To Kill a Mockingbird Study Guide Chapter 1 1. From what point of view is the story told? 2. Why are the neighbors suspicious of Mr. and Mrs. Radley? 3. What does this tell you about the neighbors and people of Maycomb? 4. How does Mr. Radley punish Arthur (Boo) after he gets into trouble with the law? 5. Why does Mr. Radley punish Boo? 6. Jem believes Mr. Radley keeps Boo chained to the bed most of the time. What threat do you think Mr. Radley used to keep Boo isolated? 7. What does Jem do on a dare?
Chapters 2 and 3 8. Describe Miss Caroline s attitude as seen by Scout on her first day of school. 9. What does Miss Caroline learn on her first day? 10. What does Scout learn on her first day? 11. Why does Miss Caroline hit Scout s hand with a ruler? 12. What does Scout do to Walter? Why? 13. What does Jem do for Walter? Why? 14. Why don t Miss Caroline and her students understand one another? 15. How does Scout feel about the system of education? 16. What does Atticus tell Scout about the system? 17. What bargain does Atticus strike with Scout?
Chapters 1-3 (Cumulative) 18. To Kill a Mockingbird begins with the narrator, Scout Finch, remembering something that happened in the past. This novel is the remembrance of that incident and the events leading up to it. What is that incident? 19. The legends surrounding Boo Radley are a mix of fact and rumor. List three verifiable facts and three rumors. 20. Atticus seems to know more about the Radleys than he lets on. How does Atticus respond to the persistent questions about Boo Radley? What is Atticus's apparent attitude toward Boo Radley? 21. What reason does Dill give for trying to make Boo Radley come out of the house? Is there anything wrong with Dill's behavior regarding Boo? Explain. 22. Why does Miss Caroline disapprove of Scout's reading ability? Do you think her reasons are justified? Explain.
23. When Scout and Jem invite Walter Cunningham to lunch, Scout says, "Walter had forgotten he was a Cunningham." What does she mean? 24. At lunch, how does Atticus make Walter feel welcome? 25. Although Atticus is an adult and Walter is a child, there's nothing condescending or patronizing about how Atticus talks to Walter Cunningham. What does this tell you about Atticus? 26. Both the Cunninghams and the Ewells are poor. What makes these families different? Atticus tells Scout that they (the Finches) are also poor. How is their family different from the Cunninghams and the Ewells? Chapters 4, 5, and 6 27. Why do children react the way they do to the Radley place and Radley family? 28. What does Boo represent?
29. Why do the children like Miss Maudie Atkinson? 30. What is Miss Maudie s version of the Boo Radley story? 31. Compare and contrast Miss Maudie and Miss Stephanie. 32. What does Atticus want the children to do to Boo? Why? 33. What do the kids plan to do before Dill leaves? 34. What does Jem risk by going back to the Radleys? 35. Why is Jem so concerned about Atticus finding out about the lost pants? Chapter 7 36. What is the condition of Jem s pants when he returns to get them? Who do you think is responsible? Why?
37. Why does Nathan Radley cement the hole in the tree? Does Jem accept his explanation? How do you know? What does this show about Jem? Does Scout seem upset? 38. Why does Jem cry that night? Questions: Chapters 4-7 (Cumulative) 39. What is the first thing Scout finds in the knot-hole of the oak? 40. Scout said, "Plucking an occasional camellia, getting a squirt of hot milk from Miss Maudie Atkinson's cow on a summer day, helping ourselves to someone's scuppernongs was part of our ethical culture, but money was different." What does she mean that something is part of the "ethical culture"? Why does Scout say that it's different with money?
41. One of the reasons Scout didn't want to play the Boo Radley game was because Atticus clearly disapproved. What was the other reason? Why would this make her want to stop playing the game? 42. Miss Maudie tries to explain to Scout why Boo Radley doesn't come out of the house. What reason does Miss Maudie give for Boo Radley's reclusiveness? 43. How did Atticus find out with certainty that the children were playing a game about Boo Radley? 44. Against Scout's protest, Jem decides to retrieve his pants from the fence in back of the Radley property. Scout says, "It was then, I suppose, that Jem and I first began to part company." What do you think she means? 45. What happens to Miss Maudie s house? Chapter 8 46. While everyone is around Miss Maudie s house, what mysterious thing happens to Scout? 47. Why doesn t Jem want Atticus to return the blanket?
