To Kill a Mockingbird
By Harper Lee
Advanced Study Guide
Name ________________________
Chapters 1-3
1.
Identify Atticus Finch, Jean Louise (Scout) Finch, Jem Finch, Maycomb, Calpurnia, Charles
Baker (Dill) Harris, The Radley Place, Stephanie Crawford, Arthur (Boo) Radley, Miss
Caroline Fisher, Walter Cunningham, and Burris Ewell.
Atticus Finch – Scout and Jem’s father, widower, lawyer, Alabama legislator
Jean Louise (Scout) Finch – narrator, tom-boy, potty mouth, 5 at the beginning, quick to fight
Jem – Scout’s older brother, 9 at the beginning
Maycomb – setting of the novel, fictional small town in Alabama, also the county seat
Calpurnia – Finch’s maid, cook, nanny, African-American, been with Finches for years
Charles Baker (Dill) Harris – small for his age, visits his Aunt Rachel next-door to the Finches
in the summer, creative, tells “tall-tales,” “going on 7 at the beginning
The Radley Place –home of the Radley family, mysterious family that keeps to themselves
which is a weird thing in Maycomb, makes people overly interested in them
Stephanie Crawford – gossipy neighbor, knows everyone else’s business, busy-body
Arthur (Boo) Radley – mystery, never leaves his house, has been closed up since his dad
shut him in after he got into trouble “running with the wrong crowd,’ everything
unexplainable that happens people in the town say he caused
Miss Caroline Fisher – 1st grade teacher, new to Maycomb, rather unprepared for her
First day of school
Walter Cunningham – poor farm boy, student in Scout’s class whose family doesn’t take
any kind of charity, never take anything they can’t pay back, poor but proud
Burris Ewell – rude, poor child with head lice in Scout’s class. Creates a disturbance the
First day of school. Family only shows up the first day of school. Mother is dead,
Father is “contentious” = mean, quarrelsome
2. What did Dill dare Jem to do?
At first, he dared him to make Boo Radley come out, then he changed it and said he only had
to touch the house.
3. Scout describes the setting of the town in detail. Briefly explain Maycomb below.
Small, tired old town. Before air conditioning so people moved slowly in the summer. Pretty
quiet because of the depression. Population is poor because it is primarily a farming
community, so the depression hit it hard. Main recreation is attending church. Because it is a
small town, everyone knows everyone else and their business.
4. Analyze the effectiveness of the figurative language:
Text
“Jem figured that Mr.
Radley kept him chained to
the bed most of the time.
Atticus said no, it wasn’t
that sort of thing, that there
were other ways of making
people into ghosts.”
Effectiveness
The mystery of Boo Radley and his family have made Boo a
“misunderstood phantom” to the people of Maycomb. They don’t
know them because they keep to themselves, so Boo has become the
object of superstition and rumor. Atticus’s comment means that it
isn’t as simple as keeping Arthur chained, the fact is that he has been
isolated for so long now, that he most likely would be too damaged to
even have the desire now to come out and socialize with people.
5. What was Scout’s first “crime” at school?
She already knew how to read.
Her second “crime” was knowing how to write.
Her third was trying to explain about the Cunninghams to Miss Fisher.
6. How is Scout different from her classmates – what sticks out about her identity? What does that
reveal about her and her situation?
Scout already has more education than her classmates. Her life is not as hard as those of her
classmates, and she has the luxury of having a professional father who is well-educated. She
is interested in learning where her classmates are more concerned with helping their
families survive and where their next meal will come from.
7. What was Calpurnia’s fault?
She had taught Scout how to write.
8. Why did Scout rub Walter Cunningham’s nose in the dirt?
Because Scout explained to the teacher his “dietary affairs” aka why he wouldn’t take the
teacher’s loan of a quarter, the teacher had smacked her hand with a ruler and made her
stand in the corner. The teacher said that Scout “had gotten off on the wrong foot in every
way” so Scout blamed Walter.
9. Scout said, “He ain’t company, Cal, he’s just a Cunningham.” What did she mean by that and what
was Cal’s answer?
Scout meant that the Finches were better than the Cunninghams so she didn’t have to treat
Walter like company. Calpurnia was pretty angry and told Scout that she should treat
everyone who comes to her home with courtesy.
10. Miss Caroline’s status as an outsider is the cause of several conflicts. Explain how her ignorance
of Maycomb ways causes these conflicts. Provide two examples.
1.
She tried to loan Walter Cunningham money which “shamed” him because he couldn’t
take it so her insistence brought more attention to his poverty.
2.
