To Kill A Mockingbird - SuperSummary Study Guide

To Kill a
Mockingbird
Harper Lee
To Kill a Mockingbird SuperSummary 1
Table of Contents
S UM M A RY 4
B A C KG RO UN D 7
Socio-historical context 7
Authorial context 8
C H A P TER S UM M A RIES & A N A LYS ES 9
Chapters 1-4 9
Chapters 5-8 14
Chapters 9-12 17
Chapters 13-16 21
Chapters 17-20 24
Chapters 21-24 28
Chapters 25-28 31
Chapters 29-31 34
C H A RA C TER A N A LYS IS 36
Jean Louise “Scout" Finch 36

Jem Finch 36
Atticus Finch 37
Uncle Jack Finch 38
Aunt Alexandra Finch 38
Calpurnia 38
Charles Baker “Dill” Harris 39
Miss Maudie Atkinson 39
Miss Stephanie 39
Arthur “Boo” Radley 39
Nathan Radley 40
Tom Robinson 40
Helen Robinson 41
Robert E. Lee “Bob” Ewell 41
Mayella Ewell 41
Heck Tate 42
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Link Deas 42
Mr. Walter Cunningham 42
Mr. Dolphus Raymond 42
Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose 42
TH EM ES 44
Growing Up 44
Language, Literacy, and Learning 45
Gossip, Prejudice, and Mob Mentality 46
Courage, Justice, and Radical Empathy 47
S YM B O LS & M O TIFS 48
Guns and Violence 48

Mockingbirds 49
Sin and Religion 49
IM P O RTA N T Q UO TES 51
V O C A B ULA RY 62
How to use 62
Chapters 1 - 4 62
Chapters 5 - 8 63
Chapters 9 - 12 64
Chapters 13 - 16 64
Chapters 17 - 20 65
Chapters 21 - 24 66
Chapters 25 - 28 67
Chapters 29 - 31 67
ES S A Y TO P IC S 69
FURTH ER REA DIN G & RES O URC ES 72
How to use 72
Books & Articles 72
Videos & Podcasts 73
Other 74

TEA C H IN G G UID E 75
Chapters 1-4 75
Chapters 5-8 77
Chapters 9-12 79
Chapters 13-16 81
Chapters 17-20 83
Chapters 21-24 85
Chapters 25-28 87
Chapters 29-31 88
H O W TO US E 90
REA D IN G , D IS C US S IO N & Q UIZ Q UES TIO N S 91
Chapters 1-4 91
Chapters 5-8 93
Chapters 9-12 95
Chapters 13-16 97
Chapters 17-20 99
Chapters 21-24 100
Chapters 25-28 102
Chapters 29-31 104

Summary
To Kill a Mockingbird is a Pulitzer-Prize-winning novel written by Harper Lee and originally
published in 1960. The book is widely regarded as an American classic and, until recently, was
the only novel Lee had published. To Kill a Mockingbird was inspired by events and
observations that took place in Lee’s hometown. Set in the Great Depression, from 1932 to
1935, the novel is narrated by a young girl named Scout, whose coming-of-age experiences
closely mirror Lee’s.
To Kill a Mockingbird follows the lives of three children: Scout; her brother, Jem; and their
friend, Dill. In the beginning, the novel focuses on the wild imaginations of the three children
as they entertain themselves during the summer in Maycomb, Alabama. Maycomb is a quiet
town with deep-seated social hierarchies based on race, class, and how long each family has
lived there. Within their respective social groups, Maycomb’s residents are closely-knit, to the
point of being (both metaphorically and literally) incestuous, and gossip runs wild about any
person who diverges from social norms.
Children and local gossips, such as Miss Stephanie, spread tall tales about Scout and Jem’s
reclusive neighbor, Arthur “Boo” Radley. These tales paint Boo as a mysterious and deadly
figure, claiming he stabbed his father with a pair of scissors, poisons the nuts that fall from
the trees on the Radley property, and haunts the streets of Maycomb at night. Fascinated and
terrified by these tales, Scout, Jem, and Dill spend the summer forming elaborate plans to
make Boo come out of his house. After two summers of this, they notice that someone begins
leaving them small gifts in the knothole of a tree on the Radley’s lot. They assume it is Boo—
though they never lay eyes on him—and are devastated when Boo’s older brother, Nathan
Radley, fills the tree’s knothole with cement.
Shortly thereafter, a much greater problem begins to stir in Maycomb. Scout’s father, a lawyer
named Atticus Finch, is assigned to defend a Black man, Tom Robinson, who is accused of
raping a White woman. Atticus is a thoughtful man who believes it is his civic duty to provide
a fair defense for Tom Robinson, despite the disapproval of prejudiced townsfolk in
Maycomb.

As local children and adults alike taunt the Finch family for Atticus’ actions, Atticus advises
Scout and Jem to hold their heads high and appreciate situations from others’ perspectives.
This appreciation plays a major role in a later scene, wherein a threatening mob gathers at the
jail where Tom Robinson is held. As Atticus stands between the mob and Tom, Scout and
Jem run forward to protect their father. Scout identifies someone she knows within the mob,
Mr. Cunningham, and attempts to speak kindly (though naively) to him about his son, his
family, and his financial situation. Mr. Cunningham is moved to shame by Scout’s efforts to
empathize with him, and he calls off the mob.
Throughout the trial of Tom Robinson, Atticus presents evidence that Tom is not responsible
for the crime. In fact, Tom is the victim of multiple advances by his accuser, Mayella Ewell.
Strong evidence indicates that the true abuser is actually Mayella’s father, Bob Ewell.
However, because this is a small, racially divided southern town, the jury ultimately finds Tom
Robinson guilty of the crime despite all the evidence to the contrary. Ultimately, Tom
attempts to escape from prison and is shot dead.
After the trial concludes, Bob Ewell accuses Atticus of ruining his honor and vows to get
revenge. He tries to break into the judge’s house, torments Tom’s widow, and attacks Scout
and Jem while they walk home after a school Halloween pageant. During the attack, a
mysterious figure comes to their rescue and carries Jem home to safety. When she returns
home, Scout realizes their rescuer is Boo Radley.
The sheriff arrives to find that Bob Ewell was killed in the fight. He and Atticus discuss the
implications of charging Jem, whom Atticus believes is responsible, or Boo, whom the Sheriff
believes is responsible. In the end, the sheriff decides the most ethical course of action is to
tell a white lie: that Bob Ewell drunkenly fell on his own knife.
Boo asks Scout to walk him home, and once they reach his door, he disappears again. Scout
imagines what life is like from Boo’s perspective and develops a mature understanding of the
human condition.
To Kill a Mockingbird addresses themes of violence, power, and racial injustice. Guided by
Scout’s childhood perspective, the novel dually serves as a “bildungsroman”—examining the
formative experiences of a young girl—and a deconstruction of the time, place, and social
climate she grew up in.

Content Warning
Some characters in To Kill a Mockingbird use racist language. This study guide aims not to
reproduce that language and avoids quoting it.

Background
Socio-historical context
The events of To Kill a Mockingbird span from 1933 to 1935, encompassing two notable eras
of American history: the Great Depression, and the post-Civil War era in which Jim Crow laws
marginalized African Americans. Although the novel’s setting of Maycomb, Alabama, is
fictional, it’s typical of a small town in the 1930s American South. Lee’s depiction of the town
hints at economic struggles and the effects of The Great Depression. She emphasizes the
poverty of country folk, like the Cunninghams and Ewells, in contrast with the relative comfort
of the townsfolk. Lee also acknowledges the effects of The Great Depression in her
characters’ dialogue; for example, after receiving gifts of food from the Black community,
Atticus comments that “Times are too hard” (213).
The historical backdrop of the Jim Crow era also features prominently in the novel’s themes.
Although Lee set the novel in the 1930s, she published it in 1960. Despite the 30-year gap, Jim
Crow laws still segregated the South while Lee was writing the novel. Scout’s criticism of the
town’s attitude towards the black community expresses Lee’s own criticism of the
segregation laws and prejudice that typified the South. Lee uses the justice system as a
backdrop to showcase the unequal and unfair treatment of African-Americans, and she
depicts segregation in the courthouse and in churches.
Through the eyes of a child, Lee showcases the hypocrisy present in the worldview of many
Southerners during this era. Scout struggles to understand how her third-grade teacher, Miss
Gates, can condemn Hitler’s persecution of the Jews, yet “be ugly about folks right at home”
(247). Lee’s criticism of the prejudicial South extends beyond a critique of racism to highlight
the view that all people should be valued and treated fairly simply because they are human;
human kindness should extend across race, class, religion, and any other societal construct
that creates separation or prejudice. Lee’s portrayal of American history provides a critique of
society that was relevant during the era she depicts, during the time she was writing, and that
still remains relevant today.

