Jean Louise Finch or Scout is the narrator and the main character of the novel. Atticus Finch is her father, and he is a lawyer who holds a high moral standard. Jem is Scout’s brother. He is older but he shares her adventures. Dill is their friend who comes to visit during the summer. Boo Radley is the neighbourhood’s mystery as he never leaves his house. There is legend that surrounds Boo Radley and this legend of having stabbed his father in his foot with a pair of scissors clouds the judgment that others have of him. For many persons, Boo is a monster, but as the novel unravels, the readers realize how easy it is for society to judge others without reason.

            The children become even more fascinated with the story of Boo Radley and of the mystery that surrounds him. They often re-enact the events of Boo’s life as they know them. They even become more adventurous when they move towards the house which many believe to be haunted. In addition, they leave notes for Boo on his windowsill with a fishing pole. Atticus catches the children in their activities, and he reprimands them for the intrusions on Boo’s personal space and for making fun of a man whose life has been sad for a very long time. The children also attempt to sneak over to the house at night because they are curious. They want to see through the windows to satisfy their curiosity. Nathan Radley is Boo’s brother. He lives in the house as well, and when he thinks he hears a prowler he fires his gun. Of course, the children run away, but Jem loses his pants in a fence. He returns for his pants in the middle of the night and finds that his pants were sewn unevenly and have been folded neatly.  

            The children face other mysterious events as there are little presents in a hole in the tree next to their house. The little gifts include gums, pennies, and soap carved figures of a little girl and boy who look the same as Jem and Scout. The children are unaware of who is leaving the gifts and when they make the attempt to thank the giver, they find that Nathan Radley has closed the hole in the tree. The following winter brings unexpected cold and snow. Mrs. Maudie’s house catches fire. Scout and Jem are on the outside watching the events. They are cold and even as they brace the cold, someone mysteriously puts a blanket around Scout’s shoulders to shield her from the cold. She does not realize this at first and when she reaches home, Atticus questions her about the blanket’s origin. It is then that she begins to accept that Boo Radley must have put this blanket around her shoulders while she watched the flames engulfing Miss Maudie’s house.

            As the plot progresses, the events shift from the social injustice that is common in Maycomb to the racial injustice. Atticus takes the case of Tom Robinson, the black man who is accused of raping a poor white girl, Mayella Ewell. The Ewell family is known for their position as “trash” in the society. There are serious consequences for Atticus and his family as he faces harsh criticisms. He does not change his decision to defend Tom Robinson despite the racial barriers that would allow many whites to treat the Finches with scorn. The readers see that Atticus has a conscience and it is this conscience that does not allow him to do otherwise. Atticus knows that Tom is innocent, but he also knows that the system of justice would not prove Tom’s innocence. The white jury in this case would not allow a black man to triumph over a white woman, Nonetheless, Atticus attempts to reveal the truth to the people of Maycomb and to expose the racial inequality that exists in the society.

            Atticus’ defense of the black man leaves his family facing the backlash of the society. They are taunted and whispered at. Scout and Jem face these challenges even more and they struggle to maintain their tempers. But Scout is not successful in doing this and at a family Christmas gathering, she beats up her annoying cousin, Francis who accuses Atticus of destroying the family’s name when he defends a black man. In addition, Atticus is referred to as a “nigger – lover. Jem also loses his temper when the neighbour derides Atticus. He cuts the top of her flowers. Atticus does not condone his children’s actions, and Jem is forced to read to the neighbor aloud daily. But eventually he realizes that this was not a true form of punishment as he is helping her to break her addition to morphine.

            As the trial approaches, Alexandra, Atticus’ sister arrives at the home. Scout resents her because she attempts to change Scout’s feminine ideal. Dill also has his share of excitement as he runs away from his mother and new father as they seem to show very little interest in him. He stays in Maycomb for the trial that summer. The trial brings mixed reactions from the people of Maycomb, but the majority of the citizens were inclined to find Tom guilty of rape even before the trial started. The night before the trial, Tom is moved to the county jail and because Atticus fears that there would be a lynching, he stands guard at the door of the jail all night. Jem is quite disturbed and his concerns for his father mounts. Dill, Jem and Scout sneak into the town to find Atticus that night. The children encounter the men who threaten Atticus and who want to create violence towards Tom. At the start the children are unwilling to become involved but as the tension increases, Scout rushes out and speaks to one of the men who is the father of one of her classmates. It is this innocence that Scout shows that moves the crowd from their mob mentality and they leave the jail.

            The trial progresses and the readers see the evidence from the white Ewell family and from Tom. The Ewells state that Mayella had asked Tom to do some work because her father was not at home. In addition, the Ewells suggest that Tom came into their house and effectively beat and raped Mayella until her father arrived and frightened him away. But Tom’s version of the events differed as he notes that Mayella invited him into the house and threw her arms around him and began to kiss him. He notes that he tries to resist her by pushing her away and it was then that Bob Ewell arrived at the home, flew into a rage, and beat her as Tom ran away out of fear. The sheriff testified that Mayella’s bruises were on the right side of her face. This suggests that the punches were carried out by a left-handed person. But Atticus shows that Tom Robinson’s left arm is useless because of an old accident while Mr. Ewell is left-handed. The evidence should have created reasonable doubt and Tom should be acquitted. But the jury returned with a guilty verdict. The black crowd in the courthouse is shocked because the evidence that was presented was in Tom’s favor, but the white jury maintained its racial prejudice and found an innocent man guilty of a crime that he did not commit. One cannot be surprised with the verdict as the racial and social divide in the South in the 1930s would have dictated that a black man could never win his case against a white woman irrespective of her social class.

            The verdict is unfortunate, but Atticus sees the long deliberation of the jury as a positive outcome as under normal circumstances, the word of a black man would not have been trusted. Atticus hopes to appeal the verdict but as Tom attempts to escape from his prison he is shot to death. Jem questions his trust in the rationality and goodness of humanity and believes that his trust has been betrayed by the judicial system. Mr. Ewell lives up to his reputation as he threatens Atticus and those who are connected to the trial. Atticus had questioned his version of the events and this made Bob feel the pangs of humiliation. Sadly, Bob Ewell creates his opportunity for revenge when he follows Scout and Jem home from the Halloween play at their school. He attempts to kill them with a large kitchen knife. Jem’s arm is broken in the scuffle even as Scout remains helpless because of her costume. Boo Radley comes to their rescues and stabs Mr. Ewell. He saves the children’s lives and Scout finally meets Boo. The sheriff declares that Mr. Ewell fell on his own knife so Boo would not be tried for murder. Scout walks Boo home. She imagines his views of the town and of them as children over the years. The readers now see that Scout has matured and her thoughts are more vivid of the world of adults.