To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee- Plot Summary

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee- Plot Summary

Characters

Scout Finch (Jean Louise)- The Narrator

Jem Finch- Older brother of Scout

Atticus Finch- Father of Scout and Jem

Alexandra- Atticus sister

Dill- A friend of Scout and Jem

Calpurnia- Finch’s Housekeeper and Cook

Boo Radley- The mysterious neighbor

Walter Cunningham- A poor child in Scout and Jem’s school

Tom Robinson- A black man accused of rape

Mayella Ewell- The white who accused Tom

Bob Ewell- Mayella’s father

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is one of the recommended Non-African novels recommended by WAEC in the 2026-2030 Literature-in-English Syllabus. It is written by an American writer, Harper Lee who was born on April 28, 1926, and died in 2016 at the age of 89.

The plot is based on the personal experience of the author, Harper Lee. It is on the observation of her family, and neighbors as well as an event that occur near Monroeville, Alabama in 1936 when she was ten years old.

Scout (Jean Louise Finch), a six-year-old narrates this story that takes place between 1933-1935, the period of the Great Depression in the fictional town of Maycomb in Alabama the seat of Maycomb County.

Jean Louise, who is nicknamed Scout lives with her older brother who is also nicknamed Jem. There is also their widowed middle-aged father Atticus. Calpurnia is their cook and also helps in raising the two children. He is black and has been with the family for years.

Jem and Scout are friends with a boy named Dill. He comes to Maycomb County every summer period to stay with his aunt. The three children fear their neighbor, Arthur “Boo” Radley and at the same time fascinated by him.

The adults of Maycomb County are always cautious to talk about Boo whom few of them have seen for many years. The children on their feed themselves with the rumors and imagination about his appearance and why he lives a reclusive life. Their imagination does not stop there, they also thought of how to get him out of his house.

It is two summers of the friendship of Jem and Scout with Dill, and they discover that someone always leaves for them small gifts in a tree that is outside Boo’s place. Boo has been making several gestures of affection to the children but he never appears in person to them.

Tom Robinson, a black is accused of raping a young white woman, Mayella Ewell. Judge Taylor then appoints Atticus to defend him. Most of the citizens of Maycomb County do not support this, but Atticus accepts to defend him wholeheartedly.

Other children believe that Jem and Scout are responsible for Atticus’ action of defending Tom Robinson, they call him a “nigger lover.” Scout is provoked to fight for her father’s dignity even when the latter does not support it and tells her not to.

One night, a group of men plans to lynch Tom in the presence of Atticus. Fortunately, Scout, Jem, and Dill just show up. Scout is able to break the people’s mentality by talking to the father of one of his classmates whom she recognizes. This averts the impending danger as the people disperse.

Atticus, who is assigned to defend Tom in court does not want Jem and Scout to be present at the venue of the trial. The seat on the main floor is already occupied, but the pastor of Calpurnia’s church, Rev. Sykes invites the trio of Jem, Scout, and Dill to watch from the colored balcony.

At the trial, Atticus is able to establish the fact that Mayella and Bob Ewell are lying. It is uncovered that Mayella made sexual advances toward Tom and that is why her father beat her. The townspeople also refer to the Ewells as “white trash” who should not be trusted. Regardless of this, the jury convicts him.

With this judgment, Jem loses faith in justice. Atticus is optimistic about getting the verdict overturned. But unfortunately, Tom tries to escape from prison and he is shot seventeen times and died.

After the conviction of Tom, Bob Ewell is greatly humiliated as a result of the events of the trial. Atticus said that he destroyed what is left of Ewell’s credibility. Ewell makes a vow to revenge, he spits in Atticus’ face, tries to break into the judge’s house, and threatens Tom Robinson’s widow.

He eventually attacks Jem and Scout while walking home on a dark night after the school Halloween pageant. Jem sustains an injury in his arm and the arm breaks. In the course of this, a man rescues the children and carries Jem home. Scout realizes that the strange man that rescued them is Boo Radley.

Sheriff Tate arrives at the scene and discovers Ewell dead from a knife injury. Atticus on his own believes that Boo kills Ewell. Sheriff Tate decides to report that Ewell fell on his own knife during the attack, this is to protect Boo’s privacy.

Boo Radley tells Scout to walk him home and after she bids him farewell in front of his house, he disappears and Scout never sets her eyes on him again. She then imagines life from Boo’s perspective while standing on the Radley porch.