... taboo subject, but is very talkative about everything else. Coupled with his intelligence, he soon becomes friends with Scout and Jem. Their main curiosity over the summer months is the Radley house, in particular one of its strange occupants, Arthur "Boo" Radley, who never comes out of the run-down house at ... action and from a considerable distance shoots the dog dead with one shot. Later Miss Maudie tells Jem and Scout that Atticus was the best shot in the county and was know as "One-shot Finch". The Finch family receives more abuse from certain members of the community and Mrs. Dubo...

• Word Count: 2907
• Approx Pages: 12
• Grade Level: High School

... the American classics that generations of children have grown-up reading have been banned from the classrooms due to content that society has deemed questionable. In this novel, Jean Louise Finch ("Scout"), recalls the lessons she learned while growing up in 1930's Maycomb County, Alabama. Her father, Atticus Finch, is court- ... the desire of school boards to avoid conflict, may of them have yielded to the People for the American Way, PAW, and taken books off reading list. The most common reasons for books to be challenged are; treatment of sexuality, religious beliefs contrary to the no...

• Word Count: 1207
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... In chapter 1, Jane is continuingly being victimised by her cousins especially John, physically and mentally. For example, he finds her by the window, where she is quietly reading her book. He talks down to her, telling her to speak properly to him, "Say, "what do you want, Master Reed?" (P.3). He acts as ... parts from the bible. This theme of religion is very similar to one of Scouts experiences as a child as she to went to church. In chapter 12 the adult Scout describes the time Calpurnia took her and Jem to her church. Scout describes the church, saying that it was "unceiled and unpa...

• Word Count: 5125
• Approx Pages: 21
• Grade Level: High School

... eyes popped, and he drooled most of the time". This was the perception of Boo Radley from the one of the children in Maycomb County. Boo Radley is the ghost of Maycomb County, or so the children believe. Most children run when they pass in front of the Radley home, fearing that Boo Radley will come and ... his father's leg. Boo was then locked up in the courthouse basement. When Boo was finally taken back by Mr. Radley, no one ever saw him again. One summer when the children were playing in their tree house, they noticed a little boy sitting in the garden. The boy's name was Dill. He was...

• Word Count: 1409
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... a role model of moral virtue and impeccable character for lawyers to emulate. To Kill a Mockingbird has endured as a mainstay on high school and college reading lists. It was adapted to film in 1962 as a major motion picture starring Gregory Peck. Plot and Major Characters To Kill a Mockingbird is set ... family. Scout and Jem meet and befriend seven-year-old Dill Harris, a boy who has arrived in Maycomb to stay with his aunt for the summer. Lee has stated that the character of Dill is based on young Truman Capote, a well-known Southern writer and childhood friend. Together with Dill ... ...

• Word Count: 2287
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... the mind of a child, Haarper Lee tells a tale of prejudice and a society's coming of age. Mississippi youngsters Jean "Scout" Finch, her brother Jem meet a new playmate, Dill, who's spending the summer with his aunt. The trio of playmates amuse themselves by spying on the mysterious "Boo" Radley, trying anything and everything to make the man the whole town gossips about to ... Atticus Finch. She is intelligent, inquisitive, and sensitive about the world around her. Because Scout is somewhat of an outcast herself, like Boo Radley and the black members of Maycomb County, Mississippi, it ...

• Word Count: 683
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... himself dealing with the flaws of life at a time where puberty is starting to play a role in Jems life. The extremity of his traumatic events according to Jem started, "The summer Dill came to us, when Dill first gave us the idea of making Boo Radley come out." page 1. Although it seemed insignificant then, it later plays a crucial role in the ... away from society without the slightest care. "Maycomb was interested by the news of Tom's death for perhaps two days; two days was enough for information to spread through the county."P240 Jem realizes that the world has evil and hatred, and ...

• Word Count: 1013
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

While reading the book To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee I noticed a lesson learned. This lesson was don't attack something if it hasn't harmed you. Atticus taught this lesson when he was teaching ... the right side of her face but in order to do so you must be dominantly strong in your left arm. But in Tom's case his left arm was a whole 12 inches shorter than his right and wasn"t able to move it one bit. But because of the extreme case of racism in the 1930's when the book took place a white ... was an innocent victim of the taunts and of the people of Maycomb. Because of his few wron...

