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To Kill a Mockingbird—Part 1 Notes
English 9R
Chapter 12:
Home Notes
Class Notes
Visit to Calpurnia's Church: The men stepped back & took
their hats off to Jem & Scout and the women crossed their
arms out of respect (157) Lula comes up to them and wants
Calpurnia to take the “white chillun” out of there. Calpurnia
stands up to her as do the other people in the church and
Lula leaves (158-9). “This church has no better friend than
your daddy” (163).
Jem is 12 and he is starting to mature, which leaves
Scout alone.
Scout's realizations about Calpurnia: “’They’s my
comp’ny,’ said Calpurnia. Again I thought her voice strange:
she was talking like the rest of them.” Scout is surprised to
hear Calpurnia talk like the other black people instead of like
her, which is what she is used to. (158) Scout finds out that
Calpurnia is one of very few black people that can read. Miss
Maudie’s aunt taught her. (165). “That Calpurnia led a
modest double life never dawned on me. The idea that she
had a separate existence outside our household was a novel
one, to say nothing of her having command of two
languages” (167).
Reverend Sykes announces he is happy to have
Mister and Miss Finch at the mass.
Key Points
Scout was surprised at the sparseness of
the church. She kept wondering how she
was going to sing hymns without a book.
They take a collection at church for Tom Robinson
and when it is not enough, Reverend Sykes has the
doors shut until they get enough (162)
Aunt Alexandra's arrival: Aunt Alexandra is sitting in a
rocking chair on the porch when they get back from Cal’s
church.
Chapter 13:
Home Notes
Class Notes
Aunt Alexandra: characterization: Not fat, but solid,
“river-boat, boarding-school manners,” uphold any moral,
incurable gossip, over confident, she would arrange, advise,
caution, warn and point out everyone’s shortcomings. “She
would exercise her royal prerogative” (172)
Atticus' beliefs on "the importance of acting like
'Finches:'" According to Aunt Alexandra Finches are people
with gentle breading and should live up to their name (177).
Atticus doesn’t want them to act like Finches.
Scout's feelings about Aunt Alexandra's presence: Scout
is upset that Aunt Alexandra is there. She doesn’t like how
Aunt Alexandra has her nose in everything.
Aunt Alexandra came to stay for a while because
they felt Scout needed some female influence (170).
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Key Points
Atticus is preoccupied with the trial and
Aunt Alexandra uses this time to try and
influence the children in the way she feels
they should be acting.
Chapter 14:
Home Notes
Aunt Alexandra's views of Calpurnia:
Aunt Alexandra wants Atticus to let Calpurnia go. Aunt
Alexandra is racist and doesn’t want Cal raising the children.
Aunt Alexandra’s criticism of Atticus:
She feels Atticus let it go on too long that Calpurnia was in
charge of the children. She feels that Scout is not well
behaved and doesn’t act ladylike.
Jem's maturity—view of Aunt Alexandra:
Jem tries to tell Scout to behave because Atticus has a lot on
his mind. He tells her to mind Aunt Alexandra or he will spank
her. Scout starts to fight with him for trying to tell her what to
do (184).
Class Notes
Key Points
Atticus says Calpurnia is one of the family and they
can’t get along without her (182).
Scout thinks she stepped on a snake and it went under
her bed, but it ends up being Dill. He ran away from
home and was a dirty, hungry, mess (186)
Dill ran away because, although he got toys and books,
he didn’t feel like his parents paid any attention to
him.
Chapter 15:
Home Notes
Class Notes
Key Points
Hypocrisy of the townspeople:
They are willing to come in and get Tom Robinson even
though he has not been convicted of a crime yet.
“’don’t see why you touched it in the first place,’ Mr.
Link Deas was saying, “You’ve got everything to lose
from this, Atticus. I mean everything” (193).
Atticus goes to the Maycomb county jail at
night with a light to guard Tom Robinson
(201). A man grabs Jem roughly and Scout
kicks him, and he falls to the ground (203).
