ROOM

Emma Donoghue

Plot
The novel opens with Jack turning five, and Ma giving him a drawing she did of him
as a gift. The narrative perspective is Jack, therefore the dialogue is extremely matter-of-fact
and juvenile. He describes his interactions and daily routines with inanimate objects, such as
the table and the spoon. Jack and Ma sing some songs together. Ma takes two painkillers for
her bad tooth. Jack watches TV and interacts with Dora the Explorer as if she is real. Ma
measures Jack’s height on the door frame. They complete more of their daily routine, such as
reading more books and doing exercises. They have a nap, and then have dinner. Ma and
Jack make a birthday cake, but Jack throws a tantrum that there aren’t five candles. He
shouts that she should have asked for candles as a Sunday treat. Ma writes a shopping list
and leaves it. Jack goes in to the cupboard to sleep whilst Old Nick, the man who has
captured them, visits Ma in the night. Jack describes how he ‘has some’, referring to breast
milk from Ma. The next day, their routine continues. They made a ball out of scrunched up
paper and play with it. Whilst Ma naps, Jack finds a mouse and lures it out with crumbs. Ma
tries to kill it. After dinner, they watch TV and try to imitate the presenters to increase their
vocabulary. Old Nick visits and has some Birthday cake, telling Ma he would have bought
Jack a present. Jack counts the creaks of the bed until they stop. Jack cries the next day, as
he hopes Old Nick will bring him a dog. After lunch and a nap, they scream at the wall, in
hopes that someone will hear them. When Jack wakes up the next day, Old Nick has bought
him a remote controlled Jeep. Ma cleans Room, and Jack plays with the jeep all day. When
Old Nick visits, Jack can hear him talk about how the groceries were a ridiculous price. Jack
counts the creaks again. Jack still has the remote in the cupboard, and makes the jeep fall off
the shelf. Old Nick gets angry, and leaves.

Setting
The setting is an 11-by-11-foot room where he lives with his mother -- and when the
book begins, it is the only world he has ever known.

Characters
Jack
Jack is one of the two protagonists, and the narrative perspective from which the novel is
told. He is the five-year-old boy of a woman named only ‘Ma’, who has been kidnapped and
imprisoned in a room for seven years. He is literate, and intelligent after being taught to read,
write, and experience all he could by his Ma. He believes that their ‘room’ is all that there is
of the world, and that everything he witnesses on TV is imaginary. When he is freed, he
finds it difficult to believe everything is real, and cannot function as a normal child can. He
still breastfeeds from his Ma, which he only stops when he is released. He is so used to being
with his Ma 24/7 that he finds it difficult to be apart from her in the real world, only
eventually becoming accustomed to it.

Ma
Ma is the other protagonist. Whilst it is acknowledged that she has another name, she is only
ever referred to through Jack’s perspective, and therefore always called ‘Ma’. She was
kidnapped at age 17 by a man they call ‘Old Nick’, and imprisoned in Room, a secured
garage with an electronically locked door. Her son, Jack, is the product of rape, yet this is
rarely mentioned. Before Jack was born, she suffered a miscarriage. She attempts to escape
twice by smashing a toilet lid over Old Nick’s head, but he catches her and breaks her wrist.
Upon escaping the room, she is overwhelmed by everything about the Outside world, being
extremely protective of Jack. It is clear that she has some psychological problems, from her
periods of being seemingly ‘not there’, and the attempt to end her life.

Old Nick
Old Nick is the person who kidnapped Ma when she was 17 and imprisons her in Room. He
is never accurately described as a person, as if the reader is also viewing him from inside
Jack’s cupboard. He visits Room almost every night and rapes Ma, believing he is doing
both Jack and Ma some kind of favor by bringing them groceries and even a Sunday treat.
He is an extremely detached character, and the reader only begins to truly witness his
sadistic streak when he leaves them without electricity or heat for days. He does not feature
after he is arrested.

Officer Oh
Office Oh is what Jack calls the police officer that first finds him. Whilst she only features
for a small part of the story, she is imperative to finding and saving Ma after Jack escapes.
Jack is struggling to communicate, and she perseveres to discover where he was kept, and
thus send police cars to rescue Ma, and arrest Nick.

