Drama To Kill a Mockingbird Character Analysis by Harper Lee

Drama To Kill a Mockingbird Character Analysis by Harper Lee

To view other chapter's summary and analysis Click Here.

Scout Finch

Scout is a very unusual little girl, both in her own qualities and in her social position. She is unusually intelligent (she learns to read before beginning school), unusually confident (she fights boys without fear), unusually thoughtful (she worries about the essential goodness and evil of mankind), and unusually good (she always acts with the best intentions). In terms of her social identity, she is unusual for being a tomboy in the prim and proper Southern world of Maycomb.

One quickly realizes when reading To Kill a Mockingbird that Scout is who she is because of the way Atticus has raised her. He has nurtured her mind, conscience, and individuality without bogging her down in fussy social hypocrisies and notions of propriety. While most girls in Scout’s position would be wearing dresses and learning manners, Scout, thanks to Atticus’s hands-off parenting style, wears overalls and learns to climb trees with Jem and Dill. She does not always grasp social niceties (she tells her teacher that one of her fellow students is too poor to pay her back for lunch), and human behavior often baffles her (as when one of her teachers criticizes Hitler’s prejudice against Jews while indulging in her own prejudice against Black people), but Atticus’s protection of Scout from hypocrisy and social pressure has rendered her open, forthright, and well meaning.

At the beginning of the novel, Scout is an innocent, good-hearted five-year-old child who has no experience with the evils of the world. As the novel progresses, Scout has her first contact with evil in the form of racial prejudice, and the basic development of her character is governed by the question of whether she will emerge from that contact with her conscience and optimism intact or whether she will be bruised, hurt, or destroyed like Boo Radley and Tom Robinson. Thanks to Atticus’s wisdom, Scout learns that though humanity has a great capacity for evil, it also has a great capacity for good, and that the evil can often be mitigated if one approaches others with an outlook of sympathy and understanding. Scout’s development into a person capable of assuming that outlook marks the culmination of the novel and indicates that, whatever evil she encounters, she will retain her conscience without becoming cynical or jaded. Though she is still a child at the end of the book, Scout’s perspective on life develops from that of an innocent child into that of a near grown-up.

Atticus Finch

As one of the most prominent citizens in Maycomb during the Great Depression, Atticus is relatively well off in a time of widespread poverty. Because of his penetrating intelligence, calm wisdom, and exemplary behavior, Atticus is respected by everyone, including the very poor. He functions as the moral backbone of Maycomb, a person to whom others turn in times of doubt and trouble. But the conscience that makes him so admirable ultimately causes his falling out with the people of Maycomb. Unable to abide the town’s comfortable ingrained racial prejudice, he agrees to defend Tom Robinson, a Black man. Atticus’s action makes him the object of scorn in Maycomb, but he is simply too impressive a figure to be scorned for long. After the trial, he seems destined to be held in the same high regard as before.

Atticus practices the ethic of sympathy and understanding that he preaches to Scout and Jem and never holds a grudge against the people of Maycomb. Despite their callous indifference to racial inequality, Atticus sees much to admire in them. He recognizes that people have both good and bad qualities, and he is determined to admire the good while understanding and forgiving the bad. Atticus passes this great moral lesson on to Scout—this perspective protects the innocent from being destroyed by contact with evil.

Ironically, though Atticus is a heroic figure in the novel and a respected man in Maycomb, neither Jem nor Scout consciously idolizes him at the beginning of the novel. Both are embarrassed that he is older than other fathers and that he doesn’t hunt or fish. But Atticus’s wise parenting, which he sums up in Chapter 30 by saying, “Before Jem looks at anyone else he looks at me, and I’ve tried to live so I can look squarely back at him,” ultimately wins their respect. By the end of the novel, Jem, in particular, is fiercely devoted to Atticus (Scout, still a little girl, loves him uncritically). Though his children’s attitude toward him evolves, Atticus is characterized throughout the book by his absolute consistency. He stands rigidly committed to justice and thoughtfully willing to view matters from the perspectives of others. He does not develop in the novel but retains these qualities in equal measure, making him the novel’s moral guide and voice of conscience.

Jem Finch

If Scout is an innocent girl who is exposed to evil at an early age and forced to develop an adult moral outlook, Jem finds himself in an even more turbulent situation. His shattering experience at Tom Robinson’s trial occurs just as he is entering puberty, a time when life is complicated and traumatic enough. His disillusionment upon seeing that justice does not always prevail leaves him vulnerable and confused at a critical, formative point in his life. Nevertheless, he admirably upholds the commitment to justice that Atticus instilled in him and maintains it with deep conviction throughout the novel.