Mob at the jail:
“The men come and want Tom Robinson. They sent the
sheriff on a fake call, so he wouldn’t be there to help (202).
Scout sees Mr. Cunningham and talks to him about Walter.
At first he ignores her, but she continues talking and breaks
through his mob mentality. He finally acknowledges her and
tells the men to leave.(205-6)
“Link that boy might go to the chair, but he’s not
going till the truth’s told” (195)
Jem's maturity—coming of age:
Jem is too old to play in the tree house, but he helps Scout
and Dill fix the ladder.
Jem wants to go downtown to check on Atticus, because “I
just got this feeling” (199). Jem won’t leave the jail when
Atticus asks him to, because he doesn’t want to leave Atticus
unprotected (203-4).
Aunt Alexandra comes short of saying Atticus is
disgracin’ the family (197)
Atticus said it was the polite thing to talk to people
about what they were interested in, not about what
you were interested in (205). This small lesson
saves Tom Robinson from the angry mob.
Chapter 16:
Home Notes
Signs of racism/prejudice:
Aunt Alexandra doesn’t want to discuss things in front of
Class Notes
Scout cries after thinking about what happened at
the jail. She realizes that Atticus could have gotten
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Key Points
Calpurnia or the blacks, because she thinks it will encourage
them.
The people that come to the trial sit separate from the
colored people in the court room and on the lawn of the
courthouse.
People going to the trial:
A wagonload of women, Mennonites, a wagonload of footwashing Baptists, Miss Stephanie Crawford, The courthouse
square was covered with picnic parties, the Negroes sat
quietly in a corner of the square, Mr. Dolphus Raymond who
came on horseback sat with the Negros.
Atticus' motivation for defending Tom:
He was appointed to represent Tom Robinson, but he
intended on really defending him.
really hurt.
Mr. Dolphus Raymond is married to a colored
woman and has mixed children.
Jem, Scout and Dill go to the courthouse even
though Atticus tells them not to come downtown at
all. There are no seats left, so Reverend Sykes takes
them upstairs to the balcony where the colored
people sit.
Judge Taylor was an amiable white-haired, ruddy
faced man learned in the law, “and although he
seemed to take his job casually, in reality he kept a
firm grip on any proceedings
Chapter 17:
Home Notes
Class Notes
Heck Tate's Testimony:
On November 21 as he was leaving, Bob Ewell came in and
told Heck to go over to his place quickly because some
“nigger” raped his girl. He found Mayella on the floor pretty
beat up. She said Tom beat her up and raped her. She
identified Tom.
Bob Ewell's Testimony:
Mr. Ewell was inappropriate at first and was disrupting the trial.
Judger Taylor reprimanded him. Mr. Ewell says he heard
Mayella screaming and when he ran up to the window he saw
Tom Robinson having sexual intercourse with Mayella. When
Mr. Ewell’s lawyer is done questioning him, he tries to run
down before Atticus can question him. Atticus asks him why he
didn’t call a doctor with Mayella’s injuries. He said he saw
what happened to Mayella and he didn’t have the $5 for the
doctor. He agrees that it was Mayella’s right eye that was
blackened.
Atticus asks Heck why a doctor wasn’t called. He then
asks how she was beat up. Heck says her face was
bruised and she was getting a black eye on her right
side. He also says she had marks around her neck.
Key Points
Reverend Sykes tells Jem to bring Scout home because
the testimony Bob Ewell is giving is not fit for a girl,
but Jem says she doesn’t understand, so it is alright if
she stays.
Atticus gets Mr. Ewell to write to prove that he is left
handed. Jem realizes that Atticus can prove it wasn’t
Tom Robinson.
Chapter 18:
Home Notes
Class Notes
Key Points
Mayella's Testimony: She talks about how she asked Tom
Robinson to chop up an old dresser for her and when she
went into the house to get a nickel for him, he followed her
in. She says he hit her, choked her and took advantage of her
(241).
