Scout Finch (the female narrator) lives with her brother Jem and their widowed father Atticus in the small town of Maycomb in Alabama.

Atticus Finch is a lawyer in the town and as a result is well off. He is an upstanding citizen and an honourable man.

Scout and Jem befriend a young boy named Dill and we see the events of the story through their eyes as the stories are narrated by Scout.

Dill becomes fascinated by a house called Radley place where Boo Radley lives. Boo Radley becomes a fascination for the children as they are left presents by the strange man in a tree in his garden. These gifts are left during the first section of the novel.

The focus of the novel shifts when Atticus agrees to defend a local black man Tom Robinson who has been accused of raping a white woman.

The case is particularly prominent in a predominantly white community who disagree with Atticus’ role.

The Maycomb society are largely racist and as a result of Atticus’ role Jem and Scout both suffer abuse from other children.

In the summer aunt Alexandra (Atticus’ sister) comes to live with Jem and Scout. Dill is supposedly living with his ‘new father’ in a different town runs away to join Scout and Jem in Maycomb.

The overview continues on the next slide