Unlike the jaded Mr. Raymond, Jem is not without hope: Atticus tells Scout that Jem simply needs time to process what he has learned. The strong presence of Atticus in Jem’s life seems to promise that he will recover his equilibrium. Later in his life, Jem is able to see that Boo Radley’s unexpected aid indicates there is good in people. Even before the end of the novel, Jem shows signs of having learned a positive lesson from the trial; for instance, at the beginning of Chapter 25, he refuses to allow Scout to squash a roly-poly bug because it has done nothing to harm her. After seeing the unfair destruction of Tom Robinson, Jem now wants to protect the fragile and harmless.

The idea that Jem resolves his cynicism and moves toward a happier life is supported by the beginning of the novel, in which a grown-up Scout remembers talking to Jem about the events that make up the novel’s plot. Scout says that Jem pinpointed the children’s initial interest in Boo Radley at the beginning of the story, strongly implying that he understood what Boo represented to them and, like Scout, managed to shed his innocence without losing his hope.

Boo Radley

Boo Radley is a neighbor who lives on the same street as the Finch family. Boo’s defining characteristic is his literal and symbolic invisibility. A recluse who only comes out at night, Boo becomes a receptacle for the town’s fears and superstitions. The Finch children make up strange and horrific stories about Boo, informed by the gossip of the adults. The reader understands that Boo has been mistreated by his father, who locked him up for a minor infraction when he was a young man, but Jem and Scout believe wild tales about Boo, such as the rumor that he kills the neighbors’ pets. As such, within the context of the novel Boo functions more like a ghost than an actual character. He only appears in the final chapters of the book, and even then, only speaks once, but his presence is felt throughout. In fact, Scout begins her narration saying that in order to understand the events of Halloween night it’s not enough for the reader to know the background of Tom Robinson’s trial. The reader must also know the history between Scout, Jem, and Boo Radley.

Symbolically, Boo represents both Scout’s childish understanding of the lives of people around her, and also the genuine risks and dangers that face children as they grow up in the world. As a ghost-like figure, Boo also symbolizes aspects of the town’s past, such as intolerance, inequality, and slavery. The town prefers to keep the less admirable aspects of its past out of sight, like Boo, but, like Boo, ghosts of the town’s past continue to inform the community’s present.

Boo doesn’t change as a character over the course of the novel, but Scout and Jem’s perception of Boo changes from monster to hero as they learn more about Boo and develop a sense of empathy. Boo is genuinely kind and protective of the children. In fact, he protects them when Atticus has underestimated the threat that Bob Ewell poses to Atticus and his family. Scout never makes Boo’s motives explicitly clear, but in a story that does not shy away from having unambiguously good and unambiguously evil characters, Scout clearly intends the reader to count Boo among the good ones. The decision that Heck Tate and Atticus make at the end of the novel to protect Boo’s privacy marks the culmination of the novel’s lessons about courage, empathy, community, and the law.

Calpurnia

Calpurnia is the Finch family’s cook, a Black woman, and a mother figure to Scout. Scout describes Calpurnia as a strict, demanding, and unsentimental “tyrannical presence.” At the same time, Scout treats Calpurnia with more genuine respect and obedience than the female members of her own family, such as her Aunt Alexandra. Scout doesn’t give much thought to Calpurnia’s personal life outside her work for Scout’s family, but the reader learns that Calpurnia has a had a difficult and painful life, rarely seeing her own children while she took care of Scout and Jem. Calpurnia also functions as Scout’s, and the reader’s, window into the world of the Black citizens of Maycomb. For example, Scout is able to attend Tom Robinson’s trial because the pastor of Calpurnia’s church makes a space in the courtroom for Scout and Jem to sit. Scout also accompanies Calpurnia to church, where Scout begins to understand the differences between Black people and the whites in Maycomb, and learns a bit of Calpurnia’s history.

To modern readers, Calpurnia may seem like an all-too-familiar variation of the southern character trope of the contented slave (sometimes referred to as an “Uncle Tom” character). In fact, all of the Black characters in the novel seem, at least primarily, to serve as props for the stories of the white characters that surround them. Calpurnia, like other Black characters in the novel, especially Tom Robinson, is resilient, long-suffering, and grateful to the good white people around her who are not racist. While Calpurnia serves as a positive influence on Scout, teaching her important lessons about empathy, Calpurnia is also a hugely simplified character, particularly with regard to her race and the effects of prejudice on her life. Although in many ways she represents the Black experience, Calpurnia is largely silent about issues of race, possibly because she understands the danger of speaking out about her experience. To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel filled with simplified characters, so it may be unfair to single Calpurnia out for not representing the complexities of her circumstances. But in a novel so interested in the issue of racism, the treatment of Calpurnia is worthy of critical exploration.