Mayella is a 19½ year old, lonely, abused girl who
has no friends. “She is a thick-bodied girl
accustomed to strenuous labor.” She is the oldest of
seven siblings, she can read and write at a low level
because she only went to school for 2-3 years (239-
“Scout, look! Reverend, he’s crippled” (248)
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Mayella thinks Atticus is sassing her when he calls her
ma’am and Miss Mayella, because she is not used to people
showing her respect (243).
In her testimony, she says her father is tolerable. When
Atticus asks her if her father hits her, she says no. She is so
flustered that she does not want to continue testifying. (246)
42).
When Tom Robinson stands up, everyone can see
his left arm is 12” shorter than his right arm. He got
it caught in Mr. Dolphus Raymond’s cotton gin when
he was a small boy. He has no use of his arm (249).
Chapter 19:
Home Notes
Class Notes
Key Points
Tom Robinson's Testimony: 25 years-old, married with
three children. Was in trouble with the law before when he
got in a fight with a man. He chopped up the chiffarobe for
her in the spring, almost a year ago (254-5). She offered
Tom money and he didn’t take it. After that time, she called
on him a lot to do jobs for her, but she didn’t offer him any
money. He did it because nobody else helped her and he felt
sorry for her (256).
Tom tells how one day as he was going by, Mayella asked
him to come help her. He followed her into the house.
There were no children around because she saved enough
for them to go to town for ice cream. She grabbed him
around the waist and reached up and kissed him. Mr. Ewell
saw her from the window, called her a whore and
threatened to kill her (260). Tom Robinson ran because it
wasn’t safe for a nigger to be in a position like that.
Tom has to pick his left arm up to put it on the bible to
take his oath. It slips off and hits the clerk’s table.
“As Tom Robinson gave his testimony, it
came to me that Mayella must have been the
loneliest person in the world. She was even
lonelier than Boo Radley (256).
“Tom Robinson was probably the only person
who was ever decent to her. But she said he
took advantage of her…as if he were dirt
beneath her feet” (257).
“It occurred to me that in their own way, Tom
Robinson’s manners was as good as Atticus’s
(260).
Nobody would have anything to do with her. The
whites thought she lived among pigs, and the blacks
because she was white (256).
Scout had to take Dill out of the trial. He started
sobbing uncontrollably because he didn’t like Mr.
Gilmer was cross examining him and the way he was
talking to Tom Robinson (265).
Chapter 20:
Home Notes
Class Notes
Dolphus Raymond: He pretends to be a drunk and drink
liquor out a brown bag, yet it is only Coca-Cola. He does this
because it gives people a reason to understand why he lives
with black people. They would never understand he lives
with them because he wants to (268).
Atticus' closing argument: Atticus goes over the evidence,
which leads Jem to believe they have to win the case (270).
Atticus takes off his jacket & unbuttoned his collar and vest
to get down to the level of the common man.
Key Points
“Atticus says cheatin’ a colored man is
ten times worse than cheatin’ a white
man” (269).
Mayella “is the victim of cruel poverty and
ignorance, but I cannot pity her: she is white.
She knew full well the enormity of her
offense” (272).
Atticus tells the jury, that court is the only place men are
created equal, but it is only as sound as the men sitting on the
jury (274).
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Chapter 21:
Home Notes
Reaction to Tom's verdict:
 Deliberating: The only ones acting normal were
the officers of the court—Atticus, Mr. Gilmer and
Judge Taylor. The packed court room had been so
quiet and still. “People sat as if they had been in
church” (280).
 Jem: Jem thought for sure that they were going to
win. He explained his theory about rape to
Reverend Sykes (279). However when the verdict
came in, “his hands were white from gripping the
balcony rail, and his shoulders jerked as if each
‘guilty’ was a separate stab between them” (282).