Authorial context
Nelle Harper Lee was a private person, and she declined most invitations for public
appearances throughout her life. Readers perhaps learn the most about Lee through To Kill a
Mockingbird, which showcases the Southern culture she grew up in and the principles she
valued most. Much of Lee’s childhood seems to have inspired the setting, characters, and plot
events of To Kill a Mockingbird. She grew up in Monroeville, Alabama, a small southern town
that likely contributed to her depiction of the fictional Maycomb County (and where
courtroom scenes from the movie were later filmed). Born in 1926, Lee was nine years old in
1935, the same age as Scout during Tom Robinson’s trial. Similar to Atticus, Lee’s father was
on the Alabama State Legislature from 1926 to 1938 and practiced law. He once defended
two black men accused of killing a white storekeeper, mirroring the Robinson trial from the
novel.
In 1931, when Lee was six years old, a widely publicized court case involved nine African
American teenagers who were accused of raping two white women. The Scottsboro Boys
case, as it was called, typified the inequality present in the American justice system at the
time and may have contributed to Lee’s understanding of racism in southern culture.
Dill’s character is widely accepted as modeled after Lee’s childhood friend, Truman Capote,
who visited Monroeville each summer as a boy. Capote became a novelist well known for
Breakfast at Tiffany’s and In Cold Blood, the latter to which Lee contributed.
While To Kill a Mockingbird (1960) was Lee’s only published work for most of her life, she
published Go Set a Watchman in 2015, a year before her death. Some controversy and
confusion surrounded the release of this second novel, as it was originally marketed as a
sequel to To Kill a Mockingbird, but it was later determined to be a first draft of Lee’s award-
winning novel. Furthermore, people questioned whether Lee genuinely agreed to publish Go
Set a Watchman, or if people took advantage of her age (89 years at the time) to convince her
to release the manuscript. In this early draft of To Kill a Mockingbird, a grown-up Scout
returns home to Maycomb after living in New York, and she sees Atticus as a principled and
just “watchman” in her prejudiced hometown.

Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapters 1-4
Chapter 1 Summary
Chapter 1 introduces the reader to the book’s narrator, Jean Louise Finch, who is more
commonly known as Scout. Scout begins her story by recounting how her older brother, Jem,
broke his arm. She links the events that led to Jem’s broken arm into the broader chain of
events that led her family to settle in Maycomb, Alabama, providing her child’s perspective of
their legacy.
In the south, the social standing of a family is based on how long it’s been connected to the
town. The Finch family legacy runs back to a fur-trader named Simon Finch, who fled England
to escape religious persecution. Simon Finch set up a farm called Finch’s Landing on the
banks of the Alabama River. The farm supported Scout’s father, a lawyer named Atticus
Finch; his brother, a doctor named Jack; and his sister, Alexandra, who continued to live at
Finch’s Landing.
Atticus serves as a single parent with the help of Calpurnia, a self-educated Black woman who
serves as the family cook. Scout mentions that her mother died when she was only 2 years
old, so she has few memories of her. Jem, however, was a few years older when his mother
died, and he appears to miss her greatly from time to time.
Scout describes Maycomb as a sleepy, slow-moving town in the summer of 1933, when the
book’s story begins. In part, the town is slow-moving because of the Great Depression: “there
was nowhere to go, nothing to buy and no money to buy it with” (6). The slow pace of the
summer is disrupted by the arrival of a strange young boy named Charles Barker Harris, who
calls himself Dill. Dill says he is staying with his aunt, Miss Rachel, the Finch’s neighbor. He
dodges questions about family, particularly the absence of his father, and instead focuses on
plots of the many movies he’s seen, including Dracula. Jem, who has read many books but
seen few movies in the theater, is impressed by Dill’s knowledge. Through their combined
knowledge of books and movies, the three children spend much of the summer acting out the
plots of dramatic stories.
This play-acting eventually turns to real-world drama when the children discuss the rumors

surrounding Arthur “Boo” Radley, their mysterious neighbor who hasn’t been seen outside in
many years. Scout explains that the Radley family has long been considered alien to
Maycomb’s social norms because they do not open their doors to visitors. She also tells what
she knows of Boo’s story. As a teenager, Boo hung out with the Cunningham boys, who were
known for their drinking and reckless behavior. One night, the group got into trouble with the
law, and opposed to sending Boo to a detention center, his strict Baptist father imprisoned
him in the house. Fifteen years later, according to local legend, Boo stabbed his father in the
leg with a pair of scissors. Mr. Radley refused to commit Boo to an asylum and instead made
his home even more restrictive.
Much of the children’s information about Boo Radley is obtained through neighborhood
gossip. Though the gossip contains some truths, these truths are buried in superstitions,
such as the fear that Boo creeps around looking in windows at night, and the rumor that Boo
Radley has poisoned all of the pecans that fall from the tree on their property. The children
accept this gossip as reality to the degree that Jem’s description of Boo as drooling and
bloody-handed with “eyes that popped” is accepted as “reasonable” (14).
Fascinated by Jem’s descriptions, Dill dares him to touch the Radley house. Jem eventually
does so, sprinting away in fear. Scout thinks she sees a shutter move inside the Radley
house.
Chapter 2 Summary
Chapter 2 follows Scout’s first day of the first grade. Her teacher, Miss Caroline, is an outsider
from the more industrial northern part of Alabama. Though Miss Caroline is new to teaching
and unfamiliar with the agricultural environment of Maycomb, she arrives with lofty ideas
about how she will run her classroom. She is displeased when she discovers that Scout can
already read and instructs her to discontinue reading at home with Atticus, claiming she is
learning the wrong way (19).
Tensions between Scout and Miss Caroline continue to rise at lunch time, when Miss Caroline
asks a poor student, Walter Cunningham, why he doesn’t have a lunch. Miss Caroline offers
Walter a nickel to buy a lunch, and Scout naively attempts to explain that the Cunningham
family is too proud to accept charity. Scout’s opinion is based on legal work Atticus
performed on Mr. Cunningham’s behalf regarding an entailment. Lacking the money to pay
Atticus for his services, Mr. Cunningham repaid with home-grown nuts and greens. Frustrated
and overwhelmed, Miss Caroline refuses to understand, and instead punishes Scout for

making her feel uncomfortable. She lashes Scout’s hand with a ruler in front of the classroom.
Chapter 3 Summary
Angry with Walter for making her “start off on the wrong foot” (25), Scout beats him up on the
playground. Jem pulls them apart, then invites Walter over for lunch as an apology. On the
walk to their house, Jem and Walter bond over their shared anxiety around Boo Radley.
At the house, Atticus speaks with Walter about farming as though he were an adult. Walter
requests molasses from Calpurnia, who brings a jar. He pours molasses all over his food.
Scout mocks him. Calpurnia removes Scout from the table and scolds her for her judgmental
behavior.
Back at school, a louse jumps from the head of Burris Ewell, frightening Miss Caroline. A
charming boy named Chuck Little takes care of her, bringing a glass of water and attempting
to politely explain that the Ewells are a poor, stubborn, and lazy farming family. Burris tells
Miss Caroline that he’s “done his time” (30) for the year and explains that he only goes to
school on the first day of every year because the truant officer has given up trying to enforce
his attendance beyond this.
Scout returns home and speaks with Atticus about her negative experience on the first day of
school. She expresses her reservations about returning, protesting that she shouldn’t have to
go because Burris Ewell only goes one day per year. She explains that her main concern is
Miss Caroline’s order not to read at home anymore. Atticus explains the disparity between
Scout’s social situation and the Ewell’s, suggesting that there is a different code for each of
them to live by. He then encourages her to “climb into his skin and walk around in it” (33). He
explains that she is not above “the law” (in this case, going to school) but that they can form a
compromise. They compromise that if Scout will continue to go to school, she can continue
to read at home in secret.
Chapter 4 Summary
Scout feels cheated by the school system, which moves slowly and primarily includes
information she already knows. Outside of school, she starts to find treasures inside a
knothole in one of the Radley’s trees. At first, she finds sticks of chewing gum, which Jem