Bob Ewell

Bob Ewell, the patriarch of the Ewell family, is the antithesis of Atticus’s character and represents the lowest socioeconomic class among the white citizens of Maycomb. Aggressive and spiteful, Mr. Ewell upholds his family’s reputation as a source of trouble in the town as he disregards both legal and social expectations. He refuses to work to provide for his family, a choice that renders it impossible to escape their disheveled and hungry lives in their small house behind the town garbage dump. The only thing keeping the Ewells from being at the bottom of Maycomb’s social hierarchy, from the town’s point of view, is the fact that they are white. Mr. Ewell desperately clings to this fact as it effectively gives him a free pass for his behavior and fills him with a sense of superiority and power.

The tension between Mr. Ewell and Atticus explodes when these feelings of supremacy are called into question during the trial. Atticus effectively argues that Mr. Ewell is responsible for beating his daughter rather than Tom Robinson, and to Mr. Ewell, this accusation feels like an attack on his claims of superiority over the Black community in Maycomb. As a result, he violently lashes out at everyone who he perceives as a threat to his status despite the fact that, in reality, he is the only one who is guilty and deserving of punishment. This response highlights the stark contrasts between Mr. Ewell and Atticus. Beyond their basic differences in work ethic and demeanor, the way in which they respond to threats against their characters sets them up as foils for each other. Mr. Ewell goes after the innocent in order to protect himself, and Atticus seeks to protect the innocent regardless of what the personal cost to him may be. Although Mr. Ewell wins in court and Tom is locked away, his continued pursuit of punishing those who threatened his status becomes his fatal flaw as he dies while trying to attack Jem and Scout.

Dill Harris

Charles Baker “Dill” Harris, the nephew of Miss Rachel, becomes quick friends with Jem and Scout during his first summer in Maycomb. A young outsider of the town, his natural curiosity inspires the Finch children to study and question the world around them in ways that they had not previously considered. The trio’s first target is Boo Radley, and Dill’s unrelenting interest in his mysterious neighbor leads to repeated attempts to catch sight of him. In addition to his inquisitiveness, Dill is also known for his over-the-top imagination, his stories about his experiences clearly unbelievable but entertaining nonetheless. The three kids work together to make up stories, enact scenes, and, eventually, pretend to be Boo Radley. This combination of curiosity and imagination emphasizes a youthful sense of hope and possibility, qualities that contrast significantly with older generations’ unwavering perspectives and, at times, Jem and Scout’s developing maturity.

Dill also has a soft spot for those who are lonely or outcast. He lacks a stable home life as he moves from relative to relative and expresses feeling unwanted by those that find him in their care. He even goes so far as to run away from his home in Meridian and hide under Scout’s bed in order to find love and comfort. This perspective allows Dill to emotionally identify with Scout as she feels that Jem, her ultimate confidant, is moving away from her as they grow up. On a larger scale, however, Dill’s empathy extends to Tom Robinson’s trial as he laments the way in which Mr. Gilmer, the prosecutor, cross-examines Tom. The tears he sheds outside the court reflect his struggle to understand “the hell white people give colored folks, without even stopping to think that they’re people, too.” Although he will never truly know how Tom feels in this moment, Dill’s background allows him identify with the painful sense of dismissal on display at the trial.

Miss Maudie

Miss Maudie lives on the Finch’s street and often acts as a confidante and source of hope for Jem and Scout. Unlike Mrs. Dubose, Miss Maudie is warm and welcoming to the Finch family, respecting the hard work Atticus does for the town and making cakes for the children to eat as she talks with them. She develops a particularly unique bond with Scout throughout the novel, especially as Jem begins to grow increasingly distant and mature. In many ways, Miss Maudie represents another mother-like figure in Scout’s life. She imparts wisdom regarding the dynamics of Maycomb, offers information about Boo Radley, and even helps Scout understand Atticus in new ways. Miss Maudie’s perspective on these issues is particularly unique as she is not a member of the family, unlike Calpurnia and Aunt Alexandra who also serve as maternal influences in Scout’s life. This allows her to discuss topics like Boo Radley’s life or Atticus’s moral code that Atticus tends to dismiss or shield his children from at home.

