ENG II Ms. Clark With thanks to Mrs. O Connor NAME: Per. To Kill a Mockingbird By N. Harper Lee Questions will be graded on: Accuracy (25%) Completion (50%) Thoroughness (25%) Legibility (points deducted for unreadable answers) Total Points Possible: 100 / 100
Clark 2 Character Chart Character Name Primary Role Facts and Character Traits (4 or more) Scout Finch Jem Finch Dill Harris Atticus Finch Bob Ewell Mayella Ewell Tom Robinson Miss Maudie Calpurnia Boo Radley
Clark 3 PART ONE CHAPTER 1 1.) What is the setting of this book? What is it like then/there? 2.) Describe Boo Radley according to Jem s description. Do you think his description is likely accurate? CHAPTER 2 3.) Why does Scout have a bad first day of school? 4.) Describe the incident with Walter Cunningham. What is the Cunningham family like, according to Scout? Who was more right (Scout or Miss Caroline) and why? 5.) Is the Finch family poor? CHAPTER 3 6.) When Walter is eating lunch at the Finch house, why does Scout have to finish eating her lunch in the kitchen? What does this punishment reflect about the rules and dynamics of the Finch household? 7.) What does Atticus mean when he tells Scout that in order to really understand a person, you must climb into his skin and walk around in it? 8.) Describe the Ewell family. 9.) At the end of this chapter, do you think Atticus is a good father? Why or why not?
CHAPTER 4 10.) What was the significance of the knothole in the oak tree? What was found there, and what does it mean? Clark 4 11.) What does Dill tell the Finches about his father? What does this suggest about Dill s character? 12.) Jem pushed Scout in the tire very hard. Describe what happened to Scout as a result of her ride in the tire. What are your thoughts about Boo Radley at this point in the story? CHAPTER 5 13.) How does Miss Maudie seem to feel about Stephanie Crawford and her gossip? What does this suggest about Miss Maudie? Miss Crawford? 14.) How and why were Jem and Dill planning to deliver a note to Boo Radley? CHAPTER 6 15.) What happened when Jem, Dill, and Scout tried to sneak up to the Radley house? How did Nathan Radley describe these events later? CHAPTER 7 16.) What happened to Jem s pants? What does it mean? 17.) What is your impression of Mr. Nathan Radley at this point in the story? What does his behavior suggest about his relationship to his brother?
Clark 5 CHAPTER 8 18.) What do the Finch children build in this chapter? What does it look like? 19.) What happened to Miss Maudie s house? Why was help so slow? How did she react later? 20.) What strange thing happens to Scout while she and Jem are outside in the cold? What do you think it means? CHAPTER 9 21.) What three reasons did Atticus give to Scout for defending Tom Robinson? 22.) What information does Francis reveal to Scout concerning Dill? Does this change your opinion of Dill? 23.) Why does Scout fight Francis? Who is in the right, and why? 24.) Why does Scout believe she had been unfairly treated by Uncle Jack? What does Atticus tell Uncle Jack about dealing with children? Do you think that Atticus is a very good father? CHAPTER 10 25.) Atticus told Jem, I d rather you shot at tin cans in the back yard, but I know you ll go after birds. Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit em, but remember it s a sin to kill a mockingbird. Why is it a sin to kill a mockingbird? What is the underlying meaning of this quote? 26.) Who is Tim Johnson? What is wrong with him? Who is Heck Tate, and why is he there?
27.) Why are the children shocked about Tim Johnson s fate? What do we learn especially about Atticus from this event? Clark 6 CHAPTER 11 28.) What kind of a deal did Jem work out with Mrs. Dubose to repay her for the damages he had done? 29.) What do you think was wrong with Mrs. Dubose? Is she sick? 30.) Atticus contends that Mrs. Dubose was a great lady, but Jem does not immediately agree. Why did Atticus want Jem and Scout exposed to Mrs. Dubose during that very difficult time in her life? What do you think he hoped they might learn from being exposed to her that would be of benefit to them? PART TWO CHAPTER 12 31.) Comment on Jem's and Scout's visit to First Purchase church. (What happened? What was it like? What do people think/feel about them? How do they feel about this experience?) 32.) What new things do Jem and Scout learn here about how African-American people live? 33.) Who is Zeebo? What does Scout learn from Calpurnia's account of Zeebo's education? Specifically refer to literacy.
Clark 7 34.) Explain why Calpurnia speaks differently in the Finch household, and among her neighbors at church. How is language different in a workplace and in a social setting and/or around family? (Try using the word dialect in your answer. Here is the definition: A provincial, rural, or socially distinct variety of a language that differs from the standard language, especially when considered as substandard (dictionary.com) This is also the term for when a writer spells things incorrectly in order to reflect the accent with which a character speaks.) CHAPTER 13 35.) Why does Aunt Alexandra come to stay with Atticus and his family? What is she like? 36.) Alexandra thinks Scout is dull (not clever). Why does she think this, and is she right? 37.) Comment on Aunt Alexandra's ideas about breeding and family. Why does Atticus tell them to forget it? Who is right, do you think? CHAPTER 14 38.) Comment on Atticus's explanation of rape. How suitable is this as an answer to Scout, especially given Atticus s previous admonition to Uncle Jack to always explain things to children? 39.) Why does Alexandra think Atticus should dismiss Calpurnia? How does Atticus respond to the suggestion? 40.) Why is Scout pleased when Jem fights her back? Why is she less pleased when he tells Atticus about Dill? Why is Dill there?