48. How has Jem s reaction to Boo changed? Why? 49. What is Miss Maudie s reaction to her house situation? 50. What does Miss Maudie s reaction tell you about her character? Chapter 9 51. By the end of the chapter, what have you leaned of the court case? 52. Why has Atticus taken this case? 53. Why doesn t Scout hit Cecil Jacobs? 54. Compare and contrast the characters of Uncle Jack and Aunt Alexandra. Uncle Jack: Aunt Alexandra:
55. Why has Scout started cursing? 56. Why does Scout dislike Francis? 57. What does Francis say to Scout that makes her beat him? 58. What mistake does Uncle Jack make when he punishes Scout? 59. When Uncle Jack learns the truth, why won t Scout let him tell Atticus so Francis will be punished? What does this say about Scout? 60. At this point in the novel What is your opinion of Atticus? Why? 61. Do you think the children understand the implications of the term, nigger-lover? Why? 62. What is the general attitude towards Blacks in Maycomb? Why is Atticus so sure he can t win this case?
63. Why, if he doesn t expect to win the case, do the people call Atticus a nigger-lover? 64. Why must Scout learn to control her temper? Chapter 10 65. How does Scout and Jem s view of Atticus change from the beginning to the end of this chapter? 66. What incident caused this change? 67. What is the meaning of the title of this novel? 68. Why does Atticus refuse to hunt? 69. What does Jem mean when he says that Atticus is a gentleman? 70. What has Jem learned about strength and character?
71. How do Jem and Scout differ in their attitude on Atticus? Why? Chapter 11 72. Why does Jem wreck Mrs. Dubose s camellias? What is his punishment? 73. Why does Mrs. Dubose keep Jem and Scout longer each day? 74. What does Jem learn from his encounter with Mrs. Dubose? 75. Describe the three examples of adult bravery the children have seen at this point in the novel: Mrs. Dubose Atticus Miss Maudie 76. How does Atticus explain nigger-lover to Scout? 77. What does Atticus want the children to realize about courage?
Chapters 8-11(Cumulative) Questions: 78. Uncle Jack is shocked at Scout's use of words like damn and hell. Atticus chooses to ignore it. He tells Jack, "Bad language is a stage all children go through, and it dies with time when they learn they're not attracting attention with it." Do you agree with Atticus? Do you think it's all right for children to use bad language on the theory that they'll grow out of it? Would you allow your own children to use bad language? 79. Foreshadowing is a hint or clue an author gives the reader about something that is to come later in the story. What is being foreshadowed at the end of Chapter 9? 80. The title of a book usually is a clue to understanding its main theme. At the beginning of Chapter 10 there is a reference to the title. What is the reference? How do you think this relates to some of die ideas found in the book so far? 81. When Scout says that most of the people in the neighborhood are old, Miss Maudie says Scout and Jem have the benefit of their father's age. Why would she call his age a benefit? 82. Like Francis, Mrs. Dubose doesn't hold back when it comes to slandering Atticus. It's the first insult Scout hears coming from an adult. How does Atticus treat Mrs. Dubose?
Chapter 12 1. What differences do Scout and Jem notice between their church and the Negro church? 2. Of what crime is Tom Robinson accused? 3. What kind of evidence would be necessary to get a conviction on such a charge (from #2)? 4. Compare and contrast Calpurnia and Lula. Chapter 13& 14 5. How does Aunt Alexandra feel about family background? 6. How does she feel about blacks?