She tried to send Burris Ewell home to treat his head lice because she didn’t know the
Ewells situation- that they are not cared for and they only come to school the first
day.
11. Why didn’t the Ewells have to go to school?
If the truant officer enforced the law, their dad would probably go to jail. As bad as things
were for the Ewell children, they likely would have been even worse off without their father.
Because their homelife was so unusual, the authorities bent the rules for them (such as
hunting out of season).
12. Atticus teaches Scout an important lesson after her first day of school? What is that lesson?
Provide the actual quote to support.
“You never really know a person until you consider things from his point of view… until you
climb into his skin and walk around in it.”
Consider things from the other person’s perspective to figure out why the person behaves
the way that he/she does.
Chapters 4-7
1. Identify Mrs. Dubose.
Mean old woman who lives down the street from the Finches. She yells at Jem and Scout
when they walk past her house. Rumor has it she keeps a Confederate pistol in her lap under
her wraps.
2. How did Jem get even with Scout for contradicting him about “Hot Steams?”
When it was Scout’s turn to ride in the tire, he gave her an extra hard push, and she ended up
in the Radley front yard.
3. What was the Boo Radley game?
Jem, Dill, and Scout acted out the stories they had heard about the Radleys. They made up the
details.
4. Who do you think was laughing in the house during the tire incident? Why do you think Scout
keeps that information to herself?
Inference is that it was Boo Radley. She is frightened and just needs time before she tells.
Also they might have made fun of her.
5. Characterize Miss Maudie. Use her actions, words, and Scout’s descriptions.
She is another neighbor who is about Atticus’s age. She is open-minded, and she enjoys the
children’s company. She was a widow who loved to garden. Like Atticus, she explains things
truthfully when the children ask her.
6. What does Miss Maudie think of the Radleys?
She believes that they have the right to do whatever they want to do as long as they don’t
bother anyone else. They have a right to their privacy.
7. Interpret the following quote: “sometimes the Bible in the hand of one man is worse than a
whiskey bottle in the hand of [another].”
Sometimes people can use religion as an excuse to do horrible things. Example: Mr. Radley
keeping his word by keeping his son shut up for years. “Some men are so worried about the
next world that they have never learned to live in this one, and you can look down the street
and see the results.”
8. Why do Dill and Jem want to give Boo Radley a note? What does Atticus say when he finds out
about their plan?
They want to invite him out to play with them. “We thought he might enjoy us.” Atticus tells
them to leave Boo alone and that he would come out if he wanted to come out. He tells them
to respect Boo’s privacy. Atticus also told them that the proper way to extend an invitation
would be at the front door.
9. How did Jem lose his pants? What did he find when he went back for them?
When Jem, Dill, and Scout went to look in the Radley house, they were discovered and had to
run to get away. Jem got caught on the fence, so he had to wriggle out of his pants to free
himself. When he went back to get them, they were crudely mended and folded over the
fence like “someone knew he’d be coming back for them.”
10. What else did Jem and Scout find in the Radley’s tree?
1 piece of gum
2 scrubbed and polished Indian-head pennies (1900 and 1906)
Ball of gray twine
Pack of gum
Carved soap dolls
Spelling medal
Broken pocket watch on a chain with a pocket knife
11. Why do you think Mr. Radley filled the knothole with cement? Describe how his POV might
affect his actions.
Opinion. Maybe because he is afraid for his brother to have contact with people. Maybe he is
fearful that his brother might hurt someone. Maybe because he is just trying to carry out his
father’s wishes. Maybe he is just a great big meanie.
12.
Why does Jem cry at the end of Chapter 7?
He cries because filling the knot hole was cruel, unjust. Nathan destroys Arthur’s (Boo’s)
attempt to reach out into the world. Jem feels empathy for Boo. Cries because of the injustice.
Scout is too young to understand, so this shows Jem’s coming of age.
Chapters 8-9
1. How does the setting change in the beginning of the chapter? How does this change affect the
neighborhood?
Winter comes. They have the coldest weather in Maycomb since 1885. The unusual snowfall
foreshadows that there will be other unlikely things happening in Maycomb.
There is a change happening in the atmosphere of the story – it is shifting from being a
nostalgic little story about some funny kids during the depression. The fire – there is a
dangerous occurrence in the kids’ safe neighborhood. There are real threats beginning to
intrude on their neighborhood which we see beginning in chapter 8 with the destructive fire.
Fire foreshadows other dangers.
2. Why do you think Boo “joined” the community that night? What was his purpose and what does
it say about his character? How might our views of his identity have changed?