In addition to serving as a mother-like figure for Scout, Miss Maudie’s character also represents perseverance and strength. The way in which she responds to the fire that engulfs her home speaks to the idea that even in the face of tragedy, there is always the possibility of moving forward. The juxtaposition of the fire with the rare snow on the ground creates a particularly dramatic scene, with the two extremes working together to enhance the stakes of the event. Despite the damage wrought on her home and her garden, all Miss Maudie is concerned with is the welfare of her neighbors. She immediately thinks of the new future she can build for herself, complete with a bigger yard for her garden, rather than grieving what she lost. This perspective is an important one for Jem and Scout to be exposed to as they will also face loss and change throughout the novel. Like her resilient azaleas, Miss Maudie refuses to let challenges change who she is or what she values.

Aunt Alexandra

Aunt Alexandra is Atticus’s sister, and she appears in Maycomb with the intention of guiding the Finch children toward a more traditional way of life. Scout’s behavior is among her primary concerns as she perceives her niece to be too tomboyish, a quality she argues is unbecoming for a Finch woman. With this attitude, Aunt Alexandra attempts to take on the role of a mother figure and joins Calpurnia and Miss Maudie as an influential woman in the children’s lives. Her approach to guiding Scout, however, uniquely focuses on notions of tradition, reputation, and family identity. Aunt Alexandra herself represents tradition in almost every aspect of her character, adhering to a strict definition of femininity and supporting the race- and class-driven hierarchy of Maycomb. She also has a distinct interest in heredity and continually emphasizes the notion that certain traits, or “streaks” as she calls them, inevitably run in every family.

The sense of history and endurance that imbue Aunt Alexandra’s character ultimately put her at odds with Scout, who yearns to maintain her own way of life, as well as Atticus, who struggles to reinforce the limits his sister places on his children’s freedom. This tension within the Finch family ultimately serves as a microcosm for the broader conflict in Maycomb regarding Atticus’s role in Tom Robinson’s trial. Aunt Alexandra, who “[fits] into the world of Maycomb like a hand into a glove,” represents a commitment to the county’s legacy while Atticus and Scout seek to forge a new, more just way of life.

While her strict perspective and domineering attitude make her seem perpetually cold-hearted, Aunt Alexandra does occasionally express concern and sympathy for others. These moments, which include her worry for Atticus’s safety in the aftermath of the trial and the care she provides Jem and Scout after Bob Ewell attacks them, often confuse Scout but ultimately teach her more than her aunt’s outright attempts at imparting wisdom. Aunt Alexandra does genuinely care for her family, and Scout learns that even those who appear the toughest can have a soft side.

Mayella Ewell

Mayella Ewell is Bob Ewell’s oldest daughter and is at the center of the case against Tom Robinson, a Black man she accuses of beating and raping her. While Mayella does not appear in the novel until her testimony on the witness stand in Chapter 18, many of the earlier descriptions of the Ewell family as a whole provide important context for her character. The Ewell family sits near the bottom of Maycomb’s social hierarchy with only the Black community beneath them, and much of the family’s pride comes from this false, over-inflated sense of superiority over others. Living behind the town garbage dump, the Ewells are perpetually poor, dirty, and hungry and often break laws without facing punishment. The only glimmer of hope within the family’s bleak existence is the presence of Mayella’s red geraniums growing in jars along their fence, a symbol of the possibility that she alone might be able to escape the trappings of her environment.

Mayella’s testimony on the witness stand, however, proves that she ultimately succumbs to the same moral lowness that plagues the rest of her family. From the beginning, she attempts to portray herself to the jury as a pure and innocent white woman, crying almost immediately and making herself seem “somehow fragile looking.” This approach, one which emphasizes her position in Maycomb’s social hierarchy, gives her a level of confidence that Scout describes as “stealthy.” Much like her father, Mayella wields her whiteness as a weapon that allows her to manipulate situations and evade the law. Atticus expertly argues that she was the aggressor rather than Tom, yet she walks away as the victor of the trial because of her decision to frame someone rather than own up to her behavior.

Despite Mayella’s moral bankruptcy, Lee also includes details that invite readers to feel for her. At 19 years old, she serves as a surrogate mother for her seven younger brothers and sisters while her father, a drunkard, beats and sexually assaults her. Mayella has very little formal education and no relationships with people her own age. Scout even muses that “Mayella Ewell must have been the loneliest person in the world.” Of course, her adverse home life in no way excuses her behavior toward Tom or her attempts to cover it up while on trial. Lee seems to use Mayella’s character as a vehicle for exploring the nuances of evil and the ways in which people cause others harm.

Tom Robinson

Tom Robinson is the client whom Atticus must defend in court: a young Black man accused of beating and raping Mayella Ewell, a white girl. While he is the central topic of the town’s gossip prior to the trial, there are a number of details about him that go unmentioned until he is testifying on the witness stand. Perhaps the most important of these details, as far as Atticus’s defense is concerned, is that Tom is crippled, his left arm having been caught in a cotton gin as a child. He also has three children and has worked the fields for Mr. Deas for eight years, yet the sole subject of the town’s discourse prior to the trial revolves around his race and the qualities they assume he possesses because of it. Lee’s choice to withhold more personal details from the reader until Atticus brings them to light in court illuminates the dramatic extent to which the town dehumanizes him.

