To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird is a Pulitzer-Prize-winning novel written by Harper Lee and originally published in 1960. The book is widely regarded as an American classic and, until recently, was the only novel Lee had published. To Kill a Mockingbird was inspired by events and observations that took place in Lee’s hometown. Set in the Great Depression, from 1932 to 1935, the novel is narrated by a young girl named Scout, whose coming-of-age experiences closely mirror Lee’s.

To Kill a Mockingbird follows the lives of three children: Scout; her brother, Jem; and their friend, Dill. In the beginning, the novel focuses on the wild imaginations of the three children as they entertain themselves during the summer in Maycomb, Alabama. Maycomb is a quiet town with deep-seated social hierarchies based on race, class, and how long each family has lived there. Within their respective social groups, Maycomb’s residents are closely-knit, to the point of being (both metaphorically and literally) incestuous, and gossip runs wild about any person who diverges from social norms.

Children and local gossips, such as Miss Stephanie, spread tall tales about Scout and Jem’s reclusive neighbor, Arthur “Boo” Radley. These tales paint Boo as a mysterious and deadly figure, claiming he stabbed his father with a pair of scissors, poisons the nuts that fall from the trees on the Radley property, and haunts the streets of Maycomb at night. Fascinated and terrified by these tales, Scout, Jem, and Dill spend the summer forming elaborate plans to make Boo come out of his house. After two summers of this, they notice that someone begins leaving them small gifts in the knothole of a tree on the Radley’s lot. They assume it is Boo—though they never lay eyes on him—and are devastated when Boo’s older brother, Nathan Radley, fills the tree’s knothole with cement.

Shortly thereafter, a much greater problem begins to stir in Maycomb. Scout’s father, a lawyer named Atticus Finch, is assigned to defend a Black man, Tom Robinson, who is accused of raping a White woman. Atticus is a thoughtful man who believes it is his civic duty to provide a fair defense for Tom Robinson, despite the disapproval of prejudiced townsfolk in Maycomb.

As local children and adults alike taunt the Finch family for Atticus’ actions, Atticus advises Scout and Jem to hold their heads high and appreciate situations from others’ perspectives. This appreciation plays a major role in a later scene, wherein a threatening mob gathers at the jail where Tom Robinson is held. As Atticus stands between the mob and Tom, Scout and Jem run forward to protect their father. Scout identifies someone she knows within the mob, Mr. Cunningham, and  attempts to speak kindly (though naively) to him about his son, his family, and his financial situation. Mr. Cunningham is moved to shame by Scout’s efforts to empathize with him, and he calls off the mob.

Throughout the trial of Tom Robinson, Atticus presents evidence that Tom is not responsible for the crime. In fact, Tom is the victim of multiple advances by his accuser, Mayella Ewell. Strong evidence indicates that the true abuser is actually Mayella’s father, Bob Ewell. However, because this is a small, racially divided southern town, the jury ultimately finds Tom Robinson guilty of the crime despite all the evidence to the contrary. Ultimately, Tom attempts to escape from prison and is shot dead.

After the trial concludes, Bob Ewell accuses Atticus of ruining his honor and vows to get revenge. He tries to break into the judge’s house, torments Tom’s widow, and attacks Scout and Jem while they walk home after a school Halloween pageant. During the attack, a mysterious figure comes to their rescue and carries Jem home to safety. When she returns home, Scout realizes their rescuer is Boo Radley.

The sheriff arrives to find that Bob Ewell was killed in the fight. He and Atticus discuss the implications of charging Jem, whom Atticus believes is responsible, or Boo, whom the Sheriff believes is responsible. In the end, the sheriff decides the most ethical course of action is to tell a white lie: that Bob Ewell drunkenly fell on his own knife.

Boo asks Scout to walk him home, and once they reach his door, he disappears again. Scout imagines what life is like from Boo’s perspective and develops a mature understanding of the human condition.

To Kill a Mockingbird addresses themes of violence, power, and racial injustice. Guided by Scout’s childhood perspective, the novel dually serves as a “bildungsroman”—examining the formative experiences of a young girl—and a deconstruction of the time, place, and social climate she grew up in.

Content Warning

Some characters in To Kill a Mockingbird use racist language. This study guide aims not to reproduce that language and avoids quoting it.