To Kill A Mockingbird Notes

English Literature Notes-To Kill A Mockingbird
Plausible Questions:
“Maycomb has recently been told that it had nothing to fear but fear itself.”
What do you think this “fear” refers to? Discuss.
In To Kill A Mockingbird, Scout has many role models. Who are they? Explain how
they have shaped her.
Compare and contrast the relationship between Scout and Jem, and the
relationship between Atticus and Aunt Alexandra.
“I want to be a lawyer just like Atticus”. In what ways have Jem mature?
Lee chooses to tell the story of “To Kill A Mockingbird” from the perspective of
Scout. What effects does this bring about? Use two instances from the novel to
justify your agreement.
Themes:
 Prejudice
• “Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a
sin to kill a mockingbird.”
• “we’re making a step—it’s a small step, but it’s a step.” Pg222
• Social
 The Radleys, or more specifically Arthur “Boo” Radley, the recluse.
• Terrifying- “Malevolent phantom”
• Stephanie Crawford’s spin-offs (neighbourhood legend)
• Did not participate in Maycomb traditions e.g. did not go to church,

door of Radley house were closed on Sundays, etc.
• “ When people’s azaleas froze in a cold snap, it was because he

had breathed on them”
• (Fear of the unknown) Wrong perception from children like Scout“a

baseball hit into the Radley yard was a lost ball and no questions
asked.” And “ everything on the Radley Place was poison”
• Radley game the children made “a melancholy drama little drama,

woven from bits and scraps of gossip and neighbourhood legend”.
This game propagated the prejudice Maycomb folks have on the
Radleys.
 The Cunninghams
Copyright © 2009-2010 Theodore Lam Xin Rong
Revised 2010
• Contrast with the Ewells
• Although they are poor, they are:
• Honest- “They took nothing they can’t pay back”, “No script
stamps, church baskets…”
• Proud of their heritage- has an entailment, “willing to go hungry to

keep his land and vote as he pleased.”
• Grateful and generous- Returns stuff eventually to the extent that

Atticus comments” that Mr Cunningham had more than paid him.”
• Shy- does not directly return the deed, but does it in secret
• Despite all of this, they are not considered to be as cultured as the

other Maycomb folk. This is evident when Scout wanted to invited
Walter Cunningham over to their house for a meal. Aunt Alexandra
objected to the idea as she felt that “they’re not our kind of folks.”
Furthermore, she feels that appearance does not make anyone in
Maycomb more respectable as she told Scout that “you can scrub
Walter Cunningham till he shines, you can put him in shoes and a
new suit, but he’ll never be like Jem.”
• “he-is-trash”
 The Ewells
• Looked down upon because of their father’s (Bob Ewell) actions and
considered as outcasts
• “none of them had done an honest day’s work”
• “They were people. But they lived like animals.”
• “members of an exclusive society”
• “No economic fluctuations changed their status”
• “Ewells lived as guests of the county”
• People despised them and hence become “blind” to some of their

activities-“allowed certain privileges by the simple method of
becoming blind to some of the Ewells’ activities”
• Burris Ewell. Called Miss Caroline a “snot nose slut”, foreshadowing

his father’s behaviour and reveals about his upbringing at home. (or
his lack of and Burris’ use of language gains him the title of a “real
mean one”)
Revised 2010
• Bob Ewell (Rude, uncouth, drunk) seen from his use of language-
likens Mayella to a “stuck hog” refer to Bob’s testimony, pg176-184
• Mayella Ewell. Although she tries to be different, she fails at it. Not
because she cannot, but because she is a Ewell.
• She tried to be different- “Mayella looked as if she tried to keep

clean” ,”red geraniums, cared for as tenderly as if they belonged to
Miss Maudie Atkinson”
• No friends, lonely- When Atticus asked her whether she had any
friends she said “You makin’ fun of me agin, Mr Finch”
• “she took offence into routine courtesy”
• Scout commented that Mayella “was even lonelier than Boo Radley”
and that she was sad as a “mixed child” pg198
• “white people wouldn’t have anything to do with her because she

lived among pigs; Negroes wouldn’t have anything to do with her
because she was white.”
 Dolphus Raymond
• Rumoured to be drinking out of a bag containing whisky
• Although “he’s real good to those chillun” refer to pg 167
• “they (Maycomb) cound never, never understand that I live like I do

because that’s the way I want to live.”
• Folks think that “he won’t change his ways”, “He can’t help himself”
• Ironically, he comments that “Because you’re children and you can

understand it,” He feels that the children’s perception of things has
not been marred by reality. Therefore he sees them as innocent,
upright and immaculate people that would be able to understand
the situation in an unbiased position.
 The Finches
• Finch children were taunted as their father, Atticus “defended

niggers”
• Had to Keep their head about certain things like how Atticus was a
disgrace
• Francis, Aunt Alexandra’s grandchild, said, “he’s turned out a

nigger-lover we’ll never be able to walk the streets of Maycomb
agin.”
Revised 2010
• “He (Mr Braxton Underwood) gave a snort and looked away” when
he found Scout sitting in the coloured balcony
 “The Other”
• Miss Caroline Fisher
♦ Wants to introduce a new teaching method, hence viewed as an

outcast
♦ “looked and smelled like a peppermint drop”. This foreshadows

that she will bring something new as her resemblance to
peppermint, which is known to be refreshing, indicates that she
is going to bring something new.
♦ From “North Alabama”, land indigenous to “other persons of no

background”, therefore the class “murmured apprehensively”
♦ The classed did not even speak to her. For example, they kept
quiet about Walter Cunningham’s situation and urged Scout to
tell Miss Caroline.
• Miss Tutti and Miss Frutti
♦ Considered alien as they are not Maycomb native- “migrated

from Clanton, Alabama, in 1911”
♦ “Their ways were strange to us(the Maycomb residences)”
 Social Classes
• E.g. Aunt Alexandra discriminates against others
• Considers herself “not from run-of-the-mill people” and product of

“several generations of gentle breeding”
• Angered when she found out that Scout followed Calpurnia to

church
• “There was indeed a caste system in Maycomb”, White folks like the
Finches followed by the white farmer like the Cunninghams and the
“trash of the society” like the Ewells and the Blacks
• “Everybody in Maycomb, it seemed, had a Streak”
• During the trial, the jury was afraid of vindicating Tom Robinson as
they were afraid of being ostracised by the white people in
Maycomb.
• Racial
Revised 2010
 Blacks
• Lowest in Maycomb’s “hierarchy”
♦ Blacks were not given titles like “Miss” or “Mr” instead they are
called by their name or “nigger” or “boy”. This shows the lack of
respect the whites have for the black community in Maycomb.
♦ Scout comments that Calpurnia is “supposed to go around in the

back” when she was going to inform the Radleys that Tim
Johnson, the mad dog, was on his way there. This shows that
racism is entrenched into the minds of the Maycomb locals, even
the most innocent of people—the children.
♦ Definition of “nigger-lover”- “ignorant, trashy people use it when

they think somebody favouring Negroes over and above
themselves. It’s slipped into usage with some people like
ourselves, when they want a common, ugly term to label
somebody.”
♦ Whites do not have respect for the black- “Negroes worshipped

in it on Sundays and white men gambled in it on weekdays.”
Sacrilegious men.
♦ Scout commented that there was a “warm bittersweet smell of

clean Negro welcomed us”. Probably scared and shy because it
is the first time she goes to a black church.
♦ Even the blacks try not to associate themselves with the whites,
unless they were close to them like Atticus. As Lula said, “You
ain’t got no business bringin’ white chillum here”
♦ During the Lynch mob, “sullen-looking, sleepy-eyed men who

seemed used to late hours” and who “talked in near-whispers”
wanted to stop Atticus from defending Tom Robinson really
badly and prevent the trail so as to not expose the truth. This
shows that they want Tom Robinson to be guilty instead of Bob
Ewell (Racial Prejudice).
♦ The jail was only “full of niggers”, also it was covered to make it
look less like a jail for blacks.
♦ Aunt Alexandra thinks that one should not say things demeaning
to a black in front of one-“you said Braxton Underwood despises
Negroes right in front of her.”
♦ “Around here once you have a drop of Negroes blood that

makes you all black.”
Revised 2010
♦ The courtroom is segregated into two parts: the main

congregation in front of the room and the coloured balcony
♦ Bob Ewell claimed that there no need to call a doctor to check on

Mayella after she was allegedly raped as it would have cost five
dollars. However, the real reason why it is not needed is because
many whites have the “evil assumption” (the blacks are always
guilty) so with the presence of a Black man, Tom Robinson, no
other evidence is needed.
♦ Prejudiced because of the “Maycomb disease”- the “evil

assumption”, “all Negroes lie, that all negroes are basically
immoral beings”
♦ “Now don’t you be so confident, Mr Jem, I ain’t ever seem any

jury decide in favour of a coloured man over a white man…” This
line is said by Calpurnia. This shows that in a case this Tom
Robinson’s, the chances of him winning is negligible because he
is black. Hence this shows racial prejudice and that it is
ingrained in the minds of the people. (Even the Blacks are
pessimistic that Tom Robinson would be vindicated)
♦ “There’s something in our world that makes men lose their

heads—they couldn’t be fair if they tried. In our courts when it’s
a white man’s word against a black man’s. The white man
always wins. They are ugly, but those are the facts of life.”
♦ Sometimes referred to as ‘darky’
♦ Mrs Merriweather says that “the cooks and field hands are just
dissatisfied, but they’re settling down now – they grumbled all
next day after that trial.”(Black are unhappy about the verdict)
but feels that their grumbling is uncalled for as she thinks that
Tom Robinson is guilty just because he is black.
♦ THE ASSUMPTION: ‘Typical of a nigger’s mentality to have no

plan, no thought for the future, just run blind first chance he
saw.’ This shows the ingrained racism in the white people as
they also do not care for the Blacks.
• Tom Robinson
♦ Although he was honest- “denied it three times in one breath,

but quietly, with no hint of whining in his voice”
♦ He was discriminated and guilty because of his colour- “scared