anxiously makes her spit out. However, when the two discover a foil-lined box containing two
polished antique pennies, Jem allows her to keep them. They wonder who is leaving these
gifts, with the unspoken understanding that the gift-giver must be Boo Radley.
Dill returns to Maycomb for the summer. The three children decide to play a game called “Boo
Radley,” wherein they perform their imagined story of his life. Scout is anxious that Boo will
find out about the game, despite Jem’s assurances that Boo is dead and has been stuffed up
the chimney by his brother, Nathan Radley.
Atticus catches the children mid-performance and asks if their game has anything to do with
the Radleys. Jem lies, but Scout feels guilty and quits her part in the game. Jem continues
with the game, insisting that Atticus never explicitly said they couldn’t. Scout confesses that
she heard “someone laughing” (45) inside the Radley house.
Chapters 1-4 Analysis
The first chapters of To Kill A Mockingbird establish Scout’s narration, which is a dual
combination of her adult perspective (looking back on the events of her childhood in
Maycomb) and her child perspective (observing the world with a sense of wonder, curiosity,
and first-time discovery). The novel’s adult-looking-back frame gives the reader access to
mature reflection and analysis, including the history and social hierarchies of Maycomb. The
novel’s strong inclusion of Scout’s child perspective characterizes it as a bildungsroman, or
coming-of-age story.
The first chapters paint a vivid portrait of Maycomb as a slow-moving southern town where
“there was nowhere to go, nothing to buy and no money to buy it with” (6), insinuating the
wide-spanning effects of the Great Depression. Scout also describes Maycomb as a town
with strong social hierarchies and distinct social “boundaries” (6) between groups of different
socioeconomic and racial backgrounds. She suggests that the Depression has left
Maycomb’s citizens with a sense of instability and insecurity that extends to all levels:
“Atticus said professional people were poor because the farmers were poor” (33).
Furthermore, she implies that this sense of financial instability makes Maycomb’s citizens
even more anxious about maintaining these boundaries.
Arthur “Boo” Radley is the novel’s first example of a Maycomb resident who does not conform
to the strictures of these boundaries, choosing to associate with the lower-class Cunningham
boys and, ultimately, getting into trouble with the law. After Mr. Radley locks his son away in

their house, the family both heightens their strict personal boundaries (guarding the
reputation of the family), and creates a barrier between themselves and the Maycomb
community. As Scout explains, “Of all days Sunday was the day for formal afternoon visiting:
ladies wore corsets, men wore coats, children wore shoes. But to climb the Radley front steps
and call, ‘He-y,’ of a Sunday afternoon was something their neighbors never did. The Radley
house had no screen doors” (10).
Because the Radley family does not adhere to the social norms of Maycomb, they are subject
to suspicion and vicious gossip from neighborhood residents. Though the gossip is absurd—
including tales that the Radley pecans are poisoned and Boo creeps around at night—the
Finch children accept this gossip at face value, not yet possessing the maturity and
deductive reasoning to see through it.
Thus, it is significant that a number of outsiders are introduced in the first chapters of To Kill
A Mockingbird. As an outsider from Meridian, Mississippi, Dill exposes Scout and Jem to new
ideas and experiences (such as his extensive knowledge of cinema), as well as new
perspectives (generating a greater level of fascination with the life of Boo Radley). Scout’s
teacher, Miss Caroline, is also an outsider from the more industrial, northern part of Alabama,
and she brings her own new ideas about how Maycomb’s schools should function.
The first day of school serves as an important learning experience for Scout, though not in the
way Miss Caroline intends. Unable to learn through the school curriculum—which fails to
accommodate advanced students like Scout, who can already read—she learns through the
experience of identifying and empathizing with others. Her midday meal with Walter
Cunningham introduces her to the different lifestyle and values of people within the farming
class. Walter’s conversation with Atticus illustrates that though he might struggle to fit in at
school, he is very intelligent and educated in the subject of farming.
Furthermore, Scout’s conversation with Atticus emphasizes the novel’s theme of radical
empathy as a means of affecting both personal and social transformation. Adapting this idea
to the level of his child’s understanding, Atticus asks her to “climb into [others’] skin and walk
around in it” (33). Atticus also begins to suggest how this empathy can be applied to his
practice of law, forming a “compromise” with Scout: “If you’ll concede the necessity of going
to school, we’ll go on reading every night just as we always have” (35).

Chapters 5-8
Chapter 5 Summary
Over the rest of the summer, Dill and Jem grow in their friendship. As a result, they leave
Scout out of their games, and she begins to feel isolated. Scout responds by becoming more
closely acquainted with their neighbor, Miss Maudie Atkinson. Miss Maudie is a widow with a
beautiful garden, an acid tongue, and a talent for baking cakes. She is also a childhood friend
of Atticus’ brother, Jack.
Miss Maudie enlightens Scout on Boo Radley, denouncing the neighborhood gossip and
rumors about him. She tells Scout that Boo was always polite and friendly when he was a
boy. She also explains that Boo’s (now deceased) father, Mr. Radley, was “a foot-washing
Baptist” (49) who believed everything pleasureful was a sin, including her own garden.
Jem and Dill continue to develop plots to lure Boo from his house. They involve Scout in a
scheme to deliver a message to Boo through the window. Atticus catches them and orders
them to stop bothering the Radleys, saying the proper way to communicate is “by the front
door instead of a side window” (55). Atticus also tells them they are not to make fun of
anyone in the neighborhood. When Jem protests that he never said he was making fun,
Atticus drily suggests that Jem has revealed himself. This moment hints at Atticus’s prowess
as a lawyer.
Chapter 6 Summary
The night before summer ends and the school year begins, Dill and Jem decide to look in the
Radley window. When Scout protests, Jem taunts her, saying she’s “gettin’ more like a girl
every day!” (58). Reluctantly, Scout comes along.
The three children sneak through the yard. Scout and Jem lift Dill up to peek through a
window. All Dill sees is “a little teeny light off somewhere” (59) before Scout sees the ominous
shadow of Nathan Radley approaching. The children escape through a gate by the schoolyard
as a gunshot rings out. Jem’s pants get caught on gate; he’s so afraid he runs off without
them.
The neighborhood gathers, curious about the shot. Miss Stephanie, the neighborhood gossip,
claims that Nathan Radley “shot at a Negro in his collard patch” (61). Atticus notices Jem’s

lack of pants; Dill lies and says that he won the pants playing strip poker. Atticus is skeptical
and advises Jem to settle the matter with Dill on his own.
Averse to the idea of being punished by Atticus, who “ain’t ever whipped me since I can
remember” (63), Jem ventures back to the Radley yard to retrieve his pants. Scout nervously
listens for Atticus and watches for Jem’s white shirt bobbing homeward in the dark.
Chapter 7 Summary
A few days after the Radley gunshot incident, Jem tells Scout what happened when he
returned for his pants. He says that he found the pants mended and neatly folded over the
gate, like someone was expecting him.
Scout and Jem begin to find more items in the tree knothole, including twine, two soap figures
carved into likenesses of Jem and Scout, more gum (which they chew freely), a tarnished
spelling medal, and a pocket watch. They write a thank you letter and leave it in the hole. The
next day, the children witness Nathan Radley patching the hole with cement. He claims he is
doing this because the tree is dying.
When the children inquire with Atticus about the health of the tree, he says it is not in fact
dying. However, when they explain that they saw Mr. Radley patching the hole with cement,
Atticus muses, “Well maybe it is. I’m sure Mr. Radley knows more about his trees than we do”
(71).
Chapter 8 Summary
Maycomb experiences a strangely cold winter that includes a light snowfall. The children
build a snowman with snow they borrow from Miss Maudie’s yard. At first, they build the
snowman in the likeness of Miss Stephanie, then morph the snowman’s characteristics to
resemble Mr. Avery, another neighbor. Atticus tells them the snowman looks too much like
Mr. Avery and disguises their caricature by placing Miss Maudie’s sunhat on its head.
That night, they wake to Miss Maudie’s house burning down. Atticus tells them to wait by the
safety of the Radley house. Members of neighborhood rescue Maudie’s furniture, but her
house burns to the ground.
In the midst of the chaos, Scout doesn’t notice Boo Radley place a blanket over her shoulders.
When Atticus asks about the blanket, Jem tells him about the gifts in the tree and the mended