The questions that Atticus asks Tom on the witness stand, however, work to reveal his true nature as someone who is compassionate and hard-working. He sympathizes with Mayella as he sees the struggles that she faces during his daily walks past the Ewell house. Tom’s willingness to help her complete jobs around their property for free highlights his good-natured and unassuming character, qualities that work to align him with the mockingbird motif throughout the novel. Despite this portrayal of innocence, the jury ultimately decides to reject both his narrative of events and his identity as an upstanding citizen in favor of an accusation which maintains the town’s assumptions about race.

Seventeen bullets ultimately seal Tom’s fate as he tries to escape the prison yard after his conviction. While Atticus has plans to appeal the case to a higher court, Tom’s complete loss of hope in fairness under the law drives him to try to take matters in his own hands. He runs toward the fence, much like he had run from the Ewell’s house, in search of a freedom that the white men of Maycomb ensure he will never achieve. The image of Tom running emphasizes the overall sense of persecution that characterized his case from the beginning.

Link Deas

Mr. Link Deas is a well-off member of the Maycomb community, owning a substantial amount of land as well as a store. This status gives him an influential position in the town’s social sphere, but it also means that he can wield significant power over the Black men and women whom he employs. Tom Robinson is one of his employees, and as a result, Mr. Deas has a more personal stake in the trial than many of his neighbors do. While Lee does not spend a considerable amount of time developing Mr. Deas as a character in the first half of the novel, Scout and Jem’s brief interactions with him suggest that he is a generally kind man who looks out for his neighbors. He is a part of the group, for example, that comes to the Finch house to express their concerns about the Robinson case. The fact that Mr. Deas tells Atticus that “[he’s] got everything to lose” from defending Robinson suggests, in this moment at least, that his primary focus is protecting his friend’s reputation. Unfortunately, this preoccupation implies that he is less concerned with the threat to his employee’s life. Maintaining order seems to be the first thing on his mind.

By the time the trial gets underway, however, Lee reveals an even more compassionate, boundary-breaking version of Mr. Deas. He boldly asserts to everyone present in the courtroom that in the eight years he has employed Tom, he has never caused any trouble. While Judge Taylor throws Mr. Deas out of the courtroom for speaking out of turn, his statement nevertheless has a significant impact on the mood of the trial. He goes against social expectations and publicly defends a Black man, an act which reflects his overall commitment to truth. This attitude continues after the trial as Mr. Deas hires Helen Robinson and seeks to protect her from the Ewells’ harassment.

Mrs. Dubose

Mrs. Dubose, an ill, elderly woman who lives two doors down from the Finches, is known by many in the neighborhood to be “the meanest old woman who ever lived.” Although she habitually insults passers-by from the safety of her front porch, tensions between her and the Finch children explode when she responds to the news of Tom Robinson’s case by attacking Atticus’s moral character. This attitude is one that many in Maycomb hold, but hearing it shouted to the public by a woman he perceives as indisputably evil causes Jem to lose control and destroy her garden in retaliation.

Jem experiences a different side of Mrs. Dubose, however, when he faces his punishment of reading aloud to her each Saturday. He sees her in moments of weakness and vulnerability as the effects of her illness become apparent, and after she dies, he learns from Atticus that she spent her last weeks alive trying to break herself of her morphine addiction. This personal struggle to free herself from the grips of morphine in order to be at peace with herself is, in many ways, a small-scale version of the moral struggle that Atticus faces in his representation of Tom Robinson. The easy option, in Mrs. Dubose’s situation, is to continue taking morphine to ease the pain caused by her illness. Similarly, Atticus could remain in his neighbors’ good graces by refusing to represent Tom in court. Both refuse to compromise, however, on their individual moral codes despite how challenging they may be to uphold. Mrs. Dubose’s life ultimately serves as an example of “real courage” for Jem, Scout, and the reader and sets up a framework for understanding the central tension of the novel.

Nathan Radley

Nathan Radley is Boo’s older brother, and he takes over ownership of the Radley house after their father dies. Much like the rest of his family, Nathan is a rather elusive character whose motivations remain a mystery throughout the novel. He follows similar habits to those of his deceased father, such as walking into town every day and “[buying] cotton” for a living, so his arrival in Maycomb makes little difference. Scout and Jem also view Nathan as a replacement guardian of Boo, lamenting the fact that he has still never left the house.

