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To Kill A Mockingbird: Part One

Study Questions
Chapter 1
1. What do you learn in this chapter about Maycomb, Atticus Finch and his family?
 Maycomb- In North Alabama, county seat
 Atticus Finch- lawyer, descendant of Simon Finch, born/raised in Maycomb, studied law in Montgomery, widower,
two children
 Finch family- Simon Finch came from England and founded Finch’s Landing, Alexandra is Atticus’s sister and lives at
Finch’s Landing, Jack Finch- doctor, studied in Boston
2. What do you learn about Dill's character?
 From Meridian, Mississippi
 Visiting his aunt (Miss Rachel) for the summer
 Small
 A year older than Scout
 Has crazy/fun ideas
3. What, briefly, has happened to Arthur “Boo” Radley.
 Youngest son of the Radley’s
 Got into the wrong crowd, got arrested, judge forced his dad to care for him
 Stabbed his father with scissors
 Never leaves his home
4. Why does the Radley place fascinate Scout, Jem and Dill?
 Because they don’t know what’s going on in there. No one ever visits, and only the dad really ever leaves. The
mom walks outside sometimes, but not often. Dill wants to know what Boo looks like. Jem and Scout don’t know
what he looks like either because the only time he was ever seen, Jem was too young to remember.
5. What happened to Scout and Jem’s mother?
 She died of a heart attack when Scout was two.
6. What do you notice about the narrative voice and viewpoint in the novel?
 Told from Scout’s point of view, when she was 5 years old. However, told from when she was older.
7. Find and define the following words: (page numbers may vary)
 Assuaged- page 3, make (an unpleasant feeling) less intense
 Dictum- page 4, message from an authoritative source
 Taciturn- page 4, person who doesn’t say much
 Beadle- page 11, a ceremonial officer of a church, college, or similar institution

Chapter 2
8. Why is Scout so looking forward to starting school?
 Because she had seen all the fun things Jem had done at school.
9. Why does Jem not want anything to do with Scout at school? Is his behavior typical of an older child?
 He doesn’t want her to embarrass him.
 VERY typical!
10. What is important to know about the Cunninghams?
 They never accept charity of any kind.
11. What do you think of Miss Caroline Fisher as a teacher? Can you find qualities which would make her good or not so good
at her job?
 She’s terrible- got mad at Scout for already knowing how to read and write. Embarrassed children on purpose.
12. Find and define the following:
 Illicitly- page 19, disapproved of or nor permitted for a moral/ethical reason
 Sojourn- page 24, a journey

Chapter 3
13. Who is Calpurnia? What is her place in the Finch household?
 She’s their cook, but basically runs their household. She’s been around since Jem was young and has equal
authority to Atticus over the children- she disciplines as much (if not more) than Atticus.
14. What is Walter Cunningham like? What does his behaviour during lunch suggest about his home life?
 Hardworking, smart but not educated, understands more grown-up things than Scout or Jem. Doesn’t have a lot of
table manners, but is not a bad kid.
15. What do you think of the way Atticus treats Walter?
 Shows that Atticus thinks of people as WHO they rather than WHAT they are. Or WHERE they’re from.
16. Does Scout learn anything from Walter's visit? What do you think this is?
 To treat people as equals, especially when they’re your visitors—even if you think you’re better than them.
17. 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 thing for Scout to learn?
 Unless you’ve been through someone else’s circumstances, you don’t understand their lives.
 This idea comes up multiple times in the chapter- with Walter Cunningham, Miss Caroline Fisher, and again with
the Ewells. Atticus is trying to get Scout to see people from their own perspectives, and not only her own.
18. What do you learn in this chapter about the Ewells?
 The deadbeats of Maycomb.
 Mother died.
 Father uses government “relief” money to buy alcohol.
 Hunts illegally, but the people of Maycomb choose to ignore it because they know it’s the only way the children will
have food.
19. Find and define the following words: (page numbers will vary)
 Persevere- page 28, to carry on despite trials and difficulties
 Contentious- page 30, controversial, causing arguments
 Diminutive- page 30, extremely or unusually small

