•
LI: I can understand who the main
characters are
•
Simon Finch – the first Finch in America
Finch’s Landing – the home he built
•
•
•
Montgomery – the capital of Alabama
Maycomb – the fictional town where
the novel is set
•
What do you learn in this chapter about
Maycomb, Atticus Finch and his family?
•
‘Maycomb was an old town, but it was a
tired old town when I first knew it.’
• How does this give you a further
understanding of Maycomb?
•
What do you learn about Dill’s
character? Do you like him?
•
Can you explain what has happened
to Arthur ‘Boo’ Radley?
•
Why does the Radley place fascinate
Scout, Jem and Dill?
•
What do you notice about the
narrative voice/point of view?
In the 19th century (1800-1899) many states
(such as Alabama) chose to ‘succeed from
the union’. This means they choose to
remove themselves from the United States.
• Individual counties had the right to succeed
from their state and remain as part of the
United States.
• Entailment – if a person was left land in a will
as ‘entailment’, they could not sell it or
borrow against it. During the depression,
many people had a lot of land but very little
money.
•
•
Why is Scout so looking forward to starting
school?
•
Why does Jem not want anything to do with
Scout at school?
•
What do you think of Miss Caroline Fisher as a
teacher?
• Can you find qualities which would make her
good or not so good at her job?
•
Explain what we find out about the
Cunningham family.

What does Atticus say about the best way
to understand a man? (p.33)

According to Atticus, when is it best to
“bend the law”? (p.33)

“The Ewells were members of an exclusive
society made up only of Ewells.” (p.34)
 What does Atticus mean by this? What
position do the Ewells hold in Maycomb?

What does this chapter show us about
Atticus as a father? Refer to the book in
your answer.

Why doesn’t Scout like school?
What does Scout find in the tree? Who do you think
has placed them there and why?

“Scout, sometimes you act so much like a
__________ it’s mortifyin’.” (p.42)

What does this tell you about Scout?

What is the point in the Boo Radley game?
Which character says “that’s nigger-talk”? How does
that phrase make you feel?

What noise does Scout hear coming from inside the
Radley House? What does this tell us?

What do we learn about Miss Maudie
Atkinson?

“There are some kind of men who - who’re
so busy worrying about the _____________
they’ve never learned to live in this one.”
(p.50) Explain.

The things they say about B- Mr Arthur… are
three-fourths coloured folks and one-fourth
Stephanie Crawford.” What does she mean by
this?


Summarise what happens at the end
of Chapter 5.

What do you think of Atticus as a
parent now? Explain your answer.
Use these questions to help you form a PARAGRAPH that
summarises chapter 6.
What
does Dill see in the window?
What
does Scout see the shadow of?
What
does Mr. Radley do when the children run off?
What
threat does Mr. Radley make? (Quotation
please!)
Why
After
does Jem sneak back?
Jem gets back in bed, what does Scout hear?
Scout takes Atticus’ advice and leaves Jem alone.
What does this suggest about her character?
What do Jem’s mended trousers tell the reader
about Boo?
Jem is upset by the filling-in of the knot hole but
Scout isn’t.
a) Why is the hole filled in?
b) Why is Jem so upset?
c) Why isn’t Scout ?
What do Scout’s screams of “The world’s endin’, Atticus!
Please do something!” and “It’s hot!” convey about her
character?

Find two quotations that convey the level of trust the children
place in Atticus. Write a short analysis for these quotes.

Jem suggests Miss Maudie gets “a coloured man” to help her.
However, Harper Lee makes it clear that Jem does not believe a
coloured man to be beneath him. How does she do this?

Jem has seen ‘coloured men’ doing manual labour in
Maycomb so suggests Miss Maudie gets one to help her.
However, he hasn’t judge them for this. He has just accepted
it. Lee says ‘there was no note of sacrifice in his voice’ when
he suggests he and Scout could do the job too. He sees
himself as no different from a black person.
Task
We see events from the point of view of
Scout. Look back at your notes on Chapters
7, 8 & 9 and consider Jem’s point of view.
 Write a letter to Dill as if you are Jem. Give
him the details of everything that has
happened since he went home.
 You can also ask him questions about his life
or questions that Jem would not ask Scout
or Atticus.


