NAME_____Colleen Kennedy__________________
Study Questions: To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
PART TWO - Chapters 12 - 31
Chapter 12
1. Why is this statement true? “Scout gravitated toward Calpurnia partly due to the imposition of
Jem's changing values.” Because Scout is a girl, it is harder for her to get along with Jem
because he was going through puberty and being a jerk head.
2. Why is Scout temporarily crushed? Because Dill was not coming for the summer
3. Who tries to intimidate Calpurnia at her own church? Lula
4. Who would be the beneficiary of today's collection at First Purchase? Tom Robinson’s
family
5. How were hymns sung at the church? Why? Linin; they could not afford books
6. What did Jem and Scout think of Zeebo's singing talents? They were amazed
7. Why does Calpurnia, adjust her language in switching with black and white society? Because
she may offend people back home who don’t speak the right way
Chapter 13
1. Why does Aunt Alexandra show up to stay a while? To help raise Scout and Jem
2. How did the Maycomb people respond to her? They greeted her kindly
3. What changes occur in the Finch household? Aunt Alexandra was not around much, but
they always had people over
4. What did she want Jem and Scout to understand about living up to their name? That they
should be taking pride in their name and heritage
Chapter 14
1. How does Atticus respond to the visit to Calpurnia’s church? He seemed to enjoy the visit
2. How does Alexandra respond to the visit to Calpurnia’s church? She seemed very bored
3. What is Alexandra’s opinion about Calpurnia’s presence? She feels it is not needed
4. What advice does Jem give Scout about Aunt Alexandra? That she better not antagonize
Aunt Alexandra
5. How does Scout respond to Jem’s advice? She started to beat him up
6. Why does Dill show up? He feels unwanted at his house
Chapter 15
1. What is the lemon-drop plan? The children’s plan to put lemon drops leading from Boo
Radley’s to their house, in an attempt to lure Boo out of his house
2. Where did Mr. Heck Tate want to move Tom Robinson to avoid trouble from the "Old Sarum
bunch"? The county jail
3. Who were the group of men who visited Atticus's house on Saturday? Friends of Atticus
4. To where was Tom moved? County jail
5. Why was the family sitting in the dark? To watch out the window
6. Describe Mr. Underwood He was the kind of person that kept to himself. He rarely ever
left his house
7. What did Atticus do after supper that Jem and Scout thought peculiar? He said he was going
downtown
8. Why did Atticus need the extension cord? To provide light outside of the jail
9. Who hid Tom from Scout’s view? Atticus
10. From amongst the semi-circle, whom did Scout recognize? Mr. Cunningham
11. How did Scout help disperse the crowd? She began talking to Mr. Cunningham
12. Who would have fired from above had the gang of men not shuffled off? Tom
Chapter 16
1. Major event takes place in this chapter? The trial
2. What does Atticus tell Jem and Scout not to do? Go downtown
3. What do they do? Disobeyed
4. Where do the white and black people sit in the courthouse? Separated
5. Where do Jem, Scout and Dill sit? At whose invitation? The balcony; Reverend Sykes
6. Who is presiding over the trial? Judge Taylor
NAME___________Emilee O’Toole__________________________
Reading Questions: To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee Ch 17-20
