To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Chapter Notes
Part I
Chapter One:
 Narrated by Scout (Jean Louise Finch) in first person retrospective (looking back
as an adult on her childhood) Brother Jem, father Atticus, housekeeper
Calpurnia black, a mother figure to Scout (and Jem)
 Finch family background: Simon Finch, an apothecary from England settling in
Maycomb County, creates family fortune and builds Finch’s Landing. Ancestry is
important to Maycombians.
 Maycomb, Alabama is a tired old town 1933 Depression era, segregated South
 The Radley’s and Boo’s story (wrong crowd, father’s punishment, hyperbole
surrounding Arthur (Boo) Radley 15 years and never seen until scissor incidentBoo at 33, not seen again after that)
 Dill: Charles Baker Harris, a “pocket Merlin” (based on Harper Lee’s actual
childhood friend, Truman Capote) comes to visit, staying with his aunt, Miss
Rachel Haverford, the Finches next-door neighbor.
 Old Mr. Radley is sick, and later dies. Mr. Nathan comes home from Pensacola
and takes Mr. Radley’s place.
Chapter 2:
 Scout’s long-awaited first day of school-she is told she has learned to read and
write the “wrong” way. Is upset that she is not allowed to read with Atticus every
night, because Miss Caroline’s methods do not support the way Scout learned
from him.
 Miss Caroline Fisher, Scout’s teacher, fresh from teacher’s college: “looked and
smelled like a peppermint drop”, was not from Maycomb and didn’t know their
ways, i.e. a Cunningham won’t take anything he can’t pay back (.25 for lunch).
 Jem’s inaccuracies: big brother information that isn’t always correct. The Dewey
Decimal System (he says it is the new teaching methods) and explaining
entailment (having your tail in a crack).
Chapter 3:
 Walter Cunningham Jr. comes for noon dinner, Calpurnia reminds Scout about
being gracious and polite to any guest in her home.
 Burris Ewell, older than the other students, filthy, had “cooties”, only attends the
first day of school each year, was disrespectful and mean to Miss Caroline
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Little Chuck Little an example of typical Southern gallantry (polite, wellmannered) despite being poor.
Theme: pg 39 Atticus teaches Scout a way to get along with people…”you
never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of
view…until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”
Atticus offers a compromise-they will continue reading together at night as long
as Scout agrees to continue to go to school.
Chapter 4:
 Items in the Radley tree knot-hole: Scout finds two pieces of foil wrapped
chewing gum
 Jem and Scout find a foil wrapped ring box with two polished Indian head
pennies from the early 1900’s
 Another of Jem’s inaccuracies: Indian head pennies come from Indians and they
make you have good luck.
 Dill returns for the summer and they begin to play the Boo Radley game
 Scout’s roll in the tire leads her to the porch step of the Radley house. She
remembers hearing low laughter when she hit the porch and fell out, dazed.
Chapter 5:
 Jem and Dill begin spending more time together, excluding Scout
 Scout turns to Miss Maudie for companionship
 Miss Maudie: “a chameleon lady”, a widow, loves gardening, known for her
crisp speech and her Lane Cake.
 always tells the truth to the kids-especially explaining the Radleys to Scout footwashing Baptists (Mr. Radley)-they believe anything pleasurable is a sin.
 “Sometimes the Bible in the hand of one man is worse than a whiskey bottle
in the hands of-oh, of your father.”
 Jem’s plan to send a note to Boo by fishing pole on his windowsill-fails; Atticus
catches them and forbids them from continuing to bother the Radleys.
Chapter 6
 Jem plans a night-time raid on the Radley’s, hoping to see Boo. While Scout
and Dill look on from the back gate, Jem climbs on the porch to look into the
window. The shadow of a man falls across Jem, they run and a shotgun is fired.
 Jem is caught on the fence, so leaves his pants there and runs.
 The neighborhood gathers to see what has happened, and Mr. Nathan Radley says
there was a Negro in his collard patch (untrue-it was the kids). The kids make up
an excuse for what they were doing: playing strip poker (which explains Jem’s
missing pants).
 Jem goes back later that night to collect his pants. Scout fears he will be shot.
 Dill returns to Meridian, as summer draws to a close.
Chapter 7
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Jem tells Scout, “When I went back for my breeches-they were all in a tangle
when I was getting’ out of ‘em, I couldn’t get ‘em loose. When I went back,
they were folded across the fence…like they were expectin’ me.” And,
“They’d been sewn up-not like a lady sewed them, like somethin’ I’d try to do.
All crooked.”