I’d hafta face up to what I didn’t do.”
♦ Referred to by Mr Gilmer as “boy”
Revised 2010
♦ Wrong to say that “I felt right sorry for her” as Blacks are
considered to be worse off then the whites. Therefore, it is taboo
for a Black to feel sorry for a white.
♦ “Mr Finch if you was a nigger like me, you’d be scared, too.”
♦ Still lost even though it was evident that Tom was in the right as
the Ewell’s claims were incoherent
♦ After the trial, he was considered a dead man and had

“seventeen bullet holes in him” when he was trying to escape
from prison, when he could have been killed by using only a
bullet.
• Mixed Children
♦ “they’re real sad”
♦ “don’t belong anywhere”
♦ “Around here once you have a drop of Negroes blood that makes
you all black.”
♦ Jem comments that “you just hafta know who they are”. This
implies that one is not born prejudiced against another, but one
chooses to be. (Can be applied towards all forms)
• Gender
 Scout suffers acutely from the stereotypes imposed upon her because
of the rigid sexism and gender rules that govern the southern life.
Scout hates to wear dresses and finds the accusation that she “acts
like a girl” highly offensive. Although the characters do not explicitly
deal with gender issues. Lee does offer several characters, Miss Maudie
and Miss Stephanie and Aunt Alexandra to illustrate the broad
spectrum of the southern womanhood that lies beneath the simplistic
southern belle stereotype.
 Maycomb is a patriarch society; therefore females are expected to

behave in a certain fashion.
 Expectations of a southern woman: “I could not possibly hope to be a

lady if I wore breeches”
 Scout gets insulted for being a girl. For example, when Scout refuses to
peek into the Radley place with Jem and Dill, they called her angel
may, a term associated with girls (the fairer sex).
 Atticus was considered unmanly because of his age and the fact that
heretofore never participated in activities that were considered manly.
Revised 2010
For example, he “was feeble”, “never too tired to play keep-away”,

perceived by his children to have not “do anything”, “worked in an
office” and did not “do anything that could possibly arouse the
admiration of anyone.”
 Although Jem meant no harm, he told Scout to “hold your (Scout’s)

head high and be a gentleman” when Mrs Dubose was throwing insults
at them. This shows that Jem treats Scout more like a brother rather
than a sister, hence this shows gender prejudice.
 Aunt Alexandra insist that Scout should dress up like a girl, much to
Scout’s disapproval
 Girls are not allowed to listen to the rape trial- “Mr Jem you better take
Miss Jean Louise home.”
 “Miss Maudie can’t serve on a jury because she’s a woman—“
 Growing Up (Jem and Scout)
• Influences
 Atticus
 Calpurnia
 Miss Maudie
 Aunt Alexandra
 Uncle Jack
• Characteristics at start, contrast with it at the end (Also can be used for
their characterisation)
 Jem
• At the beginning of the novel (he isn’t that immature as he is of an

older age compared to Scout)
♦ Proud. “had never declined a dare.”
♦ Calculative. “Jem thought about it for three days.”
♦ Practices blind courage. “I(Scout) supposed he loved honour

more than his head”
♦ Cares about siblings. Comforts Scout and tries to educate her.
♦ More mature than any other child in the book. He shows this
when the tales care of his sister, Scout, and when he tells her
about life. The only time that Jem was childish was when he, Dill
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and Scout made up games about Boo Radley and poking fun at
him. One instance when Jem took Scout to aside to help her
understand was when he told her about people like Walter
Cunningham and how they were poor and had no money. Jem is
highly protective of Scout, especially when her ordered Scout to
spot out the chewing gum she found from the Radley knot-hole.
♦ Respects Atticus. The night the children visited the Radley Place
and tried to see Boo, Jem left his pants behind in a wired fence
as he had trouble getting through.Before this event, Jem
promised Atticus that he would not bother Boo Radley. Atticus
had considerable respect for Jem, and he had no intention of
losing his trust. Hence this depicts the difference in maturity
between him and Scout as Scout thought that when Jem might
be “licked” by Atticus, she took it as a physical pain and told Jem
that “it would not last”, which she knew was indeed better than
getting shot by Mr Nathan. On the other hand, Jem was more
concerned over the trust Atticus had for him and he valued it so
much that he was willing to risk his life to maintain that trust.
Thus this shoes the growth in his maturity when he makes the
discussion to get his pants back.
♦ However, his acts of blind courage (e.g. the Radley game, touch
their house, trying to sneak into their house) is considered to be
immature as he fails to realise what true courage is.
♦ Naïve. Thinks that the law is always impartial. This is evident

during the trail when he believed that the jury would set the
innocent Tom Robinson free, but they did not. This made his face
streaked with angry tears as he was unable to comprehend the
injustice that had just occurred as it conflicted with his belief
that the law is always impartial.
• Whilst growing up…
♦ Jem learns the truth about Boo Radley when he realises Boo had
put the blanket around Scout, while Scout has no idea what was
going on. “Jem seemed to have losing his mind...Toward me…
Thank who… ‘Boo Radley’.” This is where Jem shows signs of
growing up. He begins to understand that Boo Radley is not
harmful at all. Here, it begins to show that Jem’s maturity is
faster than Scout’s, because she cannot understand and still
thinks that Boo is dangerous. This is where Jem and Scout begin
to “part company”.
♦ Understands why Atticus does not show off his skills in front of
anyone. This shows that Atticus is a gentleman and humble even
though he is a person with great skill. This is evident as Miss
Revised 2010
Maudie explains that “people in the right mind” do not show off
their skills purposely and only do if it is needed. This is observed
when Atticus shot Old Tim Robinson. Initially, Jem was ashamed
of his father for not being like all the other fathers in Maycomb
County, including the fact that Atticus did not play Jem’s
favourite sport—football. However, his understanding of Atticus’
humility comes to life when he sees that his father is recognised
as the “one-shot Finch” for his superior marksmanship but did
not tell his children or boast about it. It is also evident that Jem
matures as Jem thought differently as compared to Scout, who
was ever ready to tell everyone about their dad’s capabilities
that Jem knew if “Atticus wanted them to know, he would tell
them”. Jem is proud of his father’s humility.
♦ Learns the true meaning of true courage. (Through Mrs Dubose)

Atticus explained to him that Mrs Dubose had aimed to “die free,
beholden to nothing and nobody”, and also called her a lady
despite having different view from Atticus, like being prejudiced
against black. Jem understands the kind of courage exhibited by
Mrs Dubose by not making things easier for oneself and
challenging the harder route, such as Atticus describing it as
“knowing you are going to get licked before, but you still do it
anyway,” and standing your ground for what you believe in.
♦ Relationship between Jem and Boo changes. Initially, Jem thinks

that Boo, as the rumours made by Miss Stephanie Crawford, is a
“malevolent phantom” that feeds on squirrels. He thought that
Arthur was a beast to fear, as seen when he was hesitating when
Dill dared him to touch the Radley Place. However he soon
realises that Arthur had been caring for them and “he (Arthur)
would never harm us(the children)”. Jem, therefore, understands
that Arthur is harmless and kinds, when he realises that Arthur
was protecting Scout from the cold by putting his blanket in her,
Thus, we can see Jem maturing as he comes to accept Arthur,
unlike majority of Maycomb’s inhabitants.
♦ “Jem was twelve. His appetite was appalling and he told me so

many times to stop pestering him that I consulted Atticus:
‘Reckon he’s got a tapeworm” Atticus said no, Jem was growing.
I must be patient with him and disturb him as little as possible.”
Jem was beginning to change in his attitude, adding to Scout’s
confusion. As one can see, Jem’s maturity begins to separate
him and Scout.
♦ Jem is starting to mature physically as time goes by. As he is

starting to change his beliefs. Scout commented that “Jem had
acquired an alien set of values and was trying to impose them
Revised 2010
on me”. He even tries to educate Scout and makes Scout think

that “he had acquired a maddening air of wisdom.”
♦ Even Calpurnia is starting to realise this as she addresses Jem as

“Mister Jem”. This shows that Jem is growing up as people are
starting to treat him with the respect given to adults.
♦ Throughout the novel, Jem remains unbiased towards any race.

This can be seen during their trip to Calpurnia’s church when
Jem likens Calpurnia’s preacher to theirs.
♦ Jem tries to salvage the relationship between Scout and Aunt

Alexandra by trying to get Scout to not cause any trouble that
might disappoint Aunt Alexandra. For example, after Scout’s row
with Aunt Alexandra about her desire to go to Calpurnia’s home,
Jem told Scout, “Try not to antagonise Aunty, hear?” This shows
that Jem is trying to mediate the situation and shows that Jem is
maturing for doing so. Furthermore, Jem tells Scout to “take up
sewing or somethin’” in order to not make Aunt Alexandra upset
with Scout.
♦ Able to empathise with grown-up and understands how they feel.