Chapter 4
20. What does Scout think of current fashions in education?
 Thinks they seem pointless. She’s often bored at school, and doesn’t see any point to it all.
21. What superstitions do the children have in connection with the Radley house?
 Anything from there is poisonous or dangerous.
 Boo is dead and stuffed up the chimney.
22. Why do the children make Boo's story into a game?
 Jem does it to prove he’s not afraid of the Radley’s in any way. Dill goes along with it because he’s fascinated by
them, and Scout goes along with it because she doesn’t want to be left out.
23. What do they do in this game? Do you think the game is an accurate version of what happens in the Radleys' home?
 Act out the different “urban legends” associated with the Radleys.
 It’s exaggerated from stories they’ve heard, but parts of their story are completely fabricated.
24. What might be the cause of the laughter from inside the house?
 Boo (or someone) seeing Scout crash out of the tire into the house.
25. Find and define: scuppernongs.
 Page 39- a sweet grape (like a muscadine)

Chapter 5
26. Describe Miss Maudie Atkinson. How typical is she of Maycomb's women? What do the children think of her?
 She’s a single woman who cares for her yard. She is kind to the children and treats them with fairness.
27. What does Miss Maudie tell Scout about Boo? How does this compare with what Scout already believes?
 The Radley house is just a sad house. Boo doesn’t want to come out. His family is extremely religious, but they are
not kind.
 Makes Scout think that maybe he’s not as crazy as she thought.
28. Scout claims that “Dill could tell the biggest ones ” (lies) she ever heard. Why might Dill have told such lies?
 Creative.
 Doesn’t have much in life, so makes up stories to make himself seem more interesting.
29. What reasons does Atticus give for the children not to play the Boo Radley game? Do you think he is right? Why?
 Because they are (in essence) making fun of him- “putting his life’s history on display”.
 It may seem peculiar to you, but that doesn’t mean that he shouldn’t be allowed to live his life as he wants.
 Yes- none of their business.
30. Find and define the following:
 Benevolence- page 48- kindness
 Placidly- page 52- smoothly, without emotion

Chapter 6
31. Why does Scout disapprove of Jem's and Dill's plan of looking in at one of the Radleys' windows?
 She’s afraid of getting in trouble.
32. What does Mr. Nathan Radley know about the intruders in his garden? Why does Miss Stephanie refer to a “negro” over
whose head Mr. Nathan has fired?
 Nothing. Just knows that someone broke in.
 She assumes that it was a black person because she’s racist and thinks anyone causing trouble MUST be black.
33. Why does Dill's explanation of Jem's state of dress almost land him in trouble?
 Playing card and gambling is bad.
Chapter 7
34. When Jem tells Scout about getting his trousers back, he tells her of something strange. What is this?
 When he went back for his pants, they were “fixed” and folded neatly on the fence- as if someone knew he was
coming back for them.
35. Can you find any evidence that Jem is beginning to understand more than Scout about Boo Radley? What do you think this
is?
 When he says that it’s as if someone knows about him.
 The fact that he asks Mr. Radley about the tree, but then checks on the validity of his story of the tree being dead
by asking Atticus if it’s dead.
36. Does Jem still fear the gifts in the tree? Give reasons for your answer.
 No- he starts to take them right away. He chews the gum without thinking about it.
37. 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?
 The tree is filled with cement.
 Mr. Nathan Radley does it, and he says it’s because the tree was dying, but it may be to stop the delivery of the
gifts.

Chapter 8
38. Why does Scout quiz Atticus about his visit to the Radley house? How much does Atticus tell her?
 She asks if Atticus saw Mr. Arthur, but Atticus only replies, “no I did not”.
39. What is the “near libel” which Jem puts in the front yard? How do Miss Maudie and Atticus react to it?
 Basically identical to Mr. Avery.
 Atticus thinks it’s funny, but praises Jem.
 Miss Maudie acts like she is angry, but she’s actually not.
40. Why does Atticus save Miss Maudie's oak rocking chair?
 Because it’s Miss Maudie’s most treasured possession.
41. When Atticus asks Scout about the blanket around her shoulders, what does Jem realize?
 That Boo snuck up behind them and put it on her shoulders.
42. Explain what Atticus means by telling Jem not to let his discovery “inspire ” him to “further glory”? Is there any reason why
Jem might not do as his father says?
 Atticus doesn’t want Jem to use that “interaction” as an excuse to try to see Boo again.
 Jem has been VERY diligent in trying to see Boo, so there’s no reason for him to stop now.