More knot hole items: a ball of twine, carved soap images (a boy and a girllooking like Jem and Scout), a tarnished spelling medal, a pack of chewing
gum, a broken pocket watch on a chain with an aluminum knife.
Jem and Scout write a thank you note for the items and planned to put them in the
knot-hole, but Mr. Nathan sealed the hole with cement, saying the tree was sick.
The tree is healthy-Jem is upset that their connection with their gift giver is
closed.
Chapter 8
 Mrs. Radley dies of natural causes that winter, but her death causes “hardly a
ripple.”
 Unusually cold weather, (neighbor Mr. Avery blames bad weather on bad
children). First snow since 1885.
 Jem and Scout make a snowman that looks too much like Mr. Avery-fix him
to make him look half man/half woman (‘morphodite”-hermaphrodite).
 Miss Maudie’s house catches fire at night, the neighborhood comes out to
help save furniture and put it out. Scout and Jem stand by the Radley house
and watch-Scout is very cold. When returning to their house later, Atticus
notices a blanket around Scout’s shoulders, “Looks like all of Maycomb was
out tonight, in one way or another.” Boo placed it there without the children
noticing. Jem tells Atticus everything about their attempts to contact Boo, the
items in the tree…
 Miss Maudie figures she’ll rebuild a smaller house, with more room to plant
flowers-she hated that “old barn” anyway.
Chapter 9
 Cecil Jacobs (student at school) says Atticus “defends niggers”. The Tom
Robinson (a Negro from Calpurnia’s church, a good family man) case that
Atticus is taking, causing high talk around Maycomb that he shouldn’t do much
about defending him. Atticus says … “if I didn’t I couldn’t hold my head up in
town, I couldn’t hold my head up in the legislature, I couldn’t even tell you and
Jem not to do something again.” “Every lawyer gets at least one case in his
lifetime that affects him personally. This one’s mine.”
 Atticus asks Scout to “hold your head high and keep those fists down.”
 Theme “Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started
is no reason for us not to try to win.” p.101
 Christmas, Uncle Jack visits from Tennessee, Atticus’ younger brother, a
bachelor, a doctor, and Scout’s favorite relative.
 Scout has begun swearing/cussing in hopes Atticus will figure she picked up the
habit from school, and not require her to attend any longer. Uncle Jack does not
like this behavior from Scout.
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The family joins Aunt Alexandra and her family for Christmas at Finches
Landing. Aunt Alexandra compared to Mount Everest: cold, and there; fanatical
about Scout’s unladylike clothing and behavior.
Other family members, Uncle Jimmy-never speaks (to Scout), and her cousin,
Francis-boring, a tattle-tale, insults Dill, and calls Atticus a “nigger lover” Scout
punches him and gets in trouble-Uncle Jack tackles her to the ground and yells at
her.
Scout and Atticus teach Uncle Jack a couple things about children: Scout,
“…you’re real nice, but you don’t understand children much…you never stopped
to gimme a chance to tell you my side of it, you just lit right into me.” Atticus,
“Jack, when a child asks you something, answer him for goodness’
sake…children are children, but they can spot an evasion quicker than adults. And
later about Scout’s swearing: “Bad language is a stage all children go through,
and it dies with time when they learn they’re not attracting attention with it.
Atticus discusses the particulars of the trial with Jack, that the jury couldn’t
possibly be expected to take Tom Robinson’s word against the Ewells’. He hopes
Scout and Jem continue to come to him for information so they don’t catch
Maycomb’s usual disease (racism).
Chapter 10
 Jem and Scout don’t have bragging rights on their father-he is “old and feeble”,
unlike their schoolmates’ younger fathers.
 Theme: p 119, Atticus: referring to their air rifles, “Shoot all the blue jays you
want, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” Miss Maudie explains
further: “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy.
They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in people’s corncribs, they
don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill
a mockingbird.” It is wrong to hurt or kill something/someone who is innocent.
 Symbolism: mockingbird = innocence
 Tim Johnson, rabid dog. threat to neighborhood. Mockingbird reference p. 125.
Atticus and Sherriff Heck Tate come to investigate, Tate hands gun to Atticus,
who kills Tim Johnson with a single shot to the head. The children learn that
Atticus is an excellent marksman, and that his nickname used to be Ol’ one-shot.
Jem is particularly proud of his father.
Chapter 11
 Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose, the Finch’s neighbor. Mean, crotchety, critical of
Jem and Scout about their behvior and that their mother would turn over in her
grave over the way Atticus is raising them-that they will amount to nothing. She
calls Atticus a nigger lover, which enrages Jem. He takes Scout’s baton and beats
her camellia bushes until they are ruined. Atticus makes him go to Mrs. Dubose to
talk to her afterward. His punishment is to clean up the mess, and to go read to her
every day after school and on Saturdays.