While Lee never clearly defines the relationship between Nathan and Boo, Nathan’s two key scenes in the novel suggest that he wants to limit contact with the outside world. In Chapter 6, Nathan fires a shot into the air when he hears Jem, Scout, and Dill sneaking around in his backyard late at night. His quick and aggressive response in this moment highlights just how desperately he wants to maintain a sense of privacy in and around his home. The fact that he declares the next time will be a direct shot, regardless of who or what the intruder is, also emphasizes his lack of concern for others. Even more indicative of Nathan’s quest for isolation, however, is his decision to fill the knot in the tree where Boo and the Finch children had been exchanging small trinkets. He never admits to knowing about this form of communication, but his lie about the tree dying implies that he is aware of its function as a link between the Radley house and the outside world. Although Lee never offers a clear answer as to who this intense dedication to privacy is meant to benefit, the sense of mystery that Nathan’s character creates makes Boo’s appearance at the end of the novel even more surprising.

Heck Tate

As the sheriff of Maycomb County, Heck Tate’s primary responsibility is to keep the community safe by enforcing the letter of the law. He has a rather intimidating presence, especially considering his bullet-studded belt and large rifle, but Scout eventually learns to see through this image and invites the reader to do so as well. Lee includes a number of moments throughout the novel which highlight Mr. Tate’s weaknesses as a sheriff, emphasizing the idea that he is an average man despite his significant position of authority. When he responds to Calpurnia’s call about the mad dog, for example, Mr. Tate implores Atticus to take the shot. This fear of failure also emerges during his conversation with Atticus about moving Tom to the county jail. Knowing how controversial the Robinson trial is, he admits that he may not be able to quell any unrest that arises during the night. The hesitant and distant approach he takes to Tom’s case initially makes it difficult for both Scout and the reader to grasp his views on justice. After all, Mr. Tate was the one who arrested Tom in the immediate aftermath of the alleged crime.

During his time on the witness stand, he appears to corroborate Mr. Ewell’s claims during Mr. Gilmer’s questioning period. When Mr. Tate begins answering Atticus’s questions about Mayella’s injuries, however, he picks up on Atticus’s strategy and offers additional details which make it impossible to believe that man who is unable to use his left hand could have been the attacker. This shift serves as the first real indication of Mr. Tate’s commitment to fairness. In the end, it is the way that Mr. Tate handles the attack on the Finch children that cements him as a believer in moral law above all else. Evidence clearly suggests that Boo Radley killed Bob Ewell in order to save Jem and Scout, but Mr. Tate insists that Mr. Ewell fell on his knife and died. He explains to Atticus that, in addition to stopping a crime from being committed, Boo’s act helped avenge Tom’s death. Moral law, Mr. Tate argues, should take precedence over all else.

Mr. Underwood

Mr. Braxton Bragg Underwood, named for the infamous Confederate general, is the owner of and sole writer for the Maycomb Tribune, and many in the community regard him as a rather harsh and bitter man. He rarely leaves his apartment above the newspaper office, lacks meaningful social connections, and seems to give little thought to truthfully reporting the local news. Instead, Mr. Underwood uses his public platform to either editorialize or share stories that the town gossips bring to him.

The fact that someone as single-minded as Mr. Underwood has the power to shape public perception speaks to the values of Maycomb as a whole. Rather than challenging Mr. Underwood to report the news truthfully, the residents who have access to his publications simply accept his biases as the status quo. For as cruel as Mr. Underwood can be, however, Lee reveals that he does possess a sense of humanity. This development emerges as the Robinson trial is set to begin, a detail which seems ironic given that he “despises” African Americans, a fact well-known among Maycomb's residents. After the mob leaves the jail in Chapter 15, Mr. Underwood calls down to Atticus from his apartment and reveals that he was prepared to protect him and the children with his rifle. His willingness to look out for Atticus, especially considering Atticus's role as Tom’s lawyer, may be surprising given the openly racist attitudes he has expressed in the past and continues to express during the trial. (In Chapter 18, Mr. Underwood snorts to see Scout sitting in the balcony with the Black men and women of Maycomb.) But Mr. Underwood takes an even bigger step toward the end of the novel when he publishes an editorial in the Maycomb Tribune criticizing the prison guards for killing Tom, arguing that the killing of Tom was a “senseless slaughter.” It's by way of Mr. Underwood's editorial that Scout understands Tom was sentenced not through due process of the law, but in the “secret courts of men's hearts.” Between the severely “bitter” tone of his editorial and his willingness to put his reputation on the line, Mr. Underwood appears to have strayed from his initial biases. This shift does not absolve him of past behaviors or remarks, but it emphasizes his complex nature.

