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  • Essay / To Kill A Mockingbird Chapters 1-6 - 810

    The first five chapters of To Kill a Mockingbird introduce the setting, atmosphere, theme, and many different characters, who have unique characteristics. The theme of prejudice is also developed in this introductory section. The Finch family and some of their neighbors are also featured, along with important features such as the Radley House. The Radley house is an important element of mystery in the early chapters. As Scout described the setting, she described the mysterious house, saying, "Radley Place was inhabited by an unknown entity whose mere description was enough to make us behave for days on end" (Lee 6). Dill, a native of Meridian, Mississippi, was fascinated by the Radley house and would stare at it for long periods of time. The house had become darker and had taken on the color of the slate gray courtyard that surrounded it. Johnson weed and rabbit tobacco grew in abundance in the front yard. Inside the house, people said there lived a “malicious ghost” named Boo Radley (Lee 8). He allegedly went out at night and looked through other people's windows. Scout also mentions, “When people's azaleas froze during a cold snap, it was because he breathed on them. » (Lee 9) Large pecan trees shook their fruit in the schoolyard from the Radley chicken coop. However, the children did not touch the nuts, because it was said that Radley pecans would kill anyone who ate them (Lee 9). Different types of bias are evident in this chapter. For example, Scout refers to Walter as “Cunningham,” which automatically places him in the poor class (Lee 20). Miss Caroline displays prejudice towards Scout because she can read. Scout is singled out after reading to the class, and Miss Caroline accuses her of her father teaching her to read (Lee 17). It appears that more serious types and instances of prejudice will develop as the story progresses. Atticus Finch is a respectable man and an example of his nature can be seen when Walter Cunningham is invited to dinner. Atticus treated him with the same respect he would treat anyone else, even though Walter is poor (Lee 24). Another notable characteristic of Atticus is shown when he says to Scout, "We couldn't function a single day without Cal, have you ever thought about that?" You think about everything Cal does for you, and you pay attention to her, you hear?