Doctor Clay
When Ma and Jack are found, they are admitted to a psychiatric hospital to ensure that they
are not mentally damaged by their experiences. Doctor Clay is their main point of contact,
and he organizes medical examinations, sun protection, and visits for Jack and Ma.

Noreen
Noreen is a middle aged nurse who helps to look after Ma and Jack. She aids them in every
day activities, such as eating breakfast or walking outside.

Grandma
This character is Ma’s Mother. Jack finds it hard to process that he has a grandma, as it is the
first time since his birth that he has met her. Grandma is initially overjoyed that Ma is alive,
and that Jack is welcomed to the family. However, reality quickly sets in. When Ma makes
an attempt on her own life and Grandma has to look after Jack, she is overwhelmed by his
constant questions and inability to interact as a child is expected to.

Granddad
Ma’s Father only appears briefly in the novel, and split from her Mother due to the stress of
her disappearance. He perhaps represents an opinion that is not largely featured by
Donoghue. Instead of being overjoyed that Jack has joined the family, he is repulsed that he
is the product of rape. He soon returns to his home in Australia.

Steppa/Leo
‘Steppa’ stands from Step-Granddad, and it is what Jack calls Leo. Leo is Grandma’s new
partner, and as supportive as a family member should be. When Grandma struggles with
Jack’s panic attacks, Leo intervenes and disciplines him gently.

Paul
Paul is Ma’s brother. The reader first hears of him when Ma recalls memories of her and
Paul as children playing in their hammock. Paul is now a grown man with a family of his
own, and features in Ma and Jack’s re-entry in to the normal world. When Ma is ill, Paul
attempts to takes Jack to the history museum. The outing ends in Jack accidentally stealing a
book, and it becomes clear Paul has no idea what is in store.

Deanna
Deanna is Paul’s wife, and accompanies him on visits to see Jack. She is particularly
horrified as an incident where Jack touches Bryanna’s private parts to see what they are like.

Bryanna
Bryanna is Paul and Deanna’s daughter, and younger than Jack. She is a loud and confident
toddler, and perhaps acts as a comparison to Jack, who has not grown up in the real world.

Writing Style
The story is written in first person from the limited perspective of Jack. He is 5 years
old as the story opens, making his perspective much more limited that it might have been if
he was an adult. The limited perspective means that the reader knows only what Jack knows.
For example, he calls his mother Ma.

Theme
Isolation is the most obvious theme of Donoghue's Room, especially as this theme
specifically means isolation against Ma's will. Yet, Donoghue approaches this theme in an
unorthodox manner. Instead of focusing on Ma's desperate attempts to escape, the narration
details her and Jack's daily, domestic routine.

Conflict
The main conflict in this story would definitely be an external conflict between Jack
and Society. This is obvious because Jack is stuck inside a room and has no idea what is on
the outside. When Jack is in the room he struggles with understanding life concepts and
learns about other people on t.v but thinking that the people on t.v are fake. Prior to Jack and
his mothers escape he struggles with realizing that Old Nick has captured them and he thinks
that it is his home. Also they both struggle with an external conflict against Old Nick, the
mother hates when he comes because she must obey him and she is afraid of what he might
do to Jack. Jack also has a conflict with Old Nick because he is afraid of what he does to his
mother and he feels uncomfortable around him. Once Jack escapes from the room he really
begins to have conflicts with society because he is now in the real world and he learns about
many new things that he has never experienced before.

