Summary Of Harper Lee's 'To Kill A Mockingbird'

To Kill a Mockingbird
Written by Harper Lee
Published in 1960

The story of To Kill a Mockingbird is narrated by Scout Finch, an observant young girl living in the sleepy town of Maycomb, Alabama. Scout is, I feel, what makes the story come alive. Lee writes the book in such a way that as the reader I feel as if I am seeing and experiencing the same things that she is. Scout lives with her older brother Jem, and her father Atticus. Scout’s mother has passed away, so she is forever on Jem’s heels, learning the ways of the world from an intelligent point of view beyond her years.
In the small town, Atticus is a lawyer who has been appointed by the courts to defend Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a white girl named Mayella. It becomes obvious during Tom’s
In addition, it also becomes apparent that Mayellas father, Bob Ewell, was the actual perpetrator of the abuse against his daughter after discovering the sexual advances that Mayella had made towards Tom. Despite Atticus’ convincing defence of Tom, he was already a condemned man solely because of the colour of hi skin. This, i.e. Racial Intolerance, is one of the main themes of the book. However, Scout as the narrator never tries to make it a ‘lesson’ as such; it is simply a part of the world in which she lives. This is why ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ comes across as being so realistic and relatable. Despite Tom being sent to prison, Bob Ewell seeks revenge towards Atticus for bringing to light the truths about his violence towards Mayella, although he vehemently denies it. Bobs revenge is eventually inflicted upon