CHAPTER SUMMARIES

WITH NOTES & ANALYSIS

PART 1

CHAPTER 1

Summary
In this chapter, a brief introduction of the Finch family isgiven by Scout. Simon Finch established a
homestead,
‘Finch’s Landing’, on the banks of the Alabama River. He died a rich and prosperous man. One of his
sons, Atticus, studied law; the other had studied medicine. Although both sons left Finch’s Landing,
Alexandra, their sister, remained.

Atticus practiced law in Maycomb, where he lived with his two children, Jem and Scout, and the cook,
Calpurnia.
Atticus’ wife died when the children were young, and Scouthardly remembers her.

The children’s boundaries for roaming were Miss Henry

Lafayette Dubose’s house and the Radley house. The Radley house had always fascinated the children
with its spooky exterior. The children used to imagine that a vicious phantom resided in the house.
In fact, Mr. and Mrs. Radley were a couple who kept to themselves. Their son, Boo Radley is believed
by children to have maniacal tendencies and so is kept at home. The children played games around
the Radley house and dare one another to touch the wall of the house to prove how brave they are.

Notes
This chapter merely gives the reader a view of the Maycombsociety and its inhabitants. The main
characters, of course, are Atticus and his family. Scout, his daughter, narrates the entire story in first
person. Since the entire novel is a
narrative seen through Scout’s eyes, the visualization is purely from a child’s point of view. This
includes the depiction of her morbid fear of the Radley house, about which she has heard a number
of stories, drawn out of proportion by the local gossips. The description of Boo, therefore, is a larger
than life one: "he was six-and-a-halffeet tall, dined on row squirrels -- there was a long jagged
scar that ran across his face; what teeth he had were yellow and rotten; his eyes popped and he
drooled."

The father’s relation with his children seems superficial in the beginning -- "he played with us, read
to us, and treated us with courteous detachment," yet the fact that the children call him by his name,
and even later, as his outlookand conduct are revealed, they only point to the genuine love he has
for his children.

Dill is introduced in the chapter. He is a child searching forlove in a loveless family; he also has a
tendency to fantasize and exaggerate. During the course of the novel, he will prove to a be a good
friend to both Jem and Scout.

AUTHOR'S STYLE / USE OF LANGUAGE Harper Lee in her novel To Kill A

Mockingbird has utilized Scout, a six-year old girl to relate the facts. Yet, the
language she uses is not restricted to her age, since that would have severely
limited the expressions which Harper Lee needed to give. She makes it clear that
the book is being written by the adult Scout recreating her childhood experience.
A varied use of language is noticed throughout the novel. First of all, there is a
difference in the language spoken by the whites and the colloquial use of language
by the blacks. A compromise is reached by Calpurnia, who uses white man’s
language at Atticus’ house, but switches over the black jargon the moment she is
amidst the blacks.
Language describes the character of a person too. Ewell uses foul words and
obscenities whenever possible, which shows his poor class. Mayella, though not
using foul words, betrays a lack of education in her speech.
Atticus is formal in his speech, and his words are often laced with irony and humor.
Yet he cannot be considered pompous or having an inflated ego because of this.
When speaking to the children, he usually uses simple words which can be easily
comprehended.
Jem and Scout sometimes use slang words, typical of their age. While speaking to
Uncle Jack, Scout says. "I don’t mean to sass you", and Jem remarks "shoot no
wonder, then."
Tom uses the characteristic colloquial English, saying ‘suh’ for ‘sir’ and ‘chillun’ for
‘children’. Yet, he is decent enough not to repeat the foul words used by Bob Ewell,
in the courtroom. This indicates that though he has had very little formal education,
his good manners and etiquette are innate.

SYMBOLISM / SYMBOLS in To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee has used symbolism

rather extensively throughout the novel and a great deal of it refers to the
problems of racism in the South during the early twentieth century. Symbolism can
be traced in almost every important episode or event which formulates the story
line. Right from the beginning Scout’s character and her outlook towards the
behavior of the people in Maycomb county symbolizes a child’s innate curiosity
towards life. It also portrays the untainted intelligence which helps her see beyond
what is apparent.
Scout’s understanding of Walter Cunningham’s poverty and his self-pride is a prime
example of this. Even Scout and Jem’s relationship with Calpurnia symbolizes the
rare understanding of racism prevalent during those times.
Miss Maudie is a classic example of the enlightened woman living in an age of
suppressed womanhood. Miss Maudie hates staying indoors and is always seen
pottering around her garden, working on her flowerbeds. She understands Atticus’
need to fight against the racial prejudices and believes in him absolutely. When her
house gets burnt down, instead of moping about it, she is back on her feet the next
day, restoring her house and her garden. She is thus a symbol of strength and
integrity.
Mrs. Dubose symbolizes the grit and determination of a woman, who though aware
of the fact that she is going to die soon, wants to do so with all her wits about her.
Her addiction to morphine is a negative factor and she attempts to overcome it
appreciably.
Finally, the deepest symbolism conveyed is through the use of the concept of the
mockingbird. The mockingbird is a symbol of everything that is harmless. They only
make music for others to enjoy and to kill such a being is a sin. Both Boo Radley
and Tom Robinson are harmless individuals, who never intend to hurt a soul. Yet
Tom’s life is lost, and this is like shooting a mockingbird. As Scout wisely says: to
hurt Boo Radley too would be like killing a mockingbird. Thus the mockingbird has
been used to symbolize the good and the harmless things in this world which
should not be abused. As Mary Clare points out, the mockingbird is a symbol for
two of the characters in the novel: Tom Robinson and Boo Radley.
In the novel, the people of Maycomb only know Boo Radley and Tom Robinson by
what others say about them. According to a critic "Both of these characters do not
really have their own ‘song’ in a sense, and therefore, are characterized by other
people’s viewpoints."
3.) Elucidate on Harper Lee’s presentation of the black community in ‘To Kill A
Mockingbird’.
4.) Give a character sketch of Atticus.
5.) Is Atticus an ideal father? Elaborate.
6.) Do you sympathize with Mayella Ewells? Explain.
7.) How has Harper Lee presented social snobbery in her novel ‘To Kill A
Mockingbird’?
8.) Elaborate on the relevance of the title to the plot of the novel.
9.) Discuss the concept of a gentleman that is presented in Chapter 11, where
Atticus shoots the mad dog. How does that definition of gentlemanly behavior
contrast with the philosophy of self-expression? With the "macho" concept of
masculine behavior?