🦅 To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee (Exam Cheat Sheet)

 

📖 Overview

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Main Characters

  • Scout (Jean Louise Finch) – Narrator, curious, tomboy, learns about prejudice and empathy.

  • Atticus Finch – Scout’s father, lawyer, moral backbone, wise, calm, believes in justice and fairness.

  • Jem Finch – Scout’s brother, older, more idealistic, struggles with the unfairness of society.

  • Calpurnia – The Finch family’s Black housekeeper, strict but caring, bridge between Black and white worlds.

  • Tom Robinson – Black man falsely accused of raping Mayella Ewell, innocent but convicted due to racism.

  • Bob Ewell – Mayella’s father, abusive, racist, vengeful, represents ignorance and hatred.

  • Mayella Ewell – Lonely, abused girl who accuses Tom Robinson to protect herself.

  • Boo Radley (Arthur) – Mysterious neighbor, rumored to be dangerous, but ultimately kind and protective.

  • Dill – Scout and Jem’s friend, imaginative, based on Harper Lee’s childhood friend Truman Capote.

📚 Plot Summary (Step by Step)

  1. Childhood Adventures – Scout, Jem, and Dill are fascinated with Boo Radley, their reclusive neighbor.

  2. Atticus’s Case – Atticus defends Tom Robinson, accused of raping Mayella Ewell.

  3. Trial & Injustice – Despite clear evidence of Tom’s innocence, the all-white jury convicts him.

  4. Consequences – Tom later dies trying to escape prison; Bob Ewell seeks revenge on those who shamed him in court.

  5. Climax – Bob Ewell attacks Jem and Scout, but Boo Radley saves them, killing Ewell in the process.

  6. Resolution – Scout meets Boo, realizes he’s gentle, and finally understands Atticus’s lesson: to see things from another’s point of view.

🌍 Themes

  • Racism & Injustice – The unfair trial of Tom Robinson exposes deep racial prejudice.

  • Moral Education – Scout and Jem learn about right and wrong through Atticus’s guidance.

  • Empathy & Perspective – Atticus’s key lesson: “You never really understand a person until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”

  • Innocence & Coming of Age – Children face the harsh realities of society, moving from innocence to maturity.

  • Courage – Not physical bravery, but standing up for what’s right (Atticus defending Tom, Mrs. Dubose fighting addiction).

  • Good vs Evil in Humanity – Boo Radley (misunderstood good) vs Bob Ewell (pure malice).

📝 Symbols

  • Mockingbird – Represents innocence and goodness. To harm one is to harm something pure (Tom Robinson & Boo Radley are “mockingbirds”).

  • Boo Radley’s Gifts in the Tree – Small acts of kindness, connection between Boo and the children.

  • Atticus’s Glasses – His wisdom and calm authority.

  • Rabid Dog – Represents the madness of racism and how Atticus must confront it.

📌 Important Quotes

  • “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy… but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.”

  • “You never really understand a person until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”

  • “The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.”

  • “Atticus, he was real nice.” “Most people are, Scout, when you finally see them.”

🧠 Exam Tips

  • Always link Scout’s childhood observations to bigger adult themes (she may not understand at the time, but we as readers do).

  • Contrast Atticus (morality) with Bob Ewell (hatred).

  • Show how Boo Radley’s storyline mirrors Tom Robinson’s: both are outsiders judged unfairly.

  • Point out how Harper Lee uses Scout’s innocent narration to highlight the harsh injustice of adults.

  • Always end essays by showing how the book is both a critique of racism and a hopeful call for empathy and moral growth.

⚡ One-Liner Takeaway

To Kill a Mockingbird shows how innocence, justice, and empathy collide in a world poisoned by racism — and how true courage is standing for what’s right, even when you’re bound to lose. ✊🏽

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