The
fight between Cecil Jacobs/Francis
and Scout is really a fight about different
views. What views does Cecil/Francis
represent?
Atticus
sensitively handles the matter
when speaking with Scout. Find
evidence to show that he handles this
situation well and explain what this
conveys about his character.
Scout is reluctant to say why she punches
Francis but he is quick to tell on her. What
does this convey about her character?
Uncle Jack is a well-liked Finch. How does
Harper Lee typify this?
Why are Jem and Scout ashamed of their
father at the beginning of the chapter?
Explain what this shows us about them as
characters.
Atticus says ‘Shoot all the bluejays you
want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it
is a sin to kill a mockingbird’.
 Explain what he means by this.
 Can this be applied to other things?
• These lines from Chapter 10 are the source of the
novel’s title and introduce one of the key
metaphors of the book: the idea of “mockingbirds”
as good, innocent people who are destroyed by
evil.
• Boo Radley, for instance, is like a mockingbird—
just as mockingbirds do not harm people but only
“sing their hearts out for us,” Boo does not harm
anyone; instead, he leaves Jem and Scout presents
and covers Scout with a blanket during the fire.
Despite the pureness of his heart, however, Boo has
been damaged by the actions of his father.
• The connection between songbirds and
innocents is made explicitly several times later in
the book (look out for them!). The moral imperative
to protect the vulnerable governs Atticus’s decision
to take Tom’s case.
•
What is the significance of Tim Johnston
in the novel? Why does Harper Lee
create this incident?
•
Atticus is asked to shoot the dog
because he is ‘the deadliest shot in
Maycomb county’.
Why does Atticus choose not to shoot?
•
Do you like Atticus? Give a full and
explicit explanation of how you, the
reader, feels about Atticus at this point in
the novel. Refer to points in the text.
Atticus Finch is a complex character. As a father, we know he
treats his children with “a courteous detachment”. Unusually for
the time, he has never hit his children. He wants his children to
grow up understanding his decisions rather than just accepting
them. He has taken Tom Robinson’s case to ensure that he is
respected by his children and that he can still respect himself.

Do you like Atticus? Give a full and explicit
explanation of how you, the reader, feels about
Atticus at this point in the novel. Refer to points in
the text.

Write down this quotation. Closely analyse
the language. This means looking at the
individual words and phrases and discussing
the effects (think of connotations). This is a
reading skill you will need for Nat 4/5.

“She was horrible…fingernails.” (pg 118)
 Mrs
Dubose is a nasty, cantankerous,
prejudiced old woman.
What do you think Atticus means when he says,
‘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.’?
(Copy the quote down first)
1. The day after his birthday when he and Scout go to town to buy
toys.
Include: what Mrs Dubose says to them on their way to town, how
you react, cutting down the camellias, facing Atticus, going to
apologise to Mrs Dubose and being told you have to read to her.
2. The first time you go with Scout to read to Mrs Dubose.
Include: your first impression of Mrs Dubose and her house, how Mrs
Dubose behaves, the alarm clock.
3. The day that Atticus tells you that Mrs Dubose has died.
Include: your reaction to the news that she was a morphine addict,
the reason you had to read to her, the gift she left you and how you
feel about receiving



Create a poster showing everything you have
learned about the plot and characters so far.
OR
Write out either the ‘mockingbird’ quote or
the ‘you never really understand a person…’
quote. Annotate it to show what Harper Lee
was showing us and how it relates to life in
general.
You can illustrate it!
You can use colouring pens!
Didbook



On Didbook, make a note of what you
have learned from the first part of To
Kill a Mockingbird.
Include details of characters you like
and memorable moments.
You can also note down predictions
for the rest of the novel.

Summarise the plot of chapter 12.
Why
does Harper Lee want her readers to see the
proceedings at First Purchase Church?
What does Scout learn about the way the Black
community lives?