Opinion. Maybe Boo, like everyone else, wanted to help his community in some way. He
covered Scout so she wouldn’t freeze – took care of her. We also can infer that he is the one
who mended Jem’s pants that night – again taking care of one of the children. We also
inferred that he is the one who left the children gifts in the tree. It might say that he is not a
“malevolent” phantom. Maybe he is not to be feared.
3. Identify Cecil Jacobs.
He is a mean boy at Scout's school (he is also a neighbor) who first makes Scout aware
Atticus is defending a black man. This is important because it is when Scout – and the reader
– first hears about the case. He teases her about Atticus, but she promised Atticus she
wouldn't fight so she couldn't hit him.
4. Why is Atticus defending Tom Robinson and what does that say about his character?
Atticus defending Tom Robinson when he knows he can't win in court; he has to defend him
because it is the right thing to do. He wouldn't be able to live with his conscience if he didn't
try to help Tom. Atticus is the same in his house as he is on the public streets, so he has to do
the right thing. He knows he can’t win, but he is going to do the best he can because it is the
right thing to do.
5. What “disaster” happened at Christmas between Scout and Francis?
Scout and Francis got into a fight because Francis was talking bad about Atticus defending
Tom Robinson and saying Atticus would be the "ruin" of the family. He also made fun of Dill
saying he was like a stray dog no one wanted. Scout was angry, and she hit Francis. When
Uncle Jack found out what happened, he spanked Scout.
6. Describe the differences of point of view between Uncle Jack and Scout with the altercation with
Francis.
Scout
She didn’t want to tell them what really
happened when Jack asked in front of everyone
because she didn’t want to disappoint Atticus.
He had told her “to keep her fists down” about
Tom Robinson’s case. She was upset because
Uncle Jack didn't get both sides of the story. He
didn't get Scout's side of the story. Scout told
him that Atticus always listens to both sides of
the story when Jem and Scout fight. Then he
decides who is wrong.
Who is right in this situation? Why?
Opinion.
Uncle Jack
Since Francis was hurt and Francis said that
Scout had started it and cursed, Jack took his
side. When asked in front of everyone if what
Francis said was true, Scout said, “I reckon.” He
spanked Scout but didn’t talk to her about what
happened first. He had told her that he would
spank her if she continued to use bad language.
He thought he was disciplining her.
7. What do you think Atticus means when he says, “I hope and pray I can get Jem and Scout through
it without bitterness, and most of all, without catching Maycomb’s usual disease”? What is
Maycomb’s usual disease?
He knows that this trial will be hard on the children. They will have to learn some unpleasant
truths about people. He wants them to be as unaffected as possible. In a way, the children
will be losing their innocence. Racism is Maycomb’s usual disease.
Note: More of the tonal shift of the story. Children are beginning to be confronted with more adult
problems and concerns. Instead of imaginary fears, real ones are on the horizon. Tone and
mood getting more serious, anxious. Now we know about Tom Robinson case and that adds
suspense. As we keep learning more and more about the case, the suspense is building.
Chapters 10-11
1. Interpret the following quote:
What does it mean?
How does it relate to the novel?
Miss Maudie explains Atticus’s
At this point, we can’t be totally
quotation. Mockingbirds are
sure, but we can infer that since
“Shoot all the bluejays you
birds that are not destructive in the quote contains the title, it
want, if you can hit ‘em, but
any way. They are known for
must be important. The
remember it’s a sin to kill a
imitating the sounds of other
mockingbird is a symbol of
mockingbird.”
songbirds. “They don’t do one
innocence – to kill one is to
thing but sing their hearts out
destroy innocence – to destroy
for us. That’s why it’s a sin to
something that doesn’t deserve
kill a mockingbird.”
it. Relates to theme.
Note: Do you think it is a coincidence that in a book called To Kill a Mockingbird, the main characters
are named “Finch”? What is a finch? What kind of a bird is a finch? Predator? A finch is a small bird,
so naming Jem and Scout “Finch” shows their vulnerability; their innocence is going to be
particularly vulnerable.
2. How do the children react to Atticus’s hidden identity? How does their perspective change?
Atticus shoots a mad (rabid) dog. They are shocked because they think Atticus has no real
talents or anything to be proud of. They are surprised because Atticus doesn't believe in
fighting and, to their knowledge, never had used a gun. They are shocked to find out about
"One Shot Finch," and they are proud of him even if they can’t brag about it. Jem realizes that
if Atticus was proud of it, he would have told them about it.
3. What did Jem do when Mrs. Dubose said “Atticus lawed for n****** and trash?”
He snatched Scout's new baton and used it to whack off all the buds and tops of Mrs.
