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To Kill a Mockingbird FULL TEXT | A2 Level Audiobook for Beginners

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  1. “To Kill a Mockingbird” By Harper Lee
  2. Narrated by Joshua Cashill The story you are about to read is not the original version of “To Kill a Mockingbird”.
  3. This version has been specially edited for beginner learners of English. The level of English is at a CEFR A2 level.
  4. The story is the same, but the language has been adapted to make it easier and more enjoyable to read.
  5. Make sure you visit the Essential English website to get access to the full text. The link is in the description below.
  6. Enjoy the story! Chapter One
  7. Scout Finch is six when the novel begins. She’s nine when it ends.
  8. Scout has a big brother named Jem. Jem is four years older than Scout.
  9. Their father’s name is Atticus. Atticus is a lawyer.
  10. Scout and Jem have a friend named Dill. Dill comes to visit every summer.
  11. He stays with his Aunt Rachel. He plays with Scout and Jem every day.
  12. Scout and Jem live in a small town called Maycomb. It is in the state of Alabama,
  13. in the south of the United States. It is the 1930s.
  14. Things are different then. More on that later.
  15. Maycomb has a scary house. It is the Radley house.
  16. A man named Boo Radley lives there. The children never see Boo.
  17. He never comes out. They think he is a scary man.
  18. But they don't really know Boo. The kids like to play outside.
  19. They like to make up stories about Boo. They think he is a ghost.
  20. They dare each other to touch the Radley house. It’s a fun game for them.
  21. Their father, Atticus, doesn't like the Boo game. He says it's not nice.
  22. He thinks they should let Boo be. But the kids are curious.
  23. They want to know more about Boo. The Finch family has lived in Maycomb a long time.
  24. They are proud of that. They are respected.
  25. They made their money on a farm. They still have the farm.
  26. It’s called Finch Landing. Atticus went to the city.
  27. He became a lawyer. His brother became a doctor.
  28. Atticus is the head of the family. Scout and Jem love their town.
  29. It's a small, quiet town with a big mystery. They are all happy…
  30. ...until it begins. A word from the narrator.
  31. Hello! My name is Josh Cashill. I am the narrator of this and many other stories here on my channel,
  32. ESSENTIAL ENGLISH Thank you so much for watching and listening to this audiobook, “To Kill a Mockingbird”.
  33. As you continue to listen to and read the next chapters, I wanted to explain a little about the book,
  34. and its importance in English literature. “To Kill a Mockingbird” is a famous American story written by author Harper Lee.
  35. The story takes place in a fictitious town in the southern part of the United States in the 1930s. The story is told by a young girl named Scout Finch.
  36. Her father, Atticus Finch, is a lawyer. He must defend Tom Robinson,
  37. a black man who is wrongly accused of hurting a white woman. The story shows the strong racism and unfair rules in the Southern United States at that time.
  38. It also talks about how people try to do what is right, even when it is very hard.
  39. The story talks about growing up, family, and learning about the world.
  40. Some of the important themes are justice and fairness. Another theme is courage.
  41. Atticus teaches his children to be brave and to stand for what is right,
  42. even if other people do not agree. Scout and Jem, her brother, also learn about empathy,
  43. which means trying to understand other people's feelings. Putting yourself in their shoes.
  44. The title “To Kill a Mockingbird” is also a theme. A mockingbird is a bird that does no harm and only sings.
  45. Killing one is like hurting an innocent person. This idea is important
  46. because it shows that people should protect the innocent. In the end, the book teaches about kindness, justice, and respect for others.
  47. The character of Atticus Finch became a symbol of honesty and fairness. Many Americans see him as an example of a good person who stands up for what is right,
  48. even when it is difficult. I thought the story and its themes were important,
  49. especially today, when ordinary people must defend their positions against injustice and cruelty around the world.
  50. Thank you for watching and enjoy the rest of the story. Chapter 2
  51. Scout starts school for the first time. She is excited at first.
  52. But then she meets her teacher, Miss Caroline. Miss Caroline is new in town.
  53. She doesn't know Maycomb well. Scout can already read and write.
  54. She learned at home with her father. But Miss Caroline is mad about it.
  55. She’s upset that Scout can read. She says kids should learn reading at school.
  56. This makes Scout frustrated and sad. Scout tries to explain.
  57. “My dad helps me. I even read the newspaper.”
  58. But Miss Caroline doesn't listen. Scout feels bad.
  59. She doesn't like school now. She misses her father and Jem.
  60. The Cunninghams are a poor family in town. Sometimes they don’t have money for food.
  61. Miss Caroline doesn't know about them. Walter is a Cunningham.
  62. “You aren’t going home for lunch, Walter. And you don’t have lunch.
  63. I’ll loan you money,” she says. “No, thank you,” says Walter.
  64. “You have to eat,” Miss Caroline says. Miss Caroline doesn’t understand that Walter can’t take her money.
  65. He won’t be able to pay her back. Scout tries to help.
  66. “He’s a Cunningham. They have no money for extra food.
  67. He won’t take money if he can’t pay it back. He can’t pay it back.
  68. My dad helped them once. We woke up to find cut firewood on our porch.”
  69. But Miss Caroline gets mad again. Scout has a hard day at school.
  70. She doesn't want to go back. She tells Atticus about it.
  71. Atticus listens. He is a good father.
  72. Chapter 3 Scout and Walter get into a fight.
  73. Jem stops the fight. He invites Walter home for lunch.
  74. At home, Walter covers his food with syrup. “What are you doing?”
  75. Scout laughs at Walter. Calpurnia calls Scout into the kitchen to talk to her.
  76. Calpurnia helps Atticus take care of his family. She scolds Scout for being rude to Walter.
  77. “Not everybody eats like you eat. If you can’t be nice, you have to eat in the kitchen.”
  78. Scout is upset with Calpurnia for scolding her. She understands what Calpurnia means.
  79. And she feels bad for laughing, but she’s still mad at Calpurnia. “Dad, Calpurnia made me mad.
  80. Fire her,” Scout pouts. “I’m not firing Calpurnia.
  81. She’s part of the family. And she’s right.
  82. You shouldn’t laugh at people like that.” After lunch, Scout goes back to school.
  83. But she doesn't feel happy. She is still upset about the fight.
  84. Plus, she’s still mad at Miss Caroline. Miss Caroline isn’t happy either.
  85. She’s freaked out. One of her students has lice.
  86. It’s Burris Ewell. Burris is a very dirty boy.
  87. His head is crawling with lice. “You need to go home,” Miss Caroline says.
  88. “You need to go home,” Miss Caroline says. “You can come back when it's gone.”
  89. “Why?” asks Burris. “Because you have… um… cooties!
  90. You don’t want to give the cooties to the other students, do you?” “You can’t tell me what to do!” Burris says.
  91. “No slut of a school teacher can make me do anything. I was leaving anyway.
  92. I did my time,” Burris says. He walks out of the class.
  93. Miss Caroline cries. The children comfort her.
  94. “He’s a Ewell. They only come on the first day,” one boy says.
  95. “They are the disgrace of the town. They always have been,” adds another.
  96. At home Scout tells her dad about Burris. “Do you know why he can’t buy food?
  97. Because he spends his money on whiskey,” Scout says. “Let’s keep that between us.
  98. Miss Caroline doesn’t have to know everything about this town,” Atticus says. Chapter 4
  99. One day, Jem and Scout find something cool. It's a tree near the Radley house.
  100. There is a hole in the tree trunk. They find gifts in this hole.
  101. They don't know who is leaving these gifts. First, they find gum.
  102. Then, they find pennies. They are old pennies.
  103. Scout and Jem are very happy. They think it's a secret friend.
  104. Dill comes back for summer. He is their best friend.
  105. They tell him about the gifts. They all think the gifts are cool.
  106. The children have lots of free time, now that it’s summer. But they can't decide what game to play.
  107. Dill says he smells death at the Radley house. They argue about Hot Steams.
  108. Hot Steams are ghosts. Jem is afraid.
  109. He doesn’t want to talk about Hot Steams. Scout calls Jem a coward.
  110. Scout suggests they play with a tire. Jem and Dill agree.
  111. Scout is the first to get into the tire. Jem pushes her hard.
  112. As the tire rolls, Scout feels like she can't breathe. The tire crashes in the Radley's front yard.
  113. Now it’s Scout who is scared. “Run!” Jem yells.
  114. “Run fast.’ Scout runs back to Jem and Dill.
  115. She forgets to bring the tire with her. She and Jem argue about the tire.
  116. Scout doesn’t want to go and get the tire. Jem is mad.
  117. He goes to get the tire himself. He tells Scout she acts like a girl.
  118. A little later, Calpurnia calls them for lemonade. While they drink lemonade, Jem says they should do a Boo Radley play.
  119. Scout knows Jem wants to look brave. He wants to make her look scared.
  120. Jem gives everyone a role in the play. Scout is Mrs. Radley.
  121. Dill is old Mr. Radley. Jem is Boo.
  122. Scout is worried. She doesn’t want to play only this kind of game all summer.
  123. She thinks Jim will, though. Atticus, their father, is not happy with this game.
  124. “It isn’t nice to make fun of people. You don’t know his story,” their dad says.
  125. “Sorry we weren’t nice,” Jem says. “But we just want to see who Boo is.
  126. He never comes out,” Scout says. “Please leave him alone, children,” Atticus says.
  127. Chapter 5 Miss Maudie is a neighbor.
  128. She is a nice lady. She takes care of her flowers in the garden in front of her house.
  129. She likes Scout and Jem. She makes them cakes.
  130. The cakes are very good. Sometimes Scout hangs out on Miss Maudie’s porch.
  131. Miss Maudie also knows about Boo Radley. She tells the kids about him.
  132. “Boo is not a monster,” she says. “He is shy.