 Scout accompanies Jem, fearful something bad will happen to him. Her home is
scary, and her appearance is worse. They spend each afternoon doing this for
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many weeks, until the alarm clock never rings to announce the end of their
reading sessions.
In reality, Mrs. Dubose is trying to kick a morphine addiction. She is terminally
ill, but wishes to overcome the addiction before she dies. Jem’s reading is a
distraction that allows her to go longer and longer periods of time between
morphine injections. Some time later Mrs. Dubose dies.
Atticus explains her plan, and admires her courage, a Theme: p.148, “She
wanted to leave this world beholden to nothing and nobody.” “You know, she
was a great lady.” “I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting
the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know
you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through
no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do…she was the bravest
person I ever knew.”
End of Part I
Part II
Chapter 12
 Jem is twelve, and shows signs of maturity that distance him from ScoutCalpurnia begins calling him “Mister Jem”
 Dill not coming for the summer, his mother has married and he has a step father
 Since Atticus is at the legislature for two weeks, Calpurnia brings the children to
her church-First Purchase African ME Church
 Lula only member who objects to the children attending-first time Scout and Jem
experience racism.
 Reverend Sykes takes up collection for Helen Robinson (Tom’s wife), who
can’t find work.
 Zeebo leads members in hymns, linin’ because only four of congregation read.
 Aunt Alexandra has come to stay.
Chapter 13
 Aunt Alexandra there to be “positive influence” on children, specifically Scout
 Scout’s definition of “Fine Folks” people who do the best they can with the sense
they have. Aunt Alexandra’s: the longer a family has been squatting on a patch
of land, the finer it is.
 Caste system of Maycomb- four levels
 People of Maycomb can be expected to behave according to their family
“streaks”, no Crawford minds his own business, all Bufords walk that way, every
third Merriweather is morbid…
 Aunt Alexandra wants Atticus to instill sense of Finch heritage “who they aregentlemen and ladies” to the children. Atticus tries, but feels ridiculous and his
talk with children is awkward and unnatural -he tells them not to worry yet.
Chapter 14 “From rape to riot to runaways”-Atticus
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Town of Maycomb discussing trial and disapprove of Atticus’ role in it.
Scout asks Atticus about rape, which he defines for her.
Atticus and Aunt Alexandra learn Calpurnia took children to her church.
Alexandra scandalized, suggests Atticus let Calpurnia go since Alexandra is there
to help. He refuses. Calpurnia is a good influence on children, helps out
immensely, and the children love her. Aunt Alexandra and Atticus argue over the
way Atticus has raised the children, particularly Scout; saying she needs to learn
lady-like ways.
Scout and Jem fight over causing trouble for Atticus.
Scout thinks a snake is under her bed, in reality it is Dill, who has run away from
home, saying he was mistreated by his new father-chained in the basement
Jem “breaks the remaining code of their childhood” by telling Atticus about
Dill.
Dill later admits to Scout that his parents don’t mistreat him, they ignore him.
Reference to Boo: Scout, “Why do you recon Boo’s never run off?” Dill, “Maybe
he doesn’t have anywhere to run off to…”
Chapter 15
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Dill allowed to stay
Foreshadowing: “a nightmare was upon us.”
Grown men in Maycomb stand outside in the front yard for two reasons,
death and politics…a group of concerned citizens approach Atticus about
“trouble” brewing over Tom Robinson. Link Deas, Dr. Reynolds, Mr. Avery,
Heck Tate…Would like a change in trial venue-outside of Maycomb. Atticus
thinks it is not necessary. Also, wants to establish the truth- “Link, that boy may
go to the chair, but he’s not going till the truth’s told…and you know what the
truth is.”
Atticus goes to jail with an extension cord and light, and sits outside reading the
paper.
Jem, nervous and fearing for his father’s safety, sneaks out (along with Scout and
Dill) to make certain Atticus is alright. Four cars arrive filled with country men
(the Old Sarum Bunch) and ask Atticus to move aside and let them have Tom
Robinson.
Atticus tells them to go home and that Sherriff Heck Tate is nearby. The men
know he isn’t because they called Heck and his men out to the country under false
pretenses (a snipe hunt).
Scout breaks through group of men to see her father. Atticus asks Jem to take
them home, Jem refuses to go. A man grabs Jem, Scout kicks him.
