To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird
CHaracters & IMportant Quotes
Casie's Character Analysis
Jean Louise “Scout” Finch
Scout is the main character and narrator in the story. She lives in a town called Maycomb with her brother Jem, her father Atticus, and their cook Calpurnia. Scout is a tomboy. She doesn’t act as “lady-like” as the women in the town expect her to act. Scout was mainly raised around boys since her mother is dead. This caused her to act not so much as proper. Scout is a very adventurous person. Her and her brother always get into some sort of trouble from their activities. But Scout scout isn’t dumb. She always seems to be able to get out of her problems with a solution. Though she may be a troublemaker, she is still a very smart kid.
Jeremy Atticus “Jem” Finch
Jem is another one of the main characters. He is the brother of Scout and spends a lot of his time with her. Like Scout, he also gets into a of trouble. At the beginning lot Jem seems always wants to be with Scout. But towards the end he changes making him a dynamic character. By the end of the book, Scout describes him about how he thinks he is suddenly so much better. Jem is still also very protective of Scout. Although Jem changes, he still is very brotherly to Scout.
Atticus Finch
Atticus is the father of Jem and Scout. He is a lawyer in Maycomb and many people know him for it. Unlike other people in the town, Atticus is not racist. He accepts all people for who they are and what they look like. During Jem and Scout’s childhood, he was the only parent there to raise them. Since their mother died, he was by himself with the kids (except for Calpurnia). But this doesn’t make him change his ways about the kids. He still uses his wisdom to help the kids throughout their childhood.
Calpurnia
Calpurnia is the Finch’s cook. She is colored but the family in not racist like the rest of the town. Calpurnia always tries to do the best for the kids. She helps out with raising them too. Since Jem and Scout didn’t grow up with a mother, Calpurnia was there almost as a mother figure to them.
Arthur (Boo) Radley
Arthur Radley is one of the legends Jem and Scout constantly wonder about. They call him by Boo Radley instead of his actual name - Arthur. During the story Boo leaves all these little presents in the tree. Since the children don’t know it’s him, they continue to think he’s somewhat insane. Although Boo Radley is portrayed as an crazy in the beginning, towards the end he becomes a hero.
Charles Baker Harris (Dill)
Dill is a boy who comes to Maycomb every summer. Scout and Jem became friends with him and discover that he is a clever, smart boy. Dill is seen as a curious person too. He constantly trying to find if the Boo Radley legends are true. Although Dill could be a trouble maker, he is still a very smart person.
Scout is the main character and narrator in the story. She lives in a town called Maycomb with her brother Jem, her father Atticus, and their cook Calpurnia. Scout is a tomboy. She doesn’t act as “lady-like” as the women in the town expect her to act. Scout was mainly raised around boys since her mother is dead. This caused her to act not so much as proper. Scout is a very adventurous person. Her and her brother always get into some sort of trouble from their activities. But Scout scout isn’t dumb. She always seems to be able to get out of her problems with a solution. Though she may be a troublemaker, she is still a very smart kid.
Jeremy Atticus “Jem” Finch
Jem is another one of the main characters. He is the brother of Scout and spends a lot of his time with her. Like Scout, he also gets into a of trouble. At the beginning lot Jem seems always wants to be with Scout. But towards the end he changes making him a dynamic character. By the end of the book, Scout describes him about how he thinks he is suddenly so much better. Jem is still also very protective of Scout. Although Jem changes, he still is very brotherly to Scout.
Atticus Finch
Atticus is the father of Jem and Scout. He is a lawyer in Maycomb and many people know him for it. Unlike other people in the town, Atticus is not racist. He accepts all people for who they are and what they look like. During Jem and Scout’s childhood, he was the only parent there to raise them. Since their mother died, he was by himself with the kids (except for Calpurnia). But this doesn’t make him change his ways about the kids. He still uses his wisdom to help the kids throughout their childhood.
Calpurnia
Calpurnia is the Finch’s cook. She is colored but the family in not racist like the rest of the town. Calpurnia always tries to do the best for the kids. She helps out with raising them too. Since Jem and Scout didn’t grow up with a mother, Calpurnia was there almost as a mother figure to them.