  133. He likes to stay home.” “He doesn't like to come out.
  134. His name is Arthur. His father was not nice.”
  135. “His father said he was religious. But he used the Bible wrong.
  136. He used it to hurt Arthur.” The kids listen.
  137. Later, they think about it. “I still want to see Boo,” Scout says.
  138. “Let’s write him a letter,” Jem says. They write Boo a letter.
  139. They put it on a fishing pole. They try to pass it through the Radley window.
  140. Atticus sees them. Busted!
  141. Atticus is mad. “You shouldn’t do that.
  142. It's not right. Boo needs peace.
  143. Leave him alone.” The kids are sad.
  144. They really want to see Boo. But they know Atticus is right.
  145. Chapter 6 It is the end of summer.
  146. Dill is leaving soon. But the kids want one last adventure.
  147. They plan to peek into the Radley house. They are going to see Boo once and for all.
  148. It’s night. They sneak out.
  149. They go to the Radley yard. They climb onto the porch.
  150. Jem looks into the window. Nothing.
  151. Then they see a shadow. It's a man.
  152. The man is looking at them. The kids get scared.
  153. They run away. They run away fast.
  154. The children have to crawl under a fence to escape. It is a barbed wire fence.
  155. When Jem is crawling under the fence, his pants get stuck on the fence! He cannot escape!
  156. Jem has to take off his pants and leave them. He runs away in his underwear.
  157. He is too scared. He is too scared to go back for his pants.
  158. They all run home. Back home, they feel safe.
  159. But Jem is worried. His pants are still at the Radleys’.
  160. He doesn't want to get in trouble. He decides to go back.
  161. “You can’t. You’ll get in trouble,” Scout says.
  162. “I have to. Someone will find my pants.
  163. Then dad will really be mad,” Jem says. He goes into the dark night.
  164. Scout waits for him. She’s afraid.
  165. Then he comes back home. He has his pants.
  166. Scout can sleep now. “Thank goodness,” she says to herself.
  167. Chapter 7 School starts again.
  168. Dill has gone back home. Scout and Jem miss him.
  169. But they have school. They also have the tree.
  170. They keep finding gifts in it. One day, Jem tells Scout something.
  171. “Do you remember when I lost my pants at the Radley house? I ripped my pants on the fence.
  172. But when I found my pants, they were fixed. They were mended.
  173. They were folded. It’s like someone knew I’d be back.”
  174. “Do you think it was Boo?” Scout asks. “It had to be,” Jem says.
  175. “It couldn’t be anyone else.” As the days pass, they find more gifts in the tree.
  176. They find soap figures. The figures look like Scout and Jem.
  177. They find gum, a spelling medal, and a watch. They are happy.
  178. They think Boo is a friend. He’s a secret friend.
  179. They show Atticus their gifts. “That’s a spelling medal.
  180. It’s from a long time ago. Where did you find it?”
  181. Scout was going to tell her father. Jem kicked her.
  182. They showed him a watch. “Did you swap something for it,” his dad asks.
  183. “No Sir! I found it,” Jem says.
  184. “It’s broken,” their dad says. Here, you can carry around your grandfather’s watch.
  185. It works.” “No thank you.
  186. I’ll carry this one,” Jem says. ”Let’s write a letter.
  187. Let’s write our secret friend a thank you letter,” Scout says. They go to put the letter in the hole.
  188. The hole is gone. Someone filled it.
  189. The children see Mr. Radley in the front yard of the house. He says the tree is sick.
  190. He had to fill the hole. But Atticus says the tree is not sick.
  191. The kids are sad. They can't get gifts anymore.
  192. Chapter 8 It's winter in Maycomb.
  193. It's very cold. This year it snowed.
  194. It doesn’t snow very often. Snow is rare in Maycomb.
  195. Some say it’s the coldest winter ever. “The cold is your fault,” Mr. Avery tells Jem and Scout.
  196. Mr. Avery is a neighbor. “You’re always running around.
  197. You’re always making mischief.” Scout believes Mr. Avery.
  198. She thinks the extreme cold might be her fault! But the kids are excited about the snow.
  199. They make a snowman. They use dirt and snow.
  200. They make it look like Mr. Avery. He made them feel bad.
  201. They laugh at their snowman. “Jem, Scout, your snowman looks too much like Mr. Avery.
  202. Fix it,” Atticus says. They laugh but do what their father says.
  203. It's a fun day. They forget about the cold.
  204. But at night, something bad happens. Miss Maudie's house catches fire.
  205. Everyone in town comes to help. They try to save her things.
  206. Scout watches the fire. She is cold.
  207. She doesn't know it, but someone puts a blanket on her. Later, Atticus points it out.
  208. He thinks it was Boo. Scout is surprised.
  209. Chapter 9 One day, Scout has a fight with a boy at school.
  210. “You can’t say that!” she yells at the boy. “Take back what you said about my dad!”
  211. “I’m not going to take back what I said,” the boy says. “Your daddy defends niggers!”
  212. At that moment, Scout punches the boy in the face! Hi. I wanted to interrupt the story for just a moment
  213. to make a very important comment about American history. At that time in America,
  214. in the early 20th century, the word “nigger” was a common word used to talk about black Americans.
  215. Back then, it had a negative connotation. But today it is considered an extremely racist word.
  216. It is a word that no one should use. Another word that was used at the time,
  217. which you will see in this story, was the word “negro”.
  218. It was a more appropriate word that was used in those days. However, today the word “negro” is no longer used.
  219. It too has a negative connotation. You will hear both of these words used in this story.
  220. So I thought it was important to explain their significance historically and how important it is today not to use them.
  221. Today in America, you will often hear people refer to the word as “the n-word”. The word “nigger” is so offensive today that people avoid saying it at all,
  222. and so they might use the expression “the n-word”. When referring to Black Americans today,
  223. the most appropriate word that you can use is “black”. A black man, a black woman, the black community.
  224. It is important to use language that does not hurt anyone. Now back to the story.
  225. Remember, Atticus is a lawyer. He has a new case.
  226. He is defending Tom Robinson. Tom is a black man.
  227. Some people are mad about it. They don’t think Atticus should defend Tom.
  228. This is the 1930s. There is segregation at the time.
  229. Black and white people are not allowed to go to the same stores. They are not allowed to go to the same schools.
  230. They are not allowed to mix. A boy at school says bad things to Scout about her father.
  231. People don’t like that Atticus is defending a black man. Plus, they think this black man hurt a white woman.
  232. They don’t care if Tom gets a trial. They just want him punished.
  233. Scout gets mad. She defends her father.
  234. She fights with the boy. But she doesn’t really understand.
  235. She doesn’t understand what all the fuss is about. “Scout, why did you fight that boy at school?” Atticus says.
  236. “Do you defend niggers, Atticus?” she asks. “Of course I do.
  237. Don’t say ‘nigger’, Scout. That’s a vulgar word.”
  238. “What is the big deal? Why are people so mad at you?” Scout asks.
  239. “People don’t think I should defend Tom Robinson,” Atticus says. “Then why are you?
  240. He’s black. He hurt a white woman,” Scout says.
  241. “I don’t think he did. I don’t think he hurt anyone.
  242. Plus, it doesn’t matter if he’s Black. He is a person.
  243. Someone has to help him. We have to do the right thing.”
  244. “Do all lawyers defend ni… negros, Atticus?” “Yes, they do.”
  245. “Do you think you can win?” Scout asks. “No, but it’s important I try,” he says.
  246. “I guess,” Scout says. She wonders about it.
  247. She wonders if her father is right. The Finch family goes to their family farm, Finch Landing, for Christmas.
  248. Finch Landing is where Atticus grew up. Uncle Jack is there.
  249. Scout likes Uncle Jack. Scout does not like her cousin Francis.
  250. Francis is one year older than Scout. She thinks he is the most boring child she has ever met.
  251. And Aunt Alexandra can be a bore, too. She’s Francis’ mother.
  252. She wants Scout to be a lady. Scout doesn’t care about being a lady.
  253. For Christmas, Uncle Jack gives Jem and Scout air rifles. They love them.
  254. Scout thinks about shooting Francis. But Atticus said they must be very careful, and use the rifles correctly.
  255. Scout does not want to lose her air rifle. Later during the holiday, Scout is talking to Francis.
  256. They are talking about Dill. “You know, Jean Louise,” says Francis,
  257. “Grandma says Dill doesn’t have a home. She says he goes from relative to relative.”
  258. “That’s not true,” says Scout. “You’re pretty dumb sometimes, Jean Louise,” he says.
  259. “But I guess it’s not your fault. If Uncle Atticus lets you be friends with stray dogs like Dill, that’s his responsibility.
  260. So it’s not your fault.” “And it’s not your fault that Uncle Atticus is a nigger-lover, too.
  261. The rest of the family hates it.” “Francis, what do you mean?” asks Scout angrily.
  262. “He’s nothing but a nigger-lover!” Scout hits Francis very hard in the mouth!
  263. Chapter 10 Scout would also like to learn to shoot.
  264. She’d like to learn to shoot her air rifle. Her dad won’t teach her.
  265. But her Uncle Jack teaches her to shoot. Jem is a very good shot.
  266. They shoot at empty cans. “Soon you’ll start shooting birds, son,” says Atticus.
  267. “You can shoot as many bluejays as you want. But remember, it's a sin to kill a mockingbird.”
  268. Scout doesn’t understand what her father means. She asks Miss Maudie about it later.
  269. Miss Maudie tells Scout that mockingbirds only exist to make beautiful music for people to enjoy. They don’t eat people’s gardens.
  270. They don’t make nests where they shouldn’t. They just sing for people to listen to.
  271. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird. Scout thinks Atticus is old.