Scout recognizes Mr. Cunningham among the group and speaks to him-he
pretends to not recognize her, and she continues talking to him about his son
Walter, the work Atticus has done for him, and the payments he has made against
his entailment. Eventually, her one-sided conversation unnerves Mr. Cunningham,
who crouches at her level and tells her he will say hello to his son Walter for her.
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He tells the gathered men to leave and go home, averting the crime they came to
commit (lynching Tom Robinson).
Mr. Underwood (the owner and editor of the town newspaper) had a doublebarreled shotgun, and had been watching the gathered men from his window
above The Maycomb Tribune Office
Atticus, Jem, Scout, and Dill go home; Tom is safe for the night.
Chapter 16
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As they review the events of the night before, Atticus notes that it was unusual to
have Mr. Underwood protecting him and Tom, as Underwood despises Negroes.
Scout and Atticus discuss Mr. Cunningham’s behavior, and his reason for being at
the jail-to kill Tom, and to hurt Atticus if necessary. Atticus explains mob
mentality, but that mobs are made up of people, human beings, which
distinguishes our race from animals. Atticus says Scout made Walter
Cunningham walk in HIS shoes for a minute-which was enough to avoid
trouble. Thematic reference
Trial begins, almost circus-like atmosphere, many people in town to see the trial:
Mennonites, Foot-washers, country folk, Idler’s Club (who spend every day
watching courthouse action), Miss Stephanie; the only person not interested in the
proceedings is Miss Maudie, who thinks it is morbid to watch “that poor devil on
trial for his life.”
Mr. Dolphus Raymond introduced as a wealthy landowner who is publically
drunk all the time, and who prefers the company of black people to “his own”. He
lives with his black common law wife and has multiple mixed-breed children. His
history is that his fiancé killed herself the night before their wedding (because he
was going to keep his black mistress).
By the time the children get to the courthouse, there are no seats remaining.
Reverend Sykes finds them a place to sit in the balcony (where the black citizens
sit).
Judge Taylor introduced: amiable, white haired, ruddy-faced, who runs his
courtroom casually, but professionally (appears to be sleeping, but is actually
listening intently). Unusual habit of not smoking, but consuming a cigar
throughout the day.
Chapter 17
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Prosecuting attorney-Mr. Gilmer, balding smooth-faced man anywhere between
40-60 years old.
Sheriff Heck Tate’s testimony: night of November 21st, Mr. Ewell came in saying
someone had raped his daughter…found her lying on the floor, beat up, and said
she had been raped by Tom Robinson. Tate went to Robinson’s home and arrested
him.
Atticus questions whether a doctor was called because she was so beat up- bruised
around the head, shoulders and neck, and a black RIGHT eye.
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Robert E Lee Ewell was called to the stand, “…a little bantam cock of a man
rose and strutted to the stand…a shock of wispy new-washed hair stood up from
his forehead; his nose was thin, pointed, and shiny; he had no chin to speak of-it
seemed to be part of his crepey neck.-metaphor
Description of the Ewell property behind the town dump, dirty, unkempt, squalid
home, except for a corner of the yard with perfectly tended pots of red geraniums.
The flowers were said to be Mayella Ewell’s.
Mr. Gilmer asks questions about the night of November 21st, Mr. Ewell’s crude
replies lead to Judge Taylor using his gavel repeatedly and threatening to clear the
courtroom if there are any more outbursts. Testifies that he heard screaming, ran
to the window and saw Tom raping his daughter, ran to Heck Tate’s office. On
cross examination, Atticus again asks about why no doctor was called for
Mayella’s injuries. Atticus also asks Bob to write his name, indicating that he
is left-handed (implying that Bob, not Tom Robinson was the person to give
Mayella her black right eye).
Chapter 18
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Mayella Violet Ewell is called to the stand to testify-a thick-bodied girl
accustomed to strenuous labor, yet looks as though she tries to keep clean.
Mr. Gilmer questions Mayella about the events of November 21st. She asked Tom
to come in the yard and break up a chiffarobe for her. When she went to get a
nickel to pay him, he attacked her and raped her.
Atticus questions Mayella, and she is afraid of him, also thinks Atticus is mocking
her because he is being polite-calling her ma’am, and Miss Mayella.
Atticus asks a series of questions designed to paint a picture of the bleakness of
her life-living in squalid conditions, no friends, no school, no mother, and an
abusive father.
Atticus begins to attack the inconsistencies in her story, ending with having Tom
stand up, which shows his crippled left arm. It would be physically impossible, or
at least unlikely for him to have choked her, beat her and raped her using just one
arm/hand.
Mayella refuses to speak/testify any further.
Chapter 19
 Tom testifies, cannot place his left hand on the Bible, it keeps slipping off.