Chapter 17
1. What two major points did Atticus score in his favor during Heck Tate's testimony? He didn’t
call a doctor; Mr. Tate was unsure on the injuries
2. True – False - The Sheriff’s testimony was rather dull, leaving the audience in a relaxed mode.
False
3. Where did the Ewells live? Behind the town garbage dump
4. What was Mr. Gilmer's trademark? Just-in-your own words
5. How did Mr. Bob Ewell describe his daughter's screaming? “raisin’ this holy racket”
6. What happened that caused a stir in the courtroom? Mr. Ewell used the term “nigger”
7. What opinion of Mr. Ewell does Scout form based on evidence? He was a smug jerk, and a
liar
8. What is this evidence? Mr. Ewell was left handed and the victim was beaten on the left
side of her face
Chapter 18
1. Describe Mayella Violet Ewell? Fragile looking, stubborn
2. T F The nineteen-year-old Mayella misconstrued routine courtesy. True
3. T F Atticus was able to build a portrait of Mayella's home life. True
4. What habit brought Mr. Ewell into suspicion? His hatred for blacks
5. Judge Taylor felt who was browbeating whom? Witness was browbeating Atticus
6. What kind of effort was Mr. Gilmer putting into the trial? Little to none
7. What is Atticus's perception of Judge Taylor? That he is a good judge, though he looks lazy
8. What became clear once Tom stood up? His injury
9. How did Mr. Robinson injure his left arm? He got it caught in the cotton gin
Chapter 19
1. What slipped off the Bible? Tom’s useless hand
2. Why did Tom have to serve his 30 days for disorderly conduct? He was involved in a fight
3. T F Tom did bust up an old dresser for Mayella, but it was prior to Nov. 21. True
3. Scout felt Mayella was lonelier than whom? Boo Radley
5. What about Tom’s voice was swaying Scout’s opinion of him? There was kindness in it
6. How did Tom fixed the old door? It was never broken
7. Who initiated the kissing? Miss Mayella
8. Once Mayella was blocking Tom's exit, what was Tom's basic predicament? Hostage!
9. What did Mr. Link Deas's outburst leave the door open for? Arguement
10. Why was Dill crying? He felt sick
11. What does "thin-hided" mean? Shallow and weak
Chapter 20
1. T F Mr. Dolphus Raymond is a cynic, to the degree that he doesn't believe adults could
understand his way of living. True
2 Why was Mr. Raymond willing to entrust the reason for his behavior to Scout and Dill? He
trusted them because they were children
3. T F Mr. Raymond knew the value of a man like Atticus and underscored Mr. Finch's stature
for Scout to remember True
4. Who did Jem think would win the trial? Atticus
5. In his closing argument, Atticus referred to a "time-honored code." What is that unwritten law,
that code that Mayella violated? She hurt someone else to suppress her own guilt
6. T F Atticus quite thoroughly argued against the evil assumptions about all blacks. True
7. What institution theoretically assures Thomas Jefferson's dictate? A court
NAME_________________Emilee O’Toole____________________
Reading Questions: To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee Ch 21-24 (use the back if needed)