  272. She thinks he’s boring. He doesn't do cool things.
  273. Other dads are younger. Scout thinks other dads do cool things.
  274. Her dad is fifty. He doesn’t farm.
  275. He doesn’t drive a dump truck. These things are cool.
  276. He also doesn’t drink alcohol. He doesn’t smoke either.
  277. Then, something happens. A mad dog comes to town.
  278. It is sick. It's dangerous.
  279. It can bite people. The sheriff goes after the dog.
  280. He has a gun. But he can't shoot well.
  281. He tells Atticus that if he misses the dog, he might shoot into the Radley house. He might hurt someone.
  282. The sheriff wants Atticus to shoot the dog. “I haven’t shot a gun in thirty years, Sheriff,” says Atticus.
  283. But finally he takes the gun. He takes aim.
  284. He shoots. He kills the dog in one shot.
  285. Scout learns her father is the best shot in town. “One-shot Finch,” Miss Maudie calls him.
  286. Scout and Jem are amazed. They didn't know this about Atticus.
  287. Scout sees a new side of her father. Chapter 11
  288. Scout is in second grade now. She and Jem are bored with Boo Radley games.
  289. Because they are older now, they want to spend time in the business center of Maycomb.
  290. Mrs. Dubose lives nearby. She is an old lady.
  291. She is mean – really mean. Every time they walk by her house, she yells at Scout and Jem.
  292. She says bad things about their dad. She thinks Atticus lets his children run free, like wild animals.
  293. The children try to be nice, but Mrs. Dubose is never nice. The only nice thing about her is her beautiful flowers.
  294. When Jem tells Atticus about Mrs. Dubose, he tells Jem to ignore her. “Ignore her, keep your head high and be a gentleman,” he says.
  295. One day, the children are passing by her house. She is on the porch.
  296. ”Hey, Mrs. Dubose,” Scout says. “Don’t you say ‘hey’ to me, you ugly girl!” she yells at Scout.
  297. “Your dad is no better than trash. He is no better than the niggers he is helping in court,” Mrs. Dubose says.
  298. Jem tells Scout to ignore her. “Just hold your head high and be a gentleman,” he says to Scout.
  299. One day, Jem and Scout are walking home from town. Jem got money for his birthday.
  300. They go to town to spend it on something good. He buys a train for himself.
  301. He buys a spinning baton for Scout. They pass by Mrs. Dubose’s house on the way home.
  302. She is not on the porch. She is inside.
  303. She can’t see them. Scout never really understands why Jem does it.
  304. Jem loses control. He hates Mrs. Dubose.
  305. He hates what she says about their father. He takes the baton from Scout.
  306. He smashes Mrs. Dubose’s beautiful flowers. Atticus is not happy.
  307. “Why did you do what you did?” he asks Jem. “She said you were a lawyer for niggers.”
  308. “You destroyed her flowers because she said that about me?” “Yes, sir.”
  309. “Son, I understand that you were frustrated. But doing something like you did to an old woman is inexcusable.
  310. You need to go say you are sorry. You need to make it up to her.
  311. You need to do something nice for her.” Jem sighs.
  312. “Mrs. Dubose can’t see well. There is something wrong with her eyes,” Atticus says.
  313. “It makes her angry inside. I want you to go to her house and talk to her.
  314. Ask her if there is something you can do for her.” Jem does what his father asks.
  315. “She wants me to read to her!” Jem says after he comes home from Mrs. Dubose’s house. “She wants me to read to her for two hours every day!
  316. Do I have to?” “Yes, you do,” says Atticus.
  317. “But she wants me to do it for a month!” “Then you’ll do it for a month.”
  318. So, Jem reads to Mrs. Dubose. He does it once a day for two hours.
  319. It's hard for him. She is still mean.
  320. Really mean. But Jem does it.
  321. He learns about her. He begins to understand her.
  322. Later that spring Mrs. Dubose dies. Atticus tells Jem he was brave for reading to her.
  323. Atticus also says Mrs. Dubose was brave. She was brave for fighting her illness.
  324. She was trying to get better. She was fighting hard.
  325. Jem understands her better now. Chapter 12
  326. Scout gets a letter from Dill. He won’t be coming for the summer.
  327. Scout is sad. For Scout, Dill is the summer.
  328. Atticus is out of town. Calpurnia is watching Scout and Jem.
  329. Jem is twelve years old now. Scout thinks he is difficult to live with.
  330. Jem keeps telling Scout that she needs to start acting like a girl! Scout is very sad.
  331. She talks to Calpurnia about it. “Don’t you worry about what Mister Jem says,” Calpurnia says calmly.
  332. “Mister Jem?” says Scout, confused. “Yes, he’s almost a Mister Jem now.
  333. Why don’t you come to church with me? I think you’ll feel better if you come.”
  334. Calpurnia takes them to her church. They dress in their best clothes.
  335. It is a black church. It is called First Purchase African Methodist Episcopal Church.
  336. It’s called that because it was the first church purchased by freed slaves. It's very different from Scout and Jem’s church.
  337. But the kids like it. One of Calpurnia’s neighbors asks her why she is bringing white children to their church.
  338. “Whites aren’t welcome in our church,” the woman says. “White people have their own white church,
  339. and black people have their own black church.” But Calpurnia defends her decision.
  340. “They are my family,” Calpurnia says. “It’s the same God anyway, isn’t it?” she says.
  341. Other people at the church welcome Scout and Jem. During the sermon, the children learn about her world.
  342. It is a different world than the one they are familiar with. “She has a life without us,” Scout whispers.
  343. This amazes Scout. Calpurnia gives them dimes.
  344. The dimes are for the offering. “The offering is for Tom Robinson’s wife,” the Reverend says.
  345. Scout thinks. Tom is the black man her father is representing.
  346. Scout realizes there are different things about this church. There are no books for the churchgoers to read.
  347. Calpurnia says that’s because many of the churchgoers can’t read. The pastor sings the hymn, and the churchgoers repeat after him.
  348. The pastor sings the hymn, and the churchgoers repeat after him. But there are also many things that are like her church.
  349. The pastor talks about sin. He talks about the evils of drinking alcohol and gambling.
  350. He also talks about love, and family. These things are familiar to Scout and Jem.
  351. As they walk home, Scout asks Calpurnia about her life. Calpurnia talks about her family.
  352. She says she doesn't have much. But she is happy.
  353. They learn that Tom Robinson's trial is near. The black community is worried.
  354. Scout asks Calpurnia what Tom Robinson did. “Old Mr. Bob Ewell accused Tom of raping his daughter,” she says.
  355. “Mr. Ewell told the police, and the police arrested him and put him in jail.” “Is Mr. Ewell from the Ewells that come to my school?” asks Scout.
  356. “Yes, those are the ones,” says Calpurnia. “What’s rape, Cal?” asks Scout.
  357. “That’s something you’ll have to talk to Mr. Finch about.” Chapter 13
  358. When they get back home after church, Aunt Alexandra is waiting on their front porch.
  359. Aunt Alexandra is Atticus's sister. She comes to stay to help look after the children.
  360. “Your father and I decided I needed to stay with you for a while,” she says. In Maycomb, “for a while” means anywhere between three days and thirty years.
  361. Aunt Alexandra will also stay because the trial is starting. The trial will not be easy.
  362. Atticus will be away from the house for a long time. Atticus needs her to help with Scout and Jem.
  363. Aunt Alexandra is strict and severe. Scout is not happy her Aunt is there.
  364. Aunt Alexandra talks about the family. She is very interested in their family history.
  365. She believes the Finch family is one of the greatest families in the region. She is very proud of her family.
  366. She also thinks that she knows what is best for the family. But Scout doesn't care.
  367. She doesn't want to be like her Aunt. Plus, Scout knows there is good and bad in every family.
  368. Aunt Alexandra says that because she is staying with the family, she will teach Scout to be a lady.
  369. She thinks it is her responsibility, as a woman in the family. She does not want Calpurnia to work at the house anymore.
  370. She does not want her to take care of Scout, because she doesn’t want a black woman to teach Scout to be a ‘proper’ lady.
  371. But Atticus defends Calpurnia! He thinks she is very important to the family.
  372. He thinks she has done a wonderful job helping with the children. He will not fire Clapurnia.
  373. “Calpurina is family,” he says. “She stays.”
  374. They do not argue about Calpurnia any more. Maycomb welcomes Aunt Alexandra.
  375. She has many visitors. Because there are many women like her in Maycomb.
  376. “It’s funny,” Jem tells Scout. “Aunt Alexandra gossips about other families here in Maycomb.
  377. She says bad things about them. But we are related to most people in Maycomb.”
  378. “She says that people who live on their land for a long time are ‘fine people’.” Scout thinks that being a fine person means that you do good things.
  379. A fine person tries to do the best with the things they have. “But that’s not true,” Scout says.
  380. “The Ewells have lived on their land forever. That means that the Ewells are fine people.”
  381. “We know they aren’t,” Jem says. “Mr. Ewell is mean.
  382. He’s not nice to people.” Chapter 14
  383. In town, Scout and Jem hear people talk about their family. One of the people she passes uses a word Scout has heard before: rape.
  384. She decides to ask her father what it means. That night, she asks Atticus what it means:
  385. “Atticus, what’s rape?” Atticus answers calmly, “Rape is having sex with a woman without her permission,
  386. without her consent.” Scout is not impressed with the answer.
  387. “If that’s all rape is,” she says, “Why didn’t Cal tell me when we came back from her church?”
  388. “You went to Cal’s church?” he says, a little surprised. “And she said I could visit her at her house whenever I want,” says Scout.
  389. “Can I visit her?” “No, you can’t,” says Aunt Alexadra.
  390. “I didn’t ask you, Aunty,” says Scout, angry. “You apologize to your aunt right now, Scout,” says Atticus.
