CHARACTERS
https://www.enotes.com/topics/to-kill-a-mockingbird/characters#characters-characters-characters-1
https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/mocking/characters/
Jean Louise “Scout” Finch
Jean Louise "Scout" Finch is the protagonist and narrator of To Kill a Mockingbird, and the events of the story unfold through her recollections of growing up in the small town of Maycomb. (Read our extended character analysis of Scout Finch.) When the novel opens, Scout is a precocious five-year-old excited to attend her first day of school. Her tumultuous first day illustrates some of her defining characteristics: an impressive intellect and curiosity, a hotheaded and tomboyish disposition, and an innate innocence and inner goodness. Scout’s personality is greatly shaped by the influence of her father, Atticus, whom she deeply respects and admires. Scout routinely defies the gender conventions of her small southern town and, much to the chagrin of her Aunt Alexandra, prefers to tag along on Jem and Dill’s escapades rather than pursue more ladylike activities. Scout’s naïveté and strong moral compass make her an astute observer of the injustice and hypocrisy in Maycomb, and (in part due to her childish innocence) she is one of the few characters that dares to openly confront it. Scout’s innate sense of optimism and justice is challenged by the racism and hatred she witnesses throughout Tom Robinson’s trial. With Atticus’s help, she is able to process the terrible events and realize that her fellow citizens are morally complex individuals who possess the capacity for both goodness and evil. By the end of the novel, eight-year-old Scout has grown not only physically but emotionally as well. She has gained some control over her temper and no longer views being a “lady” as synonymous with being weak. Ultimately, Scout learns to look past deceiving appearances and, like her father, employs empathy and compassion to find the good in those around her. 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.Read an IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS OF SCOUT FINCH.
Jeremy Atticus “Jem” Finch
Scout’s older brother, Jem Finch, is only nine years old when the novel opens. In temperament, he is more mature and thoughtful than his impulsive younger sister. (Read our extended character analysis of Jem Finch.)
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.Read an IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS OF JEM FINCH.
Click Here for EXAMPLE QUOTES BY JEM
Atticus Finch
The widowed father of Scout and Jem, Atticus Finch forms the moral center of the novel. As a respected lawyer, Atticus uses his exalted position in the community to fight against injustice. (Read our extended character analysis of 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.Read an IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS OF ATTICUS FINCH.
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. Arthur “Boo” RadleyReclusive and mysterious, Boo Radley is an important figure in the children’s lives. He has remained shut in his house while rumors about him have swirled around town for years. (Read our extended character analysis of Boo Radley.)
Calpurnia-
Calpurnia is the Finch family’s black housekeeper and cook. A formidable female presence in the children’s lives, Calpurnia has been a stern disciplinarian as she helped to raise them since their mother’s untimely death. Though Scout often resents how strict Calpurnia is, the children clearly love her and see her as a maternal figure. Calpurnia serves as a bridge between the children and the black community in Maycomb, helping them see the effects of the Tom Robinson trial from a different perspective. Though Calpurnia makes an effort to bring the children into her world, she also helps them realize the differences between their own white world and the oppressed black community of Maycomb. Scout’s perspective is broadened when she hears Calpurnia speaking differently among members of her church, forcing Scout to acknowledge that Calpurnia has an entire life beyond the Finch family.
Read an IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS OF CALPURNIA.
John Hale “Jack” Finch -
Jack Finch is Atticus’s younger brother and is known to Scout and Jem as “Uncle Jack.” Atticus’s children love Jack, though he does not understand children quite as well as Atticus. Scout accuses Uncle Jack of being unfair when he punishes her for attacking Francis without hearing her out first. After talking..
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.
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.
(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. He then lies to the children about why he is doing so.
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.
https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/mocking/characters/
Jean Louise “Scout” Finch
Jean Louise "Scout" Finch is the protagonist and narrator of To Kill a Mockingbird, and the events of the story unfold through her recollections of growing up in the small town of Maycomb. (Read our extended character analysis of Scout Finch.) When the novel opens, Scout is a precocious five-year-old excited to attend her first day of school. Her tumultuous first day illustrates some of her defining characteristics: an impressive intellect and curiosity, a hotheaded and tomboyish disposition, and an innate innocence and inner goodness. Scout’s personality is greatly shaped by the influence of her father, Atticus, whom she deeply respects and admires. Scout routinely defies the gender conventions of her small southern town and, much to the chagrin of her Aunt Alexandra, prefers to tag along on Jem and Dill’s escapades rather than pursue more ladylike activities. Scout’s naïveté and strong moral compass make her an astute observer of the injustice and hypocrisy in Maycomb, and (in part due to her childish innocence) she is one of the few characters that dares to openly confront it. Scout’s innate sense of optimism and justice is challenged by the racism and hatred she witnesses throughout Tom Robinson’s trial. With Atticus’s help, she is able to process the terrible events and realize that her fellow citizens are morally complex individuals who possess the capacity for both goodness and evil. By the end of the novel, eight-year-old Scout has grown not only physically but emotionally as well. She has gained some control over her temper and no longer views being a “lady” as synonymous with being weak. Ultimately, Scout learns to look past deceiving appearances and, like her father, employs empathy and compassion to find the good in those around her. 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.Read an IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS OF SCOUT FINCH.
Jeremy Atticus “Jem” Finch
Scout’s older brother, Jem Finch, is only nine years old when the novel opens. In temperament, he is more mature and thoughtful than his impulsive younger sister. (Read our extended character analysis of Jem Finch.)
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.Read an IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS OF JEM FINCH.
Click Here for EXAMPLE QUOTES BY JEM
Atticus Finch
The widowed father of Scout and Jem, Atticus Finch forms the moral center of the novel. As a respected lawyer, Atticus uses his exalted position in the community to fight against injustice. (Read our extended character analysis of 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.Read an IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS OF ATTICUS FINCH.
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. Arthur “Boo” RadleyReclusive and mysterious, Boo Radley is an important figure in the children’s lives. He has remained shut in his house while rumors about him have swirled around town for years. (Read our extended character analysis of Boo Radley.)
Calpurnia-
Calpurnia is the Finch family’s black housekeeper and cook. A formidable female presence in the children’s lives, Calpurnia has been a stern disciplinarian as she helped to raise them since their mother’s untimely death. Though Scout often resents how strict Calpurnia is, the children clearly love her and see her as a maternal figure. Calpurnia serves as a bridge between the children and the black community in Maycomb, helping them see the effects of the Tom Robinson trial from a different perspective. Though Calpurnia makes an effort to bring the children into her world, she also helps them realize the differences between their own white world and the oppressed black community of Maycomb. Scout’s perspective is broadened when she hears Calpurnia speaking differently among members of her church, forcing Scout to acknowledge that Calpurnia has an entire life beyond the Finch family.
Read an IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS OF CALPURNIA.
John Hale “Jack” Finch -
Jack Finch is Atticus’s younger brother and is known to Scout and Jem as “Uncle Jack.” Atticus’s children love Jack, though he does not understand children quite as well as Atticus. Scout accuses Uncle Jack of being unfair when he punishes her for attacking Francis without hearing her out first. After talking..
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.
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.
(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. He then lies to the children about why he is doing so.
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.