Look on page 139. Scout asks Calpurnia “Why do you
talk nigger-talk to the – to your folk when you know it’s not
right?” Read Cal’s response.
 How does this exchange further our understanding of
racial prejudice in Maycomb?
 Cal’s last sentence could have a greater significance.
Is this something that could be applied to the wider
world? How?

Consider Harper Lee’s representation
of Tom Robinson and the Ewells so far.
Briefly summarise these
representations.
Is Lee giving us a clear, unbiased
view?
Why do you think she does this?
Everything in the novel is presented to us
though Scout’s (childish, naïve) point of
view.
What impact is this having on our
understanding of the story?
Would it be different with other narrators,
such as Jem, Atticus or Cal?
Summarise the plot!
What does Atticus mean when he says
‘the summer is going to be a hot one’?
Other than racial prejudice, are there
examples people holding strong views
about other groups of people?




We live in a society that is much more free
than the society we see in the novel.
Now, we can practice pretty much any
lifestyle choice we like.
We know that there is racial prejudice in the
novel but what is viewed as ‘different’ to
them?
You need to use your own general knowledge
and common sense!
What do they
think about…
Being black
Being mixed race
Inter-racial
marriage
The word ‘nigger’
Education
Girls wearing
trousers
Children
misbehaving
Being an
immigrant/
newcomer
Being gay
In Maycomb,
1930s
How do you
know that?
In Scotland,
2013
How do you
know that?
Aunt Alexandra has strong views about many
aspects of society, such as what it means to
be a girl or the importance of family and
breeding. (Page 143)
Why does she feel this way?
What does Atticus think about this? What
evidence is there to show this?
Most of Scout’s moral statements seem to have
Atticus’ influence in them. She looks at most
situations with a level head and judges people
on their actions. Scout, the child, does not even
judge the people who she is at odds with.
Scout, the adult narrator, does not pass
comment on these people but lets the reader
make up their own mind.
The idea of ‘Fine Folks’ being those who have
land and wealth is outdated and defines the
American Dream. Scout’s idea of people who
do their best being ‘Fine Folks’ fits in with what
Harper Lee wants the reader to know; people
are people no matter what they have, look like
or come from. People can only be judged by
what they do.
Summarise!
Pg 150: ‘I felt the starched walls of a pink
cotton penitentiary closing in on me.’ What
does Scout mean? What is Lee showing us
about Maycomb’s society?
Why does Alexandra want Atticus to sack
Cal? What’s his response? What is your
reaction to his response?
What do we discover about Dill in this
chapter?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Who is at the door when Jem answers?
What do they want?
Who were the Old Sarum bunch?
Atticus says “…that boy might go to the
chair, but he’s not going till the truth’s
told”? What does he mean?
In your own words, describe what
happened outside the jail.
5.
6.
7.
8.
If Scout hadn’t run to Atticus, what do you
think would have happened?
Did Scout mean to break this up?
If she didn’t mean to break up this situation,
then how did she manage it?
Has the danger passed?
9. Someone says they have ‘tricked’ Heck