• Word Count: 832
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

As I was reading To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, I slowly came to understand how important a woman's role was back in the 30's. Women in the 30's were stereotyped to be strictly domestic, well ... much more comfortable and convenient. This was a big reason why Scout preferred breeches to dresses. Moreover, "Scout wasn't supposed to do anything that required pants!" That totally narrows down the list of things a 6-year-old girl that looks up to her older brother would be interested in doing. It was also part of the process of becoming a lady; a lady is supposed ... constantly reminded t...

• Word Count: 962
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... the same that happens to Scout and Jem. Scout, in this case, watches Jem grow out of his "kiddish" acts, summer by summer. One summer, Jem and Scout befriend a boy named Dill, who has come to live in their neighborhood for the summer, and the trio acts out stories together. Eventually, Dill becomes fascinated with the spooky house on their street called the Radley ... , Lee developed one of her short stories into her only novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, published in 1960. Mockingbird won the 1961 Pulitzer Prize and spent 80 weeks on the bestseller list. Translated into 40 languages with 30...

• Word Count: 961
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... story that the other characters on the street are introduced as they are likely to be mentioned more than once throughout the novel The story begins in summer, in the isolated the town of Maycomb county. The first significant even to occur is the arrival of Charles Baker Harris, or more commonly known as Dill. The early introduction of dill into the ... story is an indication that he is a major character and that he is likely to have an affect on the story line. Dill occupies Scout and Jem's summer's and Dill's curiosity ... ...

• Word Count: 548
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... by Atticus Finch, sums up the heart of this novel. Many people have wondered why Harper Lee decided to name her book after what seems like an insignificant excerpt. After reading the novel and fully understanding it one will realize that it is just another example of symbolism. A mockingbird is a harmless bird that tries to make the world seem more pleasant ... out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." Being very loud and aggressive, blue jays are the bullies f the bird world. Blue jays represent the bullies of Maycomb County, such as Bob Ewell. Mockingbirds, on the othe...

• Word Count: 809
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... " is used as a metaphor for the good and innocent, such as Boo Radley and Tom Robinson, who are as a result of the evil encountered in the prejudice people of Maycomb County, destroyed. The novel suggests that "It is a sin to kill a mockingbird", sin being something that is morally wrong, meaning that although it isn't against the law or illegal to persecute ... in a small Negro colony. He is respectful and righteous, with only a good heart with good intentions. Tom Robinson is a symbol of goodness, as is the entire Negro population in Maycomb County, who are portrayed as idealists witho...

• Word Count: 1371
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... years Boo has been locked in the house. Jem, Scout, and Dill are of course curious about him and want to see if he's some scary monster. One day, during summer, they try to take a fishing pole with a note on it and put it through the window. The pole is too short, and their plan fails. Atticus catches them and says ... thinks he shouldn't defend this man. When Scout asks why, Atticus says "The main one is, if I didn't I couldn't hold my head up in this town, I couldn't represent this county in its legislature, I couldn't even tell you or Jem not to do something." (Lee 78). Atticus belie...

• Word Count: 915
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... hate from the white people of Maycomb before the trial proceedings. There is even a plot by a lynch mob consisting of white men, to murder him when he is at the county jail. Tom Robinson's case is hopeless. Bob Ewell knows that his word will be deemed more credible than that of Tom's simply because he is white and Tom is black ... 's appointed lawyer, Atticus Finch has a very convincing defence. Mayella has bruises on her right side of her face meaning a left handed person has hit her. Tom Robinson's left hand is 12 inches shorter than his right hand. Bob Ewell is left handed and given h...

• Word Count: 1484
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... is important in the story because the whole story grows out of the particular back ground. The place where the novel is set is a county called Maycomb, an imaginary county in Southern Alabama in the United States. In Maycomb, most people were poor. Even the farm owners were always short of money. Black people ... "there was no hurry, for there was nowhere to go, nothing to buy and no money to buy with." This poverty and unemployment in the county was due to the Great Depression in the United States in the times. The Great Depression economically affected everyone in the town. There was no...

• Word Count: 486
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, an African American man is falsely accused of rape by Mayella Ewell, a poor woman who lives on the outskirts of Maycomb County, Alabama. Atticus Finch, lawyer and father of the main characters, Scout and Jem, is chosen to defend the poor black man, Tom Robinson. Atticus, being white, defies his peers by ... it was time you needed- well, it's like this Scout," Atticus said. "Your aunt's doing me a favor as well as you all. I can't spend all day with you, and the summer's going to be a hot one"" (128). One may argue that this was a feasible reason for A...

