Professor Levitin has conducted a study that illustrates how music can affect the brain and personality. Research took into consideration listener’s response rate to music, using heart rate, respiration, brain waves and blood pressure as reliable measurable indicators.

Levitin concluded that “Music is effective at moderating arousal levels, concentration and helping to regulate moods through its action on the brain’s natural chemistry.  People, who use music daily, effectively provide feelings of comfort, arousal and both mental and physical fitness.”

The phrase “The Mozart Effect” has been given to describe the influence music can have on memory and well being, partly as a result of Levitin’s findings. Gordon Shaw a Californian physicist and Francis Rauscher a cognitive development expert tested the credentials of the “Mozart Effect” in 1993. Their results illustrated a temporary increase (approx 10 min) in pupils’ spatial-temporal reasoning.

As part of our FREE character profiles for 12 key GCSE texts. We want to help you revise and learn GCSE English and GCSE English Literature to your full potential.

• Jean Louise ‘Scout’ Finch: 6 Year old daughter of Atticus and Sister of Jem. Scout is the narrator of the story. An intelligent and adventurous tom-boy Scout has a strong moral sense that is explored in the novel by her encounters with her own fears and the prejudices and racism of the American South.

• Atticus Finch: Father of Jem and Scout, Attics is a widowed lawyer who is respected amongst his community. Unlike much of the white community in the south, Atticus is committed to racial equality. Atticus’ good example and teaching give his children their strong sense of morality.

• Jeremy Atticus ‘Jem’ Finch: Son of Atticus and brother to Scout. Jem is a close and caring brother to Scout even though he is 4 years older. Jem is a typical American boy of the period and is daring and protective of his sister. Jem’s ideas about justice are badly affected by the unfair trial of Tom Robinson and he learns about his own prejudice through interaction with Boo Radley.

• Calpurnia: Cook to the Finch household. Calpurnia is the children’s link to the black community.
• Aunt Alexandra: Atticus’ sister. A perfect example of a white American woman in the south. Alexandra is very traditional ad would have Scout behave in a more ladylike fashion.

• Arthur ‘Boo’ Radley: A mysterious and reclusive man who has captured the imagination of the children with his strange ways. Initially feared by the children Boo shows that he is a good man when he helps and then saves them. Boo is a tragic example of an abused character hiding from the world. Like the Mockingbird Boo is badly treated even though he just wants to do good.

• Nathan Radley: Older brother of Boo. Nathan shares some of his fathers cruelty, seen when he blocks the hole in the tree that the children use to communicate with Boo.

• Bob Ewell: An unemployed drunk from a poor family. Bob accuses Tom Robinson of raping his daughter although he knows this was not the case. Bob is a racist and would rather have an innocent man punished than see his daughter with a black man. Bob represents the kind of racist attitudes in the south that Atticus is very much against.

• Mayella Ewell: Daughter of Bob Ewell. One pities Mayella for having such a drunken, abusive father however she goes along with accusing Tom Robinson.

• Charles Baker ‘Dill’ Harris: Jem and Scouts friend who stays in Maycomb for the Summer. Dill has a wild imagination and a fascination with Boo Radley.

• Miss Maudie Atkinson: A Neighbour and Friend of the Finch family. Although Sharp tongued Miss Maudie is the best adult friend of the children and shares Atticus’ liberal attitudes.

• Tom Robinson: A black field hand whose relationship with Mayella gets him wrongly accused of  rape and faces unfair justice. Another of Harper Lee’s mockingbirds.

• Link Deas: The employer of Tom Robinson, a good man who defends the character of Tom showing the opposite of the prevailing racist attitude.

• Mrs Henry Lafayette Dubose: An old, grumpy, racist neighbour of the Finch family. Atticus respects her for the way she copes with her morphine addiction however the children, especially Jem, do not like her.

• Heck Tate: The Sheriff of Maycomb. A decent man in bad circumstances who is a major witness in the trial of Tom Robinson.

• Mr Underwood: Publisher of Maycomb’s newspaper and ally of Atticus.

• Mr Dolphus Raymond: A wealthy white man who unusually for the time has a black wife and prefers the company of black people. Rather than explain his choice to the largely racist public of Maycomb, Mr Raymond pretends to be a drunk to explain his behaviour.

• Mr Walter Cunningham: Father of Walter Cunningham who is a classmate of Scout, Mr Cunningham is a poor farmer. Part of the mob that attempt to lynch Tom Robinson, he learns a lesson when Scout through her innocence an politeness persuades him to break up the mob.

• Walter Cunningham: Mr Cunningham’s son. Classmate of Scout.

As part of our FREE character profiles for 12 key GCSE texts. We want to help you revise and learn GCSE English and GCSE English Literature to your full potential.

• Arthur Birling: The Head of the Birling family. A big, arrogant man in his mid 50’s. Husband of Sybil, Father of Eric and Sheila. Arthur is a Greedy man who is more worried about profit than the loss of life and is obsessed with his social standing.

• Sybil Birling: Wife of Arthur and Mother of Eric and Sheila. Sybil is aloof and hypocritical, quick to show her distaste of working class women like Eva/Daisy but blind to the problems in her own family.

• Sheila Birling: Daughter and oldest child of Arthur and Sybil, Sheila is engaged to Gerald. Initially shares the prejudice of her parents towards the working class. Sheila’s character develops greatly and she comes to be remorseful for the death of Eva/Daisy and develops a much stronger social conscience.

• Eric Birling: Son of Arthur and Sybil. Eric has problems with Alcohol and is revealed to have impregnated Eva/Daisy and to have stolen money. Eric feels guilty about the death of Eva/Daisy and eventually realises the need to change his ways.

• Gerald Croft: Son of George and engaged to Sheila Birling. Gerald admits to having an affair with Eva/Daisy and for a time looking after her as his secret mistress. Gerald shares the prejudice of Arthur and Sybil.

• Sir George Croft: Father of Gerald and Owner of Croft’s Ltd a competitor to Arthur Birling’s business Birling and Co.

• Inspector Goole: Introduces himself as a police inspector but becomes something of a mystery character. Goole interrogates the Birling family about the death of Eva/Daisy and their connection to it. The real identity of Goole is never ascertained and although he may not be a real police inspector he seems to know all about the other characters various secrets and their involvement in the death of Eva/Daisy. Goode’s real identity and motives are very much open to interpretation.

• Eva Smith/Daisy Renton: Vulnerable and in poverty with no family Eva/Daisy has connections to all the other characters. The reasons for her death by suicide whilst pregnant and her mistreatment by the Birling family are the focus of the play. Through her links to the Birling’s and Gerald, Eva/Daisy shows the prejudices against and mistreatments of the working class in 1912.