To Kill a Mockingbird….Important Stuff

1. To Kill a Mockingbird….Important Stuff • Setting: The fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama during the 1930s. • Theme Topics: • Education • Courage • Prejudice/Discrimination • Loss of Innocence/Maturation • Social Class/Social Ostracism

2. Important Characters in the Book/Movie: • Scout Finch: (Jean Louise) The child who is narrating the story. • Jem Finch: (Jeremy) Scout’s older brother • Atticus Finch: Jem and Scout’s father. He is a lawyer and defends Tom Robinson. • Dill: Jem and Scout’s friend that visits Maycomb during the summer • Arthur “Boo” Radley: The town recluse who lives near Jem and Scout. His abnormal behavior intrigues the children. • Calpurnia: The maid and the cook of the Finch household. She is also the womanly influence for Jem and Scout since their mother is dead.

3. Characters cont. • Tom Robinson: The African American man accused of rape by Mayella Ewell. • Bob and Mayella Ewell: A lower class family in the town. They are insistent that Tom Robinson raped Mayella. • Walter Cunningham: A little boy in Scout’s class. His family is poor but hardworking.

4. Significant Parts to look for: • Why is killing a mockingbird a sin? Why is the novel actually named after this? • Walking around in someone else’s skin or shoes. Why is it important to consider things from another person’s point of view? • Race and class. How do the characters in the novel use stereotypes of race and class? How does that affect events in the novel? • Mob mentality. Why are people more likely to do something in a large group that they would not normally do on their own?