"Harper Lee has a knack for making even her minor characters come to life, and there are many worthy of mention. These notes will deal very briefly with the following characters."
"*1. Tom Robinson"
"*2. Boo Radley"
"*3. Bob Ewell"
"*4. Mayella Ewell"
"*5. Heck Tate"
"*6. Mrs Dubose."
"*7. Calpurnia"
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"*Tom Robinson"
"We only see Tom during the trial, but he makes a great impression as a 'decent' negro."
"Everything he says during the trial points to him being a sympathetic and likable man, caught up in a nasty situation through no fault of his own."
"The character of Tom serves well to point out the prejudices Harper Lee wishes to criticize."
" "
"*Boo Radley"
"Boo only appears at the end of the novel, but we already know a lot about him."
"He is kind, gentle, lonely and has a sense of humour. He is also brave enough to defend Scout and Jem against Bob Ewell."
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"*Bob Ewell"
"We can feel only contempt for this evil man. He seems to enjoy the trouble he brings to Tom Robinson with his unjust accusation."
"Harper Lee does a brilliant job of conveying his rather ignorant yet arrogant character during the trial."
"His true nature is also shown by the way he preys on helpless women and children. No-one is sorry when he is killed."
" "
"*Mayella Ewell"
"We feel sorry for Mayella because of her unpleasant and miserably lonely family life. However, she has a chance to withdraw her accusation against Tom, and she fails to take it."
"She shows a slyness and cunning in her trial testimony."
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"*Heck Tate"
"A minor character, Heck shows his respect for Atticus' abilities by asking him to shoot the mad dog."
"He also shows a high degree of sensitivity and common sense by taking the decision to cover up the fact that Boo Radley killed Bob Ewell."
" "
"*Mrs Dubose"
"This fierce old lady is Scout and Jem's neighbour. Her importance in the novel is to allow Atticus to point out to his children the nature of true courage."
"*See Themes"
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"*Calpurnia"
"Early in the novel, Scout refers to Calpurnia as 'tyrannical'."
"However, from our outside view, we can see that she is strict but fair."
"Since Scout's mother is dead, Calpurnia serves as a mother figure, not only disciplining the children, but also providing them with a mother's love and care."
"We see how protective she is of them when she defends them against Lula during the visit to her church."