  391. Scout and her father have an argument. Atticus says Scout should not treat her aunt with disrespect.
  392. Scout thinks her aunt is being disrespectful to her! Later, Scout hears her father and Aunt Alexandra talking.
  393. Alexandra says Calpurnia is a bad influence on Scout and Jem. But Atticus is firm.
  394. He thinks Cal is a very positive influence on his children. And he thinks the children love her.
  395. “Stop making Aunt Alexandra mad,” Jem tells Scout. They are in their bedroom, ready to go to sleep.
  396. “Don’t tell me what to do,” Scout says. “Dad is busy with his case,” Jem says.
  397. “He is worried about Tom Robinson. We need to be good.”
  398. “Don’t act all big,” Scout says. “Don’t act like you are smarter than me!”
  399. “Be careful,” Jem says. “I will punish you.”
  400. “You can’t punish me,” Scout yells. Scout wants to fight Jem.
  401. She moves to hit him, but she steps on something. She thinks it is a snake!
  402. But it is only Dill. He is hiding under the bed.
  403. “Why are you here,” Jem asks. “I ran away from home.
  404. I’m not going back,” Dill says. Jem worries that Dill's mom doesn't know where he is.
  405. He calls Atticus. Dill gets scared.
  406. Atticus tells Scout to get Dill some food. He calms Dill down.
  407. He says he will check if Dill can stay. Dill eats.
  408. Atticus calls Dill’s mom. She says he can stay the night.
  409. Scout asks him why he ran away. Dill says his parents ignore him.
  410. “My mom and my new dad just go into their room,” Dill says. “They don’t want to be with me.
  411. They buy me everything I want, and then they tell me to go play. They don’t want to know about me.”
  412. Scout is happy Dill can stay, because she likes Dill very much. Everything seems like it will be wonderful now.
  413. Chapter 15 The trial is soon.
  414. Things get bad fast. One night, Sheriff Tate comes to the house.
  415. He asks for Atticus. The Sheriff wants to talk outside.
  416. Scout knows grown-ups talk outside only for two reasons: death or politics. “Who died?” Scout asks Jem.
  417. “Let’s go find out,” Jem says. They go outside.
  418. Their dad sends them back in. They go inside.
  419. They turn off the lights. They listen through the window.
  420. They see people in the yard – lots of people. Sheriff Tate, Atticus, and Link Deas talk about the trial.
  421. Mr. Deas is Tom’s boss. Mr. Deas tells Atticus that Tom Robinson is arriving in Maycomb jail tonight.
  422. “Tom could get in big trouble,” Mr. Deas says. “There’s a group of townspeople that might cause problems.
  423. They may try to kill him before the trial starts.” “Atticus, you should never have taken this case.
  424. You might lose everything.” “Link, the judge might give Tom the death penalty,” says Atticus.
  425. “But I will defend him so he can tell the truth. And we all know what that is.” Atticus goes back inside the house.
  426. The men leave. “Did those men on the lawn want to hurt you?” Jem asks.
  427. “No, they were friends,” Atticus says. “They were friends from town.”
  428. “They weren’t a mob?” Jem asks. “They weren’t the Ku Klux Klan?”
  429. “What have you been reading?” Atticus says. “This is Maycomb.
  430. There are no mobs here. And the Klan is gone.
  431. It won’t come back.” The next night, after supper, Atticus does something strange.
  432. He takes a long electrical cord with a light on the end. He takes the car and drives away.
  433. This is unusual because Atticus always walks to his office. Jem is worried.
  434. “I'm going to see where he has gone,” he says. Scout does not want him to go alone.
  435. “We’re coming with you,” she says, and Dill agrees. They walk to the center of town.
  436. It is dark and quiet. They see Atticus’s car near the bank.
  437. But Atticus is not in it. Then they see him.
  438. He is sitting on a chair in front of the town jail. The light he brought is shining on the jail door.
  439. He is reading a newspaper. They watch from a distance.
  440. It is strange to see him there. Why is he reading outside the jail?
  441. Then, four cars stop near the jail. Men get out.
  442. They are quiet. They walk toward Atticus.
  443. They stand in a circle around him. “He's in there, isn't he?” one man says.
  444. “He is,” Atticus says. “And he's asleep.
  445. Don't wake him up.” The men are dark and their faces are not friendly.
  446. They want to get inside the jail. Atticus stands up.
  447. He is calm, but he is blocking the door. “You can't do that, gentlemen,” he says.
  448. Jem is scared for him. “We have to do something,” he whispers.
  449. He runs toward Atticus. Scout and Dill follow him.
  450. Atticus sees them. His face changes.
  451. He is not happy. “Go home, Jem,” he says.
  452. “Take Scout and Dill home.” But Jem does not move.
  453. He stands next to Atticus. One of the men looks at Jem.
  454. “Get those children out of here, Atticus,” the man says. Atticus looks at the children.
  455. His voice is serious. “Go home,” he says again.
  456. Scout looks at the men around her. Their faces are angry.
  457. She does not know them. Then, she sees a face that she knows.
  458. It is Mr. Cunningham, the father of her friend Walter, from school. Scout tries to be friendly.
  459. “Hey, Mr. Cunningham,” she says. He does not answer.
  460. He does not look at her. She tries again.
  461. She talks about his son, Walter. “He's a good boy,” she says.
  462. “Tell him I said hello.” She keeps talking.
  463. The other men are watching her. It is very quiet.
  464. Finally, Mr. Cunningham looks down at Scout. He bends down and puts his hand on her shoulder.
  465. “I'll tell him you said hey, little lady,” he says. Then he stands up and speaks to the other men.
  466. “Let's go,” he says. “Let's go, boys.”
  467. The men turn and walk back to their cars. They drive away into the night.
  468. Atticus watches them go. He does not say anything for a minute.
  469. Then he leans against the wall of the jail. There is a soft voice from the jail window.
  470. “Are they gone, Mr. Finch?” It is Tom Robinson. “They’re gone, Tom,” says Atticus.
  471. “You can try to sleep now.” From another window above them, they hear another voice.
  472. It is Mr. Underwood. “I’ve had you covered all the time, Atticus,” he says.
  473. He is holding a big gun. He has been watching, ready to help.
  474. Chapter 16 The next morning, everything feels strange and tense.
  475. At the breakfast table, Scout asks her father a question that is on her mind. “Is Mr. Cunningham still our friend?”
  476. Atticus looks up from his coffee, his face tired but kind. “He is,” he says.
  477. “But last night he wanted to hurt you,” says Jem. His voice is full of confusion.
  478. “Jem, Mr. Cunningham is a good man,” Atticus says calmly. “He just has his blind spots, like the rest of us.”
  479. Scout does not understand. “He was part of a mob.”
  480. “That's right,” Atticus agrees. “But a mob is always made of people.
  481. You saw that last night. You made Walter Cunningham stand in my shoes for just a minute.
  482. That was enough.” He explains that the men were still the same people they knew from town.
  483. They were farmers and neighbors. But in a group, they could do things they would never do alone.
  484. His words hang in the air as Aunt Alexandra enters. She places a plate of biscuits on the table.
  485. She has an angry look on her face. She does not like this conversation.
  486. Later, the children watch from the front porch as the town of Maycomb comes alive. People are walking toward the courthouse from every direction.
  487. The day of Tom Robinson's trial has arrived, and it feels like a big, strange holiday. Wagons full of families from the country pass by their house.
  488. “Look,” Dill says, pointing. “There's the foot-washing Baptists.
  489. They told Miss Maudie she was going to hell.” A group of serious-looking men and women in plain clothes walks by,
  490. and the children watch them go. Soon, they see someone they know.
  491. “There's Mr. Dolphus Raymond,” Jem says. The children see a white man sitting with black people.
  492. He holds a bottle in a paper bag and drinks from it with a straw. “Why is he sitting with the black people?” Dill asks.
  493. “He likes them better than he likes us, I guess,” Jem explains. “He has children with a black woman.
  494. People say he's always drinking from that bag. They say he’s a drunk.
  495. That’s why he’s with the black folk. But he's from a good family.”
  496. As the morning goes on, almost everyone in Maycomb walks past their house on the way to the courthouse.
  497. Jem, Scout, and Dill decide they have to go too, even though Atticus has told them to stay home.
  498. They want to see what happens. “We can just watch from the back,” Jem whispers.
  499. He really wants to go. “Atticus won't see us.”
  500. They join the river of people moving toward the town square. The courthouse is in the center of the town square, big and old.
  501. The children feel a mix of excitement and fear. They know today is important, and they have to be there to see it.
  502. Chapter 17 The trial begins.
  503. Atticus has told the children not to go to the courthouse, but Jem, Scout and Dill sneak into the courtroom.
  504. They sit upstairs, on the balcony, where the black community must sit. The courtroom is very full.
  505. The people are hot and quiet. They look at the front of the room where the judge sits.
  506. The first man to speak is Sheriff Heck Tate. He is a big man, and he sits on the chair for the witnesses.
  507. Mr. Gilmer, the lawyer for the state, starts to ask questions. “Sheriff,” Mr. Gilmer says.
  508. “Tell the court what you saw on the night of November twenty-one.” Sheriff Tate says that Bob Ewell came to his house and told him that his daughter, Mayella, was hurt.
  509. “I went to the Ewell house quickly,” the Sheriff says. “It is far from town.”
  510. “What did you see at the Ewell house?” asks Mr. Gilmer. “I saw Miss Mayella.
  511. She had many cuts. She was hurt.
  512. Her right eye was very dark and big. It was completely black.
  513. I asked her who hurt her. She said that Tom Robinson had beaten and raped her.”
  514. “Did you call a doctor for her?” “No, sir,” Tate answers.