Mr. Dolphus Raymond

Although he has a reputation for being perpetually drunk and out of sorts, Scout, Jem, and Dill discover the truth about Mr. Dolphus Raymond’s character during a brief scene in Chapter 20. Rumors circulate around Maycomb suggesting that ever since his fiancée learned about his affair with a Black woman and committed suicide, he has been steadily drinking. The fact that even children like Jem and Scout are familiar with this narrative emphasizes just how deeply engrained it is into the town’s cultural lore. People see Mr. Raymond drinking out of a bottle hidden inside a paper bag, for example, and quickly assume that the rumors are true. He also spends most of his time among the Black community and shares children with a Black woman, but many white Maycombians dismiss this as a symptom of his drinking.

When Scout, Jem, and Dill run into Mr. Raymond outside of the courtroom, however, he reveals to them that his intoxicated persona is merely a façade he puts on in order to prevent others from criticizing his way of life. The children are surprised to learn that Mr. Raymond merely hides Coca-Cola in his sack, and their fear of him transforms into fascination. Unlike the children, the adults in Maycomb refuse to accept the concept of an interracial relationship and cling to any reason they can find to explain Mr. Raymond’s behavior. As much as he believes that everyone deserves respect, he acknowledges the reality of Maycomb’s strict Southern culture and does what he feels is necessary to protect his family. Including Mr. Raymond in the novel ultimately allows Lee to explore how much people are willing to sacrifice in order to find peace in an antagonistic environment.

Mr. Walter Cunningham

In the social ladder of Maycomb, Mr. Walter Cunningham, and the entire Cunningham family more generally, occupies a unique position between the middle class and what the characters often refer to as “white trash.” He is wealthy enough to own a small piece of land, but he has no money to pay for goods and services. While this financial position may seem unfeasible, many residents in Maycomb trust Mr. Cunningham to keep his word and allow him to carry on as is.

A majority of the early information regarding the Cunningham family dynamic comes from Scout, and the image she offers depicts a man too proud to ask for help yet honorable enough to respect those who do provide assistance. Atticus is one of such people, advising Mr. Cunningham about his legal issues. When the status quo in Maycomb begins to change as a result of the Robinson trial, however, Scout meets a much darker side of Mr. Cunningham. She discovers that he is a part of the mob descending on the jail where her father is watching over Tom Robinson. His participation in the racist mob, a group determined to lynch Tom, reflects the broader anxieties of low-class whites during the era. In order to maintain a feeling of power and social status, many poor whites actively sought to harm innocent African Americans. Mr. Cunningham seems set on asserting his dominance until Scout interrupts the group’s confrontation with Atticus. She asks him about his son, a classmate of hers, and this display of innocence and kindness drives him to reevaluate his choices. The fact that Mr. Cunningham is willing to lead the group away highlights the complexity of Maycomb’s social dynamics as well as his personal capacity to learn from others.

Miss Caroline

Miss Caroline is Scout’s teacher, and including her character in the novel gives Lee the opportunity to highlight the nuances of small-town life and the challenges that come with attempting to create change. From her first appearance in Chapter 2, Lee establishes her as a clear outsider. She arrives to class wearing an eye-catching outfit, heels and a brightly colored dress, and announces that she is from Winston County in northern Alabama. These two details alone are enough to raise suspicion from the students, signifying just how deeply entrenched Maycomb’s social norms are. While Miss Caroline tries to present herself as capable and kind, her lack of knowledge about Maycomb and her inability to earn the students’ trust makes it virtually impossible for her to succeed in the classroom. The failures she experiences, such as asking Walter Cunningham to pay her back for lunch or asking Burris Ewell to bathe before class the next day, call attention to the unspoken social norms that native Maycombians take for granted. Scout, who has lived in Maycomb her entire life, is the one who eventually educates Miss Caroline about the nuances of their community.

Both Miss Caroline and the reader learn a considerable amount of information from the students, and this dynamic allows Lee to suggest that no one is ever finished learning. These lessons, however, create a significant amount of conflict throughout the school day. Miss Caroline ends up in tears after a full day of backlash from her students, Scout included. She repeatedly tries to assert her authority over Scout in particular by criticizing her ability to read and write, suggesting that Atticus is teaching her incorrectly. This desire for control reflects Miss Caroline’s own rigid beliefs about the power dynamics within education, and much like her students, she becomes offended when her worldview is challenged. The tension that builds as Miss Caroline attempts to implement her new classroom policies and teaching methods ultimately highlights Maycomb’s resistance to change. By illustrating this point with schoolchildren prior to the trial, Lee emphasizes that this stubbornness is a pervasive force throughout the entire community rather than a trait that defines a select few.