Dubose's camellia bushes.
4. What was Jem’s punishment?
 He had to repair the damage as best he could.
 He had to read out loud to Mrs. Dubose every afternoon for a month. Monday-Saturday. It
ended up being a month and a week.
5. What is courage according to Atticus?
There is a different kind of courage than physical courage like a man with a gun – courage is
knowing you are beat before you start, but doing it anyway because it is the right thing to do.
Ex.: Mrs. Dubose beating her addiction to morphine even though she was going to die and it
would make her final weeks more painful to stop taking the morphine. Atticus defending
Tom Robinson when he knows he can't win in court; he has to defend him because it is the
right thing to do. He wouldn't be able to live with his conscience if he didn't try to help Tom.
Add this question: What does Jem learn from his encounter with Mrs. Dubose and following her
death:
He learned that people are not always what they seem; that you can't understand people
until you have all the facts. Until you have "climbed into his skin and walked around in it."
(ch. 3, p. 30 in most books – Atticus’s lesson to Scout after her first day at school). He also
learned that there is a different kind of courage than physical courage.
Chapters 12-14
1. In what ways does Jem show more maturity in this chapter? Provide 2 examples.
He is growing up. He is trying to make sense of the things that happen and trying to be more
like Atticus. He is less interested sometimes in playing with Scout and doing things he feels
are “childish.” He is moody and sometimes acts bossier with Scout. She resents this change in
how he treats her and how Calpurnia is now treating Jem. He sees himself more as a young
man now than a child. Ex: Telling on Dill when he shows up.
2. To this point, we’ve only read about instances of black characters encroaching on white
characters’ property, life, etc. How does this new perspective shed light on the relationship between
blacks and whites?
This positive look at the black community of Maycomb makes the cruel racism of Maycomb’s
white community look even worse and more ignorant. The black community is poor but has
a much stronger sense of community and responsibility to each other than the white
community.
3. Explain how Cal has two identities. Do you think it’s possible for this to happen in real life? Why
do you think she leads her life two different ways?
She talks and acts like her black friends and neighbors when she is with them, and she talks
and acts more like the white people of Maycomb when she is with them. Scout thinks this is
interesting and asks Cal if she can come visit her at her house sometime.
Opinion – Yes. People do a lot to fit in. “You go along to get along.”
Calpurnia says that it “aggravates” people to have someone around who knows more than
they do. She does it to keep peace and fit in with her community.
4. “Aunt Alexandra fitted into the world of Maycomb like a hand in a glove, but never into the world
of Jem and me.” Explain this.
Alexandra knew all the proper social things to say and do, and she knew all about the
histories of the families in town. She joined some clubs, made friends, and entertained. She
fit right in with the town’s society. However, she didn’t agree with the way Atticus was
raising his children and so she didn’t understand Jem and Scout’s behavior. They butted
heads a good bit.
5. Atticus and Alexandra disagree about how to deal with the children. How does Atticus handle
the situation?
Atticus makes the children obey Alexandra, but he lets them know that their relationship
with him will be the same as it ever was. He tries to go along with Alexandra, but on major
things he does put his foot down. Such as not firing Calpurnia.
6. Explain how Scout still shows signs of immaturity, and explain how Jem shows how he is
growing up.
Her reaction to Aunt Alexandra, “I didn’t ask her. I asked you.” Disrespectful and impulsive.
Her reaction to Jem when he tries to talk to her about Alexandra and Atticus having a lot on
his mind with the trial. She is too young to understand, so she reacts by lunging at Jem and
starting a fist fight. When Jem tells Atticus that Dill is there, at first she sees it as a betrayal.
Jem shows he is growing up by his response to everything that is happening. He is worried
about his father and tries to get Scout not to cause their father any additional trouble. He is
acting responsibly when he tells Atticus about Dill. Contrast this with two years ago – the
first summer Dill was there – would Jem have done the same? Nope.
7. What is the root conflict Dill has with his family? What effect does this have on Dill?
Dill had everything a boy could want, except his parents didn’t seem to spend much time
with him. He knows that they love him, and they aren’t mean to him. He felt like they didn’t
need him, and this is why he ran away. He wants them to need him.
Chapters 15-17
1. What does Mr. Link Deas mean when he says, “Don’t know why you touched it in the first
place…You’ve got everything to lose from this, Atticus. I mean everything”?
