To Kill a MockingBird overview

Scout Finch

The novel's young narrator and protagonist; a curious and unconventional girl whose perspective combines childlike innocence with growing moral awareness.

Jem Finch

Scout's older brother who undergoes significant moral development throughout the novel as he confronts the realities of prejudice and injustice.

Atticus Finch

Scout and Jem's father; a lawyer who defends Tom Robinson and embodies moral courage, wisdom, and empathy.

Dill Harris

The Finch children's summer friend with an active imagination who becomes fascinated with Boo Radley; represents childhood curiosity and innocence.

Calpurnia

The Finch family's Black housekeeper who serves as a maternal figure and bridge between Maycomb's white and Black communities.

Boo (Arthur) Radley

Reclusive neighbor who becomes the subject of the children's fascination; represents goodness hidden beneath fear and rumors.

Tom Robinson

Black man falsely accused of raping Mayella Ewell; his case illustrates racial injustice in the legal system.

Mayella Ewell

Young white woman who accuses Tom Robinson of rape; represents the complex intersection of race, class, and gender in Southern society.

Bob Ewell

Mayella's vindictive father who represents the most virulent racism and poverty-driven resentment in Maycomb.

Miss Maudie

Kind neighbor who helps the children understand Atticus's moral stance and community dynamics.

Coming of Age (Loss of Innocence)

The progression of Scout and Jem from childlike innocence to moral awareness as they confront prejudice and injustice in their community.

Coexistence of Good and Evil

The novel's exploration of how positive and negative qualities exist within the same individuals and communities.

Social Inequality

The examination of racial, class, and gender hierarchies in 1930s Alabama and their impact on access to justice and opportunity.

Discrimination

The novel's portrayal of prejudice based on race, class, and nonconformity, and its consequences for individuals and society.

Illusions vs. Reality

The contrast between appearances and underlying truth, from misconceptions about individuals to community illusions about justice.

Outsiders

The experience of marginalized individuals (Tom Robinson, Boo Radley, even Scout) and their treatment by the community.

Character-Integrity

The novel's emphasis on moral consistency, courage, and doing what's right despite public pressure.

Assimilation

The pressure to conform to community expectations and the consequences of nonconformity.

Mockingbirds

Symbol of innocence and harmlessness; represents characters who are vulnerable and do no harm but are 'killed' by society (Tom Robinson, Boo Radley).

The Radley Place

Symbol of mystery, fear, and the unknown; represents the children's evolution from superstition to understanding.

The Mad Dog (Tim Johnson)

Symbol of racism in Maycomb; represents a threat that Atticus must reluctantly confront despite his peaceful nature.

Personification

Giving human qualities to non-human things; e.g., 'Maycomb was a tired old town' and 'the ceiling danced with metallic light.'

Hyperbole

Exaggeration for emphasis; e.g., Scout's claim that in Maycomb there was 'nowhere to go, nothing to buy and no money to buy it with.'

Symbolism

Using objects, characters, or settings to represent abstract ideas; e.g., mockingbirds representing innocence.

Metaphor

Implied comparison between two unlike things without using 'like' or 'as'; helps create vivid imagery in the novel.

Oxymoron

A figure of speech combining contradictory terms; creates tension or reveals complexity.

Synecdoche

Using a part to represent the whole or vice versa; creates emphasis or focuses attention.

Metonymy

Substituting the name of an attribute for the thing itself; creates association or emphasizes qualities.

Ellipsis

Omission of words that are implied by context; creates suspense or emphasis.

Paradox

Statement that appears contradictory but reveals a truth; highlights complexity.

Analogy

Extended comparison showing similarities between different things; clarifies abstract concepts.

Allusions

References to other texts, historical events, or cultural elements; adds depth and context.

Scottsboro Boys (1931)

Nine Black teens falsely accused of rape in Alabama; their wrongful convictions and retrials inspired Tom Robinson’s trial.

Powell v. Alabama (1932)

Supreme Court case granting Scottsboro Boys the right to counsel; highlighted systemic bias but failed to prevent convictions.

Victoria Price & Ruby Bates

White accusers in the Scottsboro case; Bates later recanted, exposing the lies, yet convictions stood.

All-White Jury

A jury excluding Black members, ensuring racial bias in trials like Tom Robinson’s and the Scottsboro Boys’.

Due Process vs. Moral Justice

Atticus upholds legal procedures (due process) but fails to challenge the racist system itself.

Lynch Mob

A violent group seeking extrajudicial punishment; appears in both Mockingbird (Chapter 15) and Scottsboro.

Atticus’s Idealism

Believes in the law’s potential for fairness but underestimates systemic racism’s entrenchment.

Mayella’s Vulnerability

A victim of poverty and abuse who perpetuates injustice to retain fleeting social power.

Dolphus Raymond’s Performance

Pretends to be drunk to justify his relationship with a Black woman, satirizing societal bigotry.

“The one place where a man ought to get a square deal is in a courtroom”

Atticus’s idealized view of the legal system, contradicted by Tom’s trial.

“Let the dead bury the dead”

Heck Tate’s rationale for covering up Bob Ewell’s death, prioritizing community peace over transparency.

Caustic

Burning or corrosive; biting or sarcastic in language or tone.

Sardonic

Characterized by bitter or scornful derision; mockingly cynical.

Pedantic

Overly concerned with formal rules and academic learning; making an excessive display of learning.

Regionalism

Loyalty to interests of a particular region; features, speech, or customs characteristic of a specific geographic area.

Antithetical

Directly opposed or contrasted; mutually incompatible.

Expound

Explain and clarify in detail; present and explain methodically.

Unfathomable

Impossible to comprehend; incapable of being fully explored or understood.

Vehemently

In a forceful, passionate, or intense manner; with strong emotion.

Acquiescence

The reluctant acceptance of something without protest.

Elucidate

Make something clear; explain or clarify.