Reverend Sykes

Given his role at First Purchase Church, it seems natural for Reverend Sykes to be one of the primary leaders within Maycomb’s Black community. He is very gracious and personable, and both of these qualities allow him to earn the trust of his congregation. Reverend Sykes also extends a warm welcome to Jem and Scout when Calpurnia brings them along to a service. Although the children’s presence draws the ire of a few churchgoers, Reverend Sykes remains determined to make them feel safe in his church. This choice simultaneously reflects his universal sense of compassion as well as his respect for the work that Atticus is doing on behalf of their community. Knowing that there are many men in Maycomb who would refuse the Robinson case, Reverend Sykes goes to great lengths to express his gratitude.

Lee also uses the scene at First Purchase Church to emphasize the more difficult aspects of Reverend Sykes’s role as a community leader. Scout is surprised when Reverend Sykes publicly calls out individual church members for ungodly behavior, but she is even more impressed when he implores his congregation to give more money to support Helen Robinson and her children. He is willing to do whatever is necessary to have a meaningful impact on his community, even if it means sternly challenging others to do the right thing. Reverend Sykes continues his show of support for the Robinsons outside of church by attending the high-stakes trial, and his presence there offers Jem, Scout, Dill, and the reader guidance throughout the case. He explains, for example, how Tom became disabled and instructs the children to stand at the end of the trial as a show of respect for Atticus. Even in a situation where he is merely an observer, Reverend Sykes’s leadership abilities remain on full display.

Judge Taylor

John Taylor is the judge presiding over the Robinson case, and although he must maintain an air of impartiality while on the bench, the way he approaches the trial offers a glimpse into his personal values. Scout explains early on that Judge Taylor has a reputation for approaching the court with a level of informality. Achieving this detached appearance seems rather simple for him as he has a naturally calm presence and a casual demeanor, two qualities which seem to only grow stronger as he ages. At the same time, however, his masterful ability to maintain control of the courtroom reflects the seriousness with which he views his job. Judge Taylor refuses to let anyone disturb the court’s proceedings out of respect to all involved in the trial. This commitment to order and fairness is what ultimately causes lawyers like Atticus to hold him in such high esteem.

When it comes to the Robinson trial specifically, Judge Taylor’s approach in the courtroom seems no different than it would be for any other case. He insists on restoring order to the court after the audience erupts in response to Mr. Ewell’s testimony, attempts to make witnesses from both sides feel comfortable on the stand, and throws Mr. Deas out of court for speaking out of turn. The actions that Judge Taylor takes in order to prepare for the case, however, are more reflective of his personal values. He delays the trial, for example, to give Atticus ample time to prepare his defense. Given that court-appointed cases typically go to Maycomb’s least-experienced lawyers, the fact that he names Atticus as Tom’s lawyer in the first place highlights his desire to give Tom his best chance. Judge Taylor’s attempts to save an innocent Black man ultimately fail, but his willingness to use his power from within the legal system to seek change speaks to his upstanding moral character.

Uncle Jack

Uncle Jack is Atticus’s younger brother, and he comes to visit the family in Maycomb every year at Christmastime. Although he only appears in Chapter 9, his presence allows Lee to explore the decision-making process on a small, personal scale before it plays out in the Robinson trial. Scout explains that she loves Uncle Jack’s visits because of his warm and open attitude, noting that he is the only doctor who “never terrified [her].” He is very upfront with the children whenever he helps them with injuries, for example, and has a habit of speaking to them like adults.

Given that Scout is used to interacting with this version of Uncle Jack, she is shocked and upset when, in Chapter 9, he scolds her for swearing. He later reprimands her again after he finds her swearing at Francis, although he is unaware of the bullying that led to her outburst. The conflict that arises between Uncle Jack and Scout calls attention to the importance of understanding both sides of a story before making a judgement. While Uncle Jack believes he is doing the right thing by instructing his niece to act more ladylike, he is unknowingly condoning Francis’s racist attacks on Tom and Atticus as a result. Scout convinces her uncle to allow her to share her side of the story, and when she does, he immediately regrets his actions and apologizes to her. This exchange reflects Uncle Jack’s humble and honest nature, two qualities which are vital to fair decision making. His willing change in perspective and the resulting resolution of his conflict with Scout calls even greater attention the stubborn injustices that later plague the Robinson trial.

Drama To Kill a Mockingbird Character Analysis by Harper Lee 
Drama To Kill a Mockingbird Character Analysis by Harper Lee

Post a Comment

Previous Post Next Post