Arthur (Boo) Radley
Arthur Radley is one of the legends Jem and Scout constantly wonder about. They call him by Boo Radley instead of his actual name - Arthur. During the story Boo leaves all these little presents in the tree. Since the children don’t know it’s him, they continue to think he’s somewhat insane. Although Boo Radley is portrayed as an crazy in the beginning, towards the end he becomes a hero.
Charles Baker Harris (Dill)
Dill is a boy who comes to Maycomb every summer. Scout and Jem became friends with him and discover that he is a clever, smart boy. Dill is seen as a curious person too. He constantly trying to find if the Boo Radley legends are true. Although Dill could be a trouble maker, he is still a very smart person.
Alex's Character Analysis
Scout
Scout is the main character in the book. She is very intelligent; she learns how to read and write before she even starts school. She is also very confident; she fights people with no fear! She is very thoughtful; she thinks about what she’s doing and how it will affect the people around her, and i think that’s very wise for her age. I can make this inference because she does everything with a purpose, i can inturpret this as good because she thinks about what kind of effect Scout is also just an all around good person. She always does things with the best intentions, and other people in mind over herself. She is also a very big tomboy compared to the strict teachings of Maycomb County. Thanks to the amazing way Atticus has parented her, instead of learning wearing dresses and using manners, like other girls her age, she wears overalls and plays in the mud with Dill and Jem. During this time period this was very frowned upon, but Scout does what makes her happy, and whatever that is it’s alright with her is alright with Atticus. The way Atticus protects and teaches her the hypocrisy of the world, leaves her with an open mind, and an open heart. You can see this in Scout’s character because she doesn’t judge anyone by how they look, she judges them based on their actions and their personality.
Atticus
Atticus is Jem and Scout’s single father. He’s one of the only well-off people during this time period (the great depression). The reason i mentioned this is because you can clearly see the differences between the people in the town based on their class or what they have. He is very respected by the community because of his intelligence and his outstanding wisdom. He’s the type of person everyone turn to in times of need, and when someone simply needs guidance! Although, since he agrees to defend Tom Robinson, a black man, against a white man he has a falling out with the community. Nearly the entire county uses this to call Atticus a ‘niger-lover’ and other names that were horrible in this time period. After the trial, everyone tries to act like nothing has happened, he gains back all of his respect in the blink of an eye! He is a man who knows sympathy and understanding, and he teaches that to Jem and Scout. He never hold a grudge against anyone in Maycomb and he can spot the good and bad qualities of everyone!
Jem
Jem is a very dynamic character in the book. He is also very relatable, because he is going through puberty like other teens in the age range for this book. He is at a time in his life where he is confused enough, but when he sees the biased outcome of the court case he learns a lesson about the world. He learns how horrible the world really is, and that makes him determined to try to change the world in his lifetime. You see a shift change in his personality during the time he turns 12-13. He gets a bit more wise and bossy around this age, because of puberty.
Calpurnia
Calpurnia is kind of like a second mother/maid for the kids. Her family has been working for the FInches since slaves were first brought over to America. She is treated like a member of the family, if she lived with them people would think that she really was there mother. She is there caretaker and she disaplines them. She helps the kids learn about the African culture, and keeps them open minded.
Boo Radley
Boo Radley is a recluse who hasn’t stepped out of his home since he was a teenager. He was a very smart kid who had everything going for him, until he was damaged by his cruel father. You don’t learn that much about him in the novel but he is one of the novels mockingbirds, a good person who has been hurt by the evilness of mankind. He has been hurt because he was such a nice respectable boy who had so much potential; but he got caught up in the wrong crowd.
Scout is the main character in the book. She is very intelligent; she learns how to read and write before she even starts school. She is also very confident; she fights people with no fear! She is very thoughtful; she thinks about what she’s doing and how it will affect the people around her, and i think that’s very wise for her age. I can make this inference because she does everything with a purpose, i can inturpret this as good because she thinks about what kind of effect Scout is also just an all around good person. She always does things with the best intentions, and other people in mind over herself. She is also a very big tomboy compared to the strict teachings of Maycomb County. Thanks to the amazing way Atticus has parented her, instead of learning wearing dresses and using manners, like other girls her age, she wears overalls and plays in the mud with Dill and Jem. During this time period this was very frowned upon, but Scout does what makes her happy, and whatever that is it’s alright with her is alright with Atticus. The way Atticus protects and teaches her the hypocrisy of the world, leaves her with an open mind, and an open heart. You can see this in Scout’s character because she doesn’t judge anyone by how they look, she judges them based on their actions and their personality.
