"To Kill a Mockingbird" is a novel set in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the Great Depression. It is narrated by Jean Louise "Scout" Finch, a young girl growing up with her brother Jem and their widowed father Atticus Finch, a principled lawyer. The story is a coming-of-age tale intertwined with a serious drama about racism and prejudice. The central plot revolves around Atticus defending Tom Robinson, a Black man falsely accused of raping a white woman, Mayella Ewell. Despite Atticus’s strong defense, Tom is convicted by an all-white jury and later killed while trying to escape prison. Throughout the novel, Scout and Jem also engage with the town's fears and myths surrounding their reclusive neighbor, Boo Radley, who eventually emerges as a protective figure. The novel’s key themes include racial injustice, the loss of innocence, empathy, and moral integrity. The title refers to Atticus’s lesson that it is "a sin to kill a mockingbird," symbolizing the wrongness of harming innocent and good individuals, as both Tom Robinson and Boo Radley represent in the story. Overall, "To Kill a Mockingbird" is recognized as a profound exploration of justice, human morality, and the impact of prejudice through the eyes of a child growing into an awareness of the complexities of her society.