  515. “I asked her father if he wanted a doctor. He said no.
  516. He said she was only bruised. So I went to Tom’s house.
  517. I brought him back to the Ewell house. She identified him.
  518. Then I arrested him.” Judge Taylor asks Atticus if he has any questions.
  519. Atticus stands up. He is quiet, but he asks important questions.
  520. “Sheriff, did you call a doctor for Mayella?” “No, sir,” answers Sheriff Tate.
  521. “You didn’t call a doctor?” “No, sir,” he repeats.
  522. “Sheriff,” Atticus says gently, “which side of her face was hurt?” “The right side, Mr. Finch.
  523. Her right eye was bad.” “So, it is true that the person who hurt her hit the front of her face.
  524. The right side was hurt the worst. Is that right?” “Yes, sir, that is true.”
  525. Sheriff Tate looks at Tom Robinson, and then at Atticus. It seems that he has just realized something important about the attack.
  526. Then Atticus asks, “Were there any other injuries to her, Sheriff?” Sheriff Tate thinks for a moment.
  527. “Yes, there were,” he says. “There were injuries on her neck.”
  528. “Injuries on her throat?” says Atticus. “Would you say there were injuries all around her throat?”
  529. “Yes, sir, there were. All around her throat,” answers Sheriff Tate.
  530. Atticus says, “Thank you, Sheriff. I have no more questions.”
  531. The next man to sit in the witness chair is Bob Ewell. He is Mayella’s father.
  532. He is a small man, but proud. He looks angry and dirty.
  533. He speaks loudly. Every town like Maycomb has a family like the Ewells.
  534. They always live in poverty, even when the town economy is strong. Their children are always in trouble at school,
  535. and the town always has to spend money to help them. Mr. Gilmer asks Mr. Ewell to tell his story from that night.
  536. “I came home from the woods,” Bob Ewell says. “I heard Mayella screaming.
  537. I ran to the house, and I saw that nigger there raping my daughter.” The white people in the courtroom began to yell and shout in anger.
  538. The thought of Tom Robinson raping Mayella made them very angry. The judge banged his gavel for many minutes before they became quiet.
  539. The black people watching from the upstairs balcony also began to be angry. “What did you do then, sir?” Mr. Gilmer asks.
  540. “I ran into the house to stop him. But he ran out the front door before I could get to him.
  541. Then I ran fast to get the Sheriff, Mr. Tate. I told him everything I saw.”
  542. Mr. Gilmer says, “Can you point to the man in this room who you saw attacking your daughter?” Bob Ewell points a finger at Tom Robinson.
  543. “That is the man. He is the one.”
  544. “I have no more questions, Your Honor,” says Mr. Gilmer. Atticus Finch stands again.
  545. He walks to Mr. Ewell. “Mr. Ewell,” Atticus begins,
  546. “You heard what the Sheriff said about your daughter’s injuries. Do you agree with what he said?
  547. Was her right eye injured badly?” “Yes, I agree with everything the Sheriff said,” answers Mr. Ewell.
  548. “You do? I just want to make sure.
  549. Now, Mr. Ewell,” Atticus continues calmly, “do you know how to read and write?”
  550. Bob Ewell does not understand the question. He looks confused.
  551. “What does that mean? What does that have to do with anything?” he asks.
  552. “I mean, Mr. Ewell,” Atticus explains, “can you read and write?” “Well, I can write,” Ewell replies, a little angry now.
  553. “I know how to sign my name to get the relief checks from the town.” Atticus gives him a piece of paper and a pencil.
  554. “Please write your name for the court, Mr. Ewell.” Bob Ewell takes the pencil in his left hand.
  555. He slowly writes his name. The court sees clearly that Bob Ewell is left-handed.
  556. Atticus looks at the judge. The fact is clear:
  557. A left-handed person hits hardest with the left hand, and that hand would hit the right side of the face.
  558. Jem realizes what this means. He seems happy and satisfied.
  559. Scout is not so sure what has happened. Atticus looks at the Judge.
  560. “No more questions for this witness.” Chapter 18
  561. The third witness is Mayella Ewell. She is nineteen years old.
  562. She walks to the chair. She is wearing clean clothes, but she is very quiet.
  563. She does not look at the people. She is afraid.
  564. Mr. Gilmer, the state lawyer, asks Mayella to tell her story. “I asked Tom Robinson to come into the yard,” Mayella says softly.
  565. “I wanted him to break a big cupboard for me. He has helped me before.”
  566. Mr. Gilmer asks, “What did the accused man do next?” Mayella says Tom came inside the house, and then he attacked her.
  567. She starts to cry. The judge tells her to only tell the facts.
  568. “I was scared,” she says. “I tried to stop him, but I couldn't.
  569. Then my father was standing in the door.” Mayella points at Tom Robinson.
  570. “He attacked me.” She speaks loudly now.
  571. “He is the man who did this to me! He is the one!”
  572. “Thank you, Miss Mayella,” says Mr. Gilmer. “I don’t have any more questions for her.”
  573. Atticus Finch stands up to ask his questions. He speaks gently.
  574. “Miss Mayella,” Atticus starts, “is it true that Tom Robinson hurt you very badly?” “When you talked to the police, did you tell them that Tom Robinson put his hands on your neck?
  575. And that he raped you?” says Atticus. “That’s what I said,” she answers.
  576. “Did he hit you in the face?” asks Atticus. She does not answer immediately.
  577. “You said he choked your neck. And that he hit you.
  578. Did he hit you?” “Yes, he did,” she answers.
  579. She is beginning to get angry. “I just don’t remember.
  580. Everything happened so fast.” “I only want to make sure you are accusing the right man,” says Atticus calmly.
  581. “You say he choked you, hit you in the face, and took advantage of you. Will you identify the man who raped you?”
  582. She is very angry now. “I will identify him!” she yells.
  583. “That’s him right there!” She points at Tom.
  584. Atticus turns to Tom. “Tom, will you stand up, so everyone can see you?”
  585. Tom stands up slowly. He is a tall, strong man.
  586. His shoulders are wide and powerful. But everyone can see very clearly that his left arm is deformed.
  587. It is almost thirty centimeters shorter than his right arm. His left arm is useless.
  588. It was destroyed in an accident when he was a child. Scout and Jem can see Tom’s arm, too.
  589. “Is that the man who raped you?” Atticus asks again. “Yes, that’s him, I said!” yells Mayella.
  590. Then Atticus asks one more question. “How?
  591. How did he rape you?” Mayella becomes very angry.
  592. “I told you I don’t remember! It happened so fast!”
  593. “But you said he choked you, and hit you, and raped you…” says Atticus. “Do you want to change your story?”
  594. She does not say anything. “Why didn’t you run, Miss Mayella?” says Atticus.
  595. “I couldn’t,” she says. “He was on top of me.
  596. I was screaming and yelling and fighting.” “But you brothers and sisters did not come to help you.
  597. Even when you screamed? Or you only screamed when you saw your father in the window?”
  598. She does not answer. “Who hit you, Miss Mayella?” asks Atticus.
  599. “Did your father hit you when he saw you in the house with a black man?” She doesn’t say anything.
  600. “I have no more questions, your honor,” says Atticus. The judge asks to hear from Tom Robinson.
  601. Chapter 19 The fourth person to speak is Tom Robinson, the man accused of the crime.
  602. He is a tall, strong black man. He comes to the witness chair.
  603. He is nervous, but he tries to look at the people on the jury. Atticus Finch asks him simple questions.
  604. “Tom,” Atticus asks, “you have heard the stories from Mr. Ewell and Mayella Ewell? Are their stories true?”
  605. “No, sir, not completely true,” Tom says. “I know the Ewell house well.
  606. I pass their field almost every day on my way to work.” Tom tells the court about Mayella.
  607. He says she often asks him to help her. She has nobody else to help her with small jobs, like carrying water or chopping wood.
  608. She often offers him money for his work, but he never takes the money. He says she has done small, kind things for his family, too, like giving old clothes to his wife.
  609. “Tell the court what happened on that day, November twenty-first,” Atticus says. Tom explains that he was walking home when Mayella called him from her house.
  610. “She said, ‘Come here, nigger, and chop up this chiffarobe for me.’ I said, ‘I’ll be glad to, Miss Mayella.”
  611. Tom says he quickly broke the old cupboard. When he finished, he went to the well for a drink.
  612. “When I came back from the well, she said, ‘Give me a hand, nigger. Help me fix this door.’”
  613. So I went into the house. But the door was not broken.”
  614. Tom says that when he got close to her, Mayella quickly closed the door. She tried to hug him and hold him around the waist.
  615. “She reached around and kissed me, and I jumped. I jumped so bad I nearly dropped the water bucket.
  616. She said, ‘I’ve never kissed a grown man. I might as well kiss a nigger.’
  617. She said what her father does to her doesn’t count. I said, ‘Miss Mayella, you listen to me, you got to be nice to everybody here.’
  618. I tried to go, and she grabbed me and she started yelling, ‘Kiss me back, nigger.’” Tom says he ran out of the house as fast as he could.
  619. He says he saw Bob Ewell looking through the window as he ran out of the house. He heard Bob Ewell yell at Mayella.
  620. He said he was going to kill her. Atticus asks, “Why did you run away, Tom?”
  621. “I was scared, sir. I knew what they were going to say about me.”
  622. Mr. Gilmer, the state lawyer, begins his questions. He is angry and speaks loudly.
  623. “You are a married man with three children. Why did you help Mayella for nothing?” Mr. Gilmer asks.
  624. Tom answers, “I felt very sorry for her, she seemed like she didn’t have anyone to help her.”
  625. Many white people in the court are upset by Tom’s answer. A black man should not say he feels sorry for a white woman.
