To Kill a Mockingbird Reading Guide Chapters 1-10 Sutton Spring Directions: In COMPLETE SENTENCES, answer each question that follows for chapters 1-10 of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. This guide will be collected and checked at random points throughout our reading in class. Chapter 1 1. Who is the narrator of the novel? Why is this important? Reading Comprehension Questions Chapters 1-10 2. How do we know that the narrator is an older person looking back on her youth? 3. What other information do we get in the first two paragraphs? 4. What is the setting of the story (including time and place)? 5. Describe the atmosphere of Maycom Provide three specific details. 6. Describe the character of Calpurni Provide three specific details about her. 7. What, briefly, has happened to Arthur Boo Radley. 8. Why does the Radley place fascinate Scout, Jem and Dill?
9. Describe the character of Dill. Provide three specific details about him. 10. How important is bravery to Jem? Explain why it is or is not important. Chapter 2 11. Describe Atticus as a father. Provide three specific details in your response. 12. Why is Scout so looking forward to school? 13. Why does Jem now want anything to do with Scout at school? How is his behavior typical of an older sibling? 14. Describe the character of Miss Fisher. Provide three specific details in your response. 15. What events lead to the conflict between Scout and Miss Fisher? Be specific in your response. 16. Why is Mrs. Blount, the sixth grade teacher, angry with Miss Fisher? 17. How has Scout learned to read? Why does this provide conflict in the classroom?
18. The students in the class show some prejudice when Miss Fisher tells the class that she is from Winston County, Alabam Explain this prejudice. Why is it important to the novel? 19. What is learned about the Cunningham clan in chapter 2? Chapter 3 20. Who are the Ewells? Why are they allowed special privileges in town? 21. Using at least three specific details, describe Walter Cunningham. What does his behavior suggest about his home life? d. 22. Explain the importance of how Atticus treats Walter. 23. What does Scout learn from Walter s visit? Why is this important to her character? 24. Describe Burris Ewell. Why is he important to the characterization of the Ewell family?
25. Little Chuck Little tells the teacher that Mr. Ewell is right contentious. Time to grab a dictionary what does this mean? Why could it be significant to the novel? 26. What events lead to Burris leaving school before the day is over? Be specific in your response. 27. Why does Atticus say that Scout should ignore Jem in the tree house? 28. In regards to school, what compromise does Atticus make with Scout? Why is she not to mention this when she goes to school? Chapter 4 29. What game do the children make up in this chapter? Why do they do this? 30. What superstitions do the children have in connection with the Radley house? 31. What might be the cause of laughter from inside the house? Why is this significant to the novel? 32. What is the first present that Scout finds in the tree? 33. What does Jem call Miss Fisher s teaching methods? 34. What is the second present found in the tree? Why are these presents significant?
35. Who is the meanest old woman that ever lived? Chapter 5 36. Describe Miss Maudie Atkinson. Provide three specific details about her character. 37. How typical is Miss Maudie of Maycomb s women? What do the children think of her? 38. What does Miss Maudie tell Scout about Boo? How does this compare with what Scout already believes? 39. Why might Dill tell lies about his family and his past? 40. What reasons does Atticus give for the children not to play the Boo Radley game? Why is he correct? 41. When Scout begins to drift away from the boys, with whom does she spend time? Why is this important? 42. How do the children try to send a message to Boo? What does this show about them? 43. What does Miss Maudie mean when she says that Atticus is the same in his house as he is on the public streets? Why is this a significant point in the novel?
Chapter 6 44. Why does Scout disapprove of Jem's and Dill's plan of looking in at one of the Radleys' windows? 45. What does Mr. Nathan Radley know about the intruders in his garden? 46. Why does Dill's explanation of Jem's state of dress almost land him in trouble? 47. What is Mr. Avery s claim to fame? 48. What is the children s new plan in this chapter? 49. Where do the children sleep in the summer? 50. What are some of the nicknames that Jem gives Scout? Why are these important to her character? 51. Why do the children spit on the gate? 52. How do you know that Jem respects his father? 53. What does Jem lose when he goes to the Radley Place? Why is this important? 54. What false story does Dill tell about the missing pants? What does this show about Dill s character? 55. As of the end of chapter 6, what promise/understanding exists between Scout and Dill?