Resolution
 Ma eventually recovers and comes for Jack. They live in an apartment of their own
whre they begin to adjust to life. Jack wants to visit room. When they go inside, Jack thinks
it looks smaller amd smells weird. Jack and Ma say their final goodbye to room.
 WAR AND PEACE
Leo Tolstoy
Plot
War and Peace begins in the Russian city of St. Petersburg in 1805, as fear of
Napoleon’s ongoing war making begins to set in. Most of the characters are introduced at a
party, including Pierre Bezukhov, Andrey Bolkonsky, and the Kuragin and Rostov families.
Much of the novel focuses on the interactions between the Bezukhovs, Bolkonskys, and the
Rostovs. After their introduction, Andrey Bolkonsky and Nikolay Rostov go to the Austrian
front under General Kutuzov, a fictional representation of Mikhail Kutuzov, to engage with
Napoleon’s troops. Andrey is then injured at the Battle of Austerlitz and presumed dead,
until he arrives home to his wife, Lise, who dies during childbirth soon after. Pierre,
meanwhile, has married Helene Kuragina. She is unfaithful to him, and Pierre duels with the
other man, almost killing him. He soon becomes overwhelmed by his marriage and leaves
Helene. He joins the Freemasons, which influences his personal and business fortunes
greatly. In the meantime Nikolay has racked up a large amount of gambling debt, which
causes the Rostov family to lose most of their fortune. He is encouraged to marry a wealthy
heiress, despite promising to marry Sonya, his cousin. Nikolay eventually witnesses the
peace between Tsar Alexander I and Napoleon (Treaties of Tilsit, signed in 1807). Andrey
soon becomes involved with Natasha Rostov only to be told by his father that he must wait a
year before marrying her. After some time away, Andrey discovers that Natasha has been
unfaithful. He rejects her, and Pierre consoles her, eventually falling in love with her.
In 1812 Napoleon invades Russia, forcing Alexander to declare war. Andrey returns
to service, and Pierre is driven to believe he must personally assassinate Napoleon. As the
French advance, Mary, Lise’s sister, is forced to leave her house. Nikolay finds her in the
streets, and the two reconnect. Pierre, still crazed by his imaginary duty, is apprehended by
French forces and witnesses a number of executions, which deeply affect him. During his
imprisonment, he befriends Platon Karatev, a wise peasant. He is later freed from the French
and promptly falls ill. After recovering, he marries Natasha, and they have four children
together. Nikolay weds Mary, and the two enjoy a happy married life.

Major Conflict
Napoleon’s French forces triumphantly spread across Europe and threaten the
balance of power that includes Russia; Russia responds by declaring war against France and
fighting at the decisive Battle of Borodino. On the level of individual characters, Pierre,
Andrew, Mary, Nicholas, and Natasha all grope their way through life while struggling to
maintain their ideals, vitality, and love for humanity in the face of loss, sadness, and
disillusionment.

Rising Action
Napoleon’s conquests in western Europe, which alarm Russians with a threat of
invasion; Pierre’s inheritance, leaving him prey to schemers such as Helene Kuragina, who
prompt his search for wisdom; Natasha’s growth to womanhood, forcing her to choose a
fitting mate; the testing of Mary’s faith by a cruel world; the testing of Nicholas’s heroic
impulses by the limitations of his life; Andrew’s loneliness after his wife's death, leading
him to reevaluate the purpose of his life.
Climax
The Russian troops’ showdown with the French at the decisive Battle of Borodino;
Pierre’s meeting with Platon Karataev, who infuses him with wisdom; Natasha’s parting
with Andrew and bonding with Pierre; Mary’s parting with her father and meeting with
Nicholas

Falling Action
The Russian victory at Borodino; the subsequent French withdrawal from Russia;
the return to normalcy and everyday life for the Russians; Pierre’s marriage to Natasha;
Nicholas’s marriage to Mary.

Characters
Anna Pavlovna Scherer - A wealthy St. Petersburg society hostess and matchmaker for the
Kuragin family, whose party in 1805 opens the novel.

Pierre Bezukhov - The large-bodied, ungainly, and socially awkward illegitimate son of an
old Russian grandee. Pierre, educated abroad, returns to Russia as a misfit. His unexpected
inheritance of a large fortune makes him socially desirable. Pierre is ensnared by the fortune-
hunting Helene Kuragina, whose eventual deception leaves him depressed and confused,
spurring a spiritual odyssey that spans the novel. Pierre eventually marries Natasha Rostova.

Andrew Bolkonski - The intelligent, disciplined, and ambitious son of the retired military
commander Prince Bolkonski. Andrew is coldly analytical and resistant to flights of
emotion. Lonely after the death of his wife, Lise, he falls in love with Natasha, but is unable
to forgive her momentary passion for Anatole.

Lise Bolkonskaya - Andrew’s angelic wife, who dies in childbirth.

Prince Bolkonski - Andrew’s father, a stodgy and old-fashioned recluse who lives in the
country after his retirement from the army and subsequent retreat from social life. The old
prince, cynical about modern life, is stern and sometimes cruel toward his daughter Mary. In
the war with Napoleon, he returns to active military service, but dies as the French approach
his estate.