This can be seen when Dill ran away from home and ended up in
their house, Jem told Dill that “You oughta let your mother know
where you are,” and “Dill, you’ve got to stop goin’ off without
tellin’ her,” and he continues that “It just aggravates her.”
♦ Jem wants to protect his family as he cares for them. This is

observed during the lynch mob when Atticus commanded Jem to
bring the children home. But Jem refused and stood there.
♦ Strong sense of justice. Feels that Atticus have done a good job
defending Tom Robinson and that he will probably win the trail.
However, he fails to realise that racism exists in this world which
will destroy the life of an innocent black man. Furthermore, “his
hands were white from gripping the balcony rail, and his
shoulders jerked as if each ‘guilty’ was a separate stab between
them. Even after the trail, he feels that Tom Robinson is
innocent and asks Atticus whether there would be an appeal.
Also, Jem starts to debate with Atticus about justice and even
feels that “He didn’t kill anybody even if he was guilty, He didn’t
take anybody’s life.”.
♦ After the trial, Jem becomes more pessimistic and thinks that
very little people in Maycomb actually wanted to help Atticus.
This can be seen during his conversation with Miss Maudie when
he told her “Who in this town did one thing to help Tom
Robinson, just who?”. Furthermore, he is unable to see the
Revised 2010
optimism in Dill’s decision to become a clown as he told Dill that

“Clowns are sad, it’s folks that laugh at them.”
♦ Treated differently from the other children- When Miss Maudie

gave the cakes to the children, there was a big cake and two
little ones then she “cut from the big cake and gave the slice to
Jem”. This shows that she treats Jem like an adult as the big
cake is only meant for grown-up, so the fact that Miss Maudie
decided to give Jem a slice of the big cake shows that she treats
him like an adult. Atticus treats Jem as an adult and thus he does
not shield him from the world anymore. This can be seen by the
countless discussions that they have about justice and fairness
in the Maycomb society.
♦ Jem also becomes confused and disturbed, even to the extent

that he thinks that “rape shouldn’t be a capital offence”.
♦ Jem’s impression of the world has changed. “If there’s just one
type of folks, why can’t they get along with each other? If they’re
all alike, why do they go out of their way to despise each other?
Scout, I think I’m beginning to understand why Boo Radley’s
stayed shut up in the house all this time… it’s because he wants
to stay inside.”
♦ When Scout asked why she could not kill the insect, Jem replied
that “Because they don’t bother you,”. This is because Jem feels
that this action would be similar to the conviction of Tom
Robinson. (Destruction of the innocent)
♦ In chapter 26, Jem and Scout continue to separate from one

another. “our routines were so different”
♦ In chapter 27, Jem is growing up and does not want to be seen

as a child. – “Jem considered himself too old for Halloween
anyway; he said he wouldn’t be caught anywhere near the high
school at something like that.”
♦ In chapter 28, whilst returning home with Scout, he felt that

something was amiss (Mr Bob Ewell was trying to kill them), he
merely told Scout that “Its just old Cecil,” said Jem presently,
“He won’t get us again. Let’s don’t let him think we’re hurrying.”
This shows Jem concern for his sister and his maturity as it
reveals that Jem cares for his sister and does not want her to
worry. Therefore he lies to her.
 Scout
• As immature
Revised 2010
♦ Views Calpurnia as a “tyrannical presence” and even asked

Atticus to fire her. “She likes Jem better’n she like me”
♦ Considers Boo Radley a “malevolent phantom” and is scared of

being near the house or even discuss about it
♦ Quick to anger. Started to beat up Walter Cunningham when he

got her in trouble with Miss Caroline Fisher.
♦ Tom-boyish- “rubbing his(Walter Cunningham’s) nose in the dirt”
♦ “Reading was something that just came to me, as learning to

fasten the seat of my union suit without looking around” shows
her immaturity as she compares stuff with her underwear. This
shows that she thinks being a women is disadvantageous.
♦ Sensitive- “Had her conduct been more friendly towards me, I

would have felt sorry for her.”
♦ Promises Atticus not to tell Miss Caroline that they were reading
illicitly and to go to school if Atticus would continue reading with
her.
♦ She eats things she finds on the floor and takes stuff without
permission.
♦ Hates school become she is unable to read and write freely
♦ Gets upset when Jem and Dill insults her for being “girly” even
though she is a girl
♦ Tries to tell Jem to get ‘licked’ by Atticus instead of going out to

retrieve his pants from the Radley Place. Unable to understand
that this licking has more implications like breaching the trust
and tacit bond Jem shares with Atticus.
♦ When Mr Nathan Radley plugged the tree hole with cement,

Scout merely thought that it is just the termination of the gifts
that they were receiving. However, she fails to realise the
sadness behind this, which Jem figures out, that Mr Nathan is
depriving his brother from any social interaction outside the
house and goes through a catharsis.
♦ Uses expletives like “morphidite”, “whore-lady” and “nigger

lover” without realising true meaning of these words.
♦ Thinks that Atticus is unmanly as he is “never too tired to play

keep-away” and said he “didn’t do anything that could possible
aroused the admiration of anyone”.
Revised 2010
♦ Wanted to tell her school mates that Atticus has a flair for
shooting, as she wants to be normal and have a father that has
something that could arouse the interest of someone. However,
she was stopped by Jem who understood why Atticus did not
take pride in it and told Scout not to tell anyone in school.
♦ Feels that Jem is becoming odd as he mature and describes him

as having a “maddening air of wisdom”
♦ Asked Calpurnia why she talks “nigger-talk” to her folks even

though she knows it’s not right.
♦ When Aunt Alexandra refused to allowed Scout to go to

Calpurnia’s house, she defiantly replied, “I didn’t ask you!”
♦ Naïve- Believes that babies were dropped down from the

chimney by God
♦ When a group of men gathered outside the house she

“wondered who had died”.
♦ During the lynch mob, she spots Mr Cunningham and tries to

converse with him without realising the tension and severity of
the situation she is in.
♦ Does not understand the trail completely.
♦ Feels “vindicated” when Jem was scolded by Calpurnia (when

Jem was scolded by Calpurnia she said “I was exhilarated”) as
she thinks that Calpurnia shows favouritism towards Jem.
♦ Naïve- “I toyed with the idea of asking everyone below to

concentrate on setting Tom Robinson free” feels that these
childish and superstitious methods would help Tom Robinson
become a free man.
♦ Remains impartial- “I think there’s just one kind of folks. Folks.”
♦ Unable to fit into the society of ladies- Scout is not used to things
related to being a lady. “Ladies in bunches always filled me with
vague apprehension and a firm desire to be elsewhere, but this
feeling was what Aunt Alexandra called being ‘spoiled’.”
♦ She also struggles to act like a lady. During the tea party,
“I(Scout) sat quietly, having conquered my hands by tightly
gripping the arms of the chair, and waited for someone to speak
to me.”. This also shows her desire to become a lady as she
would even go to the extent go resisting her urge to be
physically active to learn to be a lady.
Revised 2010
♦ Scout still torments and tries to ‘kill’ the innocent. This can be
seen by the roly-poly incident.
“A roly-poly had found its way inside the house; I reasoned that
the tiny varmint had crawled up the steps and under the door. I
was putting my book on the floor beside my cot when I saw him.
The creatures are no more than an inch long, and when you
touch them they roll themselves into a tight grey ball. I lay on
my stomach, reached down and poked him. He rolled up. Then,
feeling sad, I suppose, he slowly unrolled. He travelled a few
inches on his hundred legs and I touched him again. He rolled
up. Feeling sleepy, I decided to end things. My hand was going
down on him when Jem spoke.”
♦ In chapter 25, Scout feels that “Jem was the one who was
getting more like a girl every day,” and becoming soft as he
prevented her from killing an insect.
♦ Scout does not feel comfortable with Jem’s maturity and the new
ways people are treating him. When the adults were discussing
something important, she thought, ”Oh foot, he’s old enough to
listen,”
♦ Scout is naïve to think that Jem’s changing personality is

temporary. This reveals that she is childish as she is unable to
see that maturing is an irreversible process.
• When growing up…
♦ Relationship with Calpurnia changes. “meddling in my business

had faded to gentle grumblings of general disapproval” and
sometimes Scout went to much trouble “not to provoke her”.
♦ The relationship with Calpurnia changes for the better. This can
be seen in Chapter 24 when she “was wearing my pink Sunday
dress, shoes, and a petticoat, and reflected that if I spilled
anything Calpurnia would have to ash my dress again for
tomorrow. This had been a busy day for her. I decided to stay
out.” This shows that she empathises with Calpurnia’s situation
and tries to avoid giving her any additional tasks.
♦ Gains more insight about Boo from Miss Maudie
♦ Took Atticus’ advice and tried to walk in Jem’s “skin” by leaving

him alone.
♦ Taught to fight with her head for a change. “try fighting with
your head for a change… it’s a good one, even if it does resist
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learning.” She practiced what Atticus had preached by walking

away from Cecil Jacobs when he insulted her.
♦ “Promise you won’t tell Atticus about this. He –he asked me one
time not to let anything I heard about him make me mad, an’ I’d
ruther him think we were fightin’ about somethin’ else instead.
Please promise…”
♦ “when I was well into the second grade at school and tormenting
Boo Radley became passé” Accepts Boo and knows who he
really is – a nice person.
♦ When Atticus asked her whether she would like Aunt Alexandra
to stay with them, she agrees as she now believes that “one
must like under certain circumstances and at all times when one
can’t do anything about them.”
♦ “Dill asked if I’d like to have a poke at Boo Radley. I said I didn’t
think it’d be nice to bother him.”
♦ Lies to Jem about being able to see his chest hair to make Jem
feel better. She said it “looked lovely, but I didn’t see anything”.
♦ Her relationship with Calpurnia is changing for the better.”I was

wearing my pink Sunday dress, shoes, and a petticoat, and
reflected that if I spilled anything Calpuirnia would have to wash
my dress again for tomorrow. This had beena busy day for her. I
decided to stay out.” This shows that she is maturing because
she does not want to be a burden to Calpurnia by dirtying her
clothes.
♦ In chapter 24, she sees Aunt Alexandra as a role model as starts

becoming a lady as she said “if Aunty could be a lady at a time
like this, so could I.”. This shows that she is maturing and trying
to become a lady as she has found the true meaning of
becoming a lady to remain unfazed even in the toughest of
situations.
♦ She is unable to understand the change that is occurring in Jem

as she wants it to stay the same.- When Jem prevented Scout
from killing the insect, she thought “it was probably a part of the
stage he was going through, and I wished he would hurry up and
get through it.” As she thinks that the trial has emotionally
affected Jem, but only thinks that this change is only temporary.
♦ In chapter 26, Scout shows more signs of growing up. “The