Tate and his deputies into leaving town.
Do you think the sheriff would have been
so stupid as to leave town the day Tom
Robinson is transferred to Maycomb jail?
Wouldn’t he have been more alert
considering what he told Atticus? What
else could have happened here?
10. Atticus, Mr Underwood, Heck Tate and
Link Deas are all portrayed as decent people
on the side of truth and justice.
How well do they support Tom Robinson?
Could they have put up a more vigorous
fight?
What do you think is their fundamental
attitude towards black people?
1.
Storyboard what happened outside the jail
2.
Draw a picture of Atticus. From what we have read
so far, label your drawing with adjectives to
describe him. Also include at least one speech
bubble showing one of Atticus’s most important
sayings.
3.
Write an article for the Maycomb Tribune about
the incident outside the jail as if it were written by
Mr Underwood. What point of view would it take?
Harper Lee shows us more of Maycomb’s
inhabitants as they come to town for the trial.
Consider these quotations: (Pg174-5)
“’They don’t have buttons.’ They lived deep in the
woods, did most of their trading across the river
and rarely came to Maycomb.”
“They’ve all got blue eyes.”
“He said that’s the way his parents signed him up
when he was born.”
For each, explain what Harper Lee is showing us
about the people coming to town.
Mr Dolphus Raymond is introduced on
page 177.
Describe how the town treat him and his
children. Are you surprised by this
treatment?
Why has Harper Lee included this
character in her novel? What is she
showing us about Maycomb?
The children are invited to sit in the
“coloured balcony” by Reverend Sykes.
How is he portrayed to the reader? Pg
180-181
Four of the black observers give up their
seats for the children. Why do they do
this? Pg 181
1.
Storyboard what happened outside the jail
2.
Draw a picture of Atticus. From what we have read
so far, label your drawing with adjectives to
describe him. Also include at least one speech
bubble showing one of Atticus’s most important
sayings.
3.
Write an article for the Maycomb Tribune about
the incident outside the jail as if it were written by
Mr Underwood. What point of view would it take?
Harper Lee makes it clear that this trial is
unfair before it even starts. How? Use
evidence from the text in your answer.
There is a contrast created between Bob
Ewell’s lack of understanding of language such
as ‘ambidextrous’ (pg 196) and Scout’s use of
phrases such as ‘circuit solicitor’ (pg 183).
Explain what is conveys about each character.
Bob Ewell frequently uses bad language or makes
inappropriate references in the court. How does
this affect the reader’s view of him?
Re-read page 187-188. In your own words, explain
how the Ewell’s live. Where do they live? What is
their income? Is it a ‘normal’ life for that time?
We are told the Mayella Ewell keeps red
geraniums. Consider what you know of the rest of
her house & garden. What does this tell you about
Mayella?
Bob Ewell explains that the ‘nigger-nest’ of
the black community is ‘devaluin’’ (pg.193)
his property. Explain the irony in this
considering what we know of his property.
‘I most positively will. How do you think I
sign my relief cheques?’ (pg.195) Ewell is
telling the court that his main source of
income is from government money. How
does this affect the reader’s view of him?