pants on the fence. Atticus hopes they’ll find some way to thank Boo in the future, implying it
would be unwise to thank Boo directly.
The next morning, Miss Maudie is oddly cheerful despite the loss of her house. She claims
she’ll now have more room for flowers in her yard.
Chapters 5-8 of To Kill A Mockingbird begin to examine the specifically gendered processes
of Scout and Jem’s development. While Jem starts to identify more strongly with Dill as a
fellow boy—isolating Scout with taunts that she’s “getting more and more like a girl” (58)—
Scout begins to connect with Miss Maudie Atkinson as a female role model.
Miss Maudie possesses many qualities of a traditional southern woman, baking delicious
cakes and boasting a talent for gardening. In just as many ways, however, she is a strong
alternative to traditional feminine expectations, preferring the outdoors to the household,
wearing worn overalls when tending to her garden, and boasting a quick and often acerbic wit.
In her conversations with Miss Maudie, Scout gains a fuller understanding of Boo Radley’s
history. Miss Maudie explains that Boo Radley’s father was a “foot-washing Baptist” (50),
which means—as she explains—that he believed everything pleasurable was a sin. She
suggests that Mr. Radley’s cruelty toward Boo was fueled by his strict religious beliefs.
Thus, the children’s understanding of Boo begins to evolve beyond the gossip that surrounds
him. When they discover his gifts in the knothole of the Radley tree, they begin to imagine—
without consciously making the connection—that Boo is a kind person who wants to connect
with them. When Nathan Radley plugs the tree’s hole with cement, he effectively cuts off that
connection.
Nathan Radley’s actions begin to develop the novel’s theme of unjust violence toward people
who mean no harm. In addition to closing the tree, Nathan Radley shoots his gun at Jem,
preventing him from delivering a message to Boo. This incident foreshadows future examples
of violence.

Chapters 9-12
Chapter 9 Summary
Scout gets into another schoolyard fight with a boy named Cecil Jacobs who uses a racist
slur to describe Atticus’s clients. Back home, Atticus explains that he is providing legal
defense for a Black man named Tom Robinson, who attends Calpurnia’s church. Tom
Robinson has been accused of raping a White woman, and because of this, Atticus warns that
the children may hear some “ugly talk” (87) around town. He explains in order to preserve his
conscience, he must provide the best possible defense for Tom Robinson, even though he
knows they won’t win the case. He also advises Scout and Jem to “hold their head[s] high”
(87) and refrain from physical fights over the issue.
At Christmastime, the family goes to Finch’s Landing, where they eat copious quantities of
southern food. Jem and Scout are gifted with air rifles by way of their Uncle Jack, though
Atticus himself purchased the guns, explaining that he “bowed to the inevitable” (91). The
children enjoy spending time with Jack, but they have less-than-pleasant encounters with
their Aunt Alexandra (who wants to make Scout dress like a lady) and their cousin, Francis.
One evening, Francis confronts Scout about Dill, claiming he is a child no one wants and is
simply passed from family member to family member as the seasons change. He also uses a
racist slur and accuses Atticus of shaming the family. Scout attacks Francis in anger.
When Uncle Jack confronts Scout, she tells him what Francis said about Atticus. Later, she
overhears Jack and Atticus talking about the incident, then discussing the Tom Robinson
case. Atticus explains that he knows the town—and their friends—will turn against them
during this case. He senses that Scout is listening and tells her to go to bed. Years later,
Scout realizes he wanted her to hear every word of their conversation.
Chapter 10 Summary
Jem and Scout think Atticus can’t do anything because he’s older than most fathers in their
town. They are unimpressed with Calpurnia and Maudie’s lists of his merits. When the
children begin practicing their marksmanship with the air rifles they received at Christmas,
Atticus warns “it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (103) because mockingbirds don’t do anything
harmful; they merely sing for the world’s enjoyment.

One day in February, Jem spots Old Tim Johnson—“the pet of Maycomb” (105)—ambling
down the main street in an unsettling manner. Calpurnia sees him and realizes that the dog is
rabid. Worried for the safety of her neighbors, she calls them on the phone to warn them. At
her own risk, she even knocks on the front door of the Radleys because they have no phone.
Calpurnia calls Atticus for help, and he arrives with the Maycomb sheriff, Heck Tate. When
they spot the rabid dog, Tate claims he can’t shoot that far and he needs help from Atticus.
Atticus shoots the dog and kills him with a single shot. Miss Maudie reveals that when
Atticus was a young man, he was widely known for his abilities as a one-shot shooter.
Scout is excited by this knowledge. Jem tells her not to brag. He explains that Atticus
wouldn’t want her to brag because he is a gentleman. Jem then decides he wants to be a
gentleman, just like his father (113).
Chapter 11 Summary
Scout and Jem begin to venture more regularly into Maycomb’s business district, passing the
house of mean old Mrs. Dubose on their way. Mrs. Dubose shouts insults to the children from
her porch, typically expressing her disapproval of Scout’s clothing and the way their father
has raised them after their mother’s death. One day, however, she uses a racist slur to
describe who Atticus represents as a lawyer. Jem retaliates by taking Scout’s toy baton and
hacking the flowers from Mrs. Dubose’s camellia bushes.
When Atticus comes home that evening, he announces that Jem’s punishment will be reading
to Mrs. Dubose in her home every day for a month. Scout goes with him, and they both endure
her criticisms and mysterious fits. After a little more than a month, Mrs. Dubose dies. Atticus
reveals that she was addicted to morphine for years after battling an illness. Her last wish
(expressed in her will, which was drawn by Atticus) was to wean herself off of the morphine.
Her daily reading sessions with the children ultimately provided her with the will to beat her
addiction.
Atticus gives Jem a candy box from Mrs. Dubose that contains a single, perfect camellia. He
explains that this was her way of forgiving Jem, and commends her bravery.

Chapter 12 Summary
At 12 years old, Jem begins to isolate himself from Scout. This isolation is heightened when
Dill does not come to Maycomb for the summer. Calpurnia tells Scout to spend time with her
in the kitchen whenever she feels lonely. Together, they find productive things to do, and
Scout begins to appreciate the world of women.
Atticus is called to the state legislature to help deal with issues of state poverty and sit-down
strikes. He is gone for weeks, and Calpurnia watches the children in his absence. One Sunday,
Calpurnia takes Scout and Jem to her church, First Purchase. The church is called First
Purchase because it was bought from the first earnings of freed slaves.
Though one woman, Lula, confronts Calpurnia for bringing White children to their typically all-
Black church, the congregation is generally friendly and welcoming. Despite the
congregation’s poverty—evidenced by the roofless building and the lack of cooling systems—
Scout describes the church as a cheerful place. The church is filled with the smells of “snuff,
Hoyt’s Cologne, Brown’s Mule, peppermint, and lilac talcum” (135), and the cemetery is lined
with brightly-colored glass and broken Coca-Cola bottles.
Reverend Sykes greets them and leads the congregation in worship. They sing without hymn
books, repeating each line after the reverend sings it. Calpurnia explains that not only is the
congregation too poor to afford hymn books, most of them cannot read. She later explains
that she learned to read with the help of the Finches and her former employer, Miss Buford.
During his service, Reverend Sykes speaks of the Tom Robinson trial. He says that Helen,
Tom’s wife, is in need of the church’s financial support because no one will hire her. He
passes around an offering basket, closing the doors of the church until they have collected all
they need in the basket. When Calpurnia and the children arrive home from church, Aunt
Alexandra is sitting on the front porch.
Scout continues to experience tension with women over her tomboyish clothing and habits.
When the Finch family gathers at Finch’s Landing for Christmas, Scout’s Aunt Alexandra
repeatedly orders her to dress more like a lady (92). Her understanding of womanhood begins