Radley Place had cease to terrify me”, “I sometimes felt a twinge
of remorse, when passing by the old place, at ever having taken
part in what must have been sheer torment to Arthur
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Radley”(Scout is maturing and practices empathy). She is also

able to differentiate between reality from fantasy as she is able
to recognise that dream to see Boo Radley is “only a fantasy”.
♦ Scout loses track of time. “I hushed then and there. At the same
time I marvelled at Atticus, This was the first he lad let us know
he knew a lot more about something than we thought he knew.
And it had happened years ago. No, only last summer –no,
summer before last, when … time was playing tricks on me. I
must remember to ask Jem.”
♦ Scout is not easily frighten. “we entered the black seventh-grade

room and were led around by the temporary ghoul in residence
and were made to touch several objects alleged to be the
component parts of a human being. ‘Here’s his eyes,’ we were
told when we touched two peeled grapes on a saucer. ‘Here’s his
heart,’ which felt like raw liver. ‘These are his innards,’ and our
hands were thrust into a plate of cold spaghetti.” This shows that
she is mature as she indentifies the “body part” as inanimate
objects, indicating that she is not afraid of it.
♦ She is able to sense Jem’s feelings as she “knew he was not

joking” we he asked her to remain quiet when he felt that
something was amiss. Furthermore, when Jem tries to convince
her, quite unconvincingly, that Cecil Jacobs was trying to pull a
prank on that she followed his orders and “wondered how long
he (Jem) would try to keep the Cecil myth going.” This indicates
her maturity in thought as she knows that Jem is lying and trying
to comfort her by doing so.
♦ Atticus’ teachings have been etched into Scout’s mind- “but I

brought my arm down quickly lest Atticus reprimand me for
pointing. It was impolite to point.”
♦ Able to empathise with Boo and makes him feel comfortable.

“Come along, Mr Arthur, I heard myself saying,” you don’t know
the house real well. I’ll just take you to the porch, sir.” This
shows that she treats Boo with respect and tries to make him
feel comfortable.
♦ Scout understands why they were trying to over-up the situation

(to protect Boo) and adds that “it’d be sort of like shootin’ a
mockingbird”.
♦ In chapter 31, Scout is able to empathise with Boo Radley. This

can be seen as she was” beginning to learn his body English. His
hand tightened on mine and he indicated that he wanted to
leave.” Furthermore, “I slipped my hand into the crook of his
arm.”, “He had to stoop a little to accommodate me, but if Miss
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Stephanie Crawford was watching from her upstairs window, she

would see Arthur Radley escorting me down the sidewalk, as any
gentleman would do.” Scout understands that a lady should no
escort Arthur home. Therefore she makes it look like Arthur is
escorting her somewhere.
♦ “I had never seen our neighbourhood from this angle.” She sees
the world from Boo’s point of view (literally). This also indicates
that she now sees the world from a different angle, figuratively.
♦ Scout is conscious of the fact that her education on life and how
to cope with it is completed and all that’s left to learn is
academics. “there wasn’t much else left for us to learn, except
possibly algebra.”
♦ At the end of the novel, she pretends to be listening to Atticus

when she actually fallen asleep.
 Courage
• Physical Courage
 Touching the Radley place (Jem)
• Jem touched the Radley place when Dill dared him too. Initially, Jem
was terrified by the idea. However, since “he loved honour more
than his head” he eventually accepted it.
• This incident showed how the children perceived courage to be

some kind of dare, with the absence of fear.
 Shooting the mad dog
• When old Tim Johnson, the mad dog, was approaching the Radley
place, Atticus, also known as “one-shot Finch”, was pressured by Mr
Heck Tate into shooting the dog because of his adept shooting skills
• This shows courage as he did something no one wanted to do as it

was too difficult – shoot the dog. Similarly, Atticus will take up Tom
Robinson’s case with moral courage.
• Moral Courage
 Atticus
• Takes up the trial even though he knows that he is fighting a losing

battle
• Atticus tells Scout to “try fighting with your head for a change… it’s
a good one, even if it does resist learning.”
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• When Atticus greets Miss Dubose, Scout comments“It was times like
these when I thought my father, who hated guns and had never
been to any wars, was the bravest man who ever lived.”
• Reasons with Scout that he took up the case because it is

something “that goes to the essence of a man’s conscience—Scout,
I couldn’t go to church and worship God if I didn’t try to help that
man.”- This shows that Atticus took the case up because of moral
reasons
• “Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started

is no reason for us not to try to win” shows that Atticus wants to
make history by aiding a black man and exemplified moral courage
by wanting to do so.
• “It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin
anyway and you see it through”
 Mrs Dubose
• A morphine addict, “but she was too contrary” and wanted to

“leave this world beholden to nothing and nobody.”
• So she tried to abstain from morphine.
• Eventually, she died as free “as the mountain air”
• Atticus even said that “she was the bravest person I ever knew”
 Jem
• Wanted to retrieved his pants much to Scout’s disapproval when

they went to the Radley place one night
• REASON: Does not want to get a “lickin’” as this will affect the
relationship Jem has with Atticus, making Atticus distrust him.
• Goes to Mrs Dubose, apologises to her and promises to read to her

every day for a month.
• Although he does not want to, he does it anyway.
• When Atticus is confronted by the mob, he demanded that Jem and

Scout to go home. Jem refused.
• This shows that Jem cares for his father and refuses to go home to
protect his father. Hence, this indirectly shows the courage within
Jem.
 Scout
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• On Scout’s first day of school, Miss Caroline Fisher offers to give

Walter Cunningham three quarters. Scout stood up and told her that
she was shaming him as Walter “haven’t got a quarter at home to
bring you”.
• This incident revealed that Scout had showed courage as she was
the only one who dared to stand up for Walter by telling Miss
Caroline the reason.
• Scout “walked away from a fight” when Cecil Jacobs taunted her
• This is because she took Atticus’ advice to “try fighting with your
head”.
• She diffused the mob by using her innocent responses to make Mr

Cunningham embarrassed
• She told him that “entailments are bad”, hence shaming Mr

Cunningham, as he feels that his “dirty laundry” is exposed to the
public, and making him empathise with Atticus.
• Hence she showed courage by trying to help his brother and father
diffuse this matter.
 Justice and Fairness
• Scout and Uncle Jack pg91-92
 When Francis and Scout has a dispute, Francis accused Scout of using
the term “whore-lady” on him
 Uncle Jack intervenes and censures Scout
 This made Scout feel a sense of injustice as she said “I’ll never speak
to you again as long as I live! I hate you an’ despise you an’ hope you
die tomorrow!”
 Scout then tells Uncle Jack when she calmed down that “When Jem and
I fuss Atticus doesn’t ever just listen to Jem’s side of it, he hears mine
too”
 This shows the theme of justice and fairness as Scout was punished
without a proper “trail” and also shows that Atticus is just and fair to
his children.
• The Trial
 Atticus tries to fight for Tom Robinson- “Simply because we were licked
a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win”
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 Atticus managed to prove that the Ewells were lying by tricking them
e.g. making Bob Ewell write to discover that he was left-handed,
Mayella’s inconsistent testimony.
 Atticus believes that “all men are created equal”
 And believes that the court is a leveller- “courts are the great levellers,
and in our courts all men are created equal.”
 However even with all the evidence against the Ewells, Tom Robinson
was still deemed guilty, simply because “In our courts, when it’s a
white man’s word against a black man’s, the white man always wins.
They’re ugly, but those are the facts of life.”
• After the trial
 Jem starts to debate with Atticus about justice- “It ain’t right. He didn’t
kill anybody even if he was guilty. He didn’t take anybody’s life.” (Jem
has developed a great sense of justice and injustice)
 Learns that people are comfortable with the law right now and
adamant to change it. When Jem asks Atticus to change the law he
replied, “You’d be surprised how hard that’d be. I won’t live to see the
law changed, and if you live to see it you’ll be an old man.”
 “There’s something in our world that makes men lose their heads—
they couldn’t be fair if they tried. In our courts when it’s a white man’s
word against a black man’s. The white man always wins. They are ugly,
but those are the facts of life.”
 “in the secret courts of men’s hearts Atticus had no case.” Reveals that
deep down inside these men feel that Tom Robinson is guilty just
because it is wrong to favour a black man over a white man.
 Education
• Jem believes that social classes are related to “how long your family’s
been readin’ and writin’” as it raises a family’s social and economic status.
• Formal (e.g. Miss Caroline, Schooling)
 When Scout first went to school, she disliked it because of its rigidness
 When Miss Caroline Fisher, the new teacher from North Alabama who
tries to impose the “Dewey Decimal System” on the children, found out
that Scout could read and write she was displeased with her and told
her to tell her father not to teach her. This gave Scout a patronising
feeling about schooling.
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 Scout real education-“As for me, I knew nothing except what I gathered
from ‘Time’ magazine and reading everything I could lay hands on at
home, but as I inched sluggishly along the treadmill if the Maycomb
County school system, I could not help receiving the impression that I
was being cheated out of something.”
 Jem tries to comfort Scout and tells her that “the older I got the better
school would be” –“The sixth grade seemed to please him from the
beginning: he went through a brief Egyptian Period that baffled me - he
tried to walk flat a great deal, sticking one arm in front of him and one
in back of him, putting one foot behind the other. He declared
Egyptians walked that way; I said if they did I didn't see how they got
anything done, but Jem said they accomplished more than the
Americans ever did, they invented toilet paper and perpetual
embalming, and asked where would we be today if they hadn't? Atticus
told me to delete the adjectives and I'd have the facts.”
 Eventually Scout enjoys schooling a bit more
 Scout remains critical of the education system as she feels that it is not
useful. She emphasises that she was “forced to one day in school”.
 The system, does not consider the wealth and background of the
children and their access to the media. “in Maycomb it didn’t work very
well. In the first place, few rural children had access to newspaper, so
the burden of Current Events was borne by the town children,
convincing the bus children more deeply that the town children got all
the attention anyway.”
 During one lesson, she learns about democracy, her teacher, Mrs
Gates, said, “Over here we don’t believe in persecuting anybody.
Persecution comes from people who are prejudiced.”. This is ironic as
Mrs Gates also practices inequality and persecutes the Blacks, in
particular, Tom Robinson, as she does not see them as her equal. This
contradicts what she had preached during her lesson.
• Informal (e.g. Atticus, Miss Maudie, Aunt Alexandra. Dolphus Raymond)
 Atticus
• “You never really understand a person until you consider things

