I am currently five chapters into the book, To Kill a Mockingbird and I have discovered a pivotal event already in the story. This event ends the first chapter of the story. Dill dares Jem to touch the Radley house and after three days of thinking about it, Jem does it. This detail plays a massive role in the story as it is not only a great example of Jem’s honour but it shows Dill’s curiosity in the Radley house. There is also much foreshadowing to be found in this event. Dill’s interest in the house is a good example of foreshadowing but the best example is found in the very last sentences of the chapter, “The old house was the same, droopy and sick, but as we stared down the street we thought we saw an inside shutter move. Flick. A tiny, almost invisible movement, and the house was still.” (page 19). This line also helps to set a spooky mood to the story.

Apart from the foreshadowing, this event does a good job to bring the conflict into play. It demonstrates the mystery surrounding the Radley house, the fear associated with it and, like I stated before, it demonstrates Dill’s interest in the Radley house. It is my belief that the author put this event in the book to help the reader get to know the characters through their actions. The author is introducing the reader to the conflict between the characters and the mysterious house and ending the first chapter on a bit of a cliff-hanger to make the reader want to keep reading.