Chapter 21
1. Calpurnia's note was from whom, announcing what? Aunt Alexandria; The children were
missing
2. What had happened by the time the children returned to the courtroom? The jury had
reached a verdict
3. What side did Rev. Sykes feel Judge Taylor was predisposed towards? The white side
4. What was Scout's intuition telling her? That they had found Tom guilty
5. Why did Jem jerk repeatedly? Each time the jury said “guilty”, Jem jerked like “ah!”
6. How did the blacks attending the trial respond to Atticus as he passed by? They stood up
Chapter 22
1. Which neighbor didn’t care that the Finch children were sitting in the Colored balcony? Miss
Maudie
2. How was Miss Maudie clear about the lack of coincidence surrounding how Tom's attorney
was assigned? Judge Taylor had picked Atticus
3. How does Jem respond to the verdict? He was angry
4. State Jem's critique of the legal system They were all like caterpillars in a cocoon
5. Atticus told his sister that "'they might as well learn to cope with it.'" What did he mean?
Things would not change
6. What are the neighbors busy gossiping about? The children sitting in the colored section of
the courtroom
7. What does Bob Ewell do to Atticus and swear he’ll do? Spit in his face, kill him
Chapter 23
1. How does Atticus respond to Bob Ewell’s accusations? He just stands there and takes it
2. Atticus reminded Jem about what ugly facts of life? White man always wins over a black
man
3. According to Atticus, what constitutes white trash? White men being racist towards black
men
4. What did Atticus forsee? Tom being put to death
5. What made Scout indignant? Men didn’t like the idea of women being part of the jury
6. How can serving on a jury be unpleasant? Men don’t like to have their thoughts or opinions
set in stone
7. From Jem's perspective, why does Boo Radley want to stay inside? He doesn’t want to be
apart of the racist town
Chapter 24
1. Why couldn't Scout go to Barker's Eddy, the swimming creek, with Jem and Dill? They were
swimming naked
2. How was joining the dessert portion of the missionary circle a part of Aunt Alexandra's plant
for Scout? It taught her to be a lady
3. T – F During the social hour, Scout heard the ladies criticize Tom's wife, hired help, and even
Atticus, whose food they were eating. True
4. How would Scout take the wind out of the Missionary Society's proclivity for prejudice?
5. Why was Atticus's face white? He was shocked
6. How did Aunt Alexandra respond to the death of Tom? She didn’t seem surprised
NAME__________Emilee O’Toole___________________________
Last set of Reading Questions: TKAM, by Harper Lee Ch 25-31 (use the back if needed)
Chapter 25
1. Why did Scout conclude that Jem "was getting more like a girl every day"? He had
compassion for the bug
2. What doesn’t he want Scout to do? Bother the bug
3. Dill left Maycomb having learned an extra skill. What was it? Swimming
4. What news does Atticus go to tell Helen? Tom is dead
5. How does she respond to the news? She faints
6. What was the response of the Maycomb citizen to Tom’s death? It was typical
7. What did Mr. Underhill write an editorial on in the newspaper? Senseless killing
8. T F Due process of law, or the right to a fair trial, was undermined by "the secret
courts of men's hearts," or prejudice. True
Chapter 26
1. As school resumes, what grades are Scout and Jem in? Scout is in 3rd, Jem is in 7th
2. How many years have passed since the start of the book? Two.
3. T F Scout still wants to see Boo, but the kids have given up with the games. True
4 T F Scout became aware that Atticus knew more about their trespassing onto the
Radley place than she thought he did. True
5. Who is in power in Germany? Adolf Hitler
6. What does Scout’s teacher talk about? Hitler persecuting the Jews
7. What does Scout later hear the teacher say that is hypocritical? She hates Hitler because he’s
extremely prejudice.
8. What can’t Scout understand? How her teacher can be prejudice towards blacks, but hate
Hitler for being the same way with Jews
Chapter 27
1. T F Bob Ewell pestered Judge Taylor and Helen. True
2. Who came to Mrs. Robinson's rescue? How? Mr. Link; He walked Helen home
3. How successful were the hounds in locating Tutti's and Frutti's furniture? They weren’t
4. Did Jem care to be in the pageant? No
5. What part does Scout play in the pageant? What is her costume? A ham; Chicken wire and
brown cloth.
6. Why was Scout nonchalant about Atticus's or Aunt Alexandra's or Calpurnia's attendance at
the pageant? She got to show all of them her part before the play
Chapter 28
1. How does Jem interpret the song of the mockingbird? Like Boo’s not there.
2. Who jumped in glee as he scared Jem and Scout? Cecil Jacobs
3. Cold spaghetti was used to represent the innards of a what? A human
4. Who uplifted Scout when she felt bad for missing her cue? Whose actions are these similar to?
Jem.
5. What characteristics do we know about the attacker? Flabby stomach, prickly stubbled face,
and smelled of stale whiskey.
6. Who carried Jem to the safety of his house? Boo Radley
7. What garment did Scout get to wear? Overalls
8. Scout asked what question repeatedly? “Is Jem dead?”
9. T F Atticus, because he had underestimated the depth of Ewell's grudge, did not initially
suspect Bob as the attacker. True.
Chapter 29
1. What did Aunt Alexandra have a premonition about? The turn of events that night.
2. What caused the "shiny clean line" on the dull wire of the remains of Scout's costume? Bob
Ewells switchblade’s slash.
3. How did Heck Tate describe a man like Bob Ewell's kind? ‘You have to shoot them before
saying hi to them, and they're not worth the bullet it takes to kill them.’
4. Who did Scout assume was responsible for yanking Bob from her? Jem
5. What blurred Scout's image of Arthur Radley? Her tears.
Chapter 30
1. What did Scout note her father's introduction of Mr. Arthur Radley? It was bland.
2 How did Dr. Reynold’s greeting influence Scout’s perception of Mr. Radley? She said even
boo must get sick sometimes.
3. How could Aunt Alexandra's influence upon Scout been seen in this chapter? Politeness
towards boo.
4. Explain the curious contest of wills between Heck Tate and Atticus. Atticus thought Jem
stabbed Bob Ewell and would be sent to jail. Heck said that Bob fell on his knife and Jem
wouldn’t need a court hearing.
5. Explain how exactly Bob Ewell died. Be sure to give an account of both knives and all
relevant parties. (This is a BIG answer – use the back) Bob didn’t fall on his knife or the
kitchen knife, but he did have a switchblade with him that Heck didn’t get from an
drunk guy downtown, but from Bob. The sheriff had to take away one knife from the
scene so his version of the story would make sense.
6 Scout came to an understanding: If dragged into the limelight, ________ might be the next
Mockingbird. BOOSEPH!
Chapter 31
1. T F Boo allowed Scout to lead him to Jem's bedside. True
2. With regard to returning to the Radley Place, how did Scout show signs of becoming a lady?
She let boo be her escort at the support role showing he’s a gentlemen.
3. While standing on the Radley porch, what did Scout learn from her reveries? Boo loved her
and Jem like they were his own kids.
4. In "The Gray Ghost," Stoner's Boy symbolically represented whom? Boo. No one really
knows them but people assume stuff.