Link Deas (Remember him? He is the man Scout nearly hit twirling her new baton on the
way home from town before Jem lost his mind and destroyed the baton and Mrs. Dubose’s
bushes. You will see more of him later as well.) knows that a trial of this nature in the south
at this time could be very ugly. A black man accused of raping a white woman. The men are
there because they want to warn Atticus that they are concerned about people from an area
outside of town, Old Sarum, doing something. They want to warn Atticus so he and Tom will
both be safe. Link Deas thinks that Atticus is taking a huge risk being involved in the trial, so
he doesn’t understand why he would take that on. (It’s ironic that Deas is the one to say this
when you see him later in the book.)
2. What events may be foreshadowed by his comment?
The events later in the chapter at the jail are foreshadowed in this comment. There most
likely would have been violence if the children had not been there that night. The men were
willing to go through Atticus to get to Tom Robinson. Atticus might have been hurt or even
killed trying to protect Tom.
Might also foreshadow that the threats to Atticus are not over…
3. What was the purpose of Walter Cunningham’s mob?
Cunningham’s mob wanted to inflict their own brand of justice on Tom Robinson. Most likely
they would have lynched him. They were willing to harm Atticus if necessary to get to Tom.
4. Why did Mr. Cunningham’s mob leave?
After Scout, Jem, and Dill arrived on the scene, Scout began talking to Mr. Cunningham and it
made Mr. Cunningham (and possibly others) realize that they didn’t want to harm Atticus or
the children or harm anyone in front of the children. She reached the better part of Mr.
Cunningham. Atticus says in Chapter 16 that the children made Walter Cunningham stand in
Atticus’s shoes for a minute. (Critics dislike this chapter because they see it as “unrealistic.”)
5. How does Jem explain the identities of Mr. Dolphus Raymond’s children? According to Jem, what
conflict do they face?
He says that they are “mixed children.” He says that they are “sad” because they don’t belong
anywhere. “Colored folks won’t have ‘em because they are half white; white folks won’t have
‘em ‘cause they’re colored, so they’re just in-betweens, don’t belong anywhere.”
6. According to a townsperson, what is Maycomb’s conflict with Atticus’s involvement in the trial?
What do they expect him to do and is that ethical? Connect this to the theme.
They know that he was appointed to defend Tom Robinson, but what bothers them is that
Atticus “aims to defend him.” They expect him to just go through the motions and not
present much of a defense, but Atticus has to live with his conscience; he has to do all he can
to help Tom Robinson because it is the right thing to do. To Atticus, not trying to help him
would mean that he was no longer deserving of his children’s respect. He couldn’t even
attend church if he didn’t help Tom Robinson because it would go against everything he
believes. He knows he can’t win before he even starts, but he is going to do all he can. This is
a type of courage. (Mrs. Dubose with her morphine addiction)
7. Identify:
Tom Robinson – the defendant. A young black man. Accused of raping Mayella Ewell.
Mr. Gilmer – the prosecutor in the case.
Bob Ewell – Mayella’s father.
Mayella Ewell – Accuses Tom Robinson of raping and beating her.
Judge Taylor – the judge in the case.
8. Atticus takes much interest in Mayella’s bruises, what could this possibly foreshadow?
Bruises on the right side of her face indicate that she was beaten by a person who was lefthanded. Foreshadows that someone else beat her. Possibly someone else we have met…
possibly someone who is left-handed… And who did we just find out is left-handed? Atticus
seems to be trying to put the possibility of Bob Ewell having beaten his daughter into the
minds of the jurors.
9. How is the description of the Ewell house effective in characterizing the family?
It shows us how they live. Atticus said early in the book that the Ewells “live like animals.”
We see that they are desperately poor, surviving by taking what they can use from the dump.
We also see that they are resourceful, tough. Shows a contrast between how the Ewells live
and how the people live in the “negro settlement 500 yards beyond the Ewells” so Bob Ewell
saying they “devalue his property” is ironic. Also, we feel a little sad for poor Mayella Ewell.
She has managed to create one pretty spot with the geraniums in slop jars that she “tenderly
cares for.” That these flowers might be the only “nice” thing she has.
10. What does Atticus suspect of Bob Ewell? Based on this information, how do you think the case
will turn out in the end?
He seems to suspect that Bob Ewell beat Mayella.
Opinion but support with textual evidence.
Chapters 18-21
1. What was Mayella’s account of the incident with Tom Robinson? What details from Mayella’s
testimony would leave one to believe that she is lying? Find the details and interpret what we learn
about them.
She said that she had asked Tom Robinson to come into the yard to break up a chiffarobe.
When she went into the house to get him a nickel to pay him, he followed her into the house
and grabbed her around the neck and hit her. He “chunked” her on the floor and took
advantage of her. She fainted and her father was standing over her yelling, “Who done it?