 He is 25, married, has three children, and works for Mr. Link Deas.
 He passes the Ewell house every day to get to and from work.
 Mayella often asked him to come in the yard and do things for her. He did it
without being paid because he could see she didn’t have money or much help
from her father or her siblings.
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The 21st she asked him into the house to fix a door that wasn’t broken. The
children are all gone; she sent them into town for ice cream. She said it took her a
year to save up enough nickels for all of them (planning this for a long time).
Mayella makes a pass at Tom (hits on him), hugging him and trying to kiss him.
Tom tries to get away without hurting her. In the meantime, Bob Ewell looks in
the window and sees what is happening and says, “You goddamn whore, I’ll kill
ya.”
Tom runs, explaining that he ran because “if you was a nigger like me, you’d be
scared too.”
Mr. Gilmer’s cross-examination: his style of questioning is condescending and
rude, calling Tom “boy”
Gilmer questions why Tom would do the work without being paid, that he had his
eye on Mayella for a long time.
Tom makes the fatal error of saying he did those things for Mayella because he
felt sorry for her. Gilmer, “You felt sorry for her, you felt sorry for her?” A black
person feeling sorry for a white person is incomprehensible to white people
during this time period-it is presumptuous, given their social standing.
Dill begins to cry. He cannot tolerate the way Mr. Gilmer speaks to Tom. Jem
makes Scout take him out of the courtroom, where Dill explains why he’s crying,
Dolphus Raymond comes up and says he understands why Gilmer’s racist
behavior makes Dill feel sick. “You’re not thin-hided; it just makes you sick,
doesn’t it?”
Chapter 20
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Dolphus offers Dill a drink from his bottle, which turns out to be simply Cocacola, not whiskey. The children ask him why he pretends to be drunk.
“…I don’t care that they (people of Maycomb) don’t like it-but I don’t say the
hell with ‘em, see?” Folks can say Dolphus Raymond’s in the clutches of
whiskey, that’s why he won’t change his ways-he can’t help himself. People
could never understand he lives with black people because he chooses to.
He trusts the children to keep his secret because he says children understand
better than adults. Explaining Dill’s tears “Things haven’t caught up with that
one’s instinct yet…cry about the simple hell people give other people…cry
about the hell white people give colored folks without even stopping to think
that they’re people too.”
Cheating a colored man: Atticus: cheating a colored man is ten times worse
than cheating a white man.
Back to the courtroom, where Atticus is giving his summation speech: the state
has not produced medical evidence; their two witnesses’ testimony has been
called into question and contradicts the defendant’s.
“Mayella has broken a rigid and time-honored code of society…she tempted a
Negro.” “She did something that in our society is unspeakable: she kissed a black
man.”
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“…there is one way in this country in which all men are created equal…a court.”
“…in this country our courts are the great levelers.” Specifically to the jury: “In
the name of God, do your duty.”
Chapter 21
 Calpurnia brings a note that the children are missing. Mr. Underwood points them
out in the balcony. Atticus makes them go home for supper, but allows them to
come back to hear the verdict. Jem believes the jury will acquit Tom quickly.
 The children return to the courthouse and the verdict still is not in; they wait
further.
 Mockingbird reference: Scout senses a feeling similar to the time in February
when the rabid dog was about to be shot… Symbolism and metaphor:
Innocence is about to be destroyed (Tom’s, Jem’s, Scout’s).
 “A jury never looks at a defendant it has convicted…” Guilty verdict.
 Atticus gathers his things to leave, and walks down the center aisle. Reverend
Sykes and the other people in the black section are standing, “Miss Jean Louise,
stand up. Your father’s passin.’” They are showing their respect for him, and their
gratitude to him.
Chapter 22
 Jem cries at the injustice of the verdict. Aunt Alexandra says to Atticus, “I’m
sorry brother.” She says she didn’t think the children should have been allowed to
stay in the courtroom. Atticus says, “This is their home, sister, we’ve made it this
way for them, they might as well learn to cope with it.”
 Jem asks Atticus how they (the jury) could do it (guilty verdict). His reply, “I
don’t know, but they did it. They’ve done it before and they did it tonight and
they’ll do it again and when they do it-seems that only children weep.” Like
Dolphus Raymond-only innocent children understand racism and injustice.
 The next morning, Calpurnia shows Atticus all the food the black community has
sent to him in appreciation. Atticus is moved to tears at their generosity.
 Neighborhood reaction to the verdict: Miss Rachel, “If a man like Atticus Finch
wants to butt his head against a stone wall it’s his head.” Miss Stephanie, Mr.
