The story is set from the viewpoint of Scout Finch in the small town of Maycomb County, Alabama. Scout and her brother, Jem, are introduced to a new boy in the neighbourhood, Dill, who is staying for the summer. Together they learn about the Radley household and particularly Boo Radley, who they aim to lure out of his house like a wild animal.
Scout begins school and at that time Jem and Scout begin to find random items in a knothole in the tree outside the Radley residence, which they eventually realize are gifts being given to them by Boo Radley. They begin roleplaying fictional stories of his life, which Atticus catches them at and tells them to cease because it was wrong to criticize someone before being able to empathise with their situation. Soon after, Boo Radley’s father fills in the knothole with cement. However, they disobey him and sneak up to the back of the Radley house, where they are seen by Boo’s father and shot at by mistake. Jem’s pants, which he leaves behind in desperation to leave, are retrieved folded over the fence.
After this, Atticus decides to accept the defence of Tom Robinson against the accusation of the rape of Mayella Ewell. Many of the white residents of Maycomb disapprove of this, especially the farmers, but the black community shows him a great deal of respect for it.
The children are put under the care of Aunt Alexandra for the next summer, the summer of the trial, and Jem and Scout attend the trial on the coloured balcony above. Bob Ewell attests that Tom raped Mayella and then fled the scene, and Mayella concurred, albeit with obvious reluctance and little believability. Tom Robinson explains that he was asked inside and then Mayella attempted to seduce him, at which point he ran away and Bob Ewell entered the room, presumably to beat her. Atticus presents many infallible arguments to prove that Bob Ewell must have inflicted the injuries found on Mayella, and the jury leave. The jury enter later and pronounce Tom guilty as charged. Tom later is shot attempting to escape prison.
Bob Ewell decides he is not satisfied with the verdict, and spits in Atticus’ face, attempts to break into Judge Taylor’s house, stalks Tom’s widow, and finally attempts to murder Scout and Jem walking home at night, at which point the previously unseen Boo appears and presumably kills him afterwards. The sheriff chooses not to press charges to keep Boo out of the spotlight, and Scout decides that she understands Boo’s predicament and his outlook on the world, and sees why he chooses to stay outside, because the rest of the world was so evil at times.
Scout begins school and at that time Jem and Scout begin to find random items in a knothole in the tree outside the Radley residence, which they eventually realize are gifts being given to them by Boo Radley. They begin roleplaying fictional stories of his life, which Atticus catches them at and tells them to cease because it was wrong to criticize someone before being able to empathise with their situation. Soon after, Boo Radley’s father fills in the knothole with cement. However, they disobey him and sneak up to the back of the Radley house, where they are seen by Boo’s father and shot at by mistake. Jem’s pants, which he leaves behind in desperation to leave, are retrieved folded over the fence.
After this, Atticus decides to accept the defence of Tom Robinson against the accusation of the rape of Mayella Ewell. Many of the white residents of Maycomb disapprove of this, especially the farmers, but the black community shows him a great deal of respect for it.
The children are put under the care of Aunt Alexandra for the next summer, the summer of the trial, and Jem and Scout attend the trial on the coloured balcony above. Bob Ewell attests that Tom raped Mayella and then fled the scene, and Mayella concurred, albeit with obvious reluctance and little believability. Tom Robinson explains that he was asked inside and then Mayella attempted to seduce him, at which point he ran away and Bob Ewell entered the room, presumably to beat her. Atticus presents many infallible arguments to prove that Bob Ewell must have inflicted the injuries found on Mayella, and the jury leave. The jury enter later and pronounce Tom guilty as charged. Tom later is shot attempting to escape prison.
Bob Ewell decides he is not satisfied with the verdict, and spits in Atticus’ face, attempts to break into Judge Taylor’s house, stalks Tom’s widow, and finally attempts to murder Scout and Jem walking home at night, at which point the previously unseen Boo appears and presumably kills him afterwards. The sheriff chooses not to press charges to keep Boo out of the spotlight, and Scout decides that she understands Boo’s predicament and his outlook on the world, and sees why he chooses to stay outside, because the rest of the world was so evil at times.