Who done it?”
Her account differs from her father’s – he said he saw Tom Robinson, and he “knowed who
done it.”
2. What was Tom’s account of the incident? What description of Tom Robinson is most important?
What does that tell the reader about the testimonies so far?
He said that she asked him to come into the house to fix the hinges on a door. There was
nothing wrong with the door. Unlike usual, there were no children around because she had
saved seven nickels to send them to town to get ice creams so that she and Tom Robinson
could be alone. She asked Tom to climb on a chair to get a box, and as he stood there, she
grabbed him around the legs. When he hopped down off of the chair, she jumped on him. She
kissed him on the side of the face. Mr. Ewell saw this from the window and yelled and
threatened Mayella. Tom wanted out and had to push Mayella away from the door. She was
not hurt. He ran away.
His left arm had been damaged in an accident with a cotton gin. He was unable to use it – it
was useless. He could not have bruised the right side of Mayella’s face, and more than likely
he would not have been able to force himself on a strong, violently resisting young woman.
This tells us that the one whose story is most likely true is Tom Robinson.
3. Why was it a mistake to say that he felt sorry for Mayella? How do you think that will affect the
jury?
For Tom to “feel sorry” for Mayella, for a black man to feel pity for a white woman, is seen as
Tom feeling above her or somehow seeing his station in life as “better” than hers. Opinion,
but since the jury is white, it is likely they will be offended and want to make sure that Tom
Robinson knows his place in society.
Note: Link Deas loses it and shouts out in court, defending Tom Robinson. Didn’t understand why
Atticus took this case, but there he is making a scene defending Tom Robinson. Another
person who isn’t what he appeared to be.
Note: Why does Dill cry? Dill being between Jem and Scout in age is just beginning to recognize
that things are not quite right. He can’t quite figure it out yet, but he is deeply bothered by
the cruel treatment Mr. Gilmer is giving to Tom Robinson on the stand. He is not as affected
as Jem, but he is beginning to have some awareness. Also this is where Scout makes the
comment that shocks us because we do not think of her as a racist, “Well, Dill, after all he is
just a Negro.” Does this mean she has been a closet racist the entire time? No, it just means
that she is too young to question why society is the way that it is. Part of the brilliance of the
book is how it shows us the difference in perspectives of the three children, perspectives
that come from their different levels of maturity.
4. What do we learn about Mr. Raymond? Do you agree with his decision to deceive people?
Dill and Scout learn that people aren’t always as they appear to be (a recurring theme in the
book – where else have we seen this?). They learn that Mr. Raymond lives as he does because
that is how he wants to live and whom he wants to live with. Since people could never
understand that, he acts like a drunk so people have a “reason to latch onto” so they can
accept his behavior. Very simply, he loves the woman he lives with but cannot legally marry
her. He loves his children and takes care of them. No more complicated than that, but society
at that time would never understand it.
Opinion but support it with textual evidence.
5. What were Atticus’ closing remarks to the jury?
o There is no medical evidence that Mayella was raped.
o The only evidence is the questionable testimony of the Ewells and they contradicted each
other.
o Tom Robinson couldn’t have done it due to his useless left arm and hand.
o He said that Mayella was trying to get rid of the evidence she broke a “code,” one of their
society’s “laws”: She needed to get rid of Tom Robinson because she had tempted and kissed
a black man.
o He said that the one place all men should be treated equally is in a court of law and so the
jury’s job was to give the defendant a fair trial.
Chapters 22-25
1. Why did Jem cry?
He cries for the same reasons he did at the end of chapter 7 – when Nathan Radley put
cement in the tree knot hole to close it up. He was shocked at the injustice of the jury. His
belief in the people of his town, whom he had always thought to be the best people in the
world, has been totally shaken. He can’t believe that they could do something so wrong when
given the facts. He really believed that being right and telling the truth would allow the
townspeople to overcome their prejudices. He believed in the best of them.
2. What was “round the back steps” when Calpurnia came in on TUESDAY morning?
The black community had left all sorts of food for Atticus and his family as a gesture of their
thanks to him for defending Tom Robinson. They did this in spite of the fact they had little
enough food for their own families.
3. What was the significance of Maudie’s two little cakes and one large one?
Dill and Scout got their usual little cakes, but she cut a slice from the big cake for Jem. It was
her symbolic way of saying that she understands what he is going through and that he is
becoming a young man instead of a child. She is showing him that she gets what he is going
through.