 Black community: The whole balcony of black
people stood up when Atticus was passing to show
him respect (283).
Class Notes
Calpurnia comes to tell Mr. Finch the children are
missing, and Mr. Underwood tells him they have
been in the colored balcony all day (276).
Scout was happy that Calpurnia was yelling at “her
precious Jem” (278)
Key Points
“I saw something only a lawyer’s child
could be expected to see, could be expected
to watch for, and it was like watching
Atticus walk into the street, raise a rifle to
his shoulder and pull the trigger, but
watching all the time knowing that the gun
was empty. A jury never looks at a
defendant it has convicted, and when this
jury came in, not one of them looked at
Tom Robinson” (282).
Chapter 22:
Home Notes
Jem's reaction to the verdict: Jem cries and is angry
because he cannot believe they convicted an innocent man
(284).
Class Notes
Miss Maudie tells them there are a lot of people that
were helping Tom Robinson—the black community,
the judge who appointed Atticus, Mr. Heck Tate,
Miss Maudie and many others.
Bob Ewell vs. Atticus—kinds of people: Bob Ewell spit in
Atticus’ face and told him he would get him if it took him the
rest of his life.
Key Points
Atticus says, “I don’t know how, but they
did it…seems that only children weep”
(285).
Atticus tells Jem, “it’s not time to worry yet”
(285). They will try for an appeal.
Chapter 23:
Home Notes
Class Notes
Atticus' characterization: Peaceful, non-confrontational,
quick witted, empathetic, deep thinker
Scout and Jem are afraid for him because of Bob
Ewell’s threat.
Justice/Injustice in society: White men cheat blacks every
day. If it is a white man’s word against a black man’s the
white man will win. According to Atticus, if a white man
cheats a black man, the white man is trash (295).
Atticus assures them that nothing is going to happen
to Tom Robinson yet, until the higher court reviews his
case—“not time to worry yet” (293).
"Kinds of People:" According to Jem, there are 4 kinds of
people: 1) ordinary, like them & neighbors 2) like
Cunningham’s out in the woods 3) like Ewells down at dump
4) the Negroes (302) According to Scout there is one kind.
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Key Points
“Atticus didn’t bat an eye, just took out his
handkerchief and wiped his face and stood
there and let Mr. Ewell call him names” (291).
“If spitting in my face and threatening me
saved Mayella Ewell one extra beating, that’s
something I’d gladly take.
Chapter 24:
Home Notes
Ladies' tea: They are hypocritical. They send money to help
people in Africa, but they are upset that “misguided” people
have helped the blacks in their community (311).
Class Notes
Key Points
Scout sees Aunt Alexandra in a new light as Aunt
Alexandra shows some compassion for Atticus.
Tom's fate: “Tom just gave up hope…He broke into a blind
raving charge at the fence and started climbing over…Oh
yes, the guards called to him to stop. They fired a few shots
in the air, then to kill. They got him just as he went over the
fence (314-15).
Chapter 25:
Home Notes
Class Notes
Reactions to Tom's fate: Helen Robinson—collapses; the
community—talks about it for two days and says it is
“typical for a black person to run without any thought” (322)
Tom runs because he had given up hope of every being freed
Bob Ewell’s reaction—One down, two to go—meaning
Atticus and Judge Taylor for embarrassing him—
foreshadowing
Key Points
Underwood editorial: he says, It’s a sin to kill a cripple, and
he compares Tom to a mockingbird—they are innocent,
harmless, and defenseless
Chapter 26:
Home Notes
Class Notes
Scout's school lesson: Hitler: In current events they
discuss Hitler. Scout’s third grade teacher, Miss Gates, says,
“over here we don’t believe in persecuting anybody.
Persecution comes from people who are prejudice” (329).
