To Kill A Mockingbird Summary
...Louise Finch, or Scout, is writing of a time when she was young, and the book is in part the record of a childhood, believed to be Harper Lee's, the author of the book..
The story begins as Scout describes her family history and her town, Maycomb during the time of the Great Depression. Atticus is a prominent lawyer and the Finch family is reasonably well off in comparison to the rest of society. She and her brother, Jem, meet Dill, who has come to live in their neighborhood for the summer, and the children share stories and fantasies about the mystery man who lives near by. The man's name is Arthur, or Boo, Radley. The house is owned by Mr. Radley, whose son, Arthur (nicknamed Boo), has lived there for years without being permitted to go outside. Not much is really known of him, just hearsay stories that people whisper to one another and to their children to warn them of the evils that may occur. One story that is told is regarding an incident with Boo's father, who is supposedly stabbed with a pair of scissors for no apparent reason.
The reader learns that Scout has problems at school early on because her teacher is annoyed with her for knowing more than what was expected in her grade. On the same day, she has another problem at home, when she makes negative comments about Walter Cunningham's eating habits, a boy who comes from a very poor family. She learns a lesson in manners from Calpurnia, the Finch's Negro housekeeper, and is taught to treat people with respect regardless as to who they are. When she complains to Atticus that Calpurnia spanked her, she is reprimanded by him and taught a lesson in compromise.
As time goes by, Scout and Jem find some mysterious presents in the knothole of an old tree on the Radley place. This makes the children become even more curious about the mysterious Boo Radley. Jem, Dill, and Scout venture out one night to...
View Full Essay