriend Dill, a boy visiting for the summer.
They become fascinated by Boo Radley, a mysterious neighbor who never leaves his house.
Chapter 2 - 3
Scout starts school but hates it because the teacher disapproves of her reading skills.
She gets in trouble for explaining why Walter Cunningham, a poor classmate, won’t accept charity.
Atticus teaches Scout an important lesson: "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view."
Chapter 4 - 5
Scout and Jem find small gifts (gum, carved dolls) in a knothole of a tree near the Radley house.
Dill dares Jem to touch Boo Radley’s house.
One night, they try sneaking onto the Radley property but get scared off when Nathan Radley fires a shotgun. Jem loses his pants in the escape.
Chapter 7 - 8
Jem finds his pants sewn and neatly folded.
The children continue receiving gifts in the tree, but Nathan Radley fills the hole with cement.
That winter, Maycomb sees its first snowfall in years.
Miss Maudie’s house catches fire, and while Scout watches, Boo Radley secretly puts a blanket around her shoulders.
Chapter 9 - 11
Atticus takes on the case of Tom Robinson, a Black man falsely accused of raping Mayella Ewell.
Scout fights with her cousin Francis, who insults Atticus for defending Tom.
Jem destroys Mrs. Dubose’s flowers after she insults Atticus.
As punishment, Jem reads to Mrs. Dubose daily. She later dies, and Atticus reveals she was battling a morphine addiction.
Chapter 12 -14
Calpurnia takes Scout and Jem to her Black church, where they see the racial divide in Maycomb.
Aunt Alexandra comes to live with them to teach Scout to be more "ladylike."
Dill runs away from home and hides under Scout’s bed.
Chapter 15 - 17
A mob attempts to lynch Tom Robinson, but Scout unknowingly diffuses the situation by talking to Mr. Cunningham.
The trial begins. Heck Tate, Mayella Ewell, and Bob Ewell testify against Tom.
chapter 18 - 19
Mayella Ewell testifies that Tom attacked her, but her story is inconsistent.
Tom testifies that Mayella kissed him and that he ran because he was scared.
The courtroom is shocked when Tom says he "felt sorry" for Mayella, as a Black man showing pity for a white woman is unacceptable in their society.
Chapter 20 - 21
Atticus makes his final speech, arguing that the case is based on racial prejudice.
Despite clear evidence of Tom’s innocence, the jury finds him guilty.
Chapter 22-24
Jem is devastated by the verdict, but Atticus remains calm.
Tom Robinson tries to escape prison and is shot dead.
Aunt Alexandra hosts a tea party where Scout sees how hypocritical the town’s women are.
Chapter 25-27
The town forgets about Tom’s death quickly.
Bob Ewell continues threatening Atticus, Helen Robinson (Tom’s wife), and Judge Taylor.
Chapter 28-31 (Climax & Resolution)
Scout and Jem walk home from a school play.
Bob Ewell attacks them, but Boo Radley saves them and kills Bob.
Heck Tate insists that Bob’s death be reported as an "accident" to protect Boo.
Scout finally meets Boo and realizes he’s not a monster—just a lonely, kind man.
As she walks Boo home, she remembers Atticus’s lesson: "You never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them."
What role does racism play in To Kill a Mockingbird?
The novel highlights deep-rooted racial prejudice in Maycomb, especially through Tom Robinson’s unfair trial and the town’s hypocrisy.
What does Atticus say about equality in the courtroom?
“But there is one way in this country in which all men are created equal… That institution, gentlemen, is a court.”
📌 Meaning: Courts should be fair, but racism prevents true justice
What does Atticus teach Scout about racism?
“As you grow older, you’ll see white men cheat Black men every day… Whenever a white man does that to a Black man, that white man is trash.”
📌 Meaning: Atticus condemns racism as immoral.
What does Calpurnia say to Scout about treating guests with respect?
“They’s my comp’ny.”
📌 Meaning: Calpurnia teaches Scout that all people deserve respect, regardless of class or race.
How does Miss Maudie describe the town’s view on fairness?
“The handful of people in this town who say that fair play is not marked White Only, the handful of people who say a fair trial is for everybody, not just us.”
📌 Meaning: Only a few people in Maycomb believe in true justice.
Why is Tom Robinson’s statement about Mayella dangerous?
“I felt right sorry for her, she seemed to try more’n the rest of ’em.”
📌 Meaning: A Black man feeling sorry for a white woman was unacceptable in racist Maycomb, worsening Tom’s situation.