from his point of view--until you climb inside of his skin and walk
around in it.” This important snippet of the conversation finds
Atticus giving Scout the crucial piece of moral advice that governs
her development for the rest of the novel, the simple wisdom of
Atticus’ words reflects the uncomplicated manner in which he
guides himself by this sole principle. His ability to relate to his
children is manifested in his restatement of this principle in terms
that Scout can understand.
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• Reads the newspaper to his children daily- keeps the children

informed on current affairs
• Teaches the children to respect others- When Mr Nathan Radley

claims that his tree was clogged with cement, Atticus disagreed at
first when Scout asked about that tree but changes his answer to
match Mr Nathan’s when Scout told him what he said. This shows
that Atticus wants his children to believe that Mr Nathan was not
lying and to respect his decision be it for the better or the worse.
• Atticus tells Scout to “try fighting with your head for a change… it’s
a good one, even if it does resist learning.” To help her cope with
the impending trauma.
• “Bad language is a stage all children go through and it dies with

time when they learn they’re not attracting attention with it.” Shows
the way Atticus would teach his children.
• Tries to inculcate his values into Scout by telling her more stuff that
is related to the trail- “The case, Tom Robinson’s case, is something
that goes to the essence of a man’s conscience “
• “The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s

conscience”
• Tells Scout the definition of expletives if she ask, reveals Atticus’

teaching style –to be frank with the children. -“nigger-lover”-
“ignorant, trashy people use it when they think somebody favouring
Negroes over and above themselves. It’s slipped into usage with
some people like ourselves, when they want a common, ugly term
to label somebody.”
• “It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin
anyway and you see it through” This moral that Atticus teaches
them helps the children truly define what is courage –the
overcoming of fear, even those you know that you are going to get
“licked”.
• However, in the middle of the novel, Atticus is shown to be unsure

about the methods he employs to teach his children as he tried to
convince Scout to become more like a lady and learn more about
their history. Though he seemed uncomfortable doing so (fidgeting,
collar seemed to worry him). At the end of the chapter, Atticus
regains his former views on educating the children.
• Atticus teaches the children that one does not only consist of
goodness and evilness, but a mixture of both -“So it took an eight-
year-old child to bring 'em to their senses.... That proves something
- that a gang of wild animals can be stopped, simply because
Revised 2010
they're still human. Hmp, maybe we need a police force of

children.”
• Urges children to have empathy- “Jem, see if you can stand in Bob
Ewell’s shoes a minute. I destroyed his last shred of credibility at
that trial, if he had any to begin with. The man had to have some
kind of comeback, his kind always does. So if spitting in my face
and threatening me save Mayella Ewell one extra beating, that’s
something I’ll gladly take. He had to take it out on somebody and
I’d rather it be me than that houseful of children out there.”
 Miss Maudie
• Serves to compliment Atticus’ role as a voice of reason
• Role model for Scout to follow that women do not have to wear
dress and camisole like a female to treated like one
• Teaches Scout respect by correcting her when she said “do you
think Boo Radley’s still alive?” She replied by saying that “his
name’s Arthur and he’s alive,”
• Also tells the truth to the children by shedding light on Arthur

Radley and dismissing the rumours and ideas the children have
about him e.g. “That is three-fourths coloured folks and one-fourth
Stephanie Crawford,”
• She also teaches the children life lessons like how “sometimes the
Bible in the hand of one man is worse than a whisky bottle in the
hand of- oh your father.” This means that some men like Atticus
when drunk may not be as bad as one man at his best.
• “Mockingbird don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy.

They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they
don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a
sin to kill a mocking bird.” This teaches the children that it is wrong
to destroy the innocent.
• She reveals more about Atticus to the children as she said “you
father’s anything, he’s civilised in his heart.” And tells them to be
humble like their father by revealing to them that “People in their
right minds never take pride in their talents.”
 Aunt Alexandra
• Role model for Scout to be a female
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• Want to inculcate Scout with things women do- “fanatical on the

subject of my attire” and “I could not possibly hope to become a
lady if I wore breeches”
• Also tries to teach the children about family pride by asking them to
read ‘meditation of Joshua S. St Clair’ written by the children’s
cousin’ and gets Atticus to teach the children about the Finch
family.
• During the tea party (chapter 24), Aunt Alexandra teaches Scout
how to be a true lady and controls her feelings even in the worse of
situations.
 Mr Dolphus Raymond
• Teaches children on the social prejudice that is evident in

Maycomb’s society – By acting like a drunk he thinks that it “helps
folks if they can latch on to a reason” why he has a black mistress.
• He even told the children that he is comfortable telling them his

secret “because you’re children and you can understand it”, this
means that they have yet to lose their innocence and still sees
things from a transparent view.
 Calpurnia
• She disciplines the children- “She would set me a writing task by

scrawling the alphabet firmly across the top of a tablet, then
copying out a chapter of the Bible beneath”. She probably did so
not only to improve Scout’s penmanship but also Scout’s command
over scripture as she would have to read through the Bible in order
to copy it. Also, Atticus comments that Calpurnia was sometime
even stricter than what a mother would be.
• Indirectly teaches the children by bringing them to a black church.

During the children’s visit to Calpurnia’s church, they learnt a lot of
how the black community functions in the society and see things
from their perspective, thus learning that they are indeed not that
different. Scout, who gives a unbiased view, commented that giving
blessing was “a procedure no different from our church practice”
and Jem said that Reverend Sykes is “just like our preacher”.
• Answers Scout why she speaks with a “coloured” dialect, in order to

conform, and informs the children more about Maycomb’s society
and life in general. - “It’s not necessary to tell all you know. It’s not
ladylike –in the second place, folks don’t like to have somebody
around knowin’ more than they do, It aggravates ‘em. You’re not
gonna change any of them by talkin’ right, they’ve got to want to
learn themselves , and when they don’t want to learn there’s
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nothing you can do but keep your mouth shut or talk their
language.”
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Major Characters:
 Atticus
• Consistent in his behaviour
 “Atticus Finch is the same in his house as he is on the public streets.”
 “he was his impassive self again.” As he expected that he would lose
the case. Pg218
 Pg223. “ Atticus didn’t bat an eye, just took out his handkerchief and
wiped his face and stood there and let Mr Ewell call him names wild
horses could not bring her to repeat. Mr Ewell was a veteran of am
obscure war; that plus Atticus’s peaceful reaction probably prompted
him to inquire. ‘Too proud to fight, you nigger-lovin’ bastard?’ Miss
Stephanie said Atticus said, ‘No, too old,’”
 Pg 252. When Scout asked Atticus whether it is alright to hate anyone,

