Boo Radley
Boo Radley is a very key character in the novel, and yet only makes one physical appearance. It is more his presence and the children’s adapting views on him that make him such an important character. In his youth, he joined a group of farmers teenagers that formed the “nearest thing to a gang ever seen in Maycomb.” After a particularly rowdy accident, Boo’s father offered to discipline Boo himself instead of sending him to the state industrial school. Boo was imprisoned inside the house by some means, and was not seen or heard from again for a number of years, when he stabbed his father in the leg, making no attempt to escape afterwards. After Boo’s father died, his brother Nathan moved into the house to continue his father’s duty of imprisoning and restraining Boo in place of sending him to an asylum. The children originally view Boo as a mysterious monster of a character, and the Radley residence as a kind of haunted house. One of their main occupations is thinking of ways to lure Boo outside, and fantasizing as to his monstrous characteristics. As they mature, however, Boo fades from their minds and leave him alone. After disappearing in this fashion for most of the second half of the novel, he makes his appearance at the conclusion, where he ventures out from the house to defend the children from Bob Ewell, who hoped to kill them in revenge for Atticus’ defence of Tom Robinson. In the midst of the attack, it is implied that Boo gained control of the knife and stabbed Bob Ewell, killing him. Heck Tate, though, decides not to press charges, as he knows that exposing Boo to the public would be the wrong thing to do, and it would be symbolic of killing a mockingbird.
Atticus Finch
Atticus, alongside Boo Radley, is considered one of the most important characters in the novel. Atticus strongly believes in the “Rule of Law,” and the way it treats everyone with equality and gives equal opportunities. He himself represents this balance and fairness, and is the same person as a father that he is as a lawyer. He is always referred to as Atticus by his children, never Father, and he does not “dumb down” his language for their sakes, merely simplifying it if they ask. He always listens to both sides of an argument as well, as Scout explains to Uncle Jack “When Jem an' I fuss Atticus doesn't ever just listen to Jem's side of it, he hears mine too.” While he is not afraid to put his foot down when intervention is required as a parent, he never relies on simple authority as a father figure to convey his message. He has never once beaten Jem or Scout, and every time he tries to convince them of something, he will provide a calm, balanced argument as he would in a courtroom that is just as effective to convince his children to do as he says. Atticus was chosen to defend Tom Robinson by Judge Taylor probably for his atmosphere of equality. While he knew that attempting to defend a black man against a white man’s accusation of rape was a near-hopeless cause, especially in the area of Maycomb County, he did not give in or give any less effort than he would to any other case. He was even willing to put his life and wellbeing on the line for Tom, as he defended him when he slept outside the jail.
Tom Robinson
Tom Robinson is a Negro worker who is accused of the rape of Mayella Ewell. While the case seems impossible, Atticus Finch is determined to provide an unbiased, proper and skilled defence for Tom, which he does. Tom’s left arm was caught in a cotton gin when he was twelve, and rendered crippled. Atticus proves that the beatings on Mayella must have been delivered by someone who predominated with their left arm, which not only excluded Tom from suspicion but also highlighted the left-handed Bob Ewell as a suspect. Tom is still sentenced as guilty, however, by the jury on account of him being a negro, and was sent to jail, where he was shot attempting to escape. The jailers protest that they were only shooting to wound and missed, but the 17 bullets found in his body would suggest otherwise.
Jean Louise "Scout" Finch
Scout is the viewpoint from which the story was told. Whilst she is technically the protagonist, she is not really the main character. Strong plots of Tom Robinson and Boo Radley are merely told from her perspective, she played very little part in them.
Scout is the daughter of Atticus, and has a very balanced view of the world from the upbringing she was given. She has not yet formed her mature opinions and ideals, and her observations and comments on life around her are as such unbiased and often insightful. She repeatedly shocks adults by commenting on things such as the segregation of whites and blacks and wearing overalls as a woman in a way that would be considered rude as an adult. She is extremely opposed to the concept of becoming a “lady,” and is insulted whenever she is told she is acting like a girl. As such, she does not get on well with her aunt Alexandra, who strives to turn her into a proper lady.