  626. Mr. Gilmer presses Tom again. “You are a powerful man.
  627. Weren’t you strong enough to push her away without running?” “I did not want to hurt her, and I could not push a white woman.
  628. I just wanted to get away,” Tom says. “You ran, didn’t you, Tom?
  629. You ran. Why did you run?” Mr. Gilmer asks one last time.
  630. Tom can only repeat the truth: “I was scared, sir.”
  631. Atticus asks his final question. “Tom, how long have you been without the use of your left hand?”
  632. “Since I was a boy, about twelve years old, sir.” Tom lifts his left arm slightly.
  633. The people see that his left arm is useless. It is much shorter than his right arm.
  634. It is clear that Tom Robinson could never have used his left hand to hit Mayella with great force and make her right eye black.
  635. The jury has heard both sides. Chapter 20
  636. The light in the courtroom is now low and orange because the sun is going down. Atticus stands up to speak his final words to the jury.
  637. The children are still watching from the balcony. Atticus walks slowly.
  638. He looks at the people on the jury. He speaks in a clear, quiet voice.
  639. “Gentlemen, you have heard all the stories. What is the true story?” He asks.
  640. “The state lawyer has not shown proof that Tom Robinson is guilty. They have shown no paper from a doctor, nothing to say a doctor saw Mayella Ewell’s injuries.”
  641. Atticus says the court has only heard the words of two people, Mayella and Bob Ewell, against the words of Tom Robinson.
  642. “The evidence shows one clear thing,” says Atticus. A left-handed person hit Mayella on the right side of her face.
  643. You have seen that Bob Ewell is left-handed. You know that Tom Robinson’s left arm is useless.
  644. It is small. He cannot use it to hit hard.”
  645. Atticus takes a short pause. He tells the jury that he feels sorry for Mayella Ewell.
  646. “I have pity for Mayella Ewell,” he says. “She is a white woman who broke the biggest rule in our town.
  647. She wanted a black man. She asked him to kiss her.
  648. When her father found out, she had to hide her guilt. She had to find someone to blame.
  649. So, she told a lie that could kill a man.” Atticus says this case is not about simple facts.
  650. “This case is about prejudice. It is as simple as black and white.
  651. Tom Robinson is an innocent man. But in our court, people usually believe a white person’s word over a black man’s word.
  652. This is a common and bad idea that we all hold here.” Atticus speaks about what a court of law truly means.
  653. “The one place where all men are equal is here, in a court,” he says. “Our courts are not perfect, but they are the best tool we have.
  654. In this room, every man must believe that he can get justice. You, the jury, are the ones who make our courts equal.”
  655. Atticus looks at them. His voice is strong.
  656. “I believe that you will look at this case without prejudice. I believe that you will find Tom Robinson not guilty.”
  657. Chapter 21 The jury has left the courtroom to talk about the case.
  658. The people wait a very long time. It is late at night, but no one goes home.
  659. The children, still sitting in the balcony, are hungry and tired, but they wait quietly. Atticus is sitting at the table.
  660. He is reading something while he waits. After several hours, the jury comes back into the courtroom.
  661. Everyone stands up quickly. All eyes look at the twelve men of the jury who have been talking.
  662. The children look for a sign from the jury, a way to know the answer before the men speak.
  663. They know that sometimes, if the accused person is not guilty, the jury members do not look at him when they walk in.
  664. The children watch closely as the twelve men walk to their seats. They all avoid looking at Tom Robinson.
  665. They only look straight ahead. This makes the children feel hopeful.
  666. The judge asks the leader of the jury, the jury foreman, if they have a decision. The foreman, a heavy man, stands up.
  667. He gives a piece of paper to the court clerk. The clerk takes the paper and reads the decision.
  668. The clerk asks the jury: “Do you find the defendant, Tom Robinson, guilty or not guilty?”
  669. The foreman answers with just one word. He speaks it softly.
  670. “Guilty.” The word drops like a heavy weight in the courtroom.
  671. Tom Robinson is found guilty. The children and the people in the room are very shocked.
  672. The air in the room feels thick and cold. Atticus Finch stands up.
  673. He looks tired but stays calm. The courtroom is now quiet.
  674. The white people start to leave, talking softly. The black community sits in the balcony for a moment, not moving.
  675. The children do not move, either. They feel sick because of the decision.
  676. Then, Atticus collects his papers and turns to leave. As he walks down the main corridor to leave the courtroom,
  677. the people in the balcony begin to move. Reverend Sykes whispers to the children,
  678. “Mr. Jem, Miss Jean Louise, stand up. Your father is passing.”
  679. The entire black community in the balcony stands up as Atticus walks by below them. They stand to show him respect and thanks for trying to help Tom Robinson.
  680. Atticus leaves the building. The long trial is over, and the decision is final in Maycomb County.
  681. Chapter 22 The morning after the trial, the town of Maycomb wakes up slowly.
  682. The children, Jem, Scout, and Dill, are very unhappy about the jury's decision. They feel a deep sense of unfairness.
  683. When the children wake up, they find a large amount of food in their kitchen. There are smoked meats, baked goods, and many kinds of fresh vegetables.
  684. Scout asks Calpurnia about the food. “Cal,” Scout asks, “What is all this food for?”
  685. Calpurnia is smiling, but her eyes are wet. “It is from the black community.
  686. They want to thank your father for helping Tom Robinson.” Atticus sees the food and is very moved.
  687. He speaks to the children and to Calpurnia. “Tell them I am truly thankful,” Atticus says quietly.
  688. “But please tell them not to do this again. They cannot afford to spend their money on us.”
  689. Later that morning, Miss Maudie Atkinson, their kind neighbor, calls the children to her house. She offers them cake.
  690. She knows they are upset by the guilty verdict. Jem is the angriest.
  691. He hits the table and asks Miss Maudie, “How could they do it? How could the jury say he is guilty when the evidence is so clear?”
  692. Miss Maudie looks at him kindly. “Jem, there are some people in this town - good people - who tried to help.
  693. Judge Taylor helped by choosing Atticus to defend Tom. And Atticus himself is trying to make things right.”
  694. She reminds Jem that the jury took a very long time to decide. “The jury usually decides in five minutes when the accused man is black,” Miss Maudie explains.
  695. “But they did not do that this time. They thought about it for many hours.
  696. This shows that someone on that jury thought Tom Robinson was innocent.” Jem feels a little better.
  697. He sees that there is a small piece of hope in the bad decision. The children's conversation is quickly stopped when Mr. Bob Ewell appears.
  698. He is very angry about Atticus’s defense of Tom. Atticus has made him look like a liar in front of the whole town.
  699. Mr. Ewell sees Atticus on the street outside the post office. He stops Atticus.
  700. He is shouting and spitting. “You think you are so good, don’t you?” Mr. Ewell yells at Atticus.
  701. He is very close to Atticus’s face. “I will get you for this, nigger-lover!
  702. You are too proud!” Atticus stays calm.
  703. He does not fight or shout back. He just looks at Mr. Ewell and says, “I expected that.” Mr. Ewell spits at Atticus and then walks away.
  704. Later, the children ask Atticus about the incident. They are scared.
  705. “Don’t worry,” Atticus tells them. “Mr. Ewell had to say that.
  706. I destroyed the last bit of his pride in court. He had to take his anger out on someone.
  707. It is much better if he yells at me than if he hurts his daughter, Mayella.” The children now understand that the trouble is not over.
  708. Mr. Ewell is still a danger to their father. Chapter 23
  709. The summer ends, and the children start school again. The big question for Atticus is the appeal.
  710. He must take Tom Robinson’s case to a higher court, and hope they will say he is not guilty. Atticus says that they still have a chance to free Tom.
  711. “The jury decision is not the end,” he tells Jem. “We can ask another court to look at the case.”
  712. Atticus explains that there are two things Tom Robinson has lost: his case and his money.
  713. The appeal process costs a lot of money and takes a lot of time. Jem is still very angry about the jury.
  714. He speaks about the unfairness of it. “I thought the people in Maycomb were good people,” Jem says.
  715. “But they are bad to Tom Robinson. They are not fair.”
  716. Atticus understands Jem’s anger. He tells Jem that the jury is made of farmers and country people.
  717. They are good at working the land, but they are not good at thinking about justice. Atticus also tells Jem a secret about the jury.
  718. “One man on the jury wanted to say not guilty. He was a Cunningham.
  719. He took a long time to change his mind.” The news is surprising.
  720. The children remember Walter Cunningham's father, who was part of the mob that wanted to hurt Tom Robinson. This shows Jem that even in bad situations, there is still some good in people.
  721. The problem with Bob Ewell has not gone away. Ewell is still angry at Atticus.
  722. Atticus explains what happened when Ewell threatened him. “Ewell told me he would get me for what I did in court,” Atticus says.
  723. The children are very worried. They ask Atticus if he is safe.
  724. “Don’t worry,” Atticus assures them. “Ewell is too much of a coward to hurt me himself.
  725. He is just trying to scare me.” However, Aunt Alexandra is very concerned.
  726. She tells Atticus, “You must be careful. Ewell is not a safe man.
  727. He might do something bad to you.” Atticus explains that Bob Ewell had a moment of victory in the court.
  728. Ewell told a lie, and the jury believed him. But Atticus took away Ewell's pride when he showed everyone that Ewell was an abusive father and a liar.
  729. By yelling at Atticus, Ewell believes he has gotten his pride back. Atticus believes Ewell's threats are empty words.
  730. “He has said his piece, and that’s the end of it,” Atticus says. The children, however, do not feel safe.
  731. They know that sometimes, angry people do terrible things. Because of the trial, the children start to think more about people in their town.