Chapter 9
43. How well does Atticus feel he should defend Tom Robinson? Is it usual for (white) lawyers to do their best for black clients
in Alabama at this time?
 He thinks he should give Tom Robinson the best defense possible. At the time, it would be typical for a white
lawyer to do the bare minimum for a black client.
44. Scout and Jem have “mixed feelings” about Christmas? What are these feelings and why?
 Loved that Uncle Jack came to visit, but hated visiting Aunt Alexandra and cousin Francis.
45. Uncle Jack Finch tells Scout that she is growing out of her pants. What does this mean and why might he say it?
 That she’s “too big for her britches”- which means she is conceited and has an exaggerated sense of herself.
46. When Francis talks to Scout he reveals an unpleasant feature of Aunt Alexandra. What is this?
 That she says bad things about Atticus- says he’ll be the “ruination” of the family because he lets the children “run
wild” and thinks that Atticus is a “n-lover”
47. Does Scout learn anything from overhearing Atticus's conversation with Uncle Jack? What might this be?
 That this trial is going to be a hard time, and Atticus hopes she and Jem will come to him with any questions or
misunderstandings.
48. Read the final sentence of this chapter. Explain in your own words what it means and why it might be important in the
story.
 Atticus wanted her to know all about the case, and he always wants her to feel like she can talk to im aboult it.

Chapter 10
49. Scout says that “Atticus was feeble”. Do you think that this is her view as she tells the story or her view when she was
younger? Does she still think this after the events recorded in this chapter?
 Thought this when she was younger, but not at the end because of how awesome of a shot he is.
50. In this chapter Atticus tells his children that “it's a sin to kill a mockingbird”. What reason does he give for saying this?
 He just says it’s a sin, but Miss Maudie says it’s a sin because all they do is sing for you and they don’t bother
anyone.
51. Why does Heck Tate not want to shoot Tim Johnson?
 He’s afraid that if he misses, he’ll shoot the Radley’s.
52. 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?
 About to tell Jem that Atticus is an amazing marksman, but Atticus stops him because it’s not something he’s proud
of.
 Important to note that Miss Maudie says that “people in their right minds are never proud of their talents” because
it’s Atticus knows he didn’t have to work for his shooting skills, so they’re not ‘fair’ to everyone else.
53. 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?
 Scout wants to tell everyone.
 Jem knows they should keep it a secret because Atticus doesn’t brag about it, so it’s not something he would want
them to brag about. Jem notes that it’s because Atticus is a gentleman.
54. Find and define: inconspicuous- page 103- not attracting attention

Chapter 11
55. How does Atticus advise Jem to react to Mrs. Dubose's taunts?
 To act like a gentleman and ignore her.
56. What does Mrs. Dubose say about the children's mother? How does Jem feel about this?
 That she was the lovliest lady who ever lived, and if she could have seen Atticus let them “run wild”, it would have
broken her heart.
 It made Jem angry to hear her talk about his family.
57. What request does Mrs. Dubose make of Jem? Is this a fair punishment for his “crime”?
 To read to her every afternoon.
 Jem doesn’t think so, but Atticus does.
58. Explain in your own words what Atticus thinks of insults like “nigger-lover”. How far do you agree with him?
 “ignorant and trashy people use it when they think somebody’s favoring negroes over and above themselves”
 He calls the term “common and ugly”.
 He’s explaining to Scout that the word doesn’t actually mean anything, but is a reflection of the person using it. He
explains that he IS a “n-lover” because he tries to love all people- regardless of their race.
59. Why, in Atticus's view, was Mrs. Dubose “a great lady”?
 Because she was brave enough to get off of morphine, even though it made the end of her life very hard.
60. 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?
 Doing right by your own conscious is what is most important in life.
61. 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.
 Shows that Atticus has the ability and talent to take care of any problem he has, but chooses to be a better man
than that.
 Shows that Mrs. Dubose chooses to overcome her own addictions to make herself “free” and suffer through the
end of her life rather than just die as she was.
62. Find and define the following:
 Reconnaissance- page 120- secret research
 Undulate- page 123- move from side to side
 Cantankerous- page 127- bad-tempered, argumentative, grumpy
 Propensities- page 124- tendencies