To Kill a Mockingbird Chapter Twelve to Fifteen

‘To Kill a Mockingbird’

Chapter Twelve to Fifteen– Plot Summary Scout is unhappy Dill will not be joining them for summer. Calpurnia takes the children to church with her and they are welcomed with open arms. They discover that money is being collected for Tom Robinson’s mum, Helen. They also find out Tom is in jail because he has been accused of raping Bob Ewell’s daughter Mayella.

Chapter Twelve to Fifteen– Plot Summary Aunt Alexandra arrives to stay and she tries to teach Jem and Scout how to be proper “Finches”. They are not interested and prefer being the young people Atticus is teaching them to become. Scout finds a dirty, starving Dill hiding in her bedroom. He ran off because his parents were not interested in him. It is decided Dill will stay with his Aunt Rachel. This makes Scout and Jem happy.

Chapter Twelve to Fifteen– Plot Summary A lynch mob arrive at the jail and try to get Tom so that they can lynch him. Atticus waits outside the jail to send the mob away, but they are determined. Atticus is annoyed when the children turn up, but it is only when Scout recognises Walter Cunningham Senior and says hello that the men start to feel ashamed and go home. Atticus stays up all night to protect Tom.

Character Atticus Finch • Atticus is a bridge between the two • communities. The whites like him because he is from an old family and he has a respected role as a lawyer. The blacks like him because they know he is a good man who believes in truth and justice – an opponent of segregation and racism.

Character Atticus Finch Quote: “You can turn around and go home now, Walter. ” Analysis: This quote shows he is a hero to the white community because they do turn back from lynching Tom and “go home”, which they would not have done if they did not admire and respect him. Importance to the Text: This heightens our understanding of his character because Atticus Finch has broken a taboo in his community by being seen to side with the blacks. The fact he is not harmed for this, or at least pushed aside from the jail, is testament to how worthy of respect and admiration he is deemed to be.

Setting Maycomb/1930 s South Quote: “You know what we want, ” another man said. “Get aside from the door, Mr Finch. ” Analysis: It was common for lynch mobs to hang black suspects in places like Maycomb before the trial. This meant that they believed a black person was guilty no matter what the evidence was. Many black men were killed in this way, especially if they had been accused of rape. They became known as ‘strange fruit’ because they were left hanging from trees. The phrase “Get aside” shows that the mob expect Atticus Finch to let them hang Tom, even though he represents the justice system. Importance to novel: This heightens my understanding of the novel because it adds to our understanding of This heightens my understanding of the novel because I realise that it is reflecting on the fact that white communities, at this time, got away with murdering many of their innocent, fellow citizens because of the colour of their skin and without a proper trial.

Theme Prejudice Quote: “You know what we want, ” another man said. “Get aside from the door, Mr Finch. ” (repeat quote) Analysis: Most in Maycomb’s white community are so racist they do not believe an accused black man deserves a fair trial. They are going to lynch or hang Tom until Atticus Finch stops them. The phrase “Get aside” shows how dismissive they are of the law and how accustomed they are to mob justice. Importance to the novel: This illustrates theme of prejudice because the white community of Maycomb are so racist they do not believe a black person deserves to be treated equally in the eyes of the law. They are happy to take the law into their own hands and hang Tom whether he has been proved guilty or not.

Key incident Tom Robinson’s trial Quote: “You know what we want, ” another man said. “Get aside from the door, Mr Finch. ” (repeat quote) Analysis: Most in Maycomb’s white community are so racist they do not believe an accused black man deserves a fair trial. They are going to lynch or hang Tom until Atticus Finch stops them. The phrase “Get aside” shows how dismissive they are of the law and how accustomed they are to mob justice. Importance to the novel: This incident just before the trial of Tom Robinson heightens my understanding of the novel because it helps develop the book’s most important theme – that of racial prejudice.