To Kill a Mockinbird Background

Set in the American South Separate entrances for whites and coloureds.

Communities consist of: The very rich - Finches Townsfolk – Sheriff, teachers, etc. Country people – Cunninghams Poor whites – Ewells Blacks – Robinsons Outcasts – Radleys and Dolphus Raymond

The story is about the lives of four families: The Finches The Radleys The Ewells The Robinsons

These families become involved because of the following issues: Why does Boo Radley never ever leave his house? Did Tom Robinson really rape Mayella Ewell or did his father do it? Will the community harm Atticus Finch because he is defending Tom Robinson ( a black man) in the rape case? Will the white court sentence Tom Robinson to death even if Atticus can prove that Tom did not rape Mayella? Will the white court side with the testimony of Ewell even if he is a low class white that deserves less respect than Tom Robinson?

Chapter 1 Characters: The narrator is Scout Finch Jem Finch – we are told about his broken elbow. Jem breaks his elbow at the end of the story. This introduction is to lead us to the event of how it came that Jem broke his elbow. The Ewells – did they start the events that led to the breaking of Jem’s elbow? Dill – did he start the events that led to the breaking of Jem’s elbow? Andrew Jackson – American President that attacked Indians in the South. If he never invaded the South would Jem have broken his elbow? Simon Finch – (The Finch’s forefather) Would Jem have broken his elbow if Simon Finch never ever settled near Maycomb, next to the Alabama river?

Simon Finch (Finch's Landing) Atticus Finch Scout Jem Alexandra Finch (Jimmy) Henry Francis Jack Finch

Setting The town of Maycomb situated in the state of Alabama in the South of the United States of America. Finch House: Atticus (his wife died), Jem, Scout, Calpurnia (housekeeper) Dubose House: Mrs Henry Lafayette Dubose How was Jem punished for cutting down her flowers and how did it influence his life? The Radley Place: Mr Radley, Nathan Radley (Boo’s brother), Mrs Radley, Boo Radley,

The Haverford House: Miss Rachel Haverford Miss Rachel, and sometimes Dill Atkinson House – Boarding house Miss Maudie Atkinson , Caroline Fischer Miss Stephanie Crawford – is all her neighbourhood gossip about Boo Radley the truth?