Atticus replied, “It’s not okay to hate anybody.” In this case, she was
referring to Bob Ewell who was constantly trying to harm the Finches in
order to feel vindicated.
 Pg 280. “I can’t live one way in town and another way in my home.”
• Tranquil- Tells Scout to put on her shoes and socks in the midst of a fire.
• Fair- “When Jem and I fuss Atticus doesn’t ever just listen to Jem’s side of
it, he hears mine too”
• Polite- “Good evening, Mrs Dubose! You look like a picture this evening.”
• Humble- Does not take pride in his ability to shoot, feels that it is a natural
advantage over the rest.
• Hospitable- “Atticus greeted Walter and began a discussion about crops

neither Jem nor I could follow”
• Patient- Sat down in the swing and crossed his legs and waited in amiable
silence while waiting for Scout to reply him about her problem with school.
• Man of integrity-
 “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.”
 Pg 279. “nobody’s hushing this up. I don’t live that way.”
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 Pg 279. “I don’t want him growing up with a whisper about him, I don’t
want anybody saying, “Jem Finch … his daddy paid a mint to get him
out of that.”” This reinforces the fact that Atticus is a man of integrity
as he does not want to create any unnecessary trouble for Jem.
 “If thing’s hushed up it’ll be a simple denial to Jem of the way I’ve tried
to raise him.” Trying to “hush” things up would go against Atticus’’
teaching to Jem and Scout.
• Imparts values to his children e.g. “…climb into his skin and walk in it”,
“try fighting with your head for a change”, “The one thing that doesn’t
abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.”
• Respected by many- e.g. Miss Maudie who thinks that Atticus with a bottle
of whisky in his hand is not as dangerous as a other man with a
Bible.”(feels that Atticus is just and even though he might neat his worse,
he is still better than many others), “Atticus Finch’s a deep reader, a
mighty deep reader” (reveals that Atticus is respected for his strong sense
of justice and his determination to exonerate Tom Robinson), “He spends
his time doin’ things that wouldn’t get done if nobody did ‘em.”(said by
Jem when they saw a cartoon about Atticus in the newspapers)
 After the verdict, “the Negroes were getting to their feet” to shows
their respect for Atticus as they appreciated the fact that Atticus, a
white man, defended a black man although he lost. Furthermore,
through this Atticus has revealed the truth: Tom Robinson is innocent
and the Ewells were guilty.
 “people were content to re-elect him to the state legislature that year”
• Considered one of Maycomb’s fine folks
• Non-conformist- Takes up the case and plans to “defend him” despite the
public’s disapproval.
• Great sense of justice- “that goes to the essence of a man’s conscience—

Scout, I couldn’t go to church and worship God if I didn’t try to help that
man.” He feels that he should help Tom Robinson and try to prevent Bob
Ewell from destroying the life of an innocent man.
• Close to his children- Scout is able to share her first day of school
experience to him. He is also able to sense the feelings of his children. E.g.
After dinner (on Scout’s first day of school) he is able to sense that
something is wrong about Scout when she refuses to read. He said,
“Something wrong, Scout?”
• Has an independent teaching style- feel that “they might as well learn to
cope with it” after learning the extent of racial prejudice in the society of
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Maycomb, as they will eventually learn the truth about the world, they
might as well realise it sooner.
• Empathises with others
 Tells Jem and Scout to stop tormenting Boo Radley
 When the trial has ended, the grateful Negroes gave the Finches lots of
food. This touched Atticus and even made him say, “Tell them – tell
them they must never do this again. Times are too hard….”
 Atticus is able to sense that Boo feels uncomfortable as he feels

restricted in the light and tries to make Boo feel more comfortable. This
is seen from this quote: “Heck, let’s go out on the front porch. There
are plenty of chairs out there, and it’s still warm enough.”
• A man with principles- when Jem asked his father to carry a gun around
just in case Bob Ewell tried to assault him, he replied, “Nonsense.” As he
refuses to carry a gun as it goes against his principles.
• Sacrificial- “if spitting in my face and threatening me saved Mayella Ewell

one extra beating, that’s something I’ll gladly take.”pg224
• Frank, Atticus does not want to lie to people to give them false hope. For
example, Calpurnia said, “Because you ain’t familiar with the law, First
thing you learn when you’re in a lawin’ family is that there ain’t any
definite answers to anything. Mr Finch couldn’t say somethin’s so when he
doesn’t know for sure it’s so.”
• Kind. Offers help to others. - When a girl was “too small to navigate the
steps. Dill said Atticus went to her, took off his hat and offered her his
finger.” This shows that he is polite as he took off his hat to greet her
before getting the girl to hold his finger as the girl’s hands were probably
too small.
• In chapter 29, Atticus is getting older as it is stated that there were “grey
patches growing at his temples.”
• FLAWS
 Believes that he is not a good father- (refer to pages 139-140) The fact
that Atticus changes the way he talks to the children shows that he is
unconfident about his teaching style as he is easily persuaded by Aunt
Alexandra to teach his children how to act like fine Finches.
 Misjudges people sometimes (this is rare, nevertheless it will result in

dire consequences)
• Pg224-225 “We don’t have anything to fear from Bob Ewell, he got
it all out of his system that morning,” Atticus misjudged Bob’s
Revised 2010
character, as he thinks that Bob is an all-talk-no-action kind of

person.
• Pg256 “He’ll (Bob Ewell) settle down when the weather changes.”
Atticus underestimates Bob Ewell and thinks that he is incapable of
fighting back.
 His behaviour is not always constant (pg219) - He feels bitter. When

Jem asked him how the jury could make Tom Robinson guilty, he
replied that he doesn’t know, but that it seems that only children
weep.”
 Ewell (refer to page 176 and ‘Ewell’ under Prejudice)
• Bob
 Lazy- Does not bother to clean up his place ,“none of them had done
an honest day’s work”
 Drunk – spends his relief cheques on whisky, “their relief cheque was
far from enough to feed the family, and there was a strong suspicion
that Papa drank it up anyway”
 Arrogant- he “strutted” to the stand when he was called to testify
 Rude-“Well, if I ain’t I can’t do anything about it now, her ma’s dead,”,

“I heard Mayella screamin’ like a stuck hog inside the house”, “I seen
that black nigger yonder ruttin’ on my Mayella”
 Contentious- “paw right contentious”
 Absent father- “The witness said he never thought of it he had never

called a doctor to any of his’n in his life, and if he had it would have
cost him five dollars,” shows that he is not that concerned for his
children
 Abusive- Mayella said that he was “tollable, ‘cept when— ”, Atticus

then said, “Except when he’s drinking?” and Mayella noded.
 Immoral- feels no pain in persecuting a innocent black man even

though he is in the wrong.
 Cowardly- does not dare to harm Atticus directly after the trail and
decides to harass Mrs Robinson and his children instead.
 Quick tempered- “the boy’s condescension flashed to anger.”
 Filthy and unhygienic- when he bathed he “face was as red as his

neck”
Revised 2010
 Irresponsible- does not bother to clean up his house, “The varmints had
a lean time of it. For the Ewells gave the dump a thorough gleaning
every day. And the fruits of their industry (those that were not eaten)
made the plot of ground around the cabin look like the playhouse of an
insane child”
 Wants to improve his family’s status- but the fact that "he was the only
man [Scout] ever heard of who was fired from the WPA for laziness"
proves that he isn't willing to earn it. Tries to accuse Tom Robinson of
raping Mayella as he sees what he believes it is the way to improve his
social standing. In his mind, the town should think him a hero for
saving Maycomb's white women from a "dangerous" black man.
Defending his daughter by going to court should raise his family's
stature. If they don't gain more respect from the community, at least
Bob won't have to live with talk in the black community about a white
woman making a play for a married black man.
 Cruel and heartless- when he heard that Tom Robinson had died, he
said it “made one down and about two more to go.”
 He holds a grudge against Atticus and blames him for everything bad
that happened. -“Mr Ewell openly accused Atticus of getting his job.”
• Mayella
 Although she tries to be different, she fails at it. Not because she
cannot, but because she is a Ewell.
 She tried to be different- “Mayella looked as if she tried to keep

clean” ,”red geraniums, cared for as tenderly as if they belonged to
Miss Maudie Atkinson”
 Self-conscious – “Mayella looked as if she tried to keep clean”
 No friends, lonely- When Atticus asked her whether she had any friends
she said “You makin’ fun of me agin, Mr Finch”
 “she took offence into routine courtesy” (The irony, she wanted to be
respected by people, but become offended when treated with respect)
 Scout commented that Mayella “was even lonelier than Boo Radley”
and that she was sad as a “mixed child” pg198
 “white people wouldn’t have anything to do with her because she lived
among pigs; Negroes wouldn’t have anything to do with her because
she was white.”
 Abused- hints of sexually abuse “She says what her papa do to her
don’t count.” And agrees with Atticus that Bob Ewell abuses her when
he’s drunk.
Revised 2010
 Yearns for love- “she (Mayella) says she never kissed a grown man
before an’ she might as well kiss a nigger” as the statement reveals,
Mayella was neglected by her father to the extent that she would even
kiss Tom Robinson, which was considered taboo during the 1930s.
• Burris
 Indifferent- “showed not the faintest interest in the furore he had

wrought.” When Miss Caroline spotted cooties on his head.
 Dirty- Miss Caroline had to ask him to bathe before he came back
tomorrow
 Rude- Laughed at Miss Caroline when she asked him to bathe before
returning back to school the next day
 No family lineage- “Ain’t no mother”
 Quick to anger- “their paw’s right contentious”
 Cowardly- “Burris seemed to be afraid of a child half his height”
 Scout
• Refer to ‘Theme: Growing Up’
 Jem
• Refer to ‘Theme: Growing Up’
 Boo
• Refer to ‘Theme: Prejudice- Social’
• Perceived by others
 A “malevolent phantom”
 Read the first chapter!
 “about six-and-a-half feet tall, judging from his tracks; he dined on raw
squirrels and any cats he could catch. That’s why his hands were
blood-stained- if you ate an animal raw, you could never wash the
blood off. There was a long jagged scar that ran across his face; what
teeth he had were yellow and rotten; his eyes popped, and he drooled
most of the time.”
• In reality…
 Shy
Revised 2010
 Wants to get to know the children- interacts with the children by giving
them things like chewing gum and other stuff. He also observes them
from his house when they were playing games, so when Scout went
close to the house and heard “someone inside the house was
laughing”, it was probably Boo watching them.
 Cares for the children- when Jem went to retrieve his pants from the
Radley place, he noticed that his pants was “Not like a Lady sewed
‘em”. This means that Boo might have sewed it for him. This shows his
care for the children. Furthermore, at the end of the novel, Boo rescues
the children from a drunk Mr Ewell and even kills him.
 Observant and talented- “They (the statues of them” were almost

perfect miniatures of two children.”
 Was a bright child- decided to give the children “a tarnished medal”

which was a prize from a spelling competition.
 After saving Scout and Jem from Mr Bob Ewell, he was said to be
“standing in a corner, leaning against the wall” as he does not like to
be in the light (not attention seeking).
 Happy to see the children- when Scout finally recognises Boo “his lips
parted into a timid smile”.
 Tom Robinson
• Honest- told Atticus the truth when Atticus asked him to do so “What did
he(Bob Ewell) say, Tom? You must tell the jury what he said.” Tom
Robinson shut his eyes tight. “He says you goddamn whore, I’ll kill ya.”
And “Tom denied it three times in one breath, but quietly, with no hint of
whining in his voice, and I found myself believing him in spite of his
protesting too much. He seemed to be a respectable Negro.”
• Sympathetic- persecuted and convicted for a crime that he did not commit
just because he is a black man.
• Helpful- helped Mayella with her chores without getting paid
• “Tom Robinson’s manners were as good as Atticus’s”
• Eventually, he gives up trying to be vindicated. He told Atticus, “Good-bye,