to evolve, however, when she is repeatedly spurned by Jem for becoming feminine. Calpurnia
offers to keep her company, and together, they find plenty of productive tasks to accomplish.
Scout acknowledges, “there was some skill involved in being a girl” (132).
Through Calpurnia, the novel also begins to deepen the reader’s understanding of the Black
experience in Maycomb. When Calpurnia sees the rabid dog—Old Tim Johnson—on the main
street of the neighborhood, she goes out of her way to phone all the residents, even risking
her own safety to knock on the door of the Radleys, who don’t have a phone. Scout notices,
tellingly, that in this moment of emergency, Calpurnia has breached the social boundaries of
Maycomb, approaching the Radley house via the front door (107). Through the children’s visit
to Calpurnia’s church, we also learn about the difference between Black and White social
spaces. Though the Black church is poor—and many of the members are notably unable to
read—it is a cheerful place, and the church members are adept at navigating the limitations of
their environment. For example, Reverend Sykes insists on closing the doors of the church
until enough money is collected to support Tom Robinson’s wife, Helen Robinson, and the
Robinson children. They take great care to look out for members of their church, knowing that
the White officials in Maycomb won’t provide the same care.
Stirrings of racial prejudice and violence begin to rise to the surface in this section. Ugly
gossip spreads about the Tom Robinson case, and Atticus urges his children to “hold [their]
head[s] high and keep those fists down” (87). He warns that even those close to them will
likely disapprove of his defense, and his words ring true when Francis denounces Atticus at
the family’s Christmas gathering.
The conversation around violence also surfaces via the Christmas gift of air rifles. Atticus
warns that in practicing their shooting, they must “remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird”
(103). Miss Maudie explains that mockingbirds “don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in
corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us” (103). It is a sin, in short, to
exact violence on innocent creatures who have done no harm to those around them.
Jem’s childish ideas about masculinity—which mostly revolve around shooting—are disrupted
when Atticus shoots the rabid Old Tim Johnson, a dog Scout describes as “the pet of
Maycomb” (105). Atticus demonstrates considerable talent with his gun, killing the dog in just
one shot. When the Finch children ask Miss Maudie why he never previously revealed his
shooting talent, she explains, “he put his gun down when he realized that God had given him
an unfair advantage over most living things. I guess he decided he wouldn’t shoot till he had

to, and he had to today” (112). Jem deduces that Atticus is “a gentleman” (113) and seems to
understand that protecting the innocent is a more important aspect of manhood than simply
shooting a gun.
With the death of Mrs. Dubose, Atticus confirms this theory of “real” masculine courage: “I
wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with
a gun in his hand. It’s when you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see
it through no matter what” (128). His words resonate as encouragement not only to Jem, but
to himself, as he knows he likely will not win the Tom Robinson case.
Chapters 13-16
Chapter 13 Summary
Atticus explains that Alexandra has come to stay with them and help the family for awhile,
though it seems this stay is more Alexandra’s will than Atticus’. Immediately welcomed by the
community, Alexandra joins numerous ladies’ groups and becomes a member of Maycomb
society. Despite her community service, Alexandra is judgmental, claiming that everyone has
a “streak” (147). Atticus delicately challenges her judgements, suggesting that the Finch
family—and all of Maycomb, by extension—has both a literal and figurative “incestuous
streak” (147).
This idea of an “incestuous streak” is particularly pertinent to Maycomb, where a family’s

worth is determined by the strength and duration of its legacy. Alexandra feels, however, that
Scout and Jem do not adequately pride themselves on their “gentle breeding” (131) and tells
Atticus to lecture them about their heritage. Scout is distressed because this isn’t a subject
Atticus would ordinarily address with them. This turn of events suggests that Alexandra is
helping protect the family name in preparation for the Tom Robinson trial.
Chapter 14 Summary
True to the predications of Atticus, the children start to hear whispering in town about the
trial. Scout asks Atticus about Tom Robinson and the accusation of rape, bringing up her visit
to Calpurnia’s church. She asks if she can go to see Calpurnia outside of their home, and
Alexandra declares she may not. Atticus and Alexandra then argue about Calpurnia’s
importance to the family.

Jem urges Scout not to agitate Alexandra. He seems to appreciate that Atticus is trying to
protect their family’s reputation. They fight because Scout is tired of him acting superior to
her. Atticus swiftly breaks up the fight.
Dill—who has been hiding under the bed—emerges after Atticus leaves. He spins an elaborate
story, but it is clear that he has really run away because he feels no one wants him and he is
tired of being ignored. Jem tells Atticus, demonstrating his newfound maturity. Atticus
prepares a meal for Dill and allows him to spend the night, but notifies Dill’s relatives of his
whereabouts.
Later that night, Scout wonders why Boo Radley never ran away from home. Dill grimly
speculates, “Maybe he doesn’t have anywhere to run off to” (163).
Chapter 15 Summary
After much pleading over phone with his mother, Dill is allowed to stay with Finches. A week
after his arrival, a group of men arrives at the house with the sheriff, Heck Tate. They tell
Atticus that Tom Robinson is being moved to the county jail. They suspect that a lynch mob
will come after Tom Robinson as a result.
The following evening, Atticus leaves to go downtown. Later, in the night, the three children
secretly venture into town to look for him. They find him outside the jail where Tom Robinson
has been transferred, sitting in a chair with a reading light and the paper.
A group of strange men pulls up in cars. Scout runs to Atticus from her hiding place. She
notices Mr. Cunningham among the mob and addresses him as a friend. Scout speaks toward
what she believes to be Mr. Cunningham’s interests: his son, Walter, and his entailment. Mr.
Cunningham is unexpectedly moved by her empathetic words. He responds by calling off the
mob.
Mr. Underwood—owner of The Maycomb Tribune—calls out to Atticus from the window of his
office across the street. He reveals that he was covering Atticus the whole time, holding his
double-barreled shotgun out the office window. Accompanied by Atticus, the children return
home.

Chapter 16 Summary
The next morning, Scout makes a connection in her imagination between Atticus’ shooting of
Old Tim Johnson and his defense of Tom Robinson the night before. In her own words: “The
full meaning of the night’s events hit me and I began crying” (177).
Over breakfast, Alexandra scolds the children for venturing out, but Atticus tells them he’s
thankful for their bravery. When Alexandra protests that Mr. Underwood was covering Atticus
with his shotgun, Atticus reveals that ironically, Mr. Underwood hates Black people. Alexandra
tells Atticus he shouldn’t say things like that in front of Calpurnia, and he responds, “Well, I’m
sure Cal knows it. Everyone in Maycomb knows it” (178).
Atticus explains that he considers Calpurnia family and therefore, she should be privy to all of
their family discussions. He complicates the conversation of family by referencing back to the
mob, stating “Every mob in every little Southern town is always made up of people you know”
(179).
The children venture into town, where they see everyone in town going to the trial. The lower
level of the courthouse is completely full. Greeted by Reverend Sykes, they secretly venture
into the colored section of the courthouse.
Aunt Alexandra arrives and—though never explicitly confirmed—attempts to perform damage

control for the Finch family’s reputation within Maycomb. This damage control is steeped in
her upholding of traditional southern values, which include joining philanthropic groups,
associating with the “right” people, and lecturing the children on their “gentle breeding” (131).
As a stand-in for traditional southern values, Aunt Alexandra also serves as a vehicle for the
children’s (and, ultimately, Atticus’) interrogation of those values. When Alexandra begins to
question Calpurnia’s role, Atticus comes down firmly on the side of his own personal values,
asserting that Calpurnia is an essential part of their family unit.
The theme of radical empathy is again brought to the surface with the lynch-mob
confrontation at the jailhouse. When Scout attempts to reach out to Mr. Cunningham,
speaking to his own interests, he is moved to call off the mob. In the course of recognizing
Mr. Cunningham, however, the children are confronted with the grim lesson that in every

southern mob, there are “people [they] know” (179). This revelation leads Scout to make a
subconscious connection between the mad dog—formerly the “pet of Maycomb”—and the
mad mob made up of “people [they] know.” She dreamily recalls the dual images of “Atticus
calmly folding his newspaper and pushing back his hat” alongside “Atticus standing in the
middle of an empty waiting street, pushing up his glasses” (177). This idea of the community
mob is carried over to the Tom Robinson trial when nearly everyone in Maycomb gathers at
the courthouse.
Chapters 17-20
Chapter 17 Summary
The trial begins, and Sheriff Heck Tate is called to the stand. Tate testifies that Bob Ewell
came to him on the night of November 21 and summoned him to the Ewell house: a tin-roofed
cabin on the outskirts of town near the dump. Tate arrived at the house to find Ewell’s
daughter, Mayella, lying in the middle of the floor, where she was “pretty well beat up” (190).
When Tate asked what happened, Mayella claimed that Tom Robinson beat her and raped
her. Tate then brought Tom back to the station, where Mayella formally identified him.
In his cross-examination, Atticus asks Tate if anyone called a doctor out of concern for
Mayella’s condition. Tate confirms that a doctor was not called, suggesting that he was
primarily focused on identifying the suspect. He briefly describes the injuries Mayella
sustained, emphasizing that she had bruises on the right side of her face.
Robert E. Lee “Bob” Ewell is called to the stand. As Scout reflects on his dirty appearance and
demeanor, she notes that the Ewells lived with seven children in a cabin formerly owned by a
Black family. The living environment was poor and squalid. Scout notes that only bright spot
on the property was a small garden of potted red geraniums maintained by Mayella Ewell.
With this detail, she suggests that Mayella strives to be different from the rest of the Ewell
family. Bob Ewell describes Mayella’s screaming, claiming he ran to the house to investigate
the sound. He testifies that he saw Tom Robinson with her when he looked through the
window.
Atticus’s cross-examination of Ewell is brief and to the point. He again asks if anyone called a
doctor. Ewell tells him there was no need for a doctor because “I seen who done it” (199).
Atticus then asks Ewell if he agrees with Tate’s testimony of Mayella’s injuries. Ewell confirms
that he does.