Mary Bolkonskaya - The lonely, plain, and long-suffering daughter of Prince Bolkonski.
Princess Mary cares for her father, enduring his cruel treatment with Christian forgiveness.
In the end, Nicholas Rostov weds Mary and saves her from an unhappy solitude.

Mademoiselle Bourienne - The French companion of Princess Mary, who lives with her on
the Bolkonski estate. Mademoiselle Bourienne becomes the object of the old prince’s
affections shortly before his death.

Julie Karagina - Mary’s friend and pen pal. Julie, an heiress, lives in Moscow and eventually
marries Boris.

Count Ilya Rostov - A loving, friendly, and financially carefree nobleman who lives with his
large family at Otradnoe, their estate south of Moscow. The old count piles up debts through
luxurious living, eventually depriving his children of their inheritance—a failing for which
he seeks his children’s forgiveness before he dies.

Countess Natalya Rostova - Count Rostov’s wife. The countess is as neglectful of money
matters as her husband, maintaining standards of luxury that prove a burden to her son
Nicholas when he supports her after the count’s death. The death of her youngest son, Petya,
deeply affects the countess, sinking her into a gloom from which she never again emerges.

Natasha Rostova - The lively and irrepressible daughter of the Rostov family, who charms
everyone she meets. Natasha falls in love with a series of men and then becomes seriously
committed to Andrew, though she ruins the relationship by engaging in a brief tryst with
Anatole Kuragin. Eventually, Natasha marries Pierre and becomes a stout, unkempt matron.

Nicholas Rostov - The impetuous, eldest Rostov son, who joins the Russian forces in 1805
and spends much of the novel on the front. Nicholas accumulates gambling debts that
become burdensome for his family. However, we see his commitment to his family upon his
father’s death, when he supports his mother and cousin Sonya on his meager salary while
continuing to pay off the family’s debts. Nicholas eventually marries the heiress Mary,
saving his family from financial ruin.

Sonya Rostova - The humble cousin of Natasha and Nicholas, who lives with the Rostovs as
a ward. Sonya and Nicholas were childhood sweethearts, but as adults, Sonya generously
gives up Nicholas so that he can marry a rich woman and save the Rostov finances.

Petya Rostov - The youngest Rostov son, who begs to join the Russian army. Petya, who is
close to Natasha and beloved by his mother, is killed in partisan fighting after the French
begin their withdrawal from Moscow.

Vera Rostova - The eldest Rostov daughter. Vera is a somewhat cold, unpleasant young
woman, and her only proposal of marriage comes from the officer Berg, who is candid about
his need for her dowry.

Vasili Kuragin - An artificial and untrustworthy Russian nobleman, and a special friend of
Anna Pavlovna. Vasili continually tries to maneuver his children into lucrative marriages.

Anatole Kuragin - Vasili’s roguish and spendthrift son, who is on the hunt for a rich wife.
Anatole falls for Natasha Rostova at the opera, causing her rift with Andrew Bolkonski.

Helene Kuragina - Vasili’s cold, imperious, and beautiful daughter, who seduces Pierre into
marriage, only to take up with another man immediately. Helene, though known in social
circles as a witty woman, is actually stupid and shallow.

Hippolyte Kuragin - The ugly and undistinguished brother of Helene and Anatole.

Princess Anna Mikhaylovna Drubetskaya - A woman from an illustrious old family who is
nonetheless impoverished. Anna Mikhaylovna is dominated by thoughts of securing a good
future for her son Boris. She extracts a promise from Vasili Kuragin that he will help Boris
get an officer’s position in the army.
Boris Drubetskoy - Anna Mikhaylovna’s son, a poor but ambitious friend of Nicholas
Rostov. Boris fights to establish a career for himself, using connections and his own
intelligence and talents. Though he flirts with the young Natasha, as an adult he seeks a
bigger fortune, eventually marrying an heiress.

Dolokhov - A handsome Russian army officer and friend of Nicholas. Dolokhov carries on
with Helene, prompting Pierre to challenge him to a duel in which Pierre nearly kills him.

Denisov - A short, hairy, good-looking friend of Nicholas who accompanies him to Moscow
on home leave and later falls for Sonya. Denisov is later court-martialed for seizing army
food provisions to feed his men.

Speranski - A brilliant liberal advisor to the tsar. Speranski attempts to reform and
modernize the Russian state until his fall from grace.

Bagration - A Russian military commander.