Chapter 7 56. When Jem tells Scout about getting his trousers back, he tells her of something strange. What is this? Why is this significant to the novel? 57. Explain one piece of evidence to prove that Jem is beginning to understand more than Scout about Boo Radley 58. Does Jem still fear the gifts in the tree? Why or why not? Why is this important to the novel? 59. 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? 60. What does Mr. Avery do with the stick of stovewood each week? Chapter 8 61. Why does Scout quiz Atticus about his visit to the Radley house? How much does Atticus tell her? 62. Why does Atticus save Miss Maudie's oak rocking chair? 63. Who put the blanket around Scout s shoulders? How did this person know that she was cold? What does Jem realize at this point?
64. Why do they decide not to return the blanket at this time? 65. Explain what Atticus means by telling Jem not to let his discovery inspire him to further glory? Is there any reason why Jem might now do as his father says? Explain. 66. Who dies in Chapter 8? Why might this be important to the novel? Chapter 9 67. How well does Atticus feel he should defend Tom Robinson? What does this decision show about his character? How might this create conflict for the rest of the novel? 68. Scout and Jem have mixed feelings about Christmas? What are these feelings and why? 69. Uncle Jack Finch tells Scout that she is growing out of her pants. What does this mean and why might he say it? 70. When Francis talks to Scout he reveals an unpleasant feature of Aunt Alexandr What is this? 71. What does Scout learn from overhearing Atticus's conversation with Uncle Jack? Why is this information important?
72. Write down the final sentence of this chapter. How is this final sentence going to be important to the rest of the story? 73. How does Aunt Alexandra make Scout unhappy at meal time? 74. Why does Atticus think that he can t win the Robinson case? 75. Who calls Scout a coward? Does she walk away? Why or why not? What does this show about her character? d 76. Why is Atticus worried about Scout learning to keep her head in the coming months? What could this statement be foreshadowing? Chapter 10 77. Scout says that Atticus was feeble. Is this her view when she tells the story as an adult, or is it her view when she was younger? Does she still think this after the events recorded in this chapter? 78. In this chapter Atticus tells his children that it's a sin to kill a mockingbird. What reason does he give for saying this? What could this statement be foreshadowing for the novel?
79. Why doesn t Heck Tate want to shoot Tim Johnson? 80. 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? Why would Atticus want to stop him from saying it? What does this show about Atticus character? 81. Why does Scout wish her father was a devil from hell? 82. Who is Zeebo? 83. Why does Jem say that they shouldn t tell anyone at school about the incident? Analysis Questions Chapters 1-10 1. After reading the first ten chapters, what does it mean to "act responsibly in the world of this novel? 2. Explain an essential family value that has shaped the people in this community. Be specific in your response. 3. What behaviors are acceptable in the Maycomb community? Why? What behaviors are not acceptable in the community? Why?
d. 4. Who are two characters that help inform Scout about proper behavior throughout the first ten chapters? How do these characters show and tell her to act properly? Character 1: Character 2: d. 5. What does Scout think of current fashions in education? What do her opinions reveal about her character? 6. Describe the relationship between Dill and Scout (include how he treats her and how she reacts to his treatment.) How is this treatment typical and/or atypical (not typical) of this age group.
7. What does the fire at Miss Maudie's house reveal about the people living in Alabama in the 1930s? 8. Besides Atticus, identify another character throughout the first ten chapters who supports Jem and Scout. Provide three details about this person to prove that they support the children. Character: d. 9. Describe Aunt Alexandra s negative feelings about Scout. How does Aunt Alexandra perpetuate (promote and continue) stereotypes? 10. Provide three specific examples from the first ten chapters that reveal Atticus parenting skills. What is he trying to teach his children with each example? d.