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To Kill a Mockingbird
Opening Chapter
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Flashback
The novel opens as the narrator, Scout, remembers when her brother Jem broke his arm when he was thirteen. There are five years between Scout and Jem.
The novel tells the story of those 4 years in flashback.
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Finch Family History
Their ancestor was Simon Finch, a fur-trapper. He had emigrated to America from England and settled in Alabama. He owned slaves, as slavery was the ‘norm’ in the South of America at the time. He married and had children. He died a rich man, making a fortune growing cotton and using cheap slave labour.
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American Civil War
After the American Civil War, which pitched North America against South America, the slaves were all freed, but in the South, where people had been on the losing side, people had been forced to give up their slaves, so civil rights for black people were curtailed as there was so much prejudice.
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Atticus, the children’s father, and his brother John, who was ten years younger, and their sister Alexandra, are all descendants of Simon Finch.
Alexandra still lives on the family homestead, Finch’s landing, but the two brothers went into professional careers, with Atticus paying for John’s education as a doctor. He is known to the children as Uncle Jack.
Atticus’ Family Line
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Maycomb
Maycomb is twenty miles East of Finch’s Landing, so it is the nearest town.
This is where Atticus settles when he goes to practise Law.
He didn’t have much money and his first two clients lost their cases as they did not follow his advice, so they were hanged.
Most people in Maycomb know and respect Atticus, because he is one of them.
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7. Maycomb Tired, small, old town Hot
The novel is set during the Depression, so no-one would have much money but the poorest were hit the hardest.
There is only one main residential street
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Scout’s Family
The family comprises Jem and Scout, and their father Atticus.
Their mother died when Scout was two years old.
They call Atticus his name, rather than ‘Dad’.
He is a kind and wise father who reads to and plays with his children.
He is helped by Calpurnia, their black maid, whom he supports when the children are naughty, so the children are not spoilt.
Atticus is old to be a father; his wife was 15 years younger than him.
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Their Street
The family lives in the main residential street and their boundaries for play are Mrs Dubose’s house, and the Radley Place, 3 doors down.
The children are frightened of ‘Boo’ Radley, the son of the house, as he is a recluse.
Other neighbours are: Miss Maudie, who is kind to them; Miss Stephanie Crawford, who is a gossip. Next door lives Miss Rachel Haverford, whose nephew Dill becomes a friend of theirs when he stays with his aunt every Summer.
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