In depression-era Alabama, the Finch family lives a pretty normal life.
Atticus, the father, is a widower and works as a lawyer. Occasionally, one poor client stops by the house to drop off food as payment for his legal services.
Calpurnia, a black woman, works for the Finch family, caring for the kids while Atticus is at work.
Scout, Atticus’s tomboy daughter, and her brother, Jem, befriend their neighbor Dill Harris. The three of them egg each other on to see who can get the closest to the infamously dangerous Boo Radley house.
But even though Mr. Radley and his shotgun seem scary, life is pretty good and largely uneventful.
But all that changed when Judge Taylor paid Atticus a late-night visit. The purpose? The judge has asked him to defend Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a girl named Mayella, the white daughter of the racist Bob Ewell.
Atticus agrees to take the case. But it comes with a cost as he faces harsh criticism and attacks from Ewell and company. Peaking around the corners and following Atticus wherever he goes, Scout and Jem learn important lessons about innocence and guilt as well as justice and evil in the world.
Atticus is a good father. He strives to teach his kids well, encouraging Scout never to fight, no matter the reason.
When he finds out Scout and Jem are spreading rumors about the Radleys, he tells them that you’ll never understand someone until you stand in their shoes and seek to see things from their point of view.
Atticus also seems well aware that he is not above his own standard of justice. He believes that if he did not choose to defend Tom Robinson, he would have no authority to instruct Scout and Jem.
Atticus is a just lawyer. In a rousing courtroom speech, he challenges racial biases, calls for equality in the law and seems to truly care for the Robinson family, even despite the loss.
Elsewhere in the story, to Aurthur “Boo” Radley’s credit, despite all the terrible things said about him, he still is kind to and cares about Scout and Jem.
Atticus quotes his father as saying that it is a “sin to kill a mockingbird.” The folksy saying’s meaning, we learn, has to do with not harming the innocent. And it’s woven throughout the film.
In the courtroom, witnesses swear an oath on the Bible to tell the truth. Later, Atticus implores the jury “in the name of God.” Someone else uses the phrase, “let the dead bury their dead,” an allusion to Matthew 8:22.
We hear a reference to Methodists.
The climactic court case discusses whether Tom Robinson raped Mayella (sometimes put as “took advantage of”).
In Robinson’s testimony, it is revealed that Mayella held Robinson in her arms, non-consensually kissed him and urged him to kiss her back.
Young Dill Harris (a friend and neighbor of the Finch’s) reveals that he has no “daddy,” but that his “daddy” is not dead either.
The discussion of violence in this story is far more prevalent than the actual depiction of violence.
Bob Ewell says he should’ve killed Tom Robinson. Later a gang comes to the jail with clear intentions of doing just that.
Mayella’s injuries are described in court, detailing where on her face, neck and arms she was bruised. Atticus asks her whether her father ever beats her.
We hear that Robinson was shot and killed by a deputy as he tried to run away. We hear that Bob Ewell was stabbed and killed by Aurthur “Boo” Radley with a kitchen knife.
Most of the violence depicted involves brief scuffles. We see Scout fight others at school. Later, we see the children attacked in the forest and thrown about. It is revealed that Jem sustains a nasty bruise his face, as well as a broken arm.
Atticus shoots a dog.
The n-word is used five times. Atticus clearly reprimands its use and uses the term “negro” instead.
We also hear “a–” once.
We see Bob Ewell stumbling around with a bottle in his hand, seemingly intoxicated. Atticus suggests that Ewell may be “less tolerable” when he’s drinking.
Jem often disobeys Atticus. And all three children in the story (counting their friend, Dill) spread rumors about Boo Radley.
The Ewells both lie under oath on the witness stand, and Bob Ewell is intensely racist.
Lingering racism and prejudice inform social “codes” regarding how blacks and whites relate to each other. Among other things, interracial relationships are considered taboo. In addition, it was frowned upon to implicitly trust a black man.
States and school systems have, historically, tried to ban To Kill a Mockingbird from mandatory reading lists. Harper Lee’s 1960 book has been at certain points since a cultural lightning rod.
Still, many have believed that the alleged “flaws” of the book—especially the depiction of racism—should be points of discussion. So, it is with the movie.
The world that Atticus lives in is far from perfect, plagued as it is with racial prejudice. We watch as Scout and Jem’s innocence is pierced by their painful introduction to how hateful some people around them can be. But even as he’s under siege in many ways, Atticus stands for justice and uses the attacks on him as teaching moments as he does his best to be a man of integrity.
While the mature themes depicted here mean exercising caution with younger viewers, To Kill a Mockingbird remains a story that can be a moving catalyst to talk to your kids about the issues of racism, violence and judgementalism.
Pull up a front seat alongside young Jem and Scout. Be shocked and disturbed by the injustice here, then talk about what it takes for us to be people who stand for what’s right.
Caleb Gottry is the Plugged In intern for Summer 2024. Caleb studies journalism with a minor in music at Texas Christian University, where he will be a junior in the fall. He loves playing with words, listening to and making music, and spending any spare time with friends or family.
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