This book is about life in a small southern town through the eyes of a little tomboy girl in the 1930's. Jean Louise Finch, or Scout, is the narrator/main character of the story. She is only six when the story begins. The beginning of the book describes life in Maycomb County, that small southern town previously mentioned. A little boy named Dill comes to stay the summer with the children. They, along with Jem Finch, Scout's brother, spend their summer together tormenting their mysterious neighbor, Boo (Arthur) Radley.

The story evolves from just a tale of typical childhood adventures to a one of an issue deeply present in the South at the time. The main plot of the book begins when Atticus, the children's father, is appointed to defend Tom Robinson. Tom was a black man, or a Negro, who was accused of rape. The filthiest, trashiest...