To Kill a Mockingbird Themes and Characters

A detailed Summary of To Kill a Mockingbird Themes and Characters

Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird is a heartfelt tale, focusing on the lives of two children living in a small community with lots of racial prejudice, class distinction and gossip. Harper Lee chose Maycomb, a small town in Alabama, as the setting to her story at a time in the 1930s when black folks faced racism on a daily basis and were expected to respect white people in their community. There are many important themes in the story such as racial prejudice, bravery, family life, and many more.

The main and underlying theme in the novel is that racial prejudice. Although slavery was abolished many years before, blacks were still treated as third class citizens. They remain segregated from the white population and are deprived of educational opportunities. There are many forms of racism throughout the novel. The community discriminates against Atticus for defending Tom Robinson, even his sister Aunt Alexandra. Boo Radley is also discriminated against because he doesn't go outdoors and therefore is considered to be a social outcast. Also, Scout and Jem are discriminated against because their father is defending a black man to the best of his ability.

Another theme that plays a big part in To Kill A Mockingbird is deceptive appe

Arthur (Boo) Radley is Maycomb's town recluse who never steps out of his house, nor has any relation with the townsfolk. According to town gossip, Boo stabbed his father in the leg when he was a boy and has since been confined to his house. The children imagine Boo to be a ghoulish figure who eats cats and stalks about the neighbourhood in the night. In fact, Boo stands as an innocent man who befriends the children by leaving things in the knothole in the tree and protects Scout by putting a blanket on her on a cold night. He is a pathetic hidden character in the background with a need for love and attention.

Calpurnia is the Finch's black housekeeper and cook. She acts as a mother figure and disciplinarian in the Finch household. She is quite harsh, as she has come from a harsh background. Atticus trusts Calpurnia and relies on her for support raising his children. She tells Scout off when Walter Cunningham came for lunch at their house because they did things differently and Scout wasn't being nice about it.

Doing what your conscience says and not what other people say is also another very important aspect of the novel. Atticus says to scout (p.116) "Before I can live with other folks I've got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience." This basically means that one must do what is right, no matter what the cost. Atticus stood up for Tom Robinson's rights and defending him in court even though he knew that this might cost him his reputation and he would get lots of insults from the town. He knew that just because Tom Robinson was black, didn't mean that he shouldn't get a fair trial. Tom couldn't have possibly been found 'not guilty', but Atticus had to try anyway to stand up for what he believes in and what is right. Atticus said to Scout (p.116) "This case, Tom Robinson's case, 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."

Jem (Jeremy Finch) is Scout's older brother. He is very wise for his age, and also quite emotional. He takes after his Atticus and is deeply motivated to follow his father's footsteps. He is more easy-going and not as adventurous as Scout is. He is also quieter and more reserved, yet he refuses to back down from d

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Approximate Word count = 1554
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English