General Kutuzov - An old, one-eyed general who leads the Russians to military success at
Borodino, but who falls from favor toward the end of his life. Kutuzov is characterized by a
spirituality and humility that contrast sharply with Napoleon’s vanity and logic.

Napoleon - The small, plump, and extremely arrogant French emperor and military leader
who invades Russia. Napoleon embodies self-serving rationalization and vainglory in the
novel, and he is shocked by the French defeat at Borodino.

Setting
(Time) 1805–1820
(Place) Various locations throughout Russia and eastern Europe, including St.
Petersburg, Moscow, Austria, Prussia, the Russian eastern frontier, and Smolensk

Themes
The irrationality of human motives; the search for the meaning of life; the
limitations of leadership

Motifs
Inexplicable love; financial loss; death as a revelation

Foreshadowing
Anna Pavlovna’s prophecy of war against Napoleon later comes true when war is
declared; Sonya’s vision of Andrew lying down foreshadows Andrew’s lying wounded on
the field of Austerlitz and then lying as an invalid in the Rostov home; Natasha’s first
appearance with a doll foreshadows her later role as a mother.
 To Kill a Mockingbird
Harper Lee
Point Of View
Scout narrates in the first person, telling what she saw and heard at the time and
augmenting this narration with thoughts and assessments of her experiences in retrospect.
Although she is by no means an omniscient narrator, she has matured considerably over the
intervening years and often implicitly and humorously comments on the naïveté she
displayed in her thoughts and actions as a young girl. Scout mostly tells of her own thoughts
but also devotes considerable time to recounting and analyzing Jem’s thoughts and actions.

Tone
Childlike, humorous, nostalgic, innocent; as the novel progresses, increasingly dark,
foreboding, and critical of society

Characters
Scout Finch - The narrator and protagonist of the story. Jean Louise “Scout” Finch
lives with her father, Atticus, her brother, Jem, and their black cook, Calpurnia, in
Maycomb. She is intelligent and, by the standards of her time and place, a tomboy. Scout has
a combative streak and a basic faith in the goodness of the people in her community. As the
novel progresses, this faith is tested by the hatred and prejudice that emerge during Tom
Robinson’s trial. Scout eventually develops a more grown-up perspective that enables her to
appreciate human goodness without ignoring human evil.
Atticus Finch - Scout and Jem’s father, a lawyer in Maycomb descended from an old
local family. A widower with a dry sense of humor, Atticus has instilled in his children his
strong sense of morality and justice. He is one of the few residents of Maycomb committed
to racial equality. When he agrees to defend Tom Robinson, a black man charged with
raping a white woman, he exposes himself and his family to the anger of the white
community. With his strongly held convictions, wisdom, and empathy, Atticus functions as
the novel’s moral backbone.
Jem Finch - Scout’s brother and constant playmate at the beginning of the story.
Jeremy Atticus “Jem” Finch is something of a typical American boy, refusing to back down
from dares and fantasizing about playing football. Four years older than Scout, he gradually
separates himself from her games, but he remains her close companion and protector
throughout the novel. Jem moves into adolescence during the story, and his ideals are shaken
badly by the evil and injustice that he perceives during the trial of Tom Robinson.
Arthur “Boo” Radley - A recluse who never sets foot outside his house, Boo