  732. They think about the different groups of people in Maycomb. Jem says, “There are four kinds of people in this town.
  733. We are one kind. The poor farmers, like the Cunninghams, are the second.
  734. The Ewells are the third. And the black community is the fourth.”
  735. Scout disagrees. She thinks people are simpler.
  736. Atticus tells them, “There is only one kind of people, really, Jem. People.” But the children have seen too much to believe this simple answer anymore.
  737. They know that in Maycomb, the lines between the groups are very real, and those lines have hurt an innocent man.
  738. Chapter 24 Aunt Alexandra is having a meeting for her church group, the Missionary Circle.
  739. These women meet to talk about helping people in other countries. Scout is wearing a dress and helping Aunt Alexandra serve the ladies.
  740. She does not like being with the women. They talk about things Scout finds boring or rude.
  741. The women talk about the Mrunas, a group of people in Africa they want to help. They say the Mrunas are poor and need Christian teaching.
  742. One woman, Mrs. Merriweather, says, “It is a sad life for the Mrunas. We must help them.”
  743. Then, Mrs. Merriweather starts to talk about the people in Maycomb. She speaks about the black community and how they are behaving badly after the trial.
  744. She thinks they should forgive and forget Tom Robinson. She does not understand that Tom Robinson is innocent.
  745. She says, “Some people in this town do things that hurt others. They make trouble for everyone.”
  746. She is talking about Atticus. She thinks Atticus should not have defended Tom Robinson.
  747. Scout feels very angry when she hears the women talking badly about her father. Aunt Alexandra sees that Scout is upset.
  748. She gives Scout a serious look, telling her to behave and be polite. Suddenly, Atticus comes into the dining room.
  749. He looks very worried. He asks Aunt Alexandra to come with him and tells her to bring Calpurnia.
  750. Scout sees Atticus’s face and knows something bad has happened. Atticus takes Aunt Alexandra and Calpurnia into the living room.
  751. Scout follows quietly and stands by the door. “Tom Robinson is dead,” Atticus says.
  752. The women are shocked. Atticus explains that Tom Robinson
  753. tried to run away from the prison. The prison guards had him outside for exercise.
  754. Tom tried to climb the fence to escape. “The guards shouted at him to stop,” Atticus says sadly.
  755. “They shot him. They say they shot him seventeen times.”
  756. Atticus is very sad and angry that the guards shot him so many times. He says Tom had no chance to escape because of his useless left arm.
  757. Tom had given up hope of justice and tried to take his freedom by force. Atticus tells Calpurnia, “We need to go to his wife, Helen.
  758. We must tell her the news.” Calpurnia cries.
  759. Aunt Alexandra is very upset. She leans against the wall.
  760. “I told you that you must not do this kind of work, Atticus,” she says. “This town will destroy you and our family.”
  761. Atticus tells her, “I have to do what is right, Alexandra. I must try.”
  762. Aunt Alexandra quickly pulls herself together. She knows she must return to the Missionary Circle and act normally.
  763. She tells Scout and Miss Maudie, “We must not show these ladies that we are upset. We must be strong.”
  764. Miss Maudie agrees. “We are here to support Atticus,” she says.
  765. Scout and Miss Maudie return to the table with Aunt Alexandra. They continue to serve the cake and act as if nothing bad has happened, hiding their deep sadness and shock.
  766. The conversation continues, but the world for the Finch family has changed forever. Chapter 25
  767. After Atticus leaves to tell Helen Robinson the news, the children feel numb.
  768. Scout tries to understand how someone can be shot seventeen times. Jem is very quiet.
  769. He feels hopeless about the lack of justice in Maycomb. A few days later, the news of Tom Robinson’s death is in the local newspaper.
  770. The paper calls it sad but says it is typical for a black man to try to escape. The writer suggests that Tom Robinson was a fool for trying to run.
  771. Scout thinks about the whole story. She remembers when Tom Robinson told the court that Mayella Ewell tried to kiss him.
  772. She remembers that Tom was polite and kind. Scout thinks about the mockingbird.
  773. Her father, Atticus, once told her it is a sin to kill a mockingbird because they only sing for people and do no harm.
  774. She realizes that Tom Robinson was like a mockingbird - he was a harmless man who was destroyed by the badness of others.
  775. Jem is older, and his view is harsher. He is sick of Maycomb.
  776. He does not understand why people are so unfair. He sees that white people are cruel to black people,
  777. and there is nothing he can do to stop it. The town quickly forgets Tom Robinson.
  778. They talk about the news for only a couple of days. The people believe that Tom Robinson was guilty, so his death is not surprising to them.
  779. Mr. B.B. Underwood, the newspaper editor, is the only white man who speaks strongly against the killing.
  780. He writes a powerful article in his newspaper. He says that it was a senseless killing, not an escape.
  781. He writes that Tom Robinson was a man who was already crippled by the unfair court system, and then the guards destroyed him.
  782. Mr. Underwood writes that they have killed a kind, innocent man. Atticus and Calpurnia go to Tom Robinson's small house to tell his wife, Helen, about his death.
  783. Atticus simply stands outside, while Calpurnia walks up to the door. Calpurnia speaks to Helen.
  784. She tells Helen that Tom is dead. Helen collapses immediately.
  785. She falls down onto the ground, unable to stand or speak. She is completely broken by the news.
  786. Atticus and Calpurnia then take Helen into the house. Atticus stays with her for a long time.
  787. He wants to make sure she is safe and cared for. The children realize that the pain of the trial
  788. and the death of Tom Robinson is very real for the people who loved him. It is a pain that the white townspeople do not have to feel.
  789. The children realize that the injustice of Tom’s death will stay with them forever. Chapter 26
  790. School starts again. Scout is in the third grade,
  791. and Jem is in the seventh. Things feel different now after the trial and Tom Robinson’s death.
  792. Jem has changed; he is often quiet and serious.
  793. Scout still thinks about the trial and the unfairness. She knows that Tom Robinson was innocent,
  794. and she doesn't understand why people in Maycomb act so badly. Scout’s new teacher is Miss Gates.
  795. Miss Gates teaches the class about democracy and the importance of equality in America. Miss Gates tells the children, “We are a democracy.
  796. In America, we don’t believe in prejudice. We are not like people in other places, who treat others badly.”
  797. She talks about Adolf Hitler and the terrible things he is doing in Germany to the Jewish people. Miss Gates says, “Hitler is persecuting and hurting the Jewish people.
  798. That is wrong. We are a free country, and we don’t treat people like that.”
  799. Scout listens to this lesson. She believes what Miss Gates says.
  800. America is good, and they don't treat people badly. However, later that day, Scout remembers something that happened right after the trial.
  801. Scout remembers seeing Miss Gates leaving the courthouse. Miss Gates was talking to another teacher.
  802. Scout distinctly remembers Miss Gates saying to her friend, “It's time somebody taught them a lesson.
  803. They were getting way above themselves, black people thinking they can vote and marry white people.”
  804. Scout is completely confused by this memory. Miss Gates teaches the class that it is terrible to hurt people like Hitler did in Germany,
  805. and that America is a place of equality. But then, Miss Gates shows prejudice against the black people in Maycomb.
  806. She thinks they should be kept down. Scout thinks, “How can Miss Gates hate Hitler so much for hurting people,
  807. but then be so mean to her own neighbors?” That evening, Scout tries to talk to Jem about her confusion.
  808. “Jem,” Scout asks, “how can Miss Gates hate Hitler
  809. but then say those bad things about the black people right after the trial?” Jem becomes very angry and upset.
  810. He yells at Scout. “Don’t talk about the court!
  811. Don’t talk about the trial anymore!” Scout is hurt by Jem’s strong reaction.
  812. She goes to find Atticus. Atticus explains to Scout that Jem is trying to forget the trial.
  813. Jem saw a terrible injustice, and it hurt him deeply. Atticus tells Scout that Jem just needs time to heal and understand the world again.
  814. Scout now understands that the world is more complicated than she thought. People can believe in one kind of justice in a book,
  815. but fail to see the injustice right in their own town. The court case has changed Jem's belief in the goodness of people,
  816. and he is trying to shut that pain out. Chapter 27
  817. Fall arrives in Maycomb, and three small things happen that worry Aunt Alexandra and the children.
  818. The first thing that happens is about Bob Ewell. He gets a job working for the government,
  819. but he is lazy and quickly loses the job. Ewell openly blames Atticus Finch for losing his job.
  820. He says Atticus made him lose his good name, and now no one will hire him. Ewell continues to talk badly about Atticus around town.
  821. Atticus just tells everyone that Ewell’s anger is just Ewell being Ewell. Atticus is not worried.
  822. The second thing happens to Judge Taylor. The Judge is sitting in his house one Sunday evening, reading a book.
  823. His wife is at church. Suddenly, the Judge hears a scraping sound outside his house.
  824. He hears someone trying to open the back door. Judge Taylor is not afraid.
  825. He sits quietly, and he takes his gun, which is always close by. He keeps his gun in his lap.
  826. He yells out loudly, “Who is it?” The sound stops immediately.
  827. The person leaves quickly. The Judge goes to the back door, but the person is gone.
  828. The Judge does not call the Sheriff. He simply returns to his reading,
  829. but he knows someone tried to break into his house. The third and most worrying thing happens to Helen Robinson, Tom Robinson’s widow.
  830. Helen is trying to work to earn money for her family. Mr. Link Deas, Tom’s old boss, gives her a job.
  831. To get to work, Helen has to walk a long way and she must pass the Ewell house. Every day, when she walks past the house, Bob Ewell follows her and speaks bad, harsh words to her.
  832. He stands in his house and yells at her until she is past his property. Helen is terrified by this harassment.
  833. She starts taking the very longest road to work just to avoid walking past his house. Mr. Link Deas learns about this.