4. Miss Maudie cites the trial as a baby step? What does she mean? What is our author trying to say
about the morals of an individual and community?
She is pointing out to Jem that things were not as they seemed, not as one-sided as he might
think. She makes the point that there were people who tried to help Tom Robinson – Judge
Taylor assigned Atticus to the case instead of the person who usually got court-appointed
defenses, so there were people other than Atticus who believed in doing the right thing. The
fact that the jury took so long to decide to convict Tom Robinson was a huge surprise. It
means they actually had to have considered his innocence. Atticus Finch was the only man
who could have convinced them to even think about the possibility of Tom Robinson being
innocent. That is an improvement, a baby step in the right direction for the community.
5. What is Atticus’ reaction to Ewell’s threats?
He understands that Ewell is upset, and he allows Ewell the right to be upset. He is glad to
take Ewell’s anger if it saves one of the children a beating – if he can get his anger out by
spitting on and threatening Atticus. Atticus does not believe Ewell would really physically
harm him.
6. Why does Aunt Alexandra not want Scout to associate with Walter Cunningham? Provide an
example to support your answer.
She thinks that the Cunninghams are “trash” because they don’t have the “background” of
the Finches. They do not come from a “fine old family.”
7. Jem said, “I think I’m beginning to understand why Boo Radley’s stayed shut up in the house all
this time. . . it’s because he wants to stay inside.” Why does he say that?
Jem is so shaken by the jury’s verdict, and he feels betrayed and let down by people he
trusted, that he is seeing the world as a really complicated place. The jury decision, all this
talk from Alexandra about social classes and fine old families and background, Mr. Raymond
pretending to be a drunk – its all so hard to understand. It is all weighing on his mind, and
he’s trying to sort it out. He thinks maybe Boo is onto something by just staying inside and
not having to deal with it or try to understand it. World is just too complicated.
8. How is Mrs. Merriweather a hypocrite? Provide an example to support your answer.
She does not care at all about the blacks in Maycomb, even the ones who work for her as
cooks or field hands. As a member of the missionary circle, she is very concerned about the
welfare of many Africans, but she does not care at all about the blacks that live in her own
town or even work in her own home. She is a prejudiced hypocrite. The whole thing with
how she treated her cook Sophy when she was upset about the verdict in the trial. Much
irony with Mrs. Merriweather and her views on being a “good” Christian.
9. What happened to Tom Robinson?
He tried to escape by climbing the fence, and he was shot seventeen times
10. What more do we learn about Alexandra after Atticus and Calpurnia leave?
She comes off as more sympathetic and likeable here. Not all bad. She clearly loves her
brother and she is concerned about him. She is upset by the news about Tom’s death, and
we really wouldn’t have expected her to be bothered about it at all. She gathers herself and
goes back to attending to her guests. She comes off a lot better here than she has in the book
so far. Scout even begins to have an appreciation for her.
Note: What is up with Jem and the roly-poly at the beginning of chapter 25?
After everything that has happened, Jem is now sensitive to cruelty to the weak and
innocent. Just because Scout can easily kill the bug, it isn’t “bothering” her, so why should she
take its life? The roly-poly is a mockingbird.
11. What did Mr. Underwood’s editorial say? Explain how Tom symbolizes a mockingbird. Connect
this symbol to our theme of compassion, race, and morals.
He compared the killing of Tom Robinson to the senseless slaughter of songbirds by hunters
and children. Surprising because we know Underwood is a racist. Again, people not all good
or bad, people not always as they seem. Add to the theme of people not always being what
we think they are – that you don’t really understand people until you “climb in their skin and
walk around in it.” Goes back to Scout’s first day at school and Atticus’s lesson to her.
Tom was innocent; all he did was try to help Mayella Ewell, and that meant he “was a dead
man the minute she opened her mouth and screamed.” Tom, an innocent, was destroyed by
cruelty and evil. Even though the Ewells were horrible people whom no one in the town
wanted anything to do with, the difference was they were white and Tom Robinson was
black and that was all that mattered. They were believed over an innocent man. The Ewells
destroyed something, someone innocent just because they could.
Chapters 26-31
1. What was Scout’s fantasy regarding Arthur (Boo) Radley?
That he would be “normal.” She daydreamed that he would be sitting in the swing and they
would chat as if they had chatted every day for all of her life. She wanted him to be normal
like everyone else on the street.
2. In class, Miss Gates said:
“That’s the difference between America and Germany. We are a democracy and Germany is a
dictatorship. . . . We don’t believe in persecuting anybody. Persecution comes from people who
are prejudiced.” What does this tell us about Miss Gates?