Avery and Miss Maudie are talking. Miss Maudie calls the children over; she has
made a Lane cake (and two small ones for Dill and Scout-Jem receives a slice
from the large cake, for adults).
 Miss Maudie talks to the children, “Don’t fret, Jem. Things are never as bad as
they seem.” And “…there are some men who were born to do our unpleasant
jobs for us. Your father’s one of them.” And “We’re so rarely called on to be
Christians, but when we are, we’ve got men like Atticus to go for us.” She
explains that some people of Maycomb tried to do the right thing, like Judge
Taylor appointing Atticus to the case. “And I thought to myself, well, we’re
making a step-it’s just a baby step, but it’s a step.”
 The neighbors are still talking and the children sense something is wrong. Miss
Stephanie tells them, “…this morning Mr. Bob Ewell stopped Atticus on the post
office corner, spat in his face, and told him he’d get him if it took the rest of his
life.
Chapter 23
 The children are frightened by Bob’s threat; Atticus isn’t too concerned, but he
explains to Jem, “See if you can stand in Bob Ewell’s shoes a minute, I
destroyed his last shred of credibility at that trial…” Thematic
Reference
 Atticus plans to appeal Tom’s case to a higher court. Tom is at Enfield Prison, 70
miles away. If he loses his appeal, he will be executed.
 Discussion about cheating a black man-Atticus says, “Whenever a white man
does that (cheats) to a black man, no matter who he is, how rich he is, or how
fine a family he comes from, that white man is trash.”
 Atticus says the jury took time to come back with a verdict because one man in
particular took time to wear down: a Cunningham from Old Sarum.
 Scout says she wants to invite Walter Cunningham to dinner, or to stay overnight
for a visit, but Aunt Alexandra says she can’t because, “…you can scrub Walter
Cunningham ‘til he shines, you can put him in shoes and a new suit, but he’ll
never be like Jem.” “You should be friendly and polite to him; you should be
gracious to everybody, dear. But you don’t have to invite him home.” Scout,
“Why can’t I?” Aunt Alexandra, “Because-he-is-trash, that’s why you can’t
play with him.”
 Scout later when talking to Jem about it, says, “…that boy’s not trash, Jem. He
ain’t like the Ewells.”
 Jem talks about (the caste system in Maycomb) four kinds of folks, ordinary
kind like us, the kind like the Cunninghams out in the woods, the kind like
the Ewells down at the dump, and the Negroes.
 Discussion of why each kind of folks don’t like the other, and Jem explains that,
“…the reason Aunty’s so hipped on the family is because all we’ve got’s
background and not a dime to our names.” Jem: background is how long your
family’s been readin’ and writin’. Scout, “There’s just one kind of folks.
Folks.”
 Jem says, if there’s one kind of folks, why can’t they get along with each other? “I
think I understand why Boo Radley’s stayed shut up in the house all this
time…it’s because he wants to stay inside.”
Chapter 24
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Aunt Alexandra hosts the Ladies’ Missionary Circle. Mrs. Grace
Merriweather gives a report on the squalid lives of the Mrunas (a tribe of
people living according to their own cultural mores in Africa-considered to be
uncivilized and who live in “poverty and immorality” in Africa). J. Grimes
Everett is the “only missionary who is the only white man who will go near
them.” Tells Scout she is fortunate to “…live in a Christian home with Christian
folks in a Christian town. Out there in J. Grimes Everett’s land there’s nothing but
sin and squalor.” –Irony, the sin and squalor perpetrated by the Ewell family
is ignored and tolerated.
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Scout confuses Mrs. Merriweather’s meaning, and thinks she is talking about the
Ewell family, when in reality; Merriweather has begun gossiping with another
lady about Helen Robinson, and her situation following the trial.
Discussion follows about how “they” are sulky, and dissatisfied and grumbling
about the outcome of the trial (the black community).
Mrs. Merriweather begins in a subtle way to criticize Atticus, “…there are some
good but misguided people in this town…who think they’re doing right…but all
they did was stir ‘em up.”
Miss Maudie speaks harshly to Mrs. Merriweather, “His food doesn’t stick going
down, does it?” This embarrasses and angers Merriweather, but stops her.
Aunt Alexandra is grateful for Miss Maudie’s loyalty.
Atticus comes home unexpectedly, looking for Calpurnia. He wants her to go with
him to Helen Robinson’s place. Tom Robinson is dead. He was shot (seventeen
times) while trying to escape from prison. He has lost hope, and decided to take
his chances on running.
