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Dill
Jem and Scout meet Dill, a character meant to show up in Maycomb due to his lack of personal knowledge of the residents
and age. He is put into the book to add to the questions about the theme and for the siblings to have someone to relate to; Jem by gender, Scout by age. -
The Ewells
The story introduces the antagonists through the boy Burris Ewell, a boy who is only shows up on the first day of school. The Ewells represent redundancy in hating a certain people due to the fact there is a reason to dislike this family; even with the lack of income, all of them are spiteful. This is also due to there being no fault to the kids that their father, Bob, wastes the welfare on alcohol, making the Ewells the exception to nearly everything in Maycomb. -
Ms. Stephanie
During Scout's first day of school, she abhors it. This is due to her teacher, Ms. Stephanie not knowing the ways of Maycomb County, one of which being Walter Cunningham's culinary conundrum and his family's pride when it coes to giving and receiving. When Scout explains the problem, she is humiliated and blames Walter. He is then invited to dinner by Jem. At dinner, Scout criticizes Walter for how he eats, and is punished, because Walter's family is used to a different eating way from income. -
The Radleys
The last day of summer provokes Dill and Jem to try and meet Arthur Radley-nicknamed "boo" due to no one so much as seeing him for years. The two, along with Scout, sneak out in the night, then try to look through the shutters, and try to get in through the back door, only to have Nathan Radley, Boo's brother, shoot at the 3. Nathan believed that the 3 were African-Americans in the dark. Boo is there for symbolism, towards why he never leaves the house. -
Tom Robinson
Atticus, the sibling's father, is a defense attorney, and must defend Tom Robinson, a man accused of raping Mayella Ewell, however with the first encounter with him he seems quite pleasant and respectable. This is to prove the innocence of the race as a whole and question the segregation. -
The Other Children
Due to Atticus representing a man no one favors, Scout and Jem recieve haze at school about their father and that somehow affecting them. This is to serve the purpose of the schoolchildren being society; the mob doesn't have to know everything about what they hate, they just need enough people with them to make it feel just. -
Calpurnia
Calpurnia, the Finch's African-American housemaid, helps the Finches find refuge in a colored church, where Scout realizes prejudice can change many people in many ways. Here, the African-American populace of Maycomb comfort the Finches and thank them for all they are doing. -
The Trial
The day of the trial, many believe this to be over quickly. However, Atticus proves evidence that Tom Robinson was in fact the victim, with Tom's testimony showing Mayella kissing Tom on the cheek, and Bob Ewell beating Mayella due to jumping to conclusions and calling his own daughter a whore. Regardless of the information, Tom was sentenced guilty. This confused the children, due to the overwhelming evidence towards Tom being acquitted. -
After the Trial
Bob Ewell, now having his reputation ruined, spits in Atticus' face as he is strolling through town. Atticus waves it off, saying he was too old and he saved Mayella another beating. Later, Scout is informed by Ms. Stephanie of Hitler and his atrocities. Scout is confused, considering she saw Ms. Stephanie walking out of the courthouse glad with the turn out, perplexing Scout via Ms. Stephanie's hypocrisy. -
The End
As Jem and Scout are walking back from a mandatory pageant, a shadowy figure attacks them both. Scout escapes unscathed, but Jem breaks an arm. The man grabbed Scout, but was pulled away. This is later revealed to be Bob Ewell, who later fell on his own knife and died. Scout believes Boo to have done it, who happened to be slouched over in the corner. She now understands Boo hid from the world on purpose; because the world is a horrible place.