Scout is the daughter of Atticus, and has a very balanced view of the world from the upbringing she was given. She has not yet formed her mature opinions and ideals, and her observations and comments on life around her are as such unbiased and often insightful. She repeatedly shocks adults by commenting on things such as the segregation of whites and blacks and wearing overalls as a woman in a way that would be considered rude as an adult. She is extremely opposed to the concept of becoming a “lady,” and is insulted whenever she is told she is acting like a girl. As such, she does not get on well with her aunt Alexandra, who strives to turn her into a proper lady.
Jeremy "Jem" Finch
Jem is Scout’s older brother and four years her senior. He is a role model to her, and she models her behavior very much on his. Jem is more effected by events in the book like the sentencing and death of Tom Robinson than Scout is because of his deeper understanding of the world. He is still slightly affected by his mother’s death when he was younger.
Charles Baker "Dill" Harris
Dill appears for the first time to Scout and Jem in the start of the novel. He lives outside of Maycomb, and only comes to visit in the summers. Unlike Jem and Scout, he does not have a secure family that appreciates him, as he is constantly being shuffled around and he says “They do get on a lot better without me, I cannot help them any.” He eventually runs away to Maycomb when he believes his stepfather is filling in his place at home, and hides under Scout’s bed, where he is discovered and allowed to stay for the summer.
Robert "Bob" Ewell
Bob Ewell lives on the outskirts of Maycomb with Mayella, his daughter, and seven other children. He is constantly drunk, spending all his welfare money on alcohol, and feeds his family by poaching, which the town overlooks predominantly out of pity for his children. He is the main antagonist of the story, and it is heavily implied that it was he, not Tom Robinson, that abused Mayella. He is spiteful after Atticus defends Tom Robinson in court, and undergoes several acts of revenge. He begins by spitting in Atticus’ face, then attempts to break into Judge Taylor’s house, scares Tom Robinson’s widow, and finally attempted to murder Jem and Scout, where he was presumably killed by Boo Radley defending them.
Mayella Violet Ewell
Mayella is the daughter of Bob Ewell, and has been raised awfully by him since birth. She has been given little or no contact with the outside world, to the extent that she was confused when Atticus asked her whether she had any friends, as she did not know what friends were. She also is so unused to general courtesy and politeness that she misinterprets Atticus’ calling of her “Miss Mayella” to be mocking. She was so desperate for outside contact that she seduced a black man, violating social regulations. Her father discovered this and beat her in retribution.
Miss Maud "Maudie" Atkinson
Miss Maudie is a neighbour of the Finches, and often looks after Jem and Scout. It is from her that Jem and Scout receive most of their information about Atticus as a young man. She is one of the only adults that Jem and Scout revere, as she never talks down to them and treats them as mature adults. When Jem begins to exclude Scout later in the novel, Miss Maudie keeps her company and becomes a kind of mother figure to her.
Calpurnia "Cal"
Calpurnia is the negro housemaid of the Finch household. Calpurnia is one of the only black people in Maycomb that can read, and is viewed as an evil witch to begin with by Scout. However as she matures, Scout notices that Calpurnia is hardworking and a good person, and Atticus has great respect for her for that as well.
Mrs Henry Lafayette Dubose
Mrs Dubose is an elderly woman that is predominantly pictured hurling abuse at Scout and Jem as they walk past her verandah, no matter how nice they are to her. Jem eventually flies into a rage when she calls Atticus a nigger-lover, and cuts the heads off all her camellias. As punishment, he is forced to read to her each afternoon, during which time it is noticed that Mrs Dubose undergoes odd seizures and twitches. It is revealed when Jem finally is allowed to stop reading to her each afternoon that she was a morphine addict, and wished to die free of her addiction, and Jem’s reading was a distraction. She died soon after Jem finished his reading sessions, and sent him a camellia in a box. He originally saw it as an ominous reminder that she would haunt him even after death, but after Atticus told him it was to remind him of bravery and a gift of thanks, he is later seen admiring the flower.