For the final portion of his cross-examination, Atticus asks Ewell to write his name on a piece
of paper. Ewell signs the paper with his left hand, implying that he was the person who beat
Mayella.
Chapter 18 Summary
Mayella is called to the stand. Scout describes Mayella as remarkably clean in contrast to her
father. Mayella seems very uncomfortable and immediately cries. She also demonstrates her
resentment toward Atticus, misinterpreting his politeness and gentility as patronizing.
Atticus asks Mayella a series of questions about her home life. Mayella’s answers
characterize her as a lonely, dutiful person who cares for the family in her mother’s absence
and has no friends of her own. She also implies—through her resistance to Atticus’ question
about how her father treats her—that Mr. Ewell is abusive when he drinks.
Mayella testifies that she invited Tom Robinson into her house to break up a chifforobe. She
initially claims that she only invited him in once, then contradicts herself, saying she might’ve
invited him in several times. She also contradicts the previous testimony about her injuries,
saying, “I don’t recollect if [Tom] hit me,” then immediately follows with “I mean yes I do, he hit
me” (210). Her testimony reveals the many glaring holes in the prosecution’s case against
Tom Robinson.
Atticus asks Mayella if Tom Robinson is truly the man who took advantage of her. When
Mayella insists that he was, Atticus requests that Tom stand. The courtroom audience
observes that Tom’s left arm is crippled. Tom explains that he got his arm caught in a cotton
gin when he was 12 and the machine tore all of his muscles loose. Thus, Atticus reveals that
Tom Robinson was not physically capable of beating Mayella with his left arm.
Feeling exposed, Mayella protests to Atticus that his “fancy airs…don’t come to nothin’”
(214). Court is then called into recess. Jem is optimistic about the trial, but Scout feels unsure
they will win.

Chapter 19 Summary
Atticus calls only one witness—Tom Robinson—to the stand. Tom testifies that Mayella
invited him in several times to perform small chores. One day, she sent the children out for ice
cream with money she spent the year saving. Without explicitly saying so, Tom implies that
Mayella did this to ensure she would be alone with him.
Tom then testifies that Mayella invited him inside the house, asked him to stand on a chair to
reach something on top of the chifforobe, then grabbed him about the legs, leapt on him, and
kissed him. Bob Ewell then appeared, screaming obscene threats. Tom ran from the scene,
fearing for his life.
As Tom gives his testimony, Scout reflects on the loneliness of Mayella, noting that “white
people wouldn’t have anything to do with her because she lived among pigs; Negroes
wouldn’t have anything to do with her because she was white” (218) and that, ironically, Tom
Robinson was the only person she knew who was kind to her.
Link Deas, Tom’s employer, then stands and declares that in eight years of work, he has never
had any trouble with Tom. The judge angrily expels Deas from court for speaking out of turn.
The prosecutor, Mr. Gilmer, cross-examines Tom. When Gilmer asks Tom why he did so many
of Mayella’s chores, Tom begins to explain, “I felt right sorry for her, she seemed to try more’n
the rest of ‘em—” (224). Immediately, he realizes he has made a deplorable mistake, as the
jury will be averse to the idea of a Black man pitying a White woman.
Dill breaks down crying; Scout takes him outside to cool down. Dill says he can’t stand the
demeaning way Mr. Gilmer was talking to Tom.
Chapter 20 Summary
Dolphus Raymond—a local White man infamous for marrying a Black woman and fathering
mixed-race children—is sitting on the lawn. Raymond tells Dill that he understands his
feelings. He offers Dill a drink from a paper bag to settle his nerves. Scout is initially anxious
that Raymond is giving Dill alcohol, but Dill smiles when he drinks from the bag, revealing that

the drink is plain Coca-Cola. Raymond then explains that he only pretends to be a drunkard.
He says his performance of drunkenness offers the town an easy explanation for his life
choices.
Scout and Dill return to the courtroom and listen as Atticus gives an uncharacteristically-
impassioned speech. In his speech, Atticus begs the jury to believe Tom Robinson, referring
to the courts as the country’s great equalizers. His speech is interrupted by Calpurnia, who
walks down the aisle toward him.
Throughout the trial, the language of Mayella Ewell, Bob Ewell, and their defense lawyer
suggests that the case is weighted in their favor. Even though the Ewells are poor—and widely
disdained—White residents of Maycomb, they are still considered above Black residents on
the Maycomb social hierarchy. Thus, their case is presented carelessly, including a wildly-
conflicting testimonial from Mayella. They appear to believe that their courtroom
presentation does not matter, as they can rely on the jury’s racial prejudice against Tom
Robinson.
In many ways, Mayella is a sympathetic figure. She strives to keep clean and even incorporate
some beauty into her environment with the red geraniums. She is also the victim of Bob
Ewell’s abuse. Furthermore, she is herself a kind of “mockingbird,” subjected to the scrutiny of
the community for stepping out of her place in society (by seeking the romantic attention of a
Black man). Rather than stand up to this prejudicial judgement, however, Mayella attempts to
defend herself by hiding behind the prejudice, unjustly transferring the blame to Tom
Robinson.
Ironically, Tom Robinson’s sympathy toward Mayella leads to his conviction. He wouldn’t
have been confronted with a rape charge if he hadn’t generously helped Mayella with her
chores. Tom’s testimonial demonstrates his kindness and consideration, but these qualities
work against him when he mentions he “felt sorry” (224) for Mayella. This sentiment leads the
jury to judge him even more harshly for breaching the divisions of Maycomb’s racial
stratification.
Mr. Raymond allows the reader to further examine the convoluted racial divisions of
Maycomb, as he is a White man who lives with a Black mistress and children of mixed race.
Mr. Raymond offers Dill a drink of Coca-Cola from his brown bag, thus revealing that the

brown bag—typically associated with concealing liquor—is itself a disguise. Mr. Raymond
explains that he maintains his social position—to which Maycomb’s residents merely shrug,
saying, “That’s just [his] way” (218)—by pretending to be a drunkard, someone whose
decisions aren’t taken seriously. Mr. Raymond’s status is also made possible, as Scout
implies, by his Whiteness and his wealth.
Chapters 21-24
Chapter 21 Summary
Calpurnia gives Atticus a note from Aunt Alexandra. The note states that she is worried about
the children because they’ve been missing from home since noon. Mr. Underwood reveals
that the children have been watching the trial from the colored balcony of the courthouse.
Atticus is upset by the distress they’ve caused Alexandra, but he allows the children to return
for the announcement of the verdict after they eat their supper. Calpurnia takes them home,
where they eat quickly. When they return, they find the jury still out. Reverend Sykes has
saved their places in the balcony. The jury takes hours to deliberate over the case. In a
dreamlike state, Scout listens as the jury returns with a guilty verdict.
As the courtroom empties and Atticus passes beneath the balcony, the colored section
stands to honor him.
Chapter 22 Summary
Jem cries that night, angered by the injustice he’s witnessed. When the children ask Atticus
how this could happen, he wearily responds, “I don’t know, but they did it. They’ve done it
before and they’ll do it again and when they do it—seems that only children weep” (243).
The next morning, Calpurnia greets Atticus with a bounty of food brought by the Black
residents of Maycomb to show their appreciation. Atticus is greatly moved by this gesture,
but he leaves for work without eating his breakfast.
Maudie invites the children to her house for cake. She attempts to console them, explaining
“there are some men in this world who were born to do our unpleasant jobs for us. Your
father’s one of them” (245). Jem still seems disillusioned by the experience of the trial.