7. Why is Aunt Alexandra in Maycomb? 8. Why is there tension between Atticus and Jem at the end of this chapter? 9. Why doesn t Aunt Alexandra want the children to associate with blacks? Chapters 12 14 (Cumulative) Questions: 10. What was the editorial cartoon saying about Atticus? Jem said it was a compliment. Was it? 11. With the exception of Lula, how are Jem and Scout treated by the people at Calpurnia's church? Why? 12. Scout notices that Calpurnia's speech at church was different from her speech at home. What reason does Calpurnia give? How is this similar to the way Atticus spoke with Walter Cunningham?
13. In chapter 13, Harper Lee almost brings the story to a complete halt by including a long expository section on the history of Maycomb. Why do you think this section was placed at this point in the story as opposed to the beginning? 14. Upon her arrival, what values does Aunt Alexandra try to instill in Scout and Jem? What are Atticus's apparent feelings on the matter? 15. How does Jem break what Scout calls "the remaining code of our childhood"? Was Jem right to do what he did? 16. Dill claims to have run away simply because his parents weren't interested in him. Why do you think Scout has a hard time understanding this reason? Questions: Chapters 15 & 16 17. Why did the sheriff and the other men come to talk to Atticus on the Saturday night before the trial? 18. Who made up the mob that went to the Maycomb Jail? What were they intending to do there?
19. How does Atticus explain the actions of the jail mob? To what does he compare them? 20. How are Atticus's responses to both the crowd outside his home and the mob at the jail similar? 21. Why did Scout's words to Mr. Cunningham make him change his mind and leave the jail? 22. During the scene at the jail, Braxton Underwood was leaning out his office window with a shotgun pointed at the mob. What does Atticus find ironic about this? What do you think were Braxton Underwood's motives? 23. Scout says "... the memory of Atticus calmly folding his newspaper and pushing back his hat became Atticus standing in the middle of an empty-waiting street, pushing up his glasses." What comparison is being made? By noting a connection between these two incidents, what character quality of Atticus's is being revealed to Scout?
24. What is Mr. Heck Tate s testimony? Chapter 17 25. On what points does Atticus question him? 26. What is Bob Ewell s testimony? 27. What does Atticus have Bob Ewell do at the end of his testimony? 28. How is Mayella contrasted to her father? Chapter 18 29. Why does Mayella think Atticus is sassing her? 30. How does Atticus attempt to prove that the Ewells are lying? 31. Why does Bob Ewell want to persecute Tom Robinson? 32. What does he hope to prove?
33. What is Tom Robinson s testimony? Chapter 19 34. What is the irony with Tom helping Mayella with her chores? 35. Explain the loneliness theme of the novel. How does this relate to the Negroes, Ewells, and Radleys the outcasts of the novel? 36. How does Scout explain Tom s terrible predicament in the Ewell house? 37. Why is Dill crying when Tom is on the stand? Chapter 20 38. Why does Dolphous Raymond fool the town s people about the bottle in his pocket? 39. How does Atticus explain the lies Mayella told about the incident in the cabin?
Questions: Chapters 17 21 (Cumulative) 40. An extended metaphor is a metaphorical comparison that is continued at length, and the comparison is shown in several ways. Read the following description of Bob Ewell: In answer to the clerk's booming voice, a little bantam cock of a man rose and strutted to the stand, the back of his neck reddening at the sound of his name. When he turned around to take the oath, we saw his face was as red as his neck.... A shock of wispy new-washed hair stood up from his forehead; his nose was thin, pointed, and shiny; he had no chin to speak of it seemed to be part of his creepy neck. " so help me God," he crowed. What is the general comparison that Harper Lee is drawing in this passage? List five ways this comparison is drawn. 41. A foil is someone or something that, by a striking contrast, reveals the characteristics of someone or something else. In Chapter 17 Scout provides a description of the Ewell's house and yard. What objects act as a foil to the junk strewn around the Ewell's yard? What might the presence of these objects reveal about the character of Mayella Ewell? 42. When Bob Ewell refers to Mayella he uses language like "screamin' like a stuck hog," "ruttin' on my Mayella," and "lyin' on the floor squallin'." What does the use of language like this reveal about Bob Ewell's character? About his feelings toward Mayella?