• Word Count: 577
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... . Jean Louise, or commonly known as Scout is an innocent eight or nine year old girl that is exposed to the reality of her town, Maycomb County at a very young age. After one day at school Scout asks her brother a very innocent question. She says, "Jem, how can you ... (pg. 249-250). Scout doesn't realize the prejudice community that she lives in. She is oblivious to the treatment that colored people receive in Maycomb County. Innocence is expressed by Jem and Scout during the Tom Robinson court case. Atticus, Jem and Scout's father, defended Tom in the accusation that he ... took the j...

• Word Count: 758
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... put on Scout's shoulders. Chapter 9 Atticus agrees to defend Tom Robinson, and at Christmas at Aunt Alexandra's Scout fights her cousin Francis for insulting her father. Chapter 12 Dill does not come for the summer. Attivus must go to Montgomery on business. Calpurnia takes children to service on the black church. Aunt Alexandra arrives. Chapter 13 Alexandra stays to take care of ... Scout with her snobbish and conservative attitude. Chapter 14 Alexandra annoys Atticus. Dill has run away, is found undre Scout's bed. Chapter 15 Dill is allowed to stay for the summer Atticus is warned of ...

• Word Count: 383
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... a big part of what makes this such a powerful story. The themes that make this work disputed, for me, only intensified my passion for what I was reading. When Tom Robinson (the defendant in a rape trial) was convicted, I did not think: "Why would Harper Lee even write about a black man being discriminated ... against like that? I"m disgusted with this novel! It's unfit for my reading!" No, I thought: "That's horrible! How could they? That's so wrong! Racism sucks!"-These racial themes just made me more ardent against racial discrimination. In this ... books at the center of this conflic...

• Word Count: 973
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

Recognition of Good and Evil Quality To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, is number #41 on the banned book list. It discovers the ethical nature of human beings. There seems to be no meaningful reason to ban this book as it has a good teaching behind it. When it was challenged ... protesting because of the racial themes in the book. All the reasons stated above are examples of criticisms of this book. To Kill A Mockingbird is # 41 on the banned books list. Decisions of censorship are often based on public opinions even if majority of the public don't actually support this decision. Likewise,...

• Word Count: 1147
• Approx Pages: 5

... said by Atticus. Another example is when Atticus takes Tom Robinson's case, he explains the reason to Scout "If I didn't I couldn't hold up my head in town, I couldn't represent this county in the legislature, I couldn't even tell you or Jem not to do something again. Scout, simply by the nature of the work, every lawyer gets at least one case in ... personally. This one's mine, I guess."" So he lives up to his own moral standards despite the harsh consequences he knows he will face. Atticus is also a kind and loving father, reading to his children and offering them comfort when they ne...

• Word Count: 683
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... happens is an isolated race that is exiled from both races because that child has blood from the other race. This evil act can be seen in the novel. The county practically exiles the children of Dolphus Raymond and his black spouse. It is done to the point that these children are forced to live in the non-racist north where ... they would not be looked down on as genetic freaks. After reading this, one would wonder of the community's reaction to Dolphus Raymond! , whose committing a great sin by having children with a black woman. Well, the town does not look down on him ... ...

• Word Count: 941
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... in To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus views her as brave as she fights her drug addiction. In the beginning of the novel, Mrs. Dubose is addicted to morphine, and with Jem reading to her every day, a little longer each day, she overcomes her addiction. She is courageous to overcome her addiction, even though she knows she will die anyway. Atticus, a character in ... defend is black. After Scout asks Atticus why he defends "niggers", he responds, "The main one [reason] is, if I didn't I couldn't hold up my head in town, I couldn't represent this county in the legislature, I couldn't even tel...

• Word Count: 1091
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

Atticus Finch is a defense lawyer for Maycomb County.He's also the honorable father of main character Scout and Jem. He is the lawyer for accused black rapist Tom Robinson and he tries to change injustices and racism in ... all. Atticus fights for Tom Robinson with all of himself, he does not care about his skin color, only his innocence. Atticus represents all of the honorable people in Maycomb County. Atticus Finch is a very honest man. When his children ask him difficult questions he doesn't try and sugarcoat his answers he is truthful. Scout asks, on page 21, if they ... just hold your ...

• Word Count: 435
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School