Short summary (no spoilers past mid-book)
Set in the 1930s in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama, the story is told by Scout Finch as she grows from a curious child into a more understanding young person. Alongside her brother Jem and friend Dill, Scout becomes fascinated by the mysterious Boo Radley who never leaves his house. Their father, Atticus Finch, a lawyer, defends Tom Robinson, a Black man accused of assaulting a white woman. Through these experiences, Scout learns about prejudice, empathy, courage, and what it means to do what’s right even when it’s unpopular.
At a glance
• Place: Maycomb, Alabama (fictional) — during the Great Depression
• Narrator: Scout (Jean Louise) Finch, looking back on her childhood
• Big ideas: Racism and justice, empathy, growing up, courage, social class, gender roles
• Symbols: The mockingbird (innocence), the mad dog (infectious racism/fear), the knothole gifts (friendship/communication)
Timeline of key events
Click each event to reveal what happens, why it matters, and a quick context link.
1) Dill arrives; the children are curious about Boo Radley
Open
What: Scout, Jem, and their friend Dill dare each other to get Boo to come out.
Why it matters: Introduces fear vs curiosity, rumours vs reality, and the theme of empathy (learning to see from others’ perspectives).
Context bit: Small-town gossip shapes reputations; isolation could be stigmatised in 1930s communities.
2) Knothole gifts appear; then the tree is sealed
Open
What: Scout and Jem find small gifts in a tree’s knothole. Later, it’s filled with cement.
Why: Suggests a gentle, unseen friendship; the sealing cuts off communication — a symbol of adults controlling children’s world and silencing kindness.
Context bit: The Great Depression made small tokens meaningful; scarce resources increased the value of simple connections.
3) Atticus shoots the mad dog
Open
What: A rabid dog approaches; Atticus, usually gentle, shoots it accurately.
Why: Symbol of hidden courage; “madness” can mirror how fear and racism spread through a town.
Context bit: Rabies outbreaks were real public dangers; officials and trusted adults were expected to act decisively.
4) Atticus is appointed to defend Tom Robinson
Open
What: Atticus takes on Tom’s case, facing community anger.
Why: Sets up the central conflict between justice and prejudice; tests moral courage.
Context bit: Jim Crow segregation and biased legal systems meant Black defendants often faced all-white juries.
5) The jail mob; Scout defuses the tension
Open
What: A mob comes to the jail at night. Scout talks to Mr. Cunningham, reminding him of his humanity.
Why: Shows empathy in action; a child’s innocence challenges adult violence.
Context bit: Mob intimidation and lynching threats were part of the era’s racial terror.
6) The trial of Tom Robinson
Open
What: Witnesses testify; evidence suggests Tom’s innocence, yet prejudice dominates.
Why: Reveals systemic racism; contrasts truth vs community bias.
Context bit: Parallels can be drawn to the Scottsboro Boys cases (1930s), where Black youths faced false accusations and unfair trials.
7) Aftermath: retaliation and consequences
Open
What: Tension continues in Maycomb; the Finch family faces backlash.
Why: Shows how standing up for justice has a cost; deepens the children’s loss of innocence.
Context bit: Social ostracism punished those who challenged racial “norms.”
8) Halloween night: the attack and Boo’s reveal
Open
What: Jem and Scout are attacked; an unseen protector intervenes.
Why: Brings the Boo Radley plot to a humane conclusion; completes Scout’s empathy journey.
Context bit: The novel’s title symbol — the mockingbird — points to protecting the innocent.
Big themes and how to write about them
Prejudice and Justice
Legal truth vs social bias. The courtroom reveals the power of prejudice when the verdict ignores evidence.
- Writer’s methods: courtroom setting, witness contrasts, symbolism of “seeing” and “blindness”.
- Link to context: Jim Crow laws and all-white juries.
Empathy
Atticus encourages Scout to “climb into someone’s skin and walk around in it.” The Boo Radley plot teaches seeing beyond rumours.
- Methods: 1st-person retrospective narration; child’s-eye misunderstandings corrected later.
Coming-of-age
Scout and Jem move from innocence to moral awareness as they witness unfairness and courage.
- Methods: parallel plots (Boo vs trial), symbolic episodes (mad dog).
Courage
Not just physical bravery; moral courage is doing right when it’s hard (Atticus, Mrs. Dubose’s fight).
Social class and gender
Maycomb’s hierarchy (Finches, Cunninghams, Ewells, Black community) and pressure on Scout to be “ladylike.”
Symbols
Mockingbird (innocence worth protecting); mad dog (contagious fear/racism); knothole (connection); camellias (forgiveness/endurance).
Context (1930s Alabama) with links to plot moments
Jim Crow and the legal system
Segregation enforced racial inequality. All-white juries and biased policing harmed Black defendants.
Connect to plot
- The all-white jury in Tom’s trial exemplifies structural bias.
- The jail mob scene reflects vigilante intimidation.
The Great Depression
Widespread poverty: farmers struggled, trades were bartered, pride mattered when cash didn’t.
Connect to plot
- Cunninghams pay in goods; school scenes show uneven access to resources.
- Knothole gifts feel generous in a time of scarcity.