43. There is a terrible irony in the fact that Bob Ewell considers himself better than his black neighbors. List two ways the author shows this irony. 44. Mayella Ewell takes offense to Atticus's politeness toward her. What might this indicate about Mayella? 45. Tom Robinson tells Mr. Gilmer that he helped Mayella Ewell because he felt sorry for her. Mr. Gilmer repeats this with apparent incredulity: " You felt sorry for her, you felt sorry for her?" Scout says, The witness realized his mistake and shifted uncomfortably in the chair. But the damage was done. Below us, nobody liked Tom Robinson's answer. What was the "mistake" that Tom Robinson made? 46. Dill becomes increasingly upset at the way the prosecutor treats Tom Robinson until Jem makes Scout take Dill outside. When Dill tells Scout how he feels, Scout says, "Well, Dill, after all he's just a Negro." In spite of all the wisdom given her by Atticus, what has Scout failed to understand regarding racial differences?
47. Mr. Dolphus Raymond says, Things haven't caught up with [Dill's] instinct yet. Let him get a little older and he won't get sick and cry. Maybe things'll strike him as being not quite right, say, but he won't cry, not when he gets a few years on him. What does he mean by making this statement? 48. The children discover that Mr. Dolphus Raymond only pretends to be halfdrunk all the time. Mr. Raymond admits his deception isn't honest, but it is "mighty helpful to folks." How is it helpful? What is your opinion of Mr. Raymond's deception? 49. In Atticus's final appeal to the court he suggests that Mayella Ewell has "broken a rigid and time-honored code of our society." What was that code? What was Mayella's reaction to breaking that code? 50. What "generally accepted truths" does Atticus challenge in his final appeal? 51. When the jury returns with the verdict, Scout says, "it was like watching Atticus walk into the street, raise a rifle to his shoulder and pull the trigger, but watching all the time knowing that the gun was empty." Why does Scout refer to this event once again? What is the significance of the empty gun? By bringing this image to mind, what is the author saying about Atticus and his actions in general?
52. Is the verdict surprising? Why or why not? What clues were given earlier in the story that the case would probably turn out as it did? 53. Why do all the black people in the balconies stand as Atticus leaves the courtroom? 1. Why does Jem cry? Chapter 22 2. What does Atticus mean when he says only children weep? 3. Describe Dill s reaction? Why does he react this way? 4. Why does Miss Maudie cut Jem a slice from the big cake? Chapters 23 and 24 4. How does Atticus explain reason and emotion?
5. What does Jem observe about Boo Radley? 6. What is the irony of the ladies missionary circle? 7. Describe what Scout learned from Aunt Alexandra at the missionary tea? Chapters 25 and 26 8. What is the town s reaction to Tom Robinson s death? 9. To what, in his editorial, did Mr. Underwood compare Tom s death? 10. Notice how the symbols in this chapter are related. With what action does the chapter begin? What does Scout finally realize in the end?
11. What is the contradiction in Miss Gate s attitude about prejudice? 12. What is Jem trying hard to forget? How is this different from his earlier behavior? Chapters 22-26(Cumulative) Questions: 13. What did Atticus discover in the kitchen on the morning after the trial? What was the reason for these gifts? 14. Thinking about the outcome of the trial, Jem says: It's like bein' a caterpillar in a cocoon, that's what it is,... Like somethin' asleep wrapped up in a warm place. I always thought Maycomb folks were the best folks in the world, least that's what they seemed like. What is Jem painfully realizing? 15. What was Atticus's reaction when Bob Ewell spit on him and threatened him? Why did Atticus say he would gladly take Bob Ewell spitting on him and threatening him?
