Name:__________________________________ Mrs. Thompson
To Kill a Mockingbird Study Guide
*Counts as a TEST Grade*
Chapter 1
- What do you notice about the narration and the point of view in the novel?
- What do you learn in this chapter about:
- Maycomb
- The Finch family
- Atticus Finch
- Maycomb
- What is unique about the appearance of the Radley house?
- What is Arthur's father, Mr. Radley, like (i.e., Calpurnia's opinion, the neighborhood's opinion)?
- List Arthur "Boo" Radley's physical description according to Jem.
- What does the analogy of the turtle tell us about Dill and Jem? How does Scout interpret this comparison?
Chapter 2
- What does Miss Caroline, Scout's teacher, look like?
- Describe Scout's first day at school. Be sure to cover her conflicts with her teacher, Miss Caroline Fisher.
Chapter 3
- Calpurnia lectures Scout on manners when Scout criticizes Walter's manners. Atticus, then, supports her. What does this tell you about the relationship between Calpurnia and Atticus?
- What is Walter Cunningham like? What does his behavior during lunch suggest about his home life?
- Does Scout learn anything from Walter's visit? If so, what do you think this is?
- Atticus says that you never really understand a person "until you climb into his skin and walk around in it". What does this mean? Is it an easy concept for any child to understand?
- What do you learn about the Ewells in this chapter, specifically Burris Ewell?
Chapter 4
- What does Scout think of current fashions in education (p. 32-33)?
- What superstitions do the children have in connection with the Radley house?
- Why do the children make Boo's story into a game? What do they do in this game? Do you think the game is an accurate version of what happens in the Radley's home?
Chapter 5
- Explain what Miss Maudie Atkinson is trying to communicate to Scout through the metaphor of nut grass.
- Describe Miss Maudie Atkinson. How typical is she of Maycomb's women? What do the children think of her?
- What does Miss Maudie tell Scout about Boo? How does this compare with what Scout already believes?
- Scout claims that "Dill could tell the biggest ones (lies)" she ever heard. Why might Dill have told such lies?
- Atticus tells the children not to play the Boo Radley game. What reasons does Atticus give them? Do you think he is right? Why?
Chapter 6
- Why does Scout disapprove of Jem's and Dill's plan of looking in to one of the Radleys' windows?
- After the incident, Jem's real desire is not just to recover his pants but to keep on good terms with Atticus. What does this tell you about Jem's relationship with his father?
Chapter 7
- What does Jem tell Scout about "that night" at Boo Radley's?
- Can you find any evidence that Jem is beginning to understand more than Scout about Boo Radley? What do you think this is?
- When the children plan to send a letter to the person who leaves the gifts, they are prevented. How does this happen? Who does it, and why might he do so?
Chapter 8
- How do the people of Maycomb respond to the burning of Miss Maudie's house? What do their actions reveal about the people of this community?
- Given what you know of Miss Maudie, explain her reaction to the loss of her house.
- Why does Atticus decide to keep the blanket incident a secret?
- When Scout comes home with the mysterious blanket wrapped over her shoulders, "Jem seemed to have lost his mind. He began pouring out our secrets right and left…." What is it that Jem is trying to get Atticus to understand?
Chapter 9
- Why does Scout fight her cousin after the Christmas dinner at Finch's landing?
- What is "Maycomb's usual disease"?
- Look closely at the reasons Atticus gives Scout for defending Tom Robinson. Also look at his statement, "every lawyer gets at least one case in his lifetime that affects him personally. This one's mine, I guess." What is it about this case that strikes so deeply at what Atticus believes?
- Compare Scout's reasons for walking away from the schoolyard fights with Jem's reasons for returning to the Radleys' to get his pants. How are the two situations similar and different?
- What lesson does Scout teach Uncle Jack about children and what further lesson does Atticus add? What element do the two lessons have in common? Consider whether you agree with both lessons and defend your opinions. Does Scout learn anything from overhearing Atticus's conversation with Uncle Jack? What might this be?
- Read the final sentence of this chapter. Explain, in your own words, what it means and why it might be important in the story.
Chapter 10
- Scout says that "Atticus was feeble." Do you think that this is her view as an adult or her view when she was younger? Does she still think this after the events recorded in this chapter?
- In this chapter Atticus tells his children that "it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." What reason does he give for saying this?
- Why does Heck Tate not want to shoot Tim Johnson?