Mr Finch, there ain’t nothin’ you can do now,”
Minor Characters:
 Calpurnia
Revised 2010
• Antagonistic (at the start)- “In Calpurnia’s teaching, there was no

sentimentality; I seldom pleased her and she seldom rewarded me.”
• Educated- “had more education than most coloured folks”
• Cares for Scout- She disciplines Scout and takes care of her e.g. food.
• What Atticus thinks of her:

“Besides, I don’t think the children’ve suffered one bit from her having
brought them up. If anything, she’s been harder on them in some ways
than a mother would have been… she’s never let them get away with
anything, she’s never indulged them the way most coloured nurses do.
She tried to bring them up according to her lights, and Cal’s lights are
pretty good – and another thing, the children love her.”
• Trusts Jem- scolds Jem when he brings Scout to the courtroom to listen to
the trial as she thinks that Jem is old enough to understand what is
happening bur does not bother to protect his sister.
 Dill
• Boastful and arrogant- tells everyone that he can read
• “I’m little but I’m old”
• “was a curiosity”
• Fascinated about the Radley Place
• Dill was a villain’s villain
• Close to Jem (Plausible reason: As Scout matures, Jem sees that his
influence on Scout is diminishing. This leads Jem to grow closer to the less
mature Dill. Furthermore, Jem and Dill are both boys, this means that they
probably have the same interests. Hence catalysing their close
relationship.) – “I(Scout) beat him up twice but it did no good, he only
grew closer to Jem.”
• Neglected by his parents- “they just wasn’t interested in me.”
• A victim of materialistic love- “They buy me everything I want, but it’s

now-you’re-got it-go-play-with-it. You’ve got a roomful of things, I-got-you-
that-book-so-go-read-it.”
• Childish and yearns for parental love- “Scout, let’s get us a baby.”
 Miss Caroline Fisher

Revised 2010
• Passionate- “bright auburn hair, pink cheeks,, and wore crimson finger-nail
polish” (Red symbolises passion)
• Going to bring something new into the county (the Dewey Decimal
System)- “looked and smelled like a peppermint drop.”
• Treated as ‘The Other’- The “class murmured apprehensively” when she

said that she was from North Alabama.
• Attractive- “when Miss Maudie introduced us (Scout and Jem) to her, Jem
was in a haze for days.”
• Dense- she “seemed unaware that the ragged denim-shirted and

flourskirted first grade” were” immune to imaginative literature”
• Does not like Scout- “looked at me (Scout) with more than faint distaste”
• Rigid- “we don’t write in the first grade we print. You won’t learn until
you’re in the third grade.”
• Does not understand Maycomb’s ways- She told Scout to hold out her
hand when she thought that Scout was shaming Walter. This made Scout
think that she was going to “spit in it, which was the only reason anybody
in Maycomb held out his hand”
• Caring- she asks Burris to go home and wash his hair as she does not want
the other children to catch the cooties.
 Ms Maudie
• Refer to “Theme: Education” for some information
• “magisterial beauty”
• Love gardening- “loved everything that grew in God’s earth, even the
weeds.”
• Educated- “Her speech was crisp”
• Generous- “every time she baked she made a big cake and three little
ones, and she would call across the street:’ Jem Finch, Scout Finch,
Charles Baker Harris, come here!’ Our promptness was always rewarded.”
• Gains the children’s trust- Scout confides in Miss Maudie as she tells her
her thoughts on Boo Radley.
• Respectful- Corrects Scout when she called Arthur Boo.
• Faithful to her late husband- does not flirt with Uncle Jack although Uncle
Jack has expressed interest in her.
Revised 2010
• Straight forward- she “had an acid tongue”
• Frank- tells the children the truth about Arthur Radley
• Admires Atticus- “What I meant was, if Atticus Finch drank until he was
drunk he wouldn’t be as hard as some men are at their best. There are
just some kind of men who— who’re so busy worrying about the next
world they’ve never learned to live in this one, and you can look down the
street and see the results.”
• Optimistic- though her house was just burnt down she wasn’t grieving at
all and even “took a lively and cordial interest in Jem’s and my (Scout’s)
affairs.”
• Supports Atticus- “I simply want to tell you that there are some men in this
world who were born to do our unpleasant hobs for us. Your father’s one of
them.” As nobody in Maycomb would have taken up the case except for
him.
 Aunt Alexandra
• Detached- “cold and there”
• Condescending ,patronising- “analogous to Mount Everest”
• Rigid- “fanatical on the subject of my attire. I(Scout) could not possibly

hope to be a lady if I wore breeches”, this shows her rigidness as she feels
that a lady must have traits that defines a lady and refuses to alter her
definition of a lady.
• Callous- “She (Aunt Alexandra hurt my feelings and set my (Scout) teeth
permanently on edge”
• Eavesdropper- “Aunt Alexandra was a back-porch listener”
• Racist (entrenched in her) - told Calpurnia to put her bag in the front
bedroom without greeting her or thanking her. This shows that she does
not respect the blacks and regards them as second class citizens, as does
not show them the respect that they deserve. Another example of this can
be seen when Scout told Atticus in detail “about our trip to church with
Calpurnia \. Atticus seemed to enjoy it, but Aunt Alexandra, who was
sitting in a corner quietly sewing, put down her embroidery and stared at
us”.
• Fits into the Maycomb Society- “Maycomb welcomed her. Miss Maudie
Atkinson made a Lane cake so loaded with shinny it made me tight; Miss
Stephanie Crawford had long visits with Aunt Alexandra, consisting mostly
of Miss Stephanie shaking her head and saying, “Uh, uh, uh,” Miss Rachel
Revised 2010
next door had Aunty over for coffer in the afternoons, and Mr Nathan
Radley went so far as to come up in the front yard and say he was glad to
see her.” This probably because she is the epitome of a southern lady and
the fact that Maycomb is a desolated town, so no one comes in or out.
Furthermore, to emphasise the extent in which she manages to blend in
with the Maycomb inhabitants, Lee states, “Aunt Alexandra fitted into the
world of Maycomb like a hand into a glove”.
• “she had river-boat, boarding-school manners”
• Judgemental- “She never let a chance escape her to point out the
shortcomings of other tribal groups to the greater glory of our own”
• Prejudiced- “Aunt Alexandra, in underlining to moral of young Sam

Merriweather;s suicide, said it was caused by a morbid streak in the
family. Let a sixteen-year-old girl giggle in the choir and Aunty would say,
“It just goes show you, all the Penifield women and flighty.” Everybody in
Maycomb, it seemed, had a Streak”
• Cares about the children- after the trial, she said, “I didn’t think it wise in
the first place to let them—“as she does not want to expose the children
to the racial prejudice that exists in their world and hurt and scar them
emotionally.
• Snobby- This can be seen through her views on the Cunninghams.

“Because he-is-trash, that’s why you can’t play with him, I’ll not have you
around him, picking up his habits and learning Lord-knows-what. You’re
enough of a problem to your father as it is.”
• In chapter 24,
 Wants to make Scout a lady- The tea part in Chapter 24 “was part of
her campaign to teach me to be a lady.” This is because Atticus had
been quite liberal with his children. This upsets Aunt Alexandra, thus
she decides to teach Scout about the mannerisms of a lady.
 Carries out her role as a lady faithfully- she does not try to offend Mrs
Merriweather as she is the hostess and she wants to act like one,
hence Miss Maudie does it for her. This is shown when she “gave Miss
Maudie a look of pure gratitude”.
 Starts to show some emotion. E.g. she was shocked when she heard
what had happened to Tom Robinson after his attempt to escape from
prison. “Aunt Alexandra put her hands to her mouth.”
 Softer side of Aunt Alexandra is revealed- “didn’t they try to stop him?
Didn’t they give him any warning?’ She was wondering why the prison
wardens were ruthless enough to kill Tom Robinson instead of the
aforementioned.
Revised 2010
 Reveals that she supports Atticus and cares for him-
• “This is the last straw, Atticus,”
• “Aunt Alexandra sat down in Calpirnia’s chair and pit her hands to
her face. She sat down so quiet I wondered if she would faint.”
• I can’t say I approve of everything he does Maudie but he’s my

brother, and I just want to know when this will ever end.” Her voice
rose: ‘It tears him to pieces, He doesn’t show it much, but it tears
him to pieces.”
• The concept of duty. “Stop that shaking,” commanded Miss Maudie