Alexandra reveals her concern for Atticus and frustration with the people of
Maycomb, “…they’re perfectly willing to let him wreck his health doing what
they’re afraid to do…” Maudie responds by saying, “…we’re paying him the
highest tribute we can pay a man…” When asked, “Who?”, Miss Maudie replies,
“The handful of people in this town who say that fair play is not marked White
Only…the handful of people in this town with background (people who
believe in fairness, justice, not based on skin color).
Scout, Miss Maudie, and Aunt Alexandra rejoin the ladies, pretending nothing of
significance has happened. Scout, “After all, if Aunty could be a lady at a time
like this, so could I.”
Chapter 25
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Symbols of innocence: the roly- poly that Scout almost crushes after playing
with it. Jem stops her: “Why couldn’t I mash him?” “Because they don’t bother
you.” The little girl at the Robinson house, who Atticus helps down the stairs.
Helen Robinson, after hearing the news about her husband: “…she just fell down
in the dirt, like a giant with a big foot just came along and stepped on her.”
Mr. Underwood’s editorial: “Mr. Underwood simply figured it was a sin to kill
cripples, be they standing, sitting, or escaping. He likened Tom’s death to the
senseless slaughter of songbirds by hunters and children.”
Bob Ewell is heard saying (about Tom’ death), “…it made one down and about
two more to go.”
Chapter 26
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School started again. Scout’s daily trips past the Radley house remind Scout of
their obsession with Boo. The house no longer terrifies her, yet she still would
like to see Boo before she dies. “So many things had happened to us, Boo Radley
was the least of our fears.”
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Current Events with Miss Gates: WE ARE A DEMOCRACY. Scout, “Equal
rights for all, special privileges for none.” Miss Gates discusses the Jews in
Europe being persecuted by Hitler. “Persecution comes from people who are
prejudiced”, says Miss Gates. Scout is troubled by this lesson, and confused,
because after the trial, Scout heard Miss Gates 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.”-about black people in Maycomb. Scout recognizes
Miss Gates’ prejudice.
Chapter 27
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Things settle down; however three events serve to foreshadow that Bob
Ewell is dangerous.
1. Bob acquires and loses a WPA (government issued, Depression
relief) job within three days, he is too lazy. When collecting his
welfare check, claims Atticus took his job.
2. One Sunday night at home, Judge Taylor hears a scratching noise
on his screen door, but nothing is there. His wife returns home to
find him reading, with a shotgun across his lap.
3. The Ewells “chunk at” (insult, threaten) Helen Robinson as she
goes to and from work (for Link Deas). Deas threatens Bob Ewell,
who begins following Helen, making threats behind her as she
walks to work. Link Deas promises to have Ewell arrested under
the “Ladies’ Law” (decency toward women enforced), and Ewell
finally stops.
Halloween pranks went too far in Maycomb last year (moving Miss Tutti’s and
Miss Frutti’s furniture to their basement was the last straw), so a pageant at the
high school auditorium is planned (by Mrs. Grace Merriweather): Maycomb
County: Ad Astra Per Aspera (from the mud to the stars). Scout is to be a ham in
the presentation. Mrs. Crenshaw makes her costume out of chicken wire, and it is
so big, she needs help getting into and out of it.
Atticus and Alexandra are both too tired to attend the pageant. Atticus asks Jem to
escort Scout. Foreshadowing “Thus began our longest journey together.”
Chapter 28 Climax of the novel
 Halloween is an unusually warm, dark night. Jem and Scout walk to the school.
Symbolism: Mockingbird reference “High above us a solitary mocker poured
out his repertoire in blissful unawareness…”The pageant is a success, especially
entertaining is when Scout (who has fallen asleep inside her costume (due to Mrs.
Merriweather’s dramatic droning), runs on stage late, just as Mrs. Merriweather
enters the stage- illustrating a similarity between “Pork!” (a pig) and Mrs.
Merriweather-the audience loves it. Mrs. Merriweather yells at Scout for ruining
her pageant, and Scout is embarrassed. She and Jem wait to leave after everyone
else has gone home.
 Jem and later Scout notice that someone is following them as they walk home.
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Someone attacks them, crushing Scout in her costume, and pulling Jem away
from her. She hears Jem scream, and then someone begins squeezing her until he
is pulled off of her. She feels a body that isn’t Jem’s, but that of a man, with
whiskers and who smells of whiskey. Scout sees someone carrying Jem to their
house. Atticus and the man carry Jem inside. The doctor is called, and Heck Tate.
Doctor Reynolds examines Jem and Scout. Jem has a badly broken arm, bumps
and bruises, but will be okay. Heck investigates the area and finds Bob Ewell
dead, with a kitchen knife stuck under his ribs.