- Near the end of this chapter, Atticus cuts off Heck Tate as he is speaking to Jem. What might Heck have been about to say, and why would Atticus want to stop him from saying it?
- Jem and Scout have different views about telling people at school how well Atticus can shoot. Explain this difference. Which view is closer to your own?
Chapter 11
- How does Atticus advise Jem to react to Mrs. Dubose's taunts?
- What does Mrs. Dubose say about the children's mother? How does Jem feel about this?
- What request does Mrs. Dubose make of Jem? Is this a fair punishment for his "crime"?
- Explain, in your own words, what Atticus thinks of insults like "nigger-lover." Do you agree with him? Why or why not?
- Why, in Atticus's view, is Mrs. Dubose "a great lady"?
- Atticus says that Mrs. Dubose is a model of real courage rather than "a man with a gun in his hand". What does he mean? Do you think he is right?
- Chapters ten and eleven are the last two chapters in the first part of the book. Explain why Harper Lee chooses to end the first part here.
Chapter 12
- What is the meaning of the cartoon in the Montgomery Advertiser that Scout doesn't understand?
- Describe Jem and Scout's visit to First Purchase church. What new things does Scout learn here about how the black people live?
- What purpose is served by the scene between Cal and Lula at First Purchase? List several possibilities.
- Why does Calpurnia speak differently in the Finch household then among her neighbors at church?
Chapter 13
- How are Aunt Alexandra and Atticus different?
- Scout describes Maycomb's society in the paragraph beginning, "There was indeed a caste system in Maycomb…" Reread this paragraph and explain the dicta (i.e., "No Crawford Minds His Own Business."). What affect can statements like these have on a community? What problems does this caste system create?
- How does Alexandra change the family? More specifically, how does she change Atticus?
- The last line in Chapter 13 is: "I know not what he was trying to do, but Atticus was only a man. It takes a woman to do that kind of work." Explain the quotation, and then argue its truth or falsity.
Chapter 14
- What new violation causes Scout to say: "Then [Jem] rose and broke the remaining code of our childhood"?
- Dill's answer to the question, "Why do you reckon Boo Radley's never run off?" is only partial. Why do you think he's never run off? Try for a more complete response then Dill's; consider all you know of Boo's life.
- Comment on Atticus's explanation of rape. How suitable is this answer to Scout?
2. Explain why Dill runs away from home. What solution does Atticus offer to the problem of Dill's presence?
Chapter 15
- What is the "nightmare" that now descends upon the children?
- What was (and is) the Ku Klux Klan? What do you think of Atticus' comment about it?
- How does Jem react when Atticus tells him to go home, and why?
- What persuades the lynching-party to give up their attempt?
- Comment on the way Scout affects events without realizing it at the time.
Chapter 16
Scout says that "The full meaning of the night's events hit [her] and she began crying." Reread the preceding paragraphs. What parallels has she seen between the mad-dog and the mob scenes?
Try to explain why Braxton Underwood, who "despises Negroes," would protect Atticus from a mob that wanted to lynch a black person accused of raping a white woman.
Explain in what ways Scout and Jem made Mr. Cunningham stand in Atticus' shoes?
What makes a "mixed child real sad"? What does this tell you about society? In your opinion, why does Lee make Scout ask, "Well how do you know we ain't Negroes?"
Chapter 17
- What are the main points in Heck Tate's evidence? What does Atticus show when he cross-examines Sheriff Tate?
- What do we learn indirectly about the home life of the Ewell family?
- What do you learn from Bob Ewell's evidence?
- Why does Atticus ask Bob Ewell to write out his name? What does the jury see when he does this?
Chapter 18
- Is Mayella like her father or different from him? In what ways?
- Why does Mayella Ewell break into tears at the beginning of her testimony?
- What makes Mayella think Atticus is mocking her? What does this tell you about her?
- How well does Mr. Gilmer prove Tom's guilt in the eyes of the reader (you) and in the eyes of the jury? Why?
Chapter 19
- As Tom gives his testimony, Scout draws parallels between Mayella and several other people she has recently learned to understand. To whom does she compare Mayella and why?
- In your own words explain Mayella's relationship with her father.
- How does Dill react to this part of the trial? Why is this, in your opinion?
Chapter 20
- Scout says that "Mr. Dolphus Raymond was an evil man." Is she right? Why or why not?