16. Atticus says "Serving on a jury forces a man to make up his mind and declare himself about something. Men don't like to do that. Sometimes it's uncomfortable." Why would this be uncomfortable? 17. Atticus and Miss Maudie both point out something about the trial that leads them to believe that, however slowly, things may be changing for the better in regard to racial injustice. What is it that they both point out? Do you agree that it's an indication of change? Explain. 18. When Aunt Alexandra refuses to allow Scout to invite Walter Cunningham over, Scout becomes extremely upset: I don't know what I would have done, but Jem stopped me. He caught me by the shoulders, put his arm around me, and led me sobbing in fury to his bedroom. Atticus heard us and poked his head around the door. " s all right, sir," Jem said gruffly, " s not anything." Why do you think Jem didn't tell Atticus what the problem was? 19. Jem tells Scout that he thinks there's "four kinds of folks" in Maycomb county. Scout maintains that there's just one kind of folks. "That's what I thought, too," he said at last, "when I was your age. If there's just one kind of folks, why can't they get along with each other? If they're all alike, why do they go out of their way to despise each other?" How would you answer Jem's question?
20. Senseless killing is mentioned three times in Chapter 25. First Jem refuses to let Scout smash an insect. Later, Dill described Helen Robinson collapsing "like you'd step on an ant." Finally, in Braxton Underwood's editorial, he mentions the "senseless slaughter of songbirds by hunters and children." Why do you think the author repeatedly uses these images? 21. How is Scout, and therefore the reader, shown a different side of Aunt Alexandra in this section of reading? 22. What does Scout find confusing about Miss Gates after her discussion of democracy? Chapters 27 and 28 23. How does Aunt Alexandra explain Bob Ewell s action? How does Atticus interpret these events? 24. What fears that the children had at the beginning of the novel are gone from them now? 25. Why does Mrs. Merriweather scold Scout?
Chapter 29 & 30 26. What did Bob Ewell intend to do to the children? 27. Describe Boo Radley. 28. How do Scout s actions, when she leads Boo out to the porch, show she s matured? 29. Who killed Bob Ewell? Chapter 31 30. When Scout returned, she told Atticus that Boo was nice. How does Atticus response support the theme of seeing life from another point of view? 31. As Scout is walking home, she thinks about the future and says, Jem and I would get grown, but there wasn t much else for us to learn, except possibly algebra. How does this statement support the theme of maturing in the novel? Questions: Chapters 27-31(Cumulative) 32. What were the three out-of-the-ordinary things that happened in Maycomb that Scout says in a way concerned the Finches?
33. How did Mr. Link Deas help Helen Robinson support her family after Tom's imprisonment and death? How did he defend her from Bob Ewell? What do these two things tell you about Link Deas? 34. According to Atticus, why does Bob Ewell apparently hold a grudge against everyone involved in the case? 35. As Jem and Scout leave for the school pageant, Scout says "Thus began our longest journey together." What does she mean? 36. List three things that foreshadow the attack by Bob Ewell. 37. The attack in the dark is told from Scout's limited point of view. Working from Scout's description and knowledge of the outcome, give specifics about what happens. Make sure to identify the characters involved. 38. Who does Atticus think killed Bob Ewell? Why does Sheriff Tate insist that Bob Ewell fell on his own knife?
39. Read the following passage from the book: Atticus sat looking at the floor for a long time. Finally he raised his head. "Scout," he said, "Mr. Ewell fell on his knife. Can you possibly understand?" Atticus looked like he needed cheering up. I ran up to him and hugged him and kissed him with all my might. "Yes sir, I understand," I reassured him. "Mr. Tate was right." Atticus disengaged himself and looked at me. "What do you mean?" "Well, it'd be sort of like shootin' a mockingbird, wouldn't it?" Explain what Scout means. 40. Why does the author have Scout reflect on the past while standing on the Radley's porch? 41. At the end of the story, Atticus reads The Gray Ghost to Scout. Scout, who has fallen asleep during the reading, tells Atticus how the story ends: "An' they chased him 'n' never could catch him 'cause they didn't know what he looked like, an' Atticus, when they finally saw him, why he hadn't done any of those things... Atticus, he was real T> nice.... How is Boo Radley like the "Gray Ghost" in the story? Who are the other "Gray Ghosts" in this story?