  834. He is angry and decides to help. Mr. Deas stands up for Helen.
  835. He walks with Helen to her home. Then he goes to the Ewell house and speaks to Bob Ewell.
  836. “If I hear that you have bothered this woman again, I will have you put in jail,” Mr. Deas shouts at Ewell.
  837. “Leave her alone!” Bob Ewell is angry but afraid of Mr. Link Deas.
  838. He stops bothering Helen. Aunt Alexandra worries about these three incidents.
  839. She is afraid that Bob Ewell is looking for a way to get revenge on Atticus. The town prepares for the Halloween celebration.
  840. This year, the town has a big event at the school to stop the children from doing silly pranks, like they did the year before.
  841. There is a pageant, a play, at the school where the children dress up as the products of the county. Scout is going to be dressed as a ham.
  842. She has a big costume made of cloth and wire. On the night of Halloween, Scout misses her entrance cue in the play
  843. because she falls asleep in her big ham costume. She is very embarrassed.
  844. After the play, Scout and Jem prepare to walk home. They wait for the lights to go out at the school.
  845. It is a very dark night. Chapter 28
  846. The night is very dark and windy. The wind is so loud that Jem and Scout can hardly hear anything else.
  847. They are walking home from the school pageant. Scout is wearing her big, round ham costume, which is made of cloth and wire.
  848. She cannot see well and she has trouble moving. Jem helps her walk.
  849. The path is muddy because of the wind and rain. They are near the big oak tree, the darkest place on the road.
  850. Jem tells Scout to stop and listen because he hears something. “Did you hear that?” Jem asks.
  851. “I thought I heard something behind us.” Scout says, “It’s probably just Cecil Jacobs trying to scare us.”
  852. Cecil is a boy from school. They walk a little farther.
  853. Jem stops again. He is sure he hears someone running behind them.
  854. The sound is a heavy, uneven shuffle-shuffle noise. “Run, Scout! Run!” Jem yells.
  855. Scout tries to run, but her ham costume is too big. She trips and falls down in the mud.
  856. She hears a sound next to her: Jem is fighting someone.
  857. Scout hears a terrible noise, the sound of wood breaking, a loud crack! and then Jem screaming. The sound is not like a boy’s scream;
  858. it is a sound of real fear and pain. Scout tries to get up.
  859. She swings her arms, still inside the thick, wire costume. She bumps into the attacker.
  860. She realizes the person is big and strong. She hears a heavy breathing sound near her.
  861. The attacker does not seem to see her inside the costume. The person is focused only on Jem.
  862. Scout hears Jem falling again. She screams and starts running toward the direction of their house.
  863. She is still inside the ham costume. She cannot stop the fight, but she wants to get help.
  864. Then, a strange thing happens. As she is running, she sees another person near the fight.
  865. This second person is also big, but they are moving quickly. This person is not the attacker.
  866. Scout sees a struggle. She hears the sound of one body falling heavily to the ground.
  867. The attacker is knocked down. The second person picks up Jem.
  868. Scout sees the person carrying Jem toward their house. The person walks slowly and carefully, holding Jem close.
  869. Scout starts running after the second person and Jem. She can see a small light from her house.
  870. When Scout finally reaches their front porch, she is crying and shaking. The door opens, and Aunt Alexandra screams when she sees Jem.
  871. Later, Jem is lying on the bed. His arm is broken badly.
  872. He is not awake. Atticus calls the Sheriff immediately.
  873. Sheriff Heck Tate arrives quickly. Scout looks at the corner of the room.
  874. She sees the second person, the person who saved them and carried Jem home. This person is standing very quietly in the shadows.
  875. He is a man she does not know, but he has wide shoulders and looks pale. The full truth is now clear:
  876. Bob Ewell has finally carried out his threat. He has attacked the children.
  877. But someone else, a mysterious stranger, has come to their aid. Chapter 29
  878. The Sheriff, Heck Tate, is in the room. He is talking to Scout and Atticus.
  879. Scout is still wearing parts of her ruined ham costume. Jem is asleep and not moving.
  880. Atticus is standing by Jem’s bed. Sheriff Tate asks Scout to tell him everything that happened on the dark road.
  881. “Tell me, Scout, who attacked you?” the Sheriff asks. Scout starts to tell the story from the moment Jem yells, “Run!”
  882. She describes the wind, the dark night, the sounds of fighting, and how she fell. She also talks about her big, thick costume.
  883. “I was inside the costume, and I was on the ground,” Scout says. “Jem was fighting someone big.
  884. I could hear them wrestling.” Sheriff Tate asks, “Can you tell me which way the person was facing?
  885. Did he hit Jem?” “Yes, sir,” Scout says.
  886. “I heard him hit Jem. And then Jem screamed.
  887. It was a terrible scream.” Scout then remembers the second person, the person who saved them.
  888. “Then I saw a second person,” Scout says. “I couldn’t see their face, but they were big.
  889. They fought the attacker.” The Sheriff asks, “Did you see the second person clearly?”
  890. “No, sir. It was too dark,” Scout answers.
  891. “But then the fight stopped. The attacker fell down hard.
  892. And the second person picked up Jem and carried him home.” Sheriff Tate looks over at the corner of the room, where a strange man is standing in the shadows.
  893. This man is very quiet and tall. Scout finally turns to look at the man who carried Jem.
  894. He is pale and thin, and his clothes are old. He looks at Scout with kind, gray eyes.
  895. Scout steps closer to him. She reaches out and touches the man’s clothing with her hand.
  896. She looks at his pale face. She suddenly realizes who he is.
  897. She has never seen him clearly before, but she knows the quiet, strange presence. Scout speaks only one name, softly:
  898. “Hey, Boo.” The man standing in the shadows is Arthur “Boo” Radley.
  899. The ghost the children have always tried to see has finally come out of his house to save them. Sheriff Tate leaves the room for a moment.
  900. He comes back and speaks quietly to Atticus. He shows Atticus a dirty knife.
  901. “Atticus,” the Sheriff says, “I found this knife on the road. It belongs to the attacker.
  902. It is Bob Ewell’s knife.” Atticus and the Sheriff confirm that Bob Ewell is dead.
  903. He is lying on the path near the big oak tree where the fight happened. The Sheriff tells Atticus that Ewell was found with a knife stuck in him.
  904. “Bob Ewell is dead,” the Sheriff says. Now, the room is full of great relief, fear, and confusion.
  905. Tom Robinson’s death led to Bob Ewell’s anger, and now Bob Ewell is dead,
  906. and Boo Radley is standing right there in the room. Chapter 30
  907. The Final Chapter Atticus, Sheriff Tate, Scout, and Boo Radley are all in Jem’s room.
  908. Jem is asleep and safe. Sheriff Tate and Atticus are talking quietly about Bob Ewell’s death.
  909. They both know that Boo Radley saved the children by stopping the attacker. Atticus believes that Jem somehow killed Bob Ewell in the struggle.
  910. “Heck,” Atticus says to the Sheriff, “Jem is only a boy, but I will not hide what he has done.
  911. He must face the consequences.” Sheriff Tate shakes his head strongly.
  912. “No, Atticus. Jem did not do it.”
  913. Atticus is confused. “What do you mean, Heck?
  914. Bob Ewell is lying dead out there with a knife in him. Jem’s arm is broken.
  915. I want the truth.” Sheriff Tate then tells a different story.
  916. “Ewell fell on his knife, Atticus. It was an accident.
  917. The man was drunk, he was alone, and he fell. The knife went right into his side.”
  918. Atticus knows this is not the truth. The knife the Sheriff found was a kitchen knife, not the kind of long knife that Bob Ewell would carry.
  919. The Sheriff is lying to protect Boo Radley. Atticus looks at the silent, shy man in the corner.
  920. He knows that Boo Radley is the one who stabbed Bob Ewell, but Boo did it to save the children.
  921. Atticus says, “Heck, you are saying that Bob Ewell killed himself. That is not the truth.
  922. I know that Jem did not do it, but I think someone else did. And that person should be known.”
  923. The Sheriff becomes serious and angry. He points to Boo Radley.
  924. “Look at him, Atticus. Mr. Arthur Radley never hurt anyone.
  925. He saved your children’s lives tonight. If we tell the town that he killed Bob Ewell, they will make him a hero.
  926. They will bring him cakes and talk to him all day. That would be a sin.”
  927. The Sheriff explains his deep feeling: Boo Radley is a man who loves to stay inside, in the dark, alone, and far from people.
  928. He is quiet and easily scared by people. If the town forces him into the light, it will be like destroying him.
  929. “Bringing him out into the light is like killing a mockingbird,” Sheriff Tate says. “I will not stand for that.
  930. I will tell the town that Ewell fell on his knife. That’s the end of it.”
  931. Atticus finally understands. The Sheriff is protecting a good, shy man from the cruelty of the world.
  932. Atticus agrees that they must protect Boo. Boo Radley has stood quietly in the room the whole time.
  933. Scout takes his hand and leads him to Jem’s bed. Boo gently touches Jem’s hair.
  934. Scout takes Boo into the living room, which is dark. She sits on the porch with him for a moment.
  935. She realizes she has finally had her chance to talk to the mysterious Mr. Arthur. She knows that he is the one who saved them,
  936. and now she must make sure he gets home safely and quietly, without the town seeing him. Scout takes Boo’s hand, and they walk slowly back to his house.
  937. When they reach the front door, Boo quickly goes inside.
  938. Scout never sees him again. Scout stands on the porch of the Radley house.
  939. She thinks about all the years Boo watched them. She realizes that it was Boo who had given them all the gifts in the tree,
  940. and finally, he gave them the gift of life. She returns home to Atticus, who is reading.
  941. She hugs him and says she now understands what the Sheriff meant. She says she finally understands what “to kill a mockingbird” truly means.

Zum Nachlesen

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