dominates the imaginations of Jem, Scout, and Dill. He is a powerful symbol of goodness
swathed in an initial shroud of creepiness, leaving little presents for Scout and Jem and
emerging at an opportune moment to save the children. An intelligent child emotionally
damaged by his cruel father, Boo provides an example of the threat that evil poses to
innocence and goodness. He is one of the novel’s “mockingbirds,” a good person injured by
the evil of mankind.
Bob Ewell - A drunken, mostly unemployed member of Maycomb’s poorest family.
In his knowingly wrongful accusation that Tom Robinson raped his daughter, Ewell
represents the dark side of the South: ignorance, poverty, squalor, and hate-filled racial
prejudice.
 Charles Baker “Dill” Harris - Jem and Scout’s summer neighbor and friend. Dill is a
diminutive, confident boy with an active imagination. He becomes fascinated with Boo
Radley and represents the perspective of childhood innocence throughout the novel.
Miss Maudie Atkinson - The Finches’ neighbor, a sharp-tongued widow, and an old
friend of the family. Miss Maudie is almost the same age as Atticus’s younger brother, Jack.
She shares Atticus’s passion for justice and is the children’s best friend among Maycomb’s
adults.
Calpurnia - The Finches’ black cook. Calpurnia is a stern disciplinarian and the
children’s bridge between the white world and her own black community.
Aunt Alexandra - Atticus’s sister, a strong-willed woman with a fierce devotion to
her family. Alexandra is the perfect Southern lady, and her commitment to propriety and
tradition often leads her to clash with Scout.
Mayella Ewell - Bob Ewell’s abused, lonely, unhappy daughter. Though one can
pity Mayella because of her overbearing father, one cannot pardon her for her shameful
indictment of Tom Robinson.
Tom Robinson - The black field hand accused of rape. Tom is one of the novel’s
“mockingbirds,” an important symbol of innocence destroyed by evil.
Link Deas - Tom Robinson’s employer. In his willingness to look past race and
praise the integrity of Tom’s character, Deas epitomizes the opposite of prejudice.
Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose - An elderly, ill-tempered, racist woman who lives
near the Finches. Although Jem believes that Mrs. Dubose is a thoroughly bad woman,
Atticus admires her for the courage with which she battles her morphine addiction.
Nathan Radley - Boo Radley’s older brother. Scout thinks that Nathan is similar to
the deceased Mr. Radley, Boo and Nathan’s father. Nathan cruelly cuts off an important
element of Boo’s relationship with Jem and Scout when he plugs up the knothole in which
Boo leaves presents for the children.
Heck Tate - The sheriff of Maycomb and a major witness at Tom Robinson’s trial.
Heck is a decent man who tries to protect the innocent from danger.
Mr. Underwood - The publisher of Maycomb’s newspaper. Mr. Underwood respects
Atticus and proves his ally.
Mr. Dolphus Raymond - A wealthy white man who lives with his black mistress and
mulatto children. Raymond pretends to be a drunk so that the citizens of Maycomb will have
an explanation for his behavior. In reality, he is simply jaded by the hypocrisy of white
society and prefers living among blacks.
Mr. Walter Cunningham - A poor farmer and part of the mob that seeks to lynch
Tom Robinson at the jail. Mr. Cunningham displays his human goodness when Scout’s
politeness compels him to disperse the men at the jail.
Walter Cunningham - Son of Mr. Cunningham and classmate of Scout. Walter
cannot afford lunch one day at school and accidentally gets Scout in trouble.