Chapter 29
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Heck asks Scout to tell what she remembers about their walk home after the
pageant. She relates the details. Tate examines her costume, and says that the
chicken wire matches holes in Bob’s sleeves and arms. He points out the clean
mark a knife cut made through the wire, indicating that Bob “meant business”,
had stabbed Scout-but only cut her costume (the costume saved her life). Scout
tells more about the scuffle and identifies the man in the room as the person who
carried Jem home. She realizes gradually that the man is Boo Radley.
Chapter 30
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Atticus introduces Arthur to Scout, saying he already knows her. Boo, who has
been unnerved by the people in the room being able to look at him, smiles and
visibly relaxes when he looks at Scout.
Heck Tate, Atticus, Boo and Scout go outside to talk about the events of the
evening while Dr. Reynolds puts a cast on Jem’s arm. Atticus chooses the porch
because it is darker than the living room.
Heck and Atticus begin discussing what to do next. Atticus begins putting
together details in his mind for Jem’s defense. He believes Jem is responsible for
killing Bob. Heck Tate is surprised, and tries to tell Atticus how that couldn’t be
possible. Atticus thinks Heck is suggesting they cover up Jem’s murder by saying
Bob Ewell fell on his knife. Atticus won’t allow the dishonesty-it isn’t how he has
raised his children. Heck is firm about the fact that Jem didn’t stab Ewell (he
didn’t), and that Bob killed himself (fell on his knife) in the struggle (a lie). Heck
Tate removed Bob Ewell’s switchblade from the crime scene, and says the
switchblade was taken from a drunk downtown earlier in the evening (it wasn’t, it
was Bob Ewell’s knife). Heck Tate says that Bob Ewell probably found the
kitchen knife in the dump and sharpened it to murder the children with it (the
kitchen knife was from the Radley household-Boo grabbed it and ran to protect
his children). Heck Tate is trying to protect Boo, and to serve justice, “There’s a
black boy dead or no reason, and the man responsible for its dead. Let the dead
bury the dead this time, Mr. Finch.”
Thematic and symbolic reference to mockingbirds
and innocence through Heck Tate: “…takin’ the one man who’s done
you and this town a great service an’ draggin’ him with his shy ways (Boo)
into the limelight-to me, that’s a sin. It’s a sin and I’m not about to have it on
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my head.” And also from Scout, who was told “the story” about Bob Ewell
falling on his knife. She understands, and says, “Yes sir, I understand. Mr. Tate
was right.” “Well, it would be sort of like shootin’ a mockingbird, wouldn’t
it?”
Atticus thanks Boo for what he has done. “Thank you for my children, Arthur.”
Chapter 31
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Boo, who has been sitting next to Scout during Heck’s and Atticus’ conversation,
has said nothing the entire time. He stands up and indicates to Scout that he would
like to see Jem. Scout brings him to Jem’s room, where Boo looks at him with a
blend of curiosity and concern. He touches Jem’s hair. He speaks only once,
saying, “Will you take me home?”
Scout leads him to the front porch steps, and he has not let go of her hand. She
changes their position from her leading him, to her walking on his arm across the
street (in case someone like Miss Stephanie Crawford was watching, she would
see a man escorting a young lady across the street, not a pitiful man being led by a
girl). Arthur walks up his steps, across his porch, and goes inside. Scout never
sees him again.
“Neighbors bring food with death and flowers with sickness and little things in
between. Boo was our neighbor. He gave us two soap dolls, (other tree items)…
and our lives. But neighbors give in return. We never put back into the tree what
we took out of it: we had given him nothing, and it made me sad.”
As Scout turns to go, she sees her neighborhood from Boo’s perspective. She
realizes their lives, in particular, Jem’s and Scout’s have been visible to Boo-their
make-believe game, Jem destroying Mrs. Dubose’s flowers, Miss Maudie’s fire,
their discouraged walk home after Tom Robinson’s trial.. “Winter, and his
children shivered at the front gate…Summer, and he watched his children’s
heart break. Autumn again, and Boo’s children needed him.”She understands
that Boo felt invested in their lives, concern for their welfare…that they did give
back to him. Thematic reference: “Atticus was right. One time he said you
never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in
them. Just standing on the Radley porch was enough.”
On the way home, Scout figures Jem will be mad he missed seeing Boo. She also
figures the both she and Jem will grow up, but that they haven’t got much else to
learn (about life) other than maybe algebra.
Atticus reads to Scout and she falls asleep. The story is The Gray Ghost, in which
a character is a good person, but is misunderstood…, much like Boo Radley.
Atticus remains in Jem’s room until morning.