- Why does Dolphus Raymond hide Coca-Cola in a bag?
- What, according to Atticus, is the thing that Mayella has done wrong?
- Explain, in your own words, Atticus's views on people's being equal.
Chapter 21
- What does Jem expect the verdict to be? Does Atticus think the same?
- What is unusual about how long it takes the jury to reach a verdict? Is the verdict predictable or not?
- As Scout waits for the verdict, she thinks of earlier events. What are these and how do they remind us of the novel's central themes?
Chapter 22
- Although Atticus did not want his children in court, he defends Jem's right to know what has happened. Explain, in your own words, Atticus's reasons for this (Look at the speech beginning, "This is their home, sister.").
- Miss Maudie tells Jem that "things are never as bad as they seem." What reasons does she give for saying this?
- Why does Dill say that he will be a clown when he grows up? Do you think he will keep this ambition for long?
- Why does Bob Ewell feel so angry with Atticus? Do you think his threat is a real one, and how might he try to "get" Atticus?
Chapter 23
- What do you think of Atticus's reaction to Bob Ewell's challenge? Should he have ignored Bob or retaliated?
- What is "circumstantial evidence"? What role does this play in Tom's conviction?
- Why does Aunt Alexandra accept that the Cunninghams may be good but are not "our kind of folks"? Do you think that people should mix only with others of the same social class? Are class divisions good or bad for societies?
- At the end of this chapter, Jem forms a new theory about why Boo Radley never leaves his house. What is this theory? How likely is it to be true, in your opinion?
Chapter 24
- Who are the Mrunas and who is J. Grimes Everett?
- Do you think the missionary ladies are sincere in worrying about the "Mrunas"? Give reasons for your answer.
- Compare the reactions of Miss Maudie and the other ladies when Scout says she is wearing her "britches" under her dress.
- How are the ladies of Maycomb depicted in this chapter?
- In your opinion, why does Tom run for the fence?
Chapter 25
- How does Maycomb react to the news of Tom's death?
- Scout contrasts the court where Tom was tried and "the secret courts of men's hearts." What does this mean? In what way are hearts like courts?
- What remark does Mr. Ewell make on hearing of Tom's death and what seems to be the significance of the remark? Why doesn't Jem want Scout to tell Atticus about this? Was this a wise thing to ask her to do?
Chapter 26
- In her lesson on Hitler, Miss Gates says that "we [American people] don't believe in persecuting anyone." What seems odd to the reader about this claim?
- Why is Scout puzzled by Miss Gates' abhorrence of Hitler?
- In your opinion, why is Jem upset by Scout's question? Is there a simple answer, or any answer, to the question ("How can you hate Hitler an' then turn around an be ugly about folks right at home?")?
Chapter 27
- What are three threatening things that happen in Maycomb by the middle of October? How do the methods of each occurrence tell you about the kind of man Bob Ewell is?
- Why, according to Atticus, does Bob Ewell bear a grudge? Which people does Ewell see as his enemies? Why?
- What is the purpose of the Halloween pageant? What practical joke persuaded the grown ups to have an organized event this year?
Chapter 28
- How does this chapter remind you of earlier events in the novel?
- Why does Jem say that Boo Radley must not be at home? What is ironic about this? (Is it true? Does he really mean it? Why might it be important for him and Scout that Boo should not be at home?)
- Scout decides to keep her costume on while walking home. How does this decision benefit her later on?
- What does Heck Tate find under the tree?
Chapter 29
- What causes the "shiny clean line" on the otherwise "dull wire" of Scout's costume?
- What explanation does Atticus give for Bob Ewell's attack?
- What does Heck Tate give as the reason for the attack?
Chapter 30
- Who does Atticus think is responsible for Bob Ewell's death?
- Why does Heck Tate insist that Bob Ewell's death was self-inflicted? In what way is this partly true?
- Is Heck Tate right to spare Boo the publicity of an inquest? Give reasons for your answer.
Chapter 31
- How do the events of the final chapters explain the first sentence in the first chapter?
- How does the writer summarize earlier events to show their significance?
- How does Scout make sense of Boo as she stands on the Radley porch (Think about Atticus' comment in the beginning of the novel.)?
- At the end of the novel, Atticus reads to Scout. Comment on his story choice. Does it have any connection with the themes presented earlier in the novel and with the novel's ending?
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