How do Scout and Jem meet Dill in To Kill a Mockingbird?

In To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout Finch stays with her brother called Jem, and their single father named Atticus, in the quiet Alabama city of Maycomb. Great Depression has hit Maycomb, but since Atticus is a prominent lawyer, he has been able to cater for his small family’s financial needs smoothly. During the summer holiday, Dill visits his aunt who is a Finch's neighbor at Maycomb. Scout and Jem meet Dill when they are glancing over the fence after hearing some noise and finds him seated in his aunt’s collard pitch where they befriend. The Finch’s tell Dill the story of Boo Radley, their neighbor who ever remains indoors. Dill becomes curious of how he appears and sees this as his role of getting him out of the house. The trio uses their whole summer planning how they are going to make him move out of the house. It is apparent that Boo knows what is transpiring. It is Dill who makes Scout and Jem see Boo.

In Chapter 1, Scout and Jem are playing in their backyard when they hear something coming from Miss Rachel Haverford's collard patch. They walk over to the fence expecting to find a puppy, and instead discover a small boy sitting down, staring directly at them. The boy introduces himself as Charles Baker Harris and mentions that he can read. When Jem asks Dill how old he is, Jem is surprised to learn that Dill is seven years old. Jem initially thought Dill was four-and-a-half because he was so small. Dill says he is from Meridian, Mississippi and is staying with his aunt, Miss Rachel Haverford, for the summer. After Dill tells Jem that he's seen the movie Dracula, Jem begins to respect him. Jem and Scout quickly become close friends with Dill, and the three children play together every day during the summer.