Chapter 1- Firstly, we are introduced to the voice of a young child, who later on in the chapter is revealed to be a young girl named Scout. She explains how her brother Jem gets his arm broken at the elbow aged 13.Slowly the character exposes Maycomb county.
"Maycomb was an old town, but it was a tired old town when I first knew it."
The character Boo Radley is also introduced who seems to be feared by neighbourhood and yet somehow he intrigues Jem, Boo and Scout.
"Boo drove the scissors into his parents leg, pulled them out, wiped them on his pants, and resumed his activities."
Chapter 2- We see the friendship develop between Jem, Scout and Dill, however he returns to Meridian in September as the school term is about to begin. Scout is about to start her first day at school and has been instructed by Jem not to embarrass him. It is obvious that there is tension between Scout and Miss Caroline Fisher partly because she already knows how to read and write and the fact that the teacher is new so she doesn't yet understand Maycomb's funny ways.
"Jean Louise, I've had just about enough of you this morning"
Chapter 3- Scout seeks revenge on Walter Cunningham at school, as the responsibility was left on her to explain why he had no lunch to the teacher. To resolve any arising issues, Jem decides to ask Walter if he wanted to stay for dinner, he was hesitant to start with, however quickly accepted the offer. Once again Scout loses her temper because Walter "drowned his dinner in syrup", she was quickly called in the kitchen by Calpurnia who picked her up on her behaviour. Miss Caroline Fisher is still struggling to grasp the diverse characters that live in Maycomb what with the Ewells who are a disgrace to Maycomb county.She was rather shocked when Burris Ewell had many "cooties" in his hair, and started crying because of how nasty he was to her. Scout feels down because of the days events and also not being allowed to read for nine months, luckily Atticus comes to an agreement with her: she is allowed to continue reading with him as long as it is kept on the quiet and she promises to go to school.
"Do you know what a compromise is? he asked."
Chapter 4- A tree at the edge of the Radley yard has some tinfoil stuck to a knothole, and inside the hole Scout finds two pieces of chewing gum.On their way home, they find another piece of tinfoil in the same knothole, and behind it a jewellery box, decorated with more tinfoil, containing two Indian-head pennies.Soon Dill shows up, full of stories. They're already bored, so Dill kicks things up a notch by saying he can smell death, and tells Scout that her end is nigh. They decide to play with an old tyre, however it all ends disastrously wrong when Scout ends up before the Radley house.Luckily she manages to escape, so Dill decides to change the game and acts out Boo Radleys life. The game starts out simple, but gets more and more complex as the summer goes on. Atticus gives this game the side-eye, but he doesn't explicitly forbid them from doing it since he doesn't know for sure what they're doing.The chapter ends with scout contemplating is she heard laughter from inside the Radley household when she was rolled onto their front lawn.
"He's nothin' but a nigger-lover!"
"It was a melancholy little drama, woven from bits and scraps of gossip and neighbourhood legend"
Chapter 5- Scout convinces Jem to back off on the Radley game, and then Dill asks Scout to marry him. Scout spends her time with Miss Maudie Atkinson and finds out that her Uncle Jack has a history of flirting with Miss Maudie, though in a joking way.We find more about the Radleys and how Arthur Radley was a "foot-washing Baptist".This chapter continues to focus around Mrs Maudies viewpoints on the Radleys, and she believe that they are "so busy worrying about the next world they've never learned to live in this one". The next day Scout finds out the Jem and Dill have been busily planning to give Boo Radley a note, however when they put the plan into action, the fishing pole it too short to reach. Atticus tells the kids to stop bothering Boo, who has a perfect right to stay in his house and to stop acting out Boo Radleys life.
"You stop this nonsense right now, everyone of you."
Chapter 6- Dills last day in Maycomb is spent with his aunt, round his aunt Rachel's fish pond, along with Jem and Scout. Although reluctant at first, the three children decide to go for a walk towards the Radleys house.They managed to creep up into their back yard, and Scout sees a man's shadow heading towards Jem, they all become scared and scream which triggers off somebody to shoot at them. Luckily they manage to sprint home (even though Jem loses his trousers) in time before all of the neighbours are standing in front of the Radleys place. Miss Maudie tells them that Mr. Radley has been shooting at a "Negro" in his yard. Jem has pride in himself that has never been told off, and so run to get his trousers from the Radley fence.
"Atticus ain't ever whipped me since I can remember. I wanta keep it that way."
Chapter 7- After his adventures at the Radley Place, Jem is in a bad mood for a week.Scout had started second grade and she feels its just as bad as first grade. Eventually Jem reveals to Scout what happened when he went back to the Radley House: his trousers were scruffily sown and folded up on top of the fence,as if someone was expecting him. The two children see a ball of twin in the knothole tree, leave it for a few days but then take it and consider it their property. A few months later, the knothole holds their best find yet: two figures carved out of soap that bear a striking resemblance to Scout and Jem. They both decide to write a letter to whoever is behind the items appearing in the knothole tree. Coincidently, the next day they find that the knothole has been filled with cement.
"Mr Radley, ah-did you put cement in the hole in that tree down yonder?"
Chapter 8- Maycomb receives two weeks of the coldest weather since 1885. Mrs. Radley unfortunately passes. Due to the snow school is cancelled, so Jem and Scout attempt to make a snowman, although it turn out to be a "morphodite" instead. Atticus wakes Scout in the middle of the night because Miss Maudie's house is on fire. Atticus notices something that Scout is wrapped in a blanket that she didn't have when she left the house, and she was coincidentally standing, in front of the Radley Place, So everyone assumes it must of been a member of the Radley house.
"Hear you had some unexpected company last night, Miss Jean-louise."
Chapter 9- Scout gets riled at the fact that Cecil Jacobs announces to the school play ground that "Scouts daddy defend niggers". Atticus tells scout not to use the word again because its what the common folk say, and then he's obliged to explain briefly the complex divide between the races in Maycomb county.This is also the chapter where the Tom Robinson case is introduced and already Atticus knows he will lose the case. The next day at school, Scout is about to fight Cecil Jacobs however then remembers what Atticus told her about fighting. Soon its Christmas in Maycomb county,which means Uncle Jack visits them for a week.However unfortunately this also meant spending time with Aunt Alexandra, her husband who never spoke and their grandson, Francis. For Christmas Jem and Scout receive air rifles each, after opening their presents they then head to spend the rest of the day with aunt Alexandra. Instantly she pick Scout up on the fact that she looks more like a boy than a girl, and tension builds even more when Atticus is labelled a "nigger-lover" who is ruining the family.
"He's nothin' but a nigger-lover!"
Chapter 10- The children at school are still teasing Jem and Scout about the fact that Atticus defends coloured people. Atticus refuses to teach Jem and Dill how to use their air rifles. Jem and Scout come across a dog acting strange in the middle of the street. They tell Cal who immediately calls Atticus home. Although reluctant at first he puts the dog out of its misery. This shocks Jem as its proven that his dad is actually a very talented.Miss Maudie tells Jem and Scout that Atticus "was the deadest shot in Maycomb County in his time" and his nickname was One-Shot". Jem has learned many a lesson from his dad.
"Atticus is a gentleman, just like me!"
Chapter 11- We get to see an insight on the negative feelings towards Mrs Dubose, the grumpy old lady who lives just two doors up from them.
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