Atticus
Atticus is Jem and Scout’s single father. He’s one of the only well-off people during this time period (the great depression). The reason i mentioned this is because you can clearly see the differences between the people in the town based on their class or what they have. He is very respected by the community because of his intelligence and his outstanding wisdom. He’s the type of person everyone turn to in times of need, and when someone simply needs guidance! Although, since he agrees to defend Tom Robinson, a black man, against a white man he has a falling out with the community. Nearly the entire county uses this to call Atticus a ‘niger-lover’ and other names that were horrible in this time period. After the trial, everyone tries to act like nothing has happened, he gains back all of his respect in the blink of an eye! He is a man who knows sympathy and understanding, and he teaches that to Jem and Scout. He never hold a grudge against anyone in Maycomb and he can spot the good and bad qualities of everyone!
Jem
Jem is a very dynamic character in the book. He is also very relatable, because he is going through puberty like other teens in the age range for this book. He is at a time in his life where he is confused enough, but when he sees the biased outcome of the court case he learns a lesson about the world. He learns how horrible the world really is, and that makes him determined to try to change the world in his lifetime. You see a shift change in his personality during the time he turns 12-13. He gets a bit more wise and bossy around this age, because of puberty.
Calpurnia
Calpurnia is kind of like a second mother/maid for the kids. Her family has been working for the FInches since slaves were first brought over to America. She is treated like a member of the family, if she lived with them people would think that she really was there mother. She is there caretaker and she disaplines them. She helps the kids learn about the African culture, and keeps them open minded.
Boo Radley
Boo Radley is a recluse who hasn’t stepped out of his home since he was a teenager. He was a very smart kid who had everything going for him, until he was damaged by his cruel father. You don’t learn that much about him in the novel but he is one of the novels mockingbirds, a good person who has been hurt by the evilness of mankind. He has been hurt because he was such a nice respectable boy who had so much potential; but he got caught up in the wrong crowd.
Alex's Important quotes
“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… until you climb into his skin and walk in it”
Atticus says this quote to Scout in chapter 3. This quote is important because it really impacts Scout throughout the rest of the novel. It conducts Atticus’ sole principal; don’t judge someone before you know them. He tries to relate with Scout in a way she can understand, so he says “climb in his skin and walk around in it” to try to help Scout really understand what he’s saying. This quote is also important because Scout applies this to many things throughout the novel. For example when she first starts to figure out things about Boo Radley she thinks he is scary and creepy, then Boo gives Jem and herself gifts and covers her with a blanket during the fire, she really realizes that she judged him wrongly. She uses this advice to live with sympathy and understanding towards others. At the end of the book for example she uses Atticus’ advice to the fullest in comprehending Boo Radley’s perspective.
“ ‘Remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.’ That was the first time i ever heard Atticus say it was a sin to do something, and i asked Miss Maudie about it. ‘Your fathers right,’ she said. “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.”
This quote is very important because it goes hand in hand with the theme. The theme is the co-existence of good and evil. and this is related because all the good people do is well, good. The mockingbirds are a symbol of good people who were destroyed by evil. Boo Radley is a perfect example of a ‘mockingbird’. He hasn’t done anything but good, such as leaving Jem and Scout presents, covering Scout with a blanket during the fire, and saving the children from Mr. Ewell. Despite him being a good pure-hearted person, he is damaged by an abusive father. The comparison of characters to mockingbirds really stood out to me in chapter 30, when Scout tells Atticus hurting Boo would be sort of like shootin a mockingbird.
‘no’ said Atticus. ‘Putting his life’s history on display for the edification of the neighborhood.’
This quote stood out because, throughout the entire book, Atticus is never very stern with his children. This particular quote is one of the only times that Atticus is telling them they can’t do something. For Scout and Jem this is an important moment because besides this Atticus is never that strict to his kids, and he usually doesn’t care what his kids do, in terms of playing games. He is implying that the Radley’s are good people and don’t deserve to be made fun of. Also because of this it creates some tension because they don’t see eye to eye for the first time in the book. This tension also reminds the reader that they are father and children so they won’t see eye to eye on everything because the children are still learning.