Scout is confused by this, because she overheard Miss
Gates after Tom Robinson’s trial say, “it’s time
somebody taught ‘em a lesson, they were getting’ way
above themselves, an’ the next thing they think they
can do is marry us” (331).
Key Points
Chapter 27:
Home Notes
Class Notes
Bob Ewell: Lost his welfare job & blamed Atticus, broke
into Judge Taylor’s house, followed Helen Robinson to work
“softly crooning foul words at her” (332-4).
Aunt Alexandra is upset & worried, but Atticus says,
he’s had his fling with about everybody, so he ought to
be satisfied” (335).
Pageant: Because they played a prank last year on Misses
Tutti & Frutti for Halloween, the kids would have a pageant
instead of going trick-or-treating. Scout would be a “ham.”
Scout’s costume was made out of chicken wire—There were
2 peepholes for eyes and several other discomforts: it was
hot, too close a fit, & once inside I could not get out of it
alone” (339).
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Key Points
Chapter 28:
Home Notes
Class Notes
Attack: Jem and Scout are walking home after the pageant and they hear a noise.
They think Cecil is behind them fooling around again. The figure following them
attacks. Jem tells Scout to run, but Scout trips. The chicken wire gets crushed
around her. She hears scuffling noises, then Jem pulled her up, but they couldn’t
walk fast & he was jerked away again. Scout hears Jem scream & when she runs
toward the noise, she runs into a flabby male stomach. The man is slowly squeezing
the breath out of Scout when the man is flung backwards on the ground. Scout
looks for Jem with her foot, but only feels an unfamiliar whiskey smelling man. She
goes toward the street and sees a man carrying Jem with his arm dangling in front
of him. Atticus rushes down the steps to meet the man. He goes in the house and
asks Aunt Alexander to get Scout. They call the doctor and the sheriff. Scout keeps
thinking Jem is dead. Aunt Alexandra tells her Jem is unconscious and they won’t
know how bad he is until the doctor gets there. (348-355)
Scout sees the man who carried Jem home
standing in the corner of Jem’s room, but she
doesn’t recognize him.
Key Points
Bob's fate: Mr. Heck Tate goes out to the
scene to investigate, and he finds Bob Ewell
dead on the ground with a kitchen knife
stuck in his ribs (357).
Chapter 29:
Home Notes
Heck Tate's response: “He’s dead alright…He’s good &
dead. He won’t hurt these children again (358). He asks
Scout to tell them what happened.
Boo Radley: He is the man that rescued Scout and Jem and
killed Bob Ewell.
Class Notes
Key Points
“Somehow I could think of nothing but Mr. Bob
Ewell saying he’d get Atticus if it took him the rest
of his life. Mr. Ewell almost got him, and it was the
last thing he did” (358).
Chapter 30:
Home Notes
Class Notes
Atticus' beliefs: Atticus thinks Jem killed Bob Ewell and that Heck Tate is trying to
hush the matter up. He doesn’t want people whispering behind his back thinking
Jem got off because his Daddy paid someone off. (365-6).
Heck Tate's motivation: He says that Bob Ewell tripped on a root and fell on his
own kitchen knife. He says there is no way a boy Jem’s size with a broken arm could
have fought off Bob Ewell and tackled him and killed him.
"Mockingbird:" Scout says that Mr. Tate was right.. Because if they say Boo did it,
it would be like shooting a mockingbird (370).
Key Points
Heck Tate wants Atticus to let it go & just
bury the dead (369). Heck knows that Boo
Radley actually killed Bob Ewell, but if the
town people know they will all be bringing
him cakes & food putting Boo in the
limelight (369-70). When Atticus finally
understands that Boo killed Bob Ewell, he
tells Scout that Bob did it.
Chapter 31:
Home Notes
Class Notes
Scout's understanding of perspective: She stands on the
Radley porch and pictures what Boo sees while he is inside.
She is maturing and she is able to see things in his
perspective. She understands that Boo lived through their
childhood with them.
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Key Points