and I stopped. “Get up, Alexandra, we’re left ‘em long enough.”
 Sign of conformity as a lady to act as if nothing had happened. “She

took her handkerchief from her belt and wiped her nose. She patted
her hair and said, “Do I show it?”
 She is kind and concerned about the children’s welfare. This can be
seen when she brought Scout her overalls and asked her to put it on
after she had been assaulted by Bob Ewell. This shows that she is more
concerned about Scout’s welfare than Scout’s need to become a lady.
 The Cunninghams
• Respectable- Walter wore a “clean shirt and neatly mended overalls”

although he is poor.
• Self-conscious – when he was asked why he did not have any lunch his jaw
twitched as observed by Scout.
• Polite- uses ma’am to address Miss Caroline
• Honest- “They took anything they can’t pay back”, “No script stamps,
church baskets…”
• Proud of their heritage- has an entailment, “willing to go hungry to keep

his land and vote as he pleased.”
• Grateful- Returns stuff eventually to the extent that Atticus comments”

that Mr Cunningham had more than paid him.”
• Shy- does not directly return the deed, but does it in secret
 Mrs Dubose
• Easily angered- had a “wrathful gaze, subjected to ruthless interrogation

regarding our behaviour”
Revised 2010
• Dangerous- Rumoured to have had kept a “C.S.A. pistol concealed among

her numerous shawls and wraps”. This rumour shows how feared she is by
the children.
• Demanding- “We (Scout and company) could do nothing to please her.”
• She was vicious
• Sickly- Bounded to a wheelchair and hallucinates as she thinks that Scout

and Jem were skipping school to go to the town as seen “Where are you
two going at this time of day?” she shouted. “Playing hooky, I suppose. I’ll
just call up the principal and tell him!”
• Racist- Disapproves of Atticus’ action of taking up Tom Robinson’s case

and takes part in calling the Negroes ‘nigger’.
• A morphine addict, “but she was too contrary” and wanted to “leave this
world beholden to nothing and nobody.”
• So she tried to abstain from morphine.
• Eventually, she died as free “as the mountain air”
• Atticus even said that “she was the bravest person I ever knew”
 Miss Rachel Haverford
• Unsympathetic and thinks that Atticus is getting nowhere- she told Dill
that “ if a man like Atticus Finch wants to butt his head against a stone
wall it’s his head.”
 Miss Stephanie Crawford
• Only cares about gossip and not about the injustice that befalls an
innocent black man- “She wanted to know who all gave us permission to
go to court”
 Mrs Merriweather
• “the most devout lady in Maycomb”
• Hypocrite- feels sad for the Africans and not for the Black Americans
• Does not see the blacks as equals- insults them by calling them “darky”
• Uses the bible to teach others, but in the wrong way- she tried to tell her
cook Sophie that “Jesus Christ never went around grumbling and
complaining,” even though her cook’s grumbles were well justified.
• Feels that it is the whites’ duty to educate the blacks-Mrs Farrow, the
second most devout lady in Maycomb, said “…we’re fighting a losing
Revised 2010
battle”… … “We can educate ‘em till we’re blue in the face, we can try till
we drop to make Christians out of ‘em but there’s no lady safe in her bed
these nights.”
• Her hypocrisy becomes clearer when she talks about Atticus in Atticus’
house. – “Folks in this town who think they’re doing right, I mean. Now far
be it for me to say who, but some of ‘em in this town thought they were
doing the right thing a while back, but all they did was stir ‘em up.” She
views Atticus as a trouble maker. However, she still eats his food. This
shows her hypocrisy as she claims to resent Atticus but still visits his
house and eats his food.
• Self- centred- only thinks about how the situation would affect her. Tries
to make herself look like a kind person by saying that the “only reason
I(Mrs Merriweather) keep her( Mrs Merriweather’s cook, Sophie) is because
this depression’s on and she needs her dollar and a quarter every week
she can get it.”
 Mr Underwood
• Frank- “he couldn’t have cared less with cancelled advertising and
subscriptions.”
 Mr Link Deas
• He feels sympathetic towards Tom Robinson’s family’s condition and tries

to help by providing Tom’s wife with a job even though “He didn’t really
need her, but he said he felt right bad about the way things turned out.”
 Mr Heck Tates
• He is a realist as he feels that some people are born naturally evil. This
can be seen from this quote: “Mr Finch, there’s just some kind of men you
have to shoot before toy can say hidy to ‘em. Even then, they ain’t worth
the bullet it takes to shoot ‘em. Ewell ‘has one of ‘em.”
Revised 2010
Symbols:
 Snowman
• Represents the fact that all humans are the same as though the snowman
is white on the outside, it is black on the inside. This shows that although
humans have different skin colours they are the same on the inside.
 Cold Weather
• Represent that something bad will happen as Maycomb had not have the
“coldest winter since 1885”.
 Miss Maudie’s fire
• Represents what people will do during the face of disaster; show their true
colours. For example, this is when Jem realises that Boo is in fact a
harmless guy who unfortunately have been ostracised from the Maycomb
society. Also, Mr Avery, who Scout thinks pees on his porch, is revealed to
be a kind person. (Helps Miss Maudie remove furniture from her house
when it was set ablaze).
• This incident also shows that the community will face future conflicts (e.g.
the trial) together.
 Old Tim Johnson
• It symbolises the “Maycomb disease” that plagues the locals. Like the Tim
Johnson, they behaved normal on the outside but were “sick” in the inside,
even to the extent of persecuting a black man by not standing up for him
even though he was innocent.
 The use of the mockingbird
• Pg 216- it is used to evoke suspense as it reads “The feeling grew until the
atmosphere in the courtroom was exactly the same as a cold February
morning, when the mockingbirds were still, and the carpenters had
stopped hammering on Miss Maudie’s new house, and every wood door in
the neighbourhood was shut as tight as the doors of the Radley Place.
• Pg 247- “He (Mr Underwood) likened Tom’s death to the senseless

slaughter of songbirds by hunters and children”.
Revised 2010

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English Literature Notes-To Kill A Mockingbird

• “we’re making a step—it’s a small step, but it’s a step.” Pg222

 The Radleys, or more specifically Arthur “Boo” Radley, the recluse.

• Terrifying- “Malevolent phantom”

• Stephanie Crawford’s spin-offs (neighbourhood legend)

• Did not participate in Maycomb traditions e.g. did not go to church,

• “ When people’s azaleas froze in a cold snap, it was because he

• (Fear of the unknown) Wrong perception from children like Scout“a

• Radley game the children made “a melancholy drama little drama,

• Contrast with the Ewells

• Although they are poor, they are:

• Proud of their heritage- has an entailment, “willing to go hungry to

• Grateful and generous- Returns stuff eventually to the extent that

• Despite all of this, they are not considered to be as cultured as the

• “none of them had done an honest day’s work”

• “They were people. But they lived like animals.”

• “members of an exclusive society”

• “No economic fluctuations changed their status”

• “Ewells lived as guests of the county”

• People despised them and hence become “blind” to some of their

• Burris Ewell. Called Miss Caroline a “snot nose slut”, foreshadowing

Copyright © 2009-2010 Theodore Lam Xin Rong

• She tried to be different- “Mayella looked as if she tried to keep

• “she took offence into routine courtesy”

• “white people wouldn’t have anything to do with her because she

• Rumoured to be drinking out of a bag containing whisky

• Although “he’s real good to those chillun” refer to pg 167

• “they (Maycomb) cound never, never understand that I live like I do

• Ironically, he comments that “Because you’re children and you can

• Finch children were taunted as their father, Atticus “defended

• Francis, Aunt Alexandra’s grandchild, said, “he’s turned out a

Copyright © 2009-2010 Theodore Lam Xin Rong

• Miss Caroline Fisher

♦ Wants to introduce a new teaching method, hence viewed as an

♦ “looked and smelled like a peppermint drop”. This foreshadows

♦ From “North Alabama”, land indigenous to “other persons of no

• Miss Tutti and Miss Frutti

♦ Considered alien as they are not Maycomb native- “migrated

♦ “Their ways were strange to us(the Maycomb residences)”

• E.g. Aunt Alexandra discriminates against others

• Considers herself “not from run-of-the-mill people” and product of

• Angered when she found out that Scout followed Calpurnia to

• “Everybody in Maycomb, it seemed, had a Streak”

Copyright © 2009-2010 Theodore Lam Xin Rong

• Lowest in Maycomb’s “hierarchy”

♦ Scout comments that Calpurnia is “supposed to go around in the

♦ Definition of “nigger-lover”- “ignorant, trashy people use it when

♦ Whites do not have respect for the black- “Negroes worshipped

♦ Scout commented that there was a “warm bittersweet smell of

♦ During the Lynch mob, “sullen-looking, sleepy-eyed men who

♦ “Around here once you have a drop of Negroes blood that

Copyright © 2009-2010 Theodore Lam Xin Rong

♦ The courtroom is segregated into two parts: the main

♦ Bob Ewell claimed that there no need to call a doctor to check on

♦ Prejudiced because of the “Maycomb disease”- the “evil

♦ “Now don’t you be so confident, Mr Jem, I ain’t ever seem any

♦ “There’s something in our world that makes men lose their

♦ Sometimes referred to as ‘darky’

♦ THE ASSUMPTION: ‘Typical of a nigger’s mentality to have no

♦ Although he was honest- “denied it three times in one breath,

♦ He was discriminated and guilty because of his colour- “scared

♦ Referred to by Mr Gilmer as “boy”

Copyright © 2009-2010 Theodore Lam Xin Rong

♦ After the trial, he was considered a dead man and had