“There's just one kind of folks. Folks”
This quote Scout said really focus’ on her real understanding of people. She understands that everyone is equal and that we are all made up of the same things. She is applying Atticus’ morals, of seeing everyone as equal and you shouldn’t judge people by how they look but by how they act. For example when her cousin makes rude comments about Atticus, she defends him and Tom.
Casie's Quotes
“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view . . . until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”
This quote means that you don’t understand a person before you actually experience it or picture yourself as them. It means that you don’t really know a person until you picture yourself in their life or in their situation. A lot of situations in the book can fit for this quote. For example, when Scout, Jem, and Dill were acting out the Boo Radley legends. The three just started to almost make fun of him before they actually knew what his situation was. They never thought maybe he had problems or had a reason to not go outside. Another situation could be with Tom Robinson. Mr. Ewell blamed him for a crime he didn’t commit and he was sent to jail anyway. The court never thought that maybe he had a family or a life. They just sent him to jail without even thinking.
“People generally see what they look for, and hear what they listen for.”
This quote means that people like to see what they want to see and they hear what they want to hear. It kind of means that people are selfish. People will only see the things that they want to see. They want to see things that they will benefit from or what they like. They want to hear only the things that they want to hear. They want to hear the things that are positive towards them or that they like. If someone said something negative towards someone else they would probably try to ignore it because they only want to hear positive things towards them. It also doesn’t necessarily mean people are selfish. It could also mean someone just wants to only see/hear the good things in every situation.
"I think there's just one kind of folks. Folks."
This quote means that there no specific type of people in the world and that everyone in equal. In the book, people were very racist and thought less of people that seemed different than them. This quote is saying that no matter what someone’s appearance is that they are the same as anyone else.
"It was times like these when I thought my father, who hated guns and had never been to any wars, was the bravest man who ever lived."
This quote means that Scout thinks of Atticus as brave even if he didn’t go to war or anything to risk his life. She’s saying that she sees Atticus as a brave person no matter what he does and even if it doesn’t seem brave to others. This quote means that people can be brave to others even if it doesn’t seem like it. People can be thought of as brave for reasons that others might not understand. Just because someone doesn’t risk their life for someone else or sacrifice something doesn’t mean they can’t be shown as brave.
This quote means that you don’t understand a person before you actually experience it or picture yourself as them. It means that you don’t really know a person until you picture yourself in their life or in their situation. A lot of situations in the book can fit for this quote. For example, when Scout, Jem, and Dill were acting out the Boo Radley legends. The three just started to almost make fun of him before they actually knew what his situation was. They never thought maybe he had problems or had a reason to not go outside. Another situation could be with Tom Robinson. Mr. Ewell blamed him for a crime he didn’t commit and he was sent to jail anyway. The court never thought that maybe he had a family or a life. They just sent him to jail without even thinking.
“People generally see what they look for, and hear what they listen for.”
This quote means that people like to see what they want to see and they hear what they want to hear. It kind of means that people are selfish. People will only see the things that they want to see. They want to see things that they will benefit from or what they like. They want to hear only the things that they want to hear. They want to hear the things that are positive towards them or that they like. If someone said something negative towards someone else they would probably try to ignore it because they only want to hear positive things towards them. It also doesn’t necessarily mean people are selfish. It could also mean someone just wants to only see/hear the good things in every situation.
"I think there's just one kind of folks. Folks."
This quote means that there no specific type of people in the world and that everyone in equal. In the book, people were very racist and thought less of people that seemed different than them. This quote is saying that no matter what someone’s appearance is that they are the same as anyone else.
"It was times like these when I thought my father, who hated guns and had never been to any wars, was the bravest man who ever lived."
This quote means that Scout thinks of Atticus as brave even if he didn’t go to war or anything to risk his life. She’s saying that she sees Atticus as a brave person no matter what he does and even if it doesn’t seem brave to others. This quote means that people can be brave to others even if it doesn’t seem like it. People can be thought of as brave for reasons that others might not understand. Just because someone doesn’t risk their life for someone else or sacrifice something doesn’t mean they can’t be shown as brave.