LI: I can should I understand the
characters’ thoughts and feelings

Create a facebook page for either Scout or Jem.
The activity on it should reflect what has been
happening to them in the past few months.
The latest status update should be about what
happened in court in chapter 17.



You can put all of the details you would expect
on a facebook page.



In groups of 4, you will perform what happened
in court in chapter 17.
Your characters are: Atticus, Judge Taylor, Bob
Ewell and either Heck Tate OR Mr Gilmer.
Write a script using mostly words from the text.
You can make the speeches much shorter if you
wish.
Write down 5 words to describe your view
of Mayella Ewell. [‘Mayella Ewell is…]
Does your opinion of her change at any
point in this chapter?
Find a quotation that helps change your
opinion.



Write a paragraph explaining how Mayella is
initially presented to us. How is the reader
supposed to feel about her?
Write a paragraph explaining how she is
portrayed in the rest of the chapter. How
does the reader feel about her in the end?
Write a paragraph about how Harper Lee
reveals the truth. How does she SHOW us
that Tom cannot be guilty? How does she
want the reader to react?

Bullet point Mayella’s account of what
happened that night. (P199 onwards)

Now explain what you think REALLY
happened.
Mayella is first portrayed as a quiet, ‘fragilelooking’ girl who is nervous to be in the
courtroom. It is also pointed out she is a ‘thickbodied girl accustomed to strenuous labour’
which reinforces our idea of the Ewells as a poor
family. She is clearly different from her family,
though as ‘Mayella looked as though she tried to
keep clean’. We are also made to feel sorry for
her as when she takes the stand she ‘burst into
tears’.
However, as the chapter progresses and she is crossexamined by Atticus, the reader’s view is altered as she
says clearly racist things such as ”Come here, nigger, and
bust up this chiffarobe.” We see that she treats black
people as little more than slaves and we dislike her for it.
When Atticus clearly shows her to be a liar, we are
pleased. Her sudden outburst of ‘That nigger took
advantage of me and if you fine fancy gentleman don’t
wanta do nothin’ about it then you’re all yellow stinkin’
cowards’ disgusts the reader as she has been proved to
be lying and she is insulting Atticus, a character we very
much like.
In your own words, explain Tom
Robinson’s version of events.
Who, does it seem, is the perpetrator of
the crime?
How do we know that this is not the first
time he has committed this crime?
In chapter 18, our opinion of Mayella Ewell
changed dramatically. How do you feel
about her now? Give reasons for your
answer.
On page 215, Tom says ‘Mr Finch, if you
was a nigger like me, you’d be scared too.’
How does this affect our opinion of Tom,
Maycomb and the trial?
Summarise!
Find evidence in the text to show Dolphus
Raymond’s feeling about the prejudice found in
Maycomb (pg 221, 222).
What are we supposed to think about Mr
Raymond?
Look at Atticus’ closing remarks (pg 223-226).
What do you think is the most convincing part
of this? Write this in your notes and explain
why you find it so effective.
The importance of Raymond’s character lies in the
nature of his preference for blacks. Raymond never explains
precisely why he prefers black people—he just does; similarly,
the white community never explains why it hates black
people—it just does. The difference between these two
ingrained attitudes, however, is that whereas the white
community imposes its preferences unapologetically on the
whole of Maycomb, Raymond acts on his preferences solely
because he wants to live that way, not because he wants to
dictate how others should live.
“You haven’t even seen this town, but all you gotta do is
step back inside the courthouse.”
Atticus goes over the evidence and makes a personal
appeal to the jury. He points out that the prosecution
has produced no medical evidence of the crime and
has presented only the shaky testimony of two
unreliable witnesses; moreover, the physical evidence
suggests that Bob Ewell, not Tom Robinson, beat
Mayella. He then offers his own version of events,
describing how Mayella, lonely and unhappy,
committed the unmentionable act of lusting after a
black man and then concealed her ‘guilt’ by
accusing him of rape after being caught. Atticus begs
the jury to avoid the state’s assumption that all black
people are criminals and to deliver justice by freeing
Tom Robinson.
How did the verdict make you feel? Explain
this with reference the rest of the novel.
How does Scout describe hearing the verdict?
What is the effect of this?
How does Atticus feel about the verdict? Find a
quote to back up your answer.
How does the ‘Negro’ community show its respect
for Atticus?
Scout describes hearing the verdict in a ‘dreamlike
quality’ and she sees the jury ‘moving like
underwater swimmers’ (pg 232). She hears voices
far away. This helps to convey the shock she feels
and how tense the situation is.
 Atticus, however, is clearly not shocked. He simply
puts his papers in his briefcase, speaks to the court
reporter and Tom Robinson and then he leaves. He
always knew this was how it would end. He may be
saddened and disappointed but not shocked.



The children are still sitting in the ‘coloured
balcony’. As Atticus leaves, everyone stands.
Scout doesn’t know why until Reverend Sykes
says “Miss Jean Louise, stand up. Your
father’s passin’.’ (pg 233)
Everyone is standing to show their respect to
Atticus. They understand that he has done his
best for Tom. He is one of the few people who
has stood up for him and what is right. They
want to show him they appreciate it.
How does Jem react to the verdict? What
about Atticus?
What is Scout’s reaction? What does this tell
us about her?
Jem tells Dill to always let his Aunt Rachel
know where he is going. What does this tell
us about Jem?



