Scout: To start off, Scout is the protagonist of the story, as the whole book is a retelling of how Jem broke his arm, from Scout's perspective. As such is a child, she is naturally very curious about her community of the County of Maycomb. She is sort of a tomboy, and is very protective of her father's name. She holds her father as her role model, and even learns how to read and write because of him. She regularly is pressured by Maycomb's society about her unusual ideals and actions, much to her chagrin. As the story flows on, she starts to break through her innocence of her community, as starts to understand the ideals her father was trying to teach her. This all comes to a head in one particular event, where she finally understands the moral of "don't kill a mockingbird", or don't harm the innocent.
"'Yes sir, I understand,' I [Scout] reassured him. 'Mr. Tate was right.'
Atticus disengaged himself and looked at me. 'What do you mean?'
'Well, it'd be sort of like shootin' a mockingbird wouldn't it?'"
"'Yes sir, I understand,' I [Scout] reassured him. 'Mr. Tate was right.'
Atticus disengaged himself and looked at me. 'What do you mean?'
'Well, it'd be sort of like shootin' a mockingbird wouldn't it?'"
Atticus: Atticus is the moral and ethical guide to Scout and Jem. Instead of just punishing his children, he tries to make their errors into moral growth experiences. Moreso, he acts as the support to both his children, as they go on their journey. Atticus has to bear the full knowledge of the horrible aspects in the county of Maycomb. He has already had to learn about the fact that true justice can never exist in this world of prejudice and hate, unfortunately present in his job in the justice system as well. He is very composed, and chooses to give his kids space when needed. He has a strong belief in his sense of justice, and is very passionate in his line of work, as shown in an particular plot event.
"First of all, if you learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view . . . until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."
"First of all, if you learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view . . . until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."
Jem: Jem is Scout's older brother, and is the subject that causes Scout to flashback. In the start of his book, he is mostly standoffish to Scout, often not regarding her feelings and concern towards him. Overtime, as the book progresses, he slowly matures from that wall that he put between himself and Scout, and starts to consider her feelings, as she sort of becomes her guardian. In fact, he is extremely willing to put his life in danger to save his sister. Like Scout, Jem breaks through the illusion of Maycomb, bravery being the will that causes him to satisfy his curiosity. He also idolizes Atticus, similar to Scout. Like Atticus, he possesses a strong sense of justice, going against the conviction of Tom Robinson.
"It's like bein' a caterpillar in a cocoon, that's what it is," he said. "Like somethin' asleep wrapped up in a warm place. I always thought Maycomb folks were the best folks in the world, least that's what they seemed like."
"It's like bein' a caterpillar in a cocoon, that's what it is," he said. "Like somethin' asleep wrapped up in a warm place. I always thought Maycomb folks were the best folks in the world, least that's what they seemed like."
Tom Robinson: Tom Robinson is a very kind black man who works at a cotton field. He has a wife named Helen Robinson. They also have three kids together. Tom also helps out the community with anything that needs repair. In this book he helps out Mayella Ewell a lot. The only way to the cotton field is to pass by the Ewell hosue. He is not shown very much until towards the end of the book when he is accused of raping Mayella Ewell. Mayella stated that he raped while all of the kids were gone with the father, Bob Ewell. Tom has always been a caring and helpful man to everyone in the book.
"No suh, I's scared I'd be in court, just like I am now." "Scared of arrest, scared you'd have to face up to what you did?" "No suh, scared I'd hafta face up to what I didn't do.”
"No suh, I's scared I'd be in court, just like I am now." "Scared of arrest, scared you'd have to face up to what you did?" "No suh, scared I'd hafta face up to what I didn't do.”
Bob Ewell: Bob Ewell is one of the lowest of the society of Maycomb. He is an alcoholic, and a indecent person altogether. He is very vengeful to people that wronged him. When drunken, he has a large audacity to do the things frowned upon in Maycomb. This includes abusing her daughter, and even almost killing Scout and Jem. He cares about the image that he sends to people (at least until the trial), in fact, holding the trial to try to implicate someone else instead of him to the abuse of Mayella. When this backfires horribly on him, he snaps, seeking revenge on anyone involved with the trial. All along, he is a horrible person, his death even being listed as his punishment for (indirectly) taking another person's life.
"I'm real sorry they picked you to defend that ni**er that raped my Mayella. I don't know why I didn't kill him myself instead of goin' to the sheriff."
"I'm real sorry they picked you to defend that ni**er that raped my Mayella. I don't know why I didn't kill him myself instead of goin' to the sheriff."