Scottsboro Boys trials (1931–37)
Famous cases where Black teens were falsely accused and convicted with weak evidence; a touchstone for understanding Tom’s trial.
Connect to plot
- Highlights how accusations intersected with race, gender, and class.
Gender expectations
Girls were pushed to be “ladylike”; women’s independence was limited.
Connect to plot
- Aunt Alexandra’s pressure on Scout; Mayella’s isolation.
Small-town culture
Reputation and gossip could define a person; community ties ran deep.
Connect to plot
- Rumours about Boo; town-wide reactions to Atticus’s defence.
Education in the 1930s South
Uneven schooling; teachers enforced new methods that clashed with local realities.
Connect to plot
- Scout’s frustrating first school day; different “literacies” at home vs school.
Key characters (quick reference)
Scout Finch
Role: Narrator and protagonist; curious, outspoken.
Arc: From innocence to greater empathy and moral understanding.
Atticus Finch
Role: Lawyer, father; moral centre.
Traits: Integrity, calm courage, belief in justice and empathy.
Jem Finch
Role: Scout’s older brother.
Arc: Idealism to disillusionment after the trial; learns complex courage.
Boo (Arthur) Radley
Role: Reclusive neighbour; symbol of misunderstood goodness.
Symbol: A “mockingbird” figure — innocently kind yet harmed by rumours.
Tom Robinson
Role: Black field hand accused of assault.
Symbol: Another “mockingbird” — targeted by systemic racism.
Calpurnia
Role: Housekeeper and mother-figure; bridges white and Black communities.
Theme link: Community, language, respect.
Dill Harris
Role: Summer friend; imaginative; catalyst for Boo adventures.
Mayella Ewell
Role: Accuser; lonely and controlled by her father.
Theme link: Power, gender, and class pressures.
Bob Ewell
Role: Antagonist; represents bigotry and vindictiveness.
Aunt Alexandra
Role: Family pride; pushes “proper” behaviour.
Theme link: Class and gender expectations.
Miss Maudie
Role: Wise neighbour; offers perspective and kindness.
IGCSE 0475 English Literature — Practice
These sample questions mirror the style of literature prompts. Always check your syllabus and teacher guidance.
Sample exam-style questions
- How does Harper Lee present the idea of courage in To Kill a Mockingbird? Refer to two scenes.
- Explore how prejudice shapes the outcome of Tom Robinson’s trial. How does Lee use setting and character to show this?
- In what ways is Boo Radley important to Scout’s coming-of-age?
- How does Lee create tension and atmosphere in the Halloween attack scene?
- What does the symbol of the “mockingbird” suggest about innocence and harm in the novel?
Quick planning checklist (10–12 mins)
- Answer the question in one sentence (thesis) using the key words.
- Select 2–3 precise moments; jot a short quotation or detail for each.
- For each moment: method + effect + link back to question + (if relevant) a brief context note.
- Conclude with a sentence that reframes your insight rather than repeating.
Weak vs Strong paragraph (model)
Harper Lee shows courage because Atticus is brave. He defends Tom and that’s good. This shows he is a hero and people should learn from him. The part with the dog also shows courage because he shoots it.
Lee presents courage as a quiet moral choice rather than loud heroics. When Atticus accepts Tom Robinson’s case, he anticipates hostility yet persists, showing conviction over popularity. The “mad dog” episode reframes him: the careful, reluctant marksman who acts only to protect others. In both scenes, Lee’s calm narrative tone and Scout’s retrospective voice highlight that real courage is steady, responsible, and often unnoticed.
For more on what makes a strong vs weak response, see the comparative examples and guidance at bartyed.com.
Sample mini-essay (theme: prejudice and justice)
Thesis: Lee shows that prejudice distorts justice by making Maycomb “see” what it expects, not what is true.
Point 1: In the courtroom, Lee contrasts careful evidence with the jury’s quick acceptance of assumptions. The focus on Tom’s injured arm undercuts the accusation, yet the verdict reflects social pressure. This clash of fact vs bias exposes the court as a stage where community beliefs overpower logic.
Point 2: Outside the courthouse, the night-time jail scene turns a public building into a place of threat. Through Scout’s naïve intervention, Lee implies that empathy can temporarily unmask mob mentality; still, the need for a child to stop adults underlines how deep prejudice runs.
Conclusion: By pairing institutional scenes (jury, jail) with a child’s perspective, Lee suggests that justice exists only when individuals resist the “contagion” of prejudice.
Practice: structure your paragraph
- Claim: “Lee presents X as …”
- Moment: name a specific scene and detail (quote fragment if needed).
- Method: characterisation / symbolism / setting / narrative voice.
- Effect: how it shapes the reader’s view.
- Context (if apt): 1 sentence max, anchored to the moment.
- Link: return to the exact words of the question.
Extra practice links
- Key events quizzes: quizgecko.com
- Discussion prompts: quizgecko.com
- Plot summaries and exam framing: savemyexams.com
- CSEC-focused study guide (useful overlaps): scribd.com
- Weak vs strong response guidance: bartyed.com
Note: This guide uses spoiler‑aware descriptions for approachability. For exams, ensure you can discuss the full arc confidently.