The Opening Chapters

A Summary of Chapters 1-4

At the beginning of the book we meet the first character, Jean Louise Finch, who we become to recognise by her nickname Scout. It starts with her explaining the circumstances that led to the broken arm of her older brother, Jem. Scout and Jem live in the county Maycomb where they live with their father, Atticus Finch, their brother, Jack Finch and Alexandra Finch. Scout's mother died when she was just the age of two, and does not remember her well. However, her brother Jem has memories of her, which makes him unhappy at times. 

In chapter 2 Scout has her first day at school. Miss Caroline Fisher, her new teacher, is not happy with the amount of knowledge Scout knows. The class is taught the alphabet but Miss Caroline dis-approves strongly as Scout already knows this and how to read and write, when they are supposed to learn this in third grade. 

The first day of school continues into chapter 3 where Miss Caroline and Scout still get along badly. Walter Cunningham, a boy in Scout's class, goes home with Scout for lunch as he cannot afford any food, but when is offered money he has been taught to refuse. Scout gets told off at lunch for being mean to Walter by Calpurnia. Back at school, Burris Ewell is introduced. The boy who goes to school for the first day every year, but doesn't go for the rest. He is described as "the filthiest human" by Miss Caroline and is sent home for being in the state. Burris is part of the Ewell family who are extremely poor and not respected.

The school year passes and the summer holidays come at last for Scout. When walking home from school Scout discovers chewing gum in the hole of the tree, and puts it in her mouth and chews it. She tells her brother Jem about it, and to his horror he tells her to spit it out. When they go back to the tree the next day they discover two old "Indian-head" pennies in the same hole of the tree, the then decide to keep them . During the summer Dill, Scout and Jem begin their games. They develop their game into a play of the entire Radley family. However, Atticus disagrees with this and is not happy with them doing this.