Setting
(Time) 1933–1935
(Place) The fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama

Plot
Scout Finch lives with her brother, Jem, and their widowed father, Atticus, in the
sleepy Alabama town of Maycomb. Maycomb is suffering through the Great Depression, but
Atticus is a prominent lawyer and the Finch family is reasonably well off in comparison to
the rest of society. One summer, Jem and Scout befriend a boy named Dill, who has come to
live in their neighborhood for the summer, and the trio acts out stories together. Eventually,
Dill becomes fascinated with the spooky house on their street called the Radley Place. The
house is owned by Mr. Nathan Radley, whose brother, Arthur (nicknamed Boo), has lived
there for years without venturing outside.
Scout goes to school for the first time that fall and detests it. She and Jem find gifts
apparently left for them in a knothole of a tree on the Radley property. Dill returns the
following summer, and he, Scout, and Jem begin to act out the story of Boo Radley. Atticus
puts a stop to their antics, urging the children to try to see life from another person’s
perspective before making judgments. But, on Dill’s last night in Maycomb for the summer,
the three sneak onto the Radley property, where Nathan Radley shoots at them. Jem loses his
pants in the ensuing escape. When he returns for them, he finds them mended and hung over
the fence. The next winter, Jem and Scout find more presents in the tree, presumably left by
the mysterious Boo. Nathan Radley eventually plugs the knothole with cement. Shortly
thereafter, a fire breaks out in another neighbor’s house, and during the fire someone slips a
blanket on Scout’s shoulders as she watches the blaze. Convinced that Boo did it, Jem tells
Atticus about the mended pants and the presents.
To the consternation of Maycomb’s racist white community, Atticus agrees to
defend a black man named Tom Robinson, who has been accused of raping a white woman.
Because of Atticus’s decision, Jem and Scout are subjected to abuse from other children,
even when they celebrate Christmas at the family compound on Finch’s Landing. Calpurnia,
the Finches’ black cook, takes them to the local black church, where the warm and close-knit
community largely embraces the children.
Atticus’s sister, Alexandra, comes to live with the Finches the next summer. Dill,
who is supposed to live with his “new father” in another town, runs away and comes to
Maycomb. Tom Robinson’s trial begins, and when the accused man is placed in the local
jail, a mob gathers to lynch him. Atticus faces the mob down the night before the trial. Jem
and Scout, who have sneaked out of the house, soon join him. Scout recognizes one of the
men, and her polite questioning about his son shames him into dispersing the mob.
At the trial itself, the children sit in the “colored balcony” with the town’s black
citizens. Atticus provides clear evidence that the accusers, Mayella Ewell and her father,
Bob, are lying: in fact, Mayella propositioned Tom Robinson, was caught by her father, and
then accused Tom of rape to cover her shame and guilt. Atticus provides impressive
evidence that the marks on Mayella’s face are from wounds that her father inflicted; upon
discovering her with Tom, he called her a whore and beat her. Yet, despite the significant
evidence pointing to Tom’s innocence, the all-white jury convicts him. The innocent Tom
later tries to escape from prison and is shot to death. In the aftermath of the trial, Jem’s faith
in justice is badly shaken, and he lapses into despondency and doubt.
Despite the verdict, Bob Ewell feels that Atticus and the judge have made a fool out
of him, and he vows revenge. He menaces Tom Robinson’s widow, tries to break into the
judge’s house, and finally attacks Jem and Scout as they walk home from a Halloween party.
Boo Radley intervenes, however, saving the children and stabbing Ewell fatally during the
struggle. Boo carries the wounded Jem back to Atticus’s house, where the sheriff, in order to
protect Boo, insists that Ewell tripped over a tree root and fell on his own knife. After sitting
with Scout for a while, Boo disappears once more into the Radley house.
Later, Scout feels as though she can finally imagine what life is like for Boo. He has
become a human being to her at last. With this realization, Scout embraces her father’s
advice to practice sympathy and understanding and demonstrates that her experiences with
hatred and prejudice will not sully her faith in human goodness.
Major Conflict
The childhood innocence with which Scout and Jem begin the novel is threatened by
numerous incidents that expose the evil side of human nature, most notably the guilty verdict
in Tom Robinson’s trial and the vengefulness of Bob Ewell. As the novel progresses, Scout
and Jem struggle to maintain faith in the human capacity for good in light of these recurring
instances of human evil.

Rising Action
Scout, Jem, and Dill become fascinated with their mysterious neighbor Boo Radley
and have an escalating series of encounters with him. Meanwhile, Atticus is assigned to
defend a black man, Tom Robinson against the spurious rape charges Bob Ewell has brought
against him. Watching the trial, Scout, and especially Jem, cannot understand how a jury
could possibly convict Tom Robinson based on the Ewells’ clearly fabricated story.

Climax
Despite Atticus’s capable and impassioned defense, the jury finds Tom Robinson
guilty. The verdict forces Scout and Jem to confront the fact that the morals Atticus has
taught them cannot always be reconciled with the reality of the world and the evils of human
nature.
Falling Action
When word spreads that Tom Robinson has been shot while trying to escape from
prison, Jem struggles to come to terms with the injustice of the trial and of Tom Robinson’s
fate. After making a variety of threats against Atticus and others connected with the trial,
Bob Ewell assaults Scout and Jem as they walk home one night, but Boo Radley saves the
children and fatally stabs Ewell. The sheriff, knowing that Boo, like Tom Robinson, would
be misunderstood and likely convicted in a trial, protects Boo by saying that Ewell tripped
and fell on his own knife. After sitting and talking with Scout briefly, Boo retreats into his
house, and Scout never sees him again.

Themes
The coexistence of good and evil; the importance of moral education; social class

Motifs
Gothic details; small-town life

Foreshadowing
Scout’s mention of Jem’s broken arm on the first page foreshadows that the novel
will reveal the events leading up to Jem’s accident; Burris Ewell’s appearance in school
foreshadows the nastiness of Bob Ewell; the presents Jem and Scout find in the oak tree
foreshadow the eventual discovery of Boo Radley’s good-heartedness; Bob Ewell’s threats
and suspicious behavior after the trial foreshadow his attack on the children.