To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel by Harper Lee. Although it was written in 1960 it is set in the mid-1930s in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama. It is narrated by Scout Finch, an eight-year-old girl who lives with her lawyer father Atticus and her ten-year-old brother Jem. Here is an outline of the chapter containing important points which put the story together.
2. z INTRODUCTION ( extract- one of the most dramatic scenes)
This is an extract which is taken from one of the most loved and admired
novels, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. This is HARPER LEE’S first ever novel
which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize as well.
To Kill a Mockingbird is called so because a mockingbird is a bird which
never harms any other bird or animal, which means it remains innocent.
This is the reason why killing a Mockingbird is a sin.
Here, The mockingbird represents the weaker society. The people who are
innocent yet discriminated and harmed.
A situation like this happens, and Scout, an eight-year-old girl, finds the
solution to it!
A lot of people in the world still believe in RACISM . Here also,
people were doing the same thing, but they regretted it very soon as they were
filled with guilt due to Scout’s words.
PPT
BY
@RIDHIMAWAHI
3. z
THE SITUATION WAS
SOMETHING LIKE…
Atticus, who was a lawyer, and a father of two
children, ( Scout and Jem) one day left the house
very late at night. During that time, in a case he
was defending a black man, Tom Robinson- who
was falsely accused of a crime.
Atticus was just and upright, and always believed
in equality. He had taught his children good
manners and lessons. That night, Scot and Jem
followed Atticus to check where he was going
and if he was okay.
A long extension cord ran between the bars
of a second floor window and down the side
of the building.
PPT
BY
@RIDHIMAWAHI
4. z
Atticus was sitting propped up against the front door in one of
his office chairs and was reading a newspaper. He was oblivious
( did not notice) the night bugs over his head.
Scout had a caring nature, that is why she tried to run to Atticus
to tell him about the bugs, but Jem stopped her from doing so.
This was because he felt that Atticus wont like it, as it was very
late and they had come all by themselves, which could make
Atticus tense. That is why they decided to go back home
because they had only followed Atticus all the way to ensure he
was safe.
PPT
BY
@RIDHIMAWAHI
5. z
Those 4 Shady Cars
Jem and Scout had seen that Atticus was
perfectly okay and decided to go home
since it was already getting very late. They
were taking a short cut across the square
when four dusty cars went around the
square, passed the bank building and
stopped in front of the jail. no one got
out for a while.
Atticus seemed to be expecting them.
The kids were curious, so they decided to
stay and sneaked across the square till
they reached the shelter of the Jitney
Jungle door.
PPT
BY
@RIDHIMAWAHI
6. z
WHAT
HAPPENS
NEXT?
Soon after, in ones and twos, men got out of
the cars. They could now be seen clearly. They
moved closer to Atticus and hid him from view.
The men asked Atticus about the black man (
the men had come to kill the man)
Atticus told the men to lower their voices as
Tom Robinson was sleeping. The men did so.
This scene was a sickeningly comic aspect of
an unfunny situation, because violence was
involved here. When Atticus told the men to
lower their voices, they listened to him though
they had come to kill the man.
PPT
BY
@RIDHIMAWAHI
7. z
SCOUT STEPS IN
Atticus pleasantly told the Sarum Gang to leave and threatened them to call
Heck. ( sheriff)
The gang wasn’t afraid. In fact, it abused Heck Indirectly and meant to say
that Heck would never come.
Between this conversation, Atticus said the following words which made
Scout run to him-
“ DO YOU REALLY THINK SO?”
Well, this was the second time that scout had heard her father say this. The
day prior to this, Atticus had said exactly this, and it meant that somebody
would get into trouble. Thinking that it would have meant the same, she ran
to her father.
This was therefore another instance which proved that Scout had a
caring nature.
PPT
BY
@RIDHIMAWAHI
8. z
Seeing Scout was really the last thing
Atticus could have thought of. He was
amazed, astonished, worried at the
same time.
He thought Scout had come all by
herself, and as it was already late, the
worry intensified.
On looking at his face, Scout’s joy was
killed, took her happiness away as she
thought he would be surprised and
happy to see her.
PPT
BY
@RIDHIMAWAHI
9. z Atticus was still in shock, so he got up from his chair and moved
slowly, just like an old man. He told Jem to take Scout and Dill
home. The children were used to following the instructions of
Atticus and listening to him at once, however this time it felt like
Jem wasn’t going to budge.
He shook his head. Atticus tried to make himself look angry and
firm by putting his fists on his hips, and instead of Jem listening to
Atticus, he stood there hands on hips too!
Atticus had always told their children to stand strong and never
leave without finding out the solution to any problem, and that is
what his kinds were doing now.
PPT
BY
@RIDHIMAWAHI
Hands on hips look something
like
10. z Since Jem was not ready to go, a man violently said that he would
take Jem home. He grabbed Jem by the collar and nearly pulled
him off his feet. Scout did not like this a bit. She kicked the man
swiftly. Scout’s kick was a little too high, the man fell in real pain!
After this incident, Atticus pleaded Jem to take Scout and Dill home,
so that the situation did not intensify, but that day Jem wasn’t ready
to listen to Atticus a bit.
Scout spotted a familiar face suddenly. She noticed Mr
Cunningham, a person whom she knew, as his son and Scout
studied in the same grade. When he didn’t reply, scout also made
him remember her by mentioning the incident where he had given
her hickory nuts one time. Mr Cunningham simply ignored Scout
and looked away.
At the very beginning, Scout had also mentioned something about
entailments. When limitations were imposed on Cunningham’s
property, it was Atticus who had helped him out. He felt ashamed.
PPT
BY
@RIDHIMAWAHI
11. z
HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?
All people were staring at Scout, half of them open –
mouthed.
Scout felt nervous and conscious. When she asked about
the matter, Atticus said nothing. In fact, Mr Cunningham
squatted down and took her by the shoulders. He told her
that he would convey Scout’s “ hey” to his son.
Soon after saying this, he told the gang to clear out. The
men shuffled back into their cars. Before she knew it, they
were gone.
It was actually Scout’s words which made the men feel guilty, and this is how
Scout found the solution to the problem.
PPT
BY
@RIDHIMAWAHI
SCOUT ACTUALLY MADE THE
PEOPLE WHO HAD COME TO
KILL TOM ROBINSON FEEL
ASHAMED. THEY SOON
REALIZED THAT THEY COULD
NOT DO SUCH A THING.
FIRSTLY, THEY WERE
AMAZED ABOUT THE FACT
THAT SCOUT, WHI WAS SO
MUCH YOUNGER THAN THEM
HAD A BETTER SENSE OF
JUSTICE AND EQUALITY. AND
ALSO, SCOUT MADE ONE OF
THE PERSON REMEMBER
ABOUT THE HELP BY
ATTICUS, THE WAY HE WAS
THE ONE WHO FOUGHT
AGAINST THE LIMITATIONS
ON THE PERSON’S
PROPERTY.