Clark 8 CHAPTER 15 41.) Where do the kids find Atticus on Saturday night before the trial? What is he doing, and why? Who helps him? 42.) Why do you think Scout s conversation with Mr. Cunningham dispersed the crowd? Could anyone other than Scout have achieved the same goal? Why or why not? CHAPTER 16 43.) What sort of person is Dolphus Raymond? What do we learn about Maycomb from the way he is treated? 44.) How does Reverend Sykes help the children see and hear the trial? Is he right to do so? 45.) Comment on Judge Taylor's attitude to his job. Does he take the trial seriously or not? CHAPTER 17: *THE TRIAL BEGINS* 46.) Keeping track of testimony: What is learned from Heck Tate during the trial? 47.) What do we learn indirectly of the home life of the Ewell family in this chapter? (Note: Be sure to add to the character chart in this chapter!)
Clark 9 48.) How would you describe Bob Ewell, and what is learned from his testimony? CHAPTER 18 49.) What is learned from Mayella s testimony? What might be the reason(s) for Mayella's crying in the court? 50.) Do you believe Mayella s testimony? Is she a victim? If so, of whom? If not, why not? 51.) How well does Mr. Gilmer prove Tom's guilt in the eyes of the reader (you) and in the eyes of the jury? Can you suggest why these might be different? CHAPTER 19 52.) According to his testimony, what made Tom visit the Ewell's house in the first place? 53.) Why does Scout think that Mayella Ewell was the loneliest person in the world? Are you inclined to agree with her? 54.) In your own words, explain Mayella's relationship with her father. CHAPTER 20 55.) Raymond says, You little folks won t tell on me now, will you? It d ruin my reputation if you did. What reputation is he talking about? Why does Mr. Raymond want to keep that reputation? Why does he share with Dill and Scout?
Clark 10 56.) According to Atticus, what is the one American institution in which all men are truly created equal? 57.) Consider Atticus s closing speech: Who does he say is guilty, and why? Do you think he s a good lawyer after reading this speech? 58.) What do you expect the verdict to be, given the testimony the court has heard, the closing speeches, and the jury s background and beliefs? CHAPTER 21 59.) What does Jem expect the verdict to be? Does Atticus think the same? 60.) Describe what happened when Atticus left the courtroom. Why did this happen? 61.) What is unusual about how long it takes the jury to reach a verdict? Is the verdict predictable, or not? CHAPTER 22 62.) Why did Judge Taylor appoint Atticus to Tom s case? Did he make the right decision?
Clark 11 63.) This story is set in the 1930s, but was published in 1960. The Civil Rights Movement, of which MLK, Jr. was a part, existed roughly between 1955 and 1968. Consider the nation today: Have attitudes to racism remained the same since the 30s? The 60s? Or have there been any changes (for the better or worse) since then, in your view? What current events are linked to race relations in this country? 64.) Given the outcome of the case, why does Bob Ewell feel so angry with Atticus? Do you think his threat is a real one, and if so, how might he try to get Atticus? CHAPTER 23 65.) What do you think of Atticus's reaction to Bob Ewell's challenge? Should he have ignored Bob, retaliated or done something else? 66.) What does Atticus tell Scout about why the jury took so long to convict Tom? What does it mean? CHAPTER 24 67.) How sincere are the missionary ladies in their desire to help the African tribe, the Mrunas? What is strange about this desire? What is your opinion of the Maycomb ladies, as depicted in this chapter? 68.) What happens to Tom Robinson in this chapter? What is Atticus's explanation for Tom's attempted escape? Do you think his reasoning is right, or is there another possibility?
Clark 12 CHAPTER 25 69.) Why wouldn t Jem allow Scout to smash the roly-poly she found on the porch? 70.) Scout says that, to Maycomb, it was typical of a black man to cut and run, as Tom did. Take Atticus s advice and stand in Tom s shoes. Why did he try to escape from prison when he had a good chance of getting off on appeal? CHAPTER 26 71.) 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? (Remember, World War II, when the Nazis fought the Allied forces and the American Army was still segregated, didn t start until the 1940s a few years AFTER the story.) 72.) Why does Scout's question upset Jem? 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 73.) Why, according to Atticus, does Bob Ewell bear a grudge? Which people does Ewell see as his enemies, and why? 74.) What was the purpose of the Halloween pageant? What practical joke had persuaded the grown-ups to have an organized event?
Clark 13 CHAPTER 28 75.) Describe the scene as Scout and Jem are walking home. Why is this night referred to as Scout and Jem s longest journey together? 76.) Who attacked the Finch children, and what happened to him? CHAPTER 29 77.) What causes the shiny clean line on the otherwise dull wire of Scout's costume? 78.) What explanation does Atticus give for the attack? What does Heck Tate give as the reason for the attack? Why are their reasons different from one another, and do you think the sheriff's explanation or Atticus's is more likely to be true? CHAPTER 30 79.) Who does Atticus think caused Bob Ewell's death? Who is really responsible? 80.) Why does Heck Tate insist that Bob Ewell's death was self-inflicted? In what way is this partly true? 81.) Is Heck Tate right to spare Boo the publicity of an inquest? What earlier idea does Scout compare Tate s conclusions to?
Clark 14 82.) Is Boo what you expected him to be? CHAPTER 31 83.) How do the events of the final chapters explain the first sentence in the whole novel? In retrospect, was this a good way to start the novel? 84.) At the end of the novel, Atticus reads to Scout. Comment on his choice of story. Does it have any connection with themes earlier in the novel and in its ending? 85.) One of the greatest criticisms of To Kill a Mockingbird is that the two central storylines-- Scout, Jem, and Dill's fascination with Boo Radley in Part 1 and the trial between Mayella Ewell and Tom Robinson in Part 2-- are not sufficiently connected in the novel. Do you think that Lee is successful in incorporating these different stories? Were you surprised at the way in which these story lines were resolved? Why or why not?