Pg 234: ‘This is their home, sister. We’ve made
it this way for them, they might as well learn
to cope with it.’ Copy this down.
Analysis: Atticus is not just referring to the
house. What does he mean?
Many of Maycomb’s citizens have sent
Atticus food parcels. Why have they done
this? What does this tell us about Atticus?
Atticus makes it clear to Jem why Tom was
convicted (pg243). Write down the quotation
that shows this.
Explain how, on page 244, Atticus highlights
another of Maycomb’s prejudices when he is
discussing jury selections.
Atticus (pg 243) and Aunt Alexandra (pg 248)
have differing views on what is ‘trash’. Explain
both of their opinions.
What do you think constitutes ‘trash’?
Scout: ‘Naw, Jem, I think there’s just one kind
of folks. Folks.’ Pg 250
 What does she mean? Do you agree with
her?
Jem: ‘I think I’m beginning to understand
something…it’s because he wants to stay
inside.’ Pg 251
 This is a revelation for Jem. How does this
further develop his character?

Summarise!
What is the purpose of Aunt Alexandra’s
tea party?
 What do you think of the Maycomb
ladies?
 Has your opinion of Aunt Alexandra
changed? Explain your opinion with
reference to the text.
 Why does Atticus take Cal with him?

How do the people of Maycomb react
to Tom’s death?

What
does Scout (the narrator) mean
when she says ‘in the secret courts of
men’s hearts, Atticus had no case’?

Miss Gates says ‘we don’t believe in
persecuting anybody’ when referring
to Americans. Why is this an odd claim
to make?

Explain why Jem is so upset at the end
of this chapter.

What three things happen that upset
Aunt Alexandra?

Why does Bob Ewell bear grudges?
Why against these people in
particular?

Summarise what happens to Jem and Scout
as they walk home from the pageant.

Once home, what is wrong with Jem?

Who do you think is responsible for Bob
Ewell’s death?

Who has brought Jem home to safety?

What reason does Atticus give for the
attack on the children?

What reason does Heck Tate give?

Which one do you think is more likely? Why?

Do you like the ending of this chapter? Is this
a good way to make a revelation?

How does Atticus think Bob Ewell was
killed?

What is Heck Tate’s explanation?

Why is Atticus arguing with this? What
does it say about his character?
 Find a quotation that reinforces this point
about his character (pg 301).

Why does Scout escort Boo home?

What is Scout thinking when she says:
Neighbours bring food with death and flowers with
sickness and little things in between. Boo was our
neighbour. He had given us two soap dolls, a broken
watch and chain, a pair of good luck pennies, and our
lives. But neighbours give in return. We never put back
into the tree what we had taken out of it; we had given
him nothing, and it made me sad.

What does Scout realise as she stands on the
Radley porch?

How do you feel about Boo Radley now? Find
a quotation from Scout which backs this up.
Was the ending satisfying? Do you feel all
the loose ends have been tied up? Are you
left with any questions?
If Bob Ewell hadn’t died, the reader would have been left
with no sense of justice having been done. The town of
Maycomb needs to change its views; this did not happen and
the reader is not satisfied. However, as readers from history,
we know that attitudes will change and cases like Tom’s will,
to an extent, be heard fairly.
It would have been unbelievable for Ewell to have been
prosecuted; his daughter would have had to testify against
him and the State of Alabama would have had to admit they
wrongly convicted a black man.
The reader needed to feel that Atticus and the children were
safe and that Ewell could no longer abuse Mayella. Tom is
already dead but the reader feels that he has been almost
avenged as the person responsible for beginning his trial is
gone.
1.
Explain how Harper Lee explores the theme
of prejudice in her novel. You should refer to
plot, characterization, setting and other
ideas in your answer.
2.
Show how Harper Lee has created an
interesting character in Atticus Finch. You
should refer to plot, characterization,
setting and other ideas in your answer.

What is Harper Lee showing us about prejudice in her
novel?
Questions
Which characters are
used to explore this
theme?
At what points in the
novel does she explore
this theme? Use your
notes.
How does the setting
contribute to this?
Details
Quotations
Describe them
at the
beginning
Atticus
Scout
Describe them at
the end
What changes
them?

How are they interesting? What makes them
effective characters in the novel?
Questions
Which characters are
used to explore this
theme?
At what points in the
novel does she explore
this theme? Use your
notes.
How does the setting
contribute to this?
Details
Quotations
Similarities
Differences
For each difference, write an explanation of why you think the filmmakers took
this decision.