Jean Louise Finch (Scout) -Scout is the main protagonist of the novel.
The story takes place during her years of growing up in the South during the
1930's. As it begins, she is six years old. She is the daughter of Atticus
Finch. She is very curious about various topics; school, her frightening neighbor,
Boo Radley, and all the strange people living in the town. She does not want
to act like a "lady" and wear a dress but prefers to run around
and play all day in overalls or jeans. She loves to sit on her father's lap
and have him read stories to her. Her favorite pastime is reading and she
gets very upset when her teacher tells her to stop reading since she is so
far ahead of her classmates.
Jeremy Finch (Jem) - Jem is Scout's older brother. He is 10 as the
story begins, and 13 at its end. He is very wise for his age, and also very
emotional. He takes after his father Atticus a lot. He is more easygoing and
not as adventurous as Scout.
Atticus Finch - Atticus is the town's most respected lawyer who lives
alone with his children ever since his wife died. He is not wealthy, but he
is well off in the community and kind towards everyone. He has been assigned
a case of defending a black man accused of rape. Now he is both revered and
reviled by the townspeople. Atticus gives a lot of advice to his kids. He
tells them that they cannot judge people until they "climb into their
skin and walk around in it".
Arthur (Boo) Radley - Boo Radley is a mysterious neighbor who lives
near the Finches. Since he is rarely seen, he is the subject of various rumors.
Some known facts about him are that as a young boy he had broken the law and
his father restricted him from leaving the house. It is also known that he
struck his father with a pair of scissors but was never charged with the crime.
He has remained inside his house and lives with his brother. All the kids
in Maycomb are afraid of him.
Calpurnia - Calpurnia is the black maid and cook of the Finch household.
She acts like a mother figure towards Scout, as in the scene where Scout unknowingly
insults a poor neighbor boy, and Calpurnia teaches her how to behave. She
takes the children to her black church to sing and pray with them since all
of the black townspeople like them because Atticus is defending Tom.
Tom Robinson - Tom is the black man who was accused of rape by Mayella
Ewell. He is a young man who works around the town doing odd jobs and was
hired by Mayella to do chores for her. He is strong and a hard worker, even
though his left arm is shriveled and useless. He is innocent of the crime,
but because he is black, he is considered guilty by the townspeople.
Helen Robinson: Tom's wife.
Mayella Ewell - Mayella is the daughter of Bob Ewell who lives at
the end of town in squalor with her father and brothers and sisters. She is
a teenager, who is very emotional and lonely. She knowingly oversteps the
class boundary and tries to seduce Tom. When he refuses her overtures, she
becomes spiteful and accuses him of rape.
Bob Ewell - . Bob Ewell is an irresponsible and disgraceful father
of a brood of children, who receives welfare checks and uses them for alcohol.
At the end of the book, he is killed when he tries to kill Jem and Scout behind
the school. The Ewell children only go to school on the first day, and they
are never bathed or in good clothes. They just go that one day to get their
records in, then they never attend another school day.
Mr. Gilmer: Mr. Gilmer is the prosecuting attorney at the trial.
Dill (Charles Baker Harris) - Dill is a friend of Scout and
Jem. He is seven years old. He has white hair and is very small for his age.
He seems to be very intelligent. He tells Scout and Jem about all the stories
of his family in other towns and his travels to New York.
Walter Cunningham: Walter Cunningham is an upright farmer who refuses
to accept charity. His is very poor and his children go to the same school
as Scout. He has brought up very caring children.
Walter Cunningham (Jr.) - Walter is a classmate of Scout who is extremely
poor. He is very thin because he has various diseases like hookworm. Scout
invites him over for dinner one night because she feels sorry for him. Walter's
dad is a good friend of Atticus, and it is because of him that Atticus is
not harmed in the incident at the jail.
Mrs. Dubose - She is a very sickly, old woman who lives near to the
Finch family. She has Jem read to her each week. One time when Jem and Scout
visit her, she becomes very abusive and begins to criticize Atticus. She says
that Jem should be sent to reform school, and that Scout should stop wearing
overalls and start acting like a lady. Even though she talks against Atticus,
her heroic attempt to conquer her opium addiction wins her his highest praises.
Aunt Alexandria - She is Atticus's sister. She wishes to make Scout
behave like a "lady", and takes her to a party with all of her older
women friends. She doesn't approve of Atticus's defense of a black man, even
though he is innocent. She is very concerned about how the Finch family is
perceived by the community and doesn't want them to do anything that will
make the town go against them.
Uncle Jack: Atticus's brother.
Maudie Atkinson: Miss Maudie is a lady who lives across the
street from the Finch's. She is very fond of the Finch children. She spends
most of her time outside in her garden and little time inside her house.
She is one of only a few people who really support Atticusin defending Tom
Robinson. She is one of the few people to defend Boo Radley's right to remain
in his house.
Heck Tate: The sheriff of Maycomb County.
Reverend Sykes: Sykes was a Negro minister of the black church. He
thanked Jem and Scout at the black church about their father defending Tom
Robinson. At the trial he help them get seats in the balcony at the trial.
He also saved their seats when Jem and Scout when home to eat their dinner.
Judge Taylor: Her is the presiding judge at the trial. He permits
smoking in his court room, but he does not smoke. He will sometimes chew on
a whole cigar and keep chewing until the whole thing has vanished.
Adolphus Raymond: A white man who married a black woman.
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