Summary of To Kill a Mockingbird
By Lynnsey Kraus
This book was based on a Southern Alabama town called Maycomb in the 1930’s during the depression when prejudice was still present with blacks being at the bottom of the class system.
Scout was the narrator and Jem was her older brother, both mischievous and somewhat immature. At the beginning of the story, the children made many attempts to get Arthur Radley (Boo) out of the house. They never once saw Boo come out. Jem always made up lies since he never really knew what happened inside. He got most of his information from the town gossip, Miss Stephanie Crawford.
One summer, Atticus (the children’s father – a lawyer), was appointed a case that would change their lives forever. He had to defend a “nigger” – Tom Robinson. Atticus took this case with dignity and tried to defend him as best as he could. Unlike the rest of the town, he could care less about skin color. Although he did have a hunch that no matter how hard he tried and how well he had defended the client, this town would never realize that blacks haven’t done anything wrong. That is why this classic novel is called To Kill a Mockingbird. Mockingbirds don’t do anything but sing their lungs out for us to listen to.