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To Kill a Mockingbird was written by Harper Lee. It takes place in Maycomb Alabama, in the late 1930’s early 1940’s. In this story a lot of characters were introduced to the reader. Jem Finch played a big role in this book. There were many other vital characters in this book. Some were Calpurnia, who was the Finch’s maid (she was a great help raising Jem and Scout), Aunt Alexandra, who was Atticus’ sister (she came to help raise Jem and Scout, but the Jem and Scout didn’t really like her because she was very strict). Then there was Miss Maudie, who was Scout’s favorite person to talk to; she always made cakes for Jem and Scout. There was also Arthur (Boo) Radley, who was a man who lived in a big old house down the street from the Finch’s (Jem, Scout and Dill always wondered who Boo Radley was because he never came out of his house). Then there s Dill, who was a close friend of Jem and Scout’s (he always spent the summer with his Aunt across the street); Tom Robinson was a black man convicted of raping Mayella Ewell. Mayella lived out in the country, didn’t go to school, and just worked for her family. Miss Stephanie Crawford lived across the street and always gave advice to Jem and Scout. Also a major character was Reverend Sykes, who was the priest at the black church outside of town. Other major characters were Judge Taylor, who was the judge during the trial of Tom Robinson; and Bob Ewell, who was Mayella’s father and an enemy of the Finch’s. Also Mrs. Dubose, who was a mean old lady who always put down Jem, Scout, and Atticus; Miss Rachel, who lived across the street and always told Jem and Scout anything they needed to know, and Mr. Heck Tate, who was the local sheriff. In the story To Kill a Mockingbird there were lots of struggles and hardships that the Finch’s and the town of Maycomb had to go through.
Atticus was a lawyer and he was defending Tom Robinson, who was convicted of raping Mayella Ewell. There was a big court battle after many witnesses and questions Tom Robinson was found guilty on very little evidence. Tom Robinson was then shot later trying to escape from jail. Jem, Scout and Dill always wanted to know what Boo Radley looks like. They always tried to lure him out of his own house. They tried to send messages to him by a fishing pole, but they could never figure out why he doesn’t come out.
Mrs. Dubose lived down the street from the Finch’s and when ever Jem and Scout used to walk by she would tell them that there dad was a “nigger lover.” One day Jem got really mad at this pestering, so he took some hedge clippers and cut up all her hedges. For punishment Jem had to read to her after school for a month. Soon after Mrs. Dubose died. Miss Maudie lived across the street from Jem and Scout and she always use to bake cakes for them. But early one morning her house caught on fire and she lost everything. One night after Jem and Scout got in a fight, they were both sent to their rooms. When Scout reached her room and had shut the door behind her she had found Dill hiding under her bed. Dill had run away from home and stayed with his Aunt for the rest of the summer. One night walking home from Scout’s pageant Jem and Scout were attacked by Bob Ewell. They were chased through the woods and down the streets of Maycomb. Scout was pushed and she hit the ground hard, but since she had her wire costume on she wasn’t hurt. Jem had gone into a fight with Bob Ewell. They wrestled on the ground until Boo Radley came to his rescue. Jem was knocked out from this incident and ended up with a broken arm. When Boo Radley went outside to see if Bob Ewell was still there he found him with a kitchen knife stuck into his ribs. The theme of this story is that if people didn’t focus in on what they see, hear, and remember from the past, then the world would be a better place. In this story many people stereotype each other. For example the inner city white people would not associate themselves with the farmers or hicks that live out in the country. But the black’s had the hardest time, if they were charged with a crime it didn’t matter if they were guilty or innocent they would be convicted. The blacks would not be able to get a job because the white people would be afraid that they would lose customers. You might not think that we live in the same way that these people did, but we still do, maybe not to the same degree, but we still do and we always will.