Siyanbola Victor

The spatial setting of the book is Maycomb, Alabama. A six-year-old character, Scout Finch lives with her brother, Jean, and her father whose name is Atticus. The father works so hard as a brilliant lawyer to make his children survive. While he does this, their cook, Calpurnia, raises Scout and Jean. But she treats Jean better than Scout. As a young child, this is too hard for Scout to handle.

The Finchs’ neighbour at Maycomb, Miss Rachel has a nephew who comes round to enjoy summer with her. His name is Dill. During his stay, he befriends Stout and Jean. They play around the house and soon they find Radley Place, a place they find amazing but fear.

Dill returns to Mississippi after summer and Scout returns to school. At school, her teacher frowns upon the fact that she knows how to read already. This subsequently makes her miffed. When she gets home, she is calmed down by her father, Atticus.

Another summer arrives and Dill comes to Maycomb. This time, they enter the Radley place. On seeing the owner of the house, they try to jump over the fence and Jean’s pants is ‘siezed’ by the fence. When he is quizzed over his pants at home, he lies. The night falls and he goes back

to retrieve his pants. He finds it folded. Soon after that incident, a house burns in the neighborhood and Jem thinks that Boo, the owner of the Radley property commits the arson. To Jem, Boo is evil.

The next incident that occurs is that Atticus is made to defend a black man who rapes the daughter of a poor white man. For this reason, Finch’s kids are bullied by people. This they endure till the black man is tried in court.

Tom Robinson, the black man, is surrounded in jail by people a day to his trial. Prior to that, the Finchs are surrounded by a mob at their residence. This frightens Atticus and the kids. Scout sees her classmate’s father amongst the people and he is the one who makes everyone leave.

The plot drifts towards termination as the trial is held. Atticus, a brilliant lawyer, proves Tom Robinson’s innocence by saying that the framed rape and brutality of the victim, Mayella was conducted by a left hander with negates the fact Tom cannot make use of his left hand. He says that it was Mayella’s father, a left hander who beat Mayella because he saw her with Tom. Jean and Scout watch their father’s display of expertise and he believes that Atticus will win the case. However, his hope is dashed as Tom is convicted with raping Mayella. Not only that, she believes that justice never existed when Tom is shot for trying to escape.

This interesting piece ends as Boo who is seen as an evil person is the one who saves the kids from an attack by Mayella’s father. Though Jean breaks his hand, Scout is unhurt. Mayella’s father is killed by Boo and he takes the kids home. Mr Tate advises Atticus not to expose Boo’s crime and Scout suggests that punishing him Boo would be like killing a mockingbird. Eventually, the kids like Boo.