Scout heard Miss Gates at the courthouse 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.”
Miss Gates is a hypocrite who doesn’t realize that she is just as prejudiced as Hitler is only for a
different group of people.
3. What happened to Judge Taylor?
Someone (we make the inference that this was Bob Ewell) was trying to break into his house
when he and his fat, nondescript dog Ann Taylor scared the person away.
4. What happened to Helen Robinson?
Link Deas “made” a job for her as his cook. She would walk an extra mile to work to avoid
passing the Ewell house because they “chunked at her” (harassed) when she used the
regular road. Mr. Link Deas ended up escorting Helen on the public road and threatened the
Ewells. After that Helen didn’t have any more trouble.
5. What is foreshadowed at the end of the chapter? What do you think will happen next?
“Thus began our longest journey together.” Opinion. We will find out FINALLY how Jem
broke his elbow.
6. Why did Scout and Jem not leave the school until almost everyone else had gone?
Scout was embarrassed because she fell asleep and missed her entrance. She woke up and
rushed onto the stage during the grand finale, and Mrs. Merriweather told her that she had
ruined the pageant. Everyone else thought it was funny.
(One of the disappointments of my life that the pageant scene is not included in the movie
version. After watching the movie, discuss the screenwriter’s purpose in leaving out this
scene.)
7. What happened to Jem and Scout on the way home from the pageant?
They were attacked by Bob Ewell. He tried to stab Scout but the chicken wire in her costume
protected her, then he tried to crush her in her costume. He broke Jem’s arm and Jem was
knocked out.
8. Who saved Jem and Scout? Who died? Who was the killer?
Arthur (Boo) Radley saved Jem and Scout, and he killed Bob Ewell.
9. Why did Heck Tate insist that Bob Ewell fell on his own knife?
This ALWAYS confuses the students. Bob Ewell did not fall on his own knife, but they are
going to say that he did to protect Arthur Radley. The hints about the switchblade knife:
“Took it off a drunk man.” That drunk man was a dead Bob Ewell. Bob Ewell would not have
attacked them with a kitchen knife.
Heck figured out that Arthur had killed Bob Ewell with a kitchen knife to protect the
children. He didn’t see any reason to drag Arthur through a big public ordeal that would
have been torture to a man so damaged and private. It would have destroyed Arthur even if
he would have been considered a “hero” and people would have been grateful. Heck Tate
thought that Arthur had done Atticus and the town a favor, and since Ewell had been
responsible for the death of an innocent man, Tom Robinson, it would be best to “let the
dead bury the dead” and keep Arthur Radley out of it. The explanation was that Bob Ewell
fell on his own knife. Heck Tate took the switchblade knife that Ewell had from the scene so
there would not be any evidence of a fourth person having been there that night.
This is a HUGE crisis of conscience for Atticus. How does he let his children hear him saying
something that they know isn’t true? Scout reassures him that it is the right thing to do when
she tells him that it would be “sort of like shooting a mockingbird.” Arthur had saved his
children’s lives, for that Atticus owed him. He couldn’t let him be destroyed because he had
saved his children. He had to go along with it because it was the right thing to do. Arthur
was too damaged to hold up under the public scrutiny that would have come with telling the
truth about what happened.
10. Scout arranged things so that “if Miss Stephanie Crawford was watching from her upstairs
window, she would see Arthur Radley escorting [her] down the sidewalk, as any gentleman would
do.” Why did she do that?
Well, he did just save her life, so she now understands that he is a real person, not a
dangerous freak. She wants him to look “normal” like any other gentleman so that Miss
Stephanie and anyone else who might see them together would begin to think of Arthur as a
real, normal person as well.
11. As Scout leaves the Radley porch, she looks out at the neighborhood and recounts the events of
the last few years from the Radleys’ perspective. Why is that so important?
All through the book, she and Jem and Dill have tried to follow Atticus’s advice and tried to
put themselves in someone else’s shoes, to look at things from someone else’s perspective,
so that they could understand why people acted the way that they did. It is appropriate that
at the end of the novel, Scout takes the opportunity to look at the neighborhood, Arthur
Radley’s entire world, from his perspective. It made her understand him better and why he
risked his own life to save her and Jem. He saw them as “his” children. He wanted to make
them happy – gifts in the tree – and he wanted to protect them.
Note: Book ends optimistically. Scout still believes in the goodness of people. Thinks “nothin’s real
scary except in books.”
Theme: People aren’t always as they appear. Boo certainly wasn’t when you think of how he was
presented at the beginning of the book.
Goodness exists in unexpected places.