English
To Kill a Mockingbird — themes and study summary
Harper Lee's 1960 novel follows Scout Finch growing up in the racist South in the 1930s as her father, lawyer Atticus Finch, defends Tom Robinson — a Black man falsely accused of raping a white woman. The novel explores racial injustice, the loss of childhood innocence, moral courage, and the symbolic 'mockingbird' — those who are harmless but destroyed by prejudice (Tom and Boo Radley).
Key points
- Setting: Maycomb, Alabama, during the Great Depression (1930s)
- Narrator: Scout (Jean Louise) Finch as an adult looking back at her childhood
- Atticus Finch defends Tom Robinson, knowing the all-white jury will convict him; does so anyway as a matter of conscience
- The 'mockingbird' symbol: it's a sin to kill a creature that does no harm — applies to Tom Robinson and Boo Radley
- Boo Radley: feared neighbour who turns out to save Scout and Jem; subverts the prejudice theme on a personal scale
- Scout's coming-of-age = the reader's coming-of-age about racism, justice, and empathy
Practice quiz
Click each question to reveal the answer.
1. Who is the narrator of To Kill a Mockingbird?
- Atticus Finch
- Scout Finch
- Boo Radley
- Tom Robinson
Answer: Scout Finch
Jean Louise 'Scout' Finch narrates retrospectively as an adult.
2. What does the mockingbird symbolise in the novel?
Answer: Innocence destroyed by prejudice
Atticus tells Scout 'it's a sin to kill a mockingbird' because they only sing — Tom Robinson and Boo Radley are the novel's mockingbirds.
3. What crime is Tom Robinson falsely accused of?
Answer: Raping Mayella Ewell
Despite clear evidence of innocence, the all-white jury convicts him because he is Black.
4. Who saves Scout and Jem from Bob Ewell at the end of the novel?
Answer: Boo Radley
The reclusive neighbour the children feared turns out to be their protector — subverting their (and the town's) prejudice.
Last reviewed: May 2026