As they leave Miss Maudie’s, Miss Stephanie comes by. She announces that in town, Atticus
was just spat upon by Mr. Ewell.
Chapter 23 Summary
Atticus brushes off the incident, saying he’s glad to take the blame for Bob Ewell’s injured
pride if it saves Mayella Ewell an extra beating from her father. Jem, however, continues to
feel angry, and he denounces the judicial system as unfair. Atticus explains that the
reasoning of the jury was tainted. He says that any White person who takes advantage of a
Black person is “trash” (252). He also illuminates what will happen now that the trial is over,
explaining that Tom Robinson has been transferred to another prison seventy miles away,
where he will await his appeal. Atticus expresses his belief that Tom has a good chance of
being pardoned. If he loses, however, Tom Robinson will go to the electric chair because in
Alabama, rape is considered a capital offense.
Atticus hints at a hopeful moment in the trial, suggesting that one of the few people who
wanted Tom to be acquitted was a Cunningham. Scout is pleased and wants to invite Walter
over. Alexandra, however, refuses to entertain the Cunninghams. When Scout expresses her
confusion, Jem tries to explain that the Cunningham family is from a different class than the
Finch family. He describes the caste system of Maycomb in four tiers: “the ordinary kind like
us”; “the kind like the Cunninghams out in the woods”; “the kind like the Ewells down at the
dump”; “and the Negroes” (258). Jem explains that each tier is wary of the one directly below
it.
Scout remains confused, stating that she believes all people are essentially the same. Jem,
however, has arrived at a more mature but convoluted understanding of humanity: “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? […] I think I’m beginning to understand why Boo
Radley stayed shut up in the house all this time…it’s because he wants to stay inside” (259).
Chapter 24 Summary
Alexandra hosts a missionary circle on an August afternoon. Motivated by her growing

friendship with Calpurnia, Scout puts on a dress and carries a coffee pitcher to the ladies’
table. Alexandra invites her to stay, and the women discuss the lifestyle and living
environment of an impoverished African tribe they hope to convert to Christianity.

The women express disdain and distaste for the ways of the African tribe. This discussion is
followed by patronizing commentary about the women’s Black servants. In their comments,
the women characterize their servants’ righteous anger over the trial as un-Christian. Annoyed
by the women’s lack of perspective, Maudie tartly cuts them off, and Alexandra looks grateful.
Atticus arrives home early. He tells Calpurnia to go with him to the Robinson house because
Tom has been shot seventeen times in an attempt to escape the prison.
Alexandra is stunned and saddened by this news, but Maudie coaxes her back into her role as
a lady entertaining her company. Scout offers her assistance, reflecting, “if Aunty could be a
lady at a time like this, so could I” (271).
The image of Maycomb’s strong, resilient, and supportive Black community is further fortified
in this post-trial section of To Kill A Mockingbird. Here, they collectively demonstrate their
gratitude toward Atticus for defending Tom Robinson, rising to honor him in the courtroom
and donating food to his family. Their generosity bespeaks the full meaning of the Tom
Robinson trial to Maycomb’s Black residents: for them, Tom Robinson is not merely one man
being judged, but an extension of the Black community.
Of course, not all of Maycomb’s residents respond generously to the trial’s verdict. At a
missionary lunch hosted by Aunt Alexandra, Scout witnesses another level of hypocrisy and
racism disguised as Christian outreach, overhearing the women critiquing the rightful anger
of their Black servants. Nevertheless, the lunch serves as a transformative moment for Scout,
as she recognizes the grace and dignity displayed by Miss Maudie and Alexandra. She
resolves to face similar issues with equal feminine maturity, declaring, “if Aunty could be a
lady at a time like this, so could I” (271).
In addition to their gendered coming-of-age processes, Jem and Scout embark on their own
unique paths for processing the trial. Reflecting on the events of the past few months, Scout
deduces that all people—regardless of race or class—are essentially the same. Jem, however,
seems to adopt a more jaded view of humanity, and maintains that there’s something inside
different groups of people that makes them disagree. He describes the sensation of this

realization as “bein’ a caterpillar in a cocoon […] 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” (246).
The shooting of Tom Robinson raises even more questions about humanity and justice, as it
falls into an unsettling gray area between right and wrong. Though the prison guard who shot
Tom Robinson was arguably just doing his job, Atticus notes that the guard fired a total of
seventeen bullets. “They didn’t have to shoot him that much” (268), Atticus reflects.
Chapters 25-28
Chapter 25 Summary
Chapter 25 opens on a September day. Scout notices a caterpillar on the porch and wants to
squish it, but Jem orders her not to do so. He explains that much like a mockingbird, the
insect never harmed anyone.
Scout’s thoughts turn to Dill, whom she misses. She recalls what he told her about the night
when Atticus and Calpurnia went to see Robinsons. On that night, Jem took Dill swimming,
and their father spotted them walking down the highway coming back from the swimming
hole. When the car picked them up, Jem convinced Atticus to bring them along to the
Robinsons.
According to Dill, Helen Robinson collapsed at the mere sight of Atticus, somehow knowing
what had happened even before she was told. Dill reported that Helen “just fell over in the dirt,
like a giant with a big foot came along and just stepped on her […] Like you’d step on an ant”
(274).
In Maycomb, the news of Tom’s death circulates for two days, then quickly passes. Mr.
Underwood is among the few people who seem to care, and he writes an impassioned
editorial bemoaning the death of an innocent man. In his article, he compares Tom
Robinson’s death to “the senseless slaughter of songbirds by hunters and children” (275).
Most townsfolk, however, write off Tom’s death as a typical circumstance. Bob Ewell,
meanwhile, threateningly states that the death is “one down and about two more to go” (276).

Chapter 26 Summary
When school starts, Scout and Jem pass the Radley house each day. Scout continues to wish
she could see Boo, but her longing now contains more mature undertones. She wants to see
Boo and greet him as friendly neighbor.
Scout’s third-grade teacher, Miss Gates, requires the students to give weekly current-events
presentations. During one of these presentations, Cecil Jacobs delivers a series of naive
reflections on Adolf Hitler’s internment of Jewish people. Miss Gates then rails against the
dictatorship in Germany, saying America is different because it is a democracy.
After school, Scout approaches Jem, confused by Miss Gates’ hypocritical hatred of Hitler.
She recalls how Miss Gates emerged from the courthouse after the Tom Robinson trial,
saying, “it’s time someone taught ‘em a lesson, they were gettin’ way above themselves, an’
the next thing they think they can do is marry us” (283). Jem is enraged that Scout has
brought up the trial. He orders her never to talk about it again.
Chapter 27 Summary
By the middle of October, life in Maycomb appears to have calmed down. Bob Ewell gets a
WPA job, which he promptly loses, blaming his termination on Atticus. Shortly thereafter, Link
Deas gives Helen Robinson a job. Bob Ewell harasses her each day when she passes his
house until Deas learns of his harassment. He confronts Bob Ewell, and ultimately, the
harassment ceases. Following his harassment of Helen, Judge Taylor sees Ewell prowling
around his house.
That Halloween, the school stages a pageant wherein all of the children perform the roles of
Maycomb’s agricultural products. Scout is assigned the role of pork, and she wears a ham
costume lined in wire mesh. Still mentally exhausted by the events of the year, no one from
family (except for Jem) comes to pageant. Jem and Scout walk home together after the
pageant, beginning—as Scout ominously phrases it—their “longest journey together” (291).
Chapter 28 Summary
Scout is so embarrassed after the pageant that she keeps her ham costume on to hide
underneath it. Walking together through the dark woods, she and Jem both hear a noise. They
attribute their fear, however, to Halloween jitters.

They have almost reached the main road when Mr. Ewell attacks them, breathing heavily and
smelling of stale whiskey. In her ungainly costume, Scout loses her balance and tumbles
over. She feels something tearing at the mesh of her costume, then hears a physical struggle
as she is suddenly pulled away from her attacker.
Eventually, the sounds of struggling cease, and Scout emerges from her costume. She
blearily wanders home, noticing a man through the lamplight. She sees the man carry Jem
back to the house.
When Scout arrives home, Dr. Reynolds is tending to Jem in his bedroom. He says that Jem
has a broken arm but is otherwise fine. Sheriff Heck Tate comes to the house and reveals that
he found Bob Ewell under a tree with a knife stuck under his ribs. Tate declares that Bob Ewell
is dead.
The rift continues to develop between Scout and Jem as they form their individual responses
to the Tom Robinson trial. Jem seems especially affected by the night when he and Dill drove
along with Atticus to the home of Tom Robinson. Between the caterpillar on the steps—which
he refuses to let Scout squash—Dill’s description of Helen Robinson fainting—“like a giant
with a big foot came along and just stepped on her” (274)—and Jem’s earlier description of
his sensation of being a caterpillar emerging from a cocoon, the book develops an associative
train. Through this train, Jem arrives at the conclusion that vulnerable people are too often
victims of senseless violence. He also arrives at the conclusion that he can no longer bear to
talk about the trial.
Scout, on the other hand, continues to develop her own conclusions. Her increasingly-mature
perspective is evidenced in her evaluation of her teacher’s hypocrisy. She also appears to
have a more empathetic understanding of Boo Radley. She no longer fears him and now
simply hopes that one day, she’ll see be able to say, “hello.”
Bob Ewell’s encounters with Helen Robinson and Judge Taylor cultivate a distinct sense of
dread and foreboding in the reader. With his pronouncement, “one down and about two more
to go” (276), the reader recognizes that Scout and Jem are in danger. This dread is confirmed
when Bob Ewell ultimately attacks.

Chapters 29-31
Chapter 29 Summary
Scout relates her version of the evening’s events, describing what she heard and witnessed
through the confusion of her mangled ham costume. When they examine the costume, Tate
remarks that it probably saved her life, noting the deep slash marks along the wire.
Scout tells them that a man carried Jem to safety. She then sees their rescuer in the corner of
the room. She realizes that the man is none other than Boo Radley.
Chapter 30 Summary
Boo sits with Scout on the porch swing while Heck Tate and Atticus discuss who should be
charged with the murder of Bob Ewell. Atticus seems to think Jem committed the murder;
Tate seems to understand immediately that Bob Ewell was killed by Boo Radley.
Tate decides to declare the death an accident, claiming that Bob Ewell fell on his knife. He
says it would be a sin to spread the word about what Boo did. Atticus thanks Boo for saving
the lives of his children.
Chapter 31 Summary
Scout leads Boo to Jem’s room, where Boo strokes Jem’s hair to bid him goodnight. She then
walks Boo Radley back to his house and remarks, “Atticus was right. One time he said you
never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. Just standing
on the Radley porch was enough” (321). She then expresses her wide-ranging emotions to
Atticus, saying that she used to be afraid of Boo only to discover, upon meeting him, “he was
real nice.” Atticus responds, “Most people are, Scout, when you finally see them” (323).
Heck Tate recognizes the innate danger in exposing Boo Radley as the killer of Bob Ewell,
even if it was—in its own way—a “great service” (317) to the Maycomb community. He refers
to the injustice of Tom Robinson’s death—"there’s a black boy dead for no reason” (317)—
reminding Atticus that Tom Robinson was tried, convicted, and effectively murdered simply
for being kind. As a similarly harmless “mockingbird,” Boo’s kindness could be received with
equal misunderstanding and hateful violence by Maycomb’s suspicious residents.

Scout, meanwhile, has finally received her wish to see and greet Boo Radley. She does so
warmly, and walks back to his home with a strong sense of gratitude and empathy. Having at
last seen Boo face-to-face, she realizes, “he was real nice” (323). Thus, she comes to fully
understand Atticus’s advice to “climb into [someone’s] skin and walk around in it” (33).

Character Analysis
Jean Louise “Scout" Finch
Scout is the narrator of To Kill A Mockingbird. She is a child in 1933, when much of the novel’s
action is set, but she narrates the novel’s story as an adult looking back on that time. The
events of the book are thus described in the dual tone of a mature, experienced person and a
child who is discovering, exploring, and just beginning to form ideas about the world around
her.
Though her formal name is Jean Louise Finch, Scout prefers to be called by her nickname.
She also prefers to wear pants and play outside with her brother, Jem, and her best friend, Dill.
Highly literate and disdainful toward public education, Scout values time spent reading at
home with her father, the lawyer Atticus Finch, over the lessons taught by her female
teachers. Nevertheless, over the course of the novel, she grows in her relationships with
women (including the Finch’s cook, Calpurnia, and their neighbor, Miss Maudie). Through
these relationships, she discovers the unique roles and responsibilities held by women, to the
extent that she declares her desire to become “a lady” (271) in Chapter 24.
Scout also grows in her sense of justice, demonstrating increasing maturity in her responses
to wrongdoing. At the beginning of the novel, she is quick-tempered and combative, picking
physical fights with those who insult her. By the end of the novel, she develops a more
nuanced appreciation of the human condition, influenced by the prejudice she witnesses
during the Tom Robinson trial and the timely protection of Boo Radley. At intervals
throughout the book, Scout revisits Atticus’ advice to “climb into [another’s] skin and walk
around in it” (33), until—with her final reflections—she comprehends the full meaning of his
words.
Jem Finch
Jem is Scout’s older brother (by four years). Much like Scout, he begins the novel with a
childish perspective on the world around him, obsessed with the mysterious “Boo” Radley and
eager to absorb any gossip he hears, no matter how absurd. He also cleaves to traditional
symbols of masculinity and male heroism, including football and shooting guns. Over the

course of the book, however, Jem grows up and develops a strong sense of what it means to
be “a gentleman” (113), striving to emulate the more restrained heroism of his father, Atticus
Finch.
Jem’s entrance into puberty—at the age of 12—notably coincides with the Tom Robinson trial.
Thus, he literally comes into maturity through an incident that dramatically changes his
perspective on humanity. Though his interpretation of the trial and the people involved is
more cynical than his sister’s—“If there’s just one kind of folks, why can’t they get along with
each other?” (259)—Jem also develops a more generous, protective stance toward the
vulnerable creatures around him. For example, he refuses to let Scout squash a caterpillar in
Chapter 25, explaining that, much like a mockingbird, the insect never harmed anyone.
Atticus Finch
Atticus is a southern lawyer with a gentlemanly bearing and a strong sense of right and
wrong. His family is deeply connected to Maycomb through the industry of his ancestor,
Simon Finch, who set up a farm called Finch’s Landing on the banks of the Alabama River. In
addition to Atticus, the farm supported his brother—a doctor named Jack—and his sister,
Alexandra, a true southern lady who is very aware of her roots.
As a widower, Atticus performs the roles of both father and mother to his children, with the
help of their Black cook, Calpurnia. He serves as a model for both alternative parenting and
education, approaching every circumstance—including Scout’s anxiety toward school, Jem’s
obsession with Boo Radley, and Miss Dubose’s illness—as a teachable moment. He speaks to
his children with the same dignifying tone he uses when speaking to adults, maintaining that
no idea is too complex to be broken down for a child’s understanding.
Atticus approaches all people as equals, regardless of race or social standing. He encourages
his children to think of Calpurnia as family. He urges Scout to “climb into [another’s] skin” (33)
and learn to empathize with the different experiences of others. He is averse to
demonstrations of power and force that expose “an unfair advantage” (112), only using his
considerable skills—including his talent as a one-shot-marksman and rhetorically-gifted
lawyer—to defend the more vulnerable people in his community.
When Atticus is appointed to legally defend Tom Robinson, a Black man unfairly accused of
raping a White woman, Atticus approaches the case with courage and tenacity. He suspects
from the beginning, however, that he will not win the case, and he pursues his defense out of

a moral calling that extends beyond professional success. Atticus also worries about the
longstanding effect the case will have on his children, knowing that Maycomb’s citizens are
known for spreading malicious gossip. He thus allows his sister, Alexandra, to move into their
home to help preserve the family name.
With his staunch dedication to social justice in the face of a prejudiced jury, Atticus serves as
an ethical role model for both his children and his community.
Uncle Jack Finch
Jack Finch is Atticus’ younger brother. A doctor by trade, his medical school was supported
through Atticus’ earnings as a lawyer. He was also notably friends with Miss Maudie Atkinson
when he was a child at Finch’s Landing. Much like Miss Maudie, Jack is lovable and wryly
humorous.
Aunt Alexandra Finch
Atticus’s sister, Alexandra, is the greatest traditionalist in the family. Before the Tom
Robinson trial, she moves in with her brother’s family to help preserve their reputation. A
natural southern society lady, she is immediately welcomed into Maycomb, where she joins
numerous philanthropic groups and clubs. Her traditional feminine values, however, have a
tendency to conflict with Scout’s tomboyish tendencies.
Calpurnia
Calpurnia is employed as the Finch’s cook, though she fulfills a wide variety of roles, from
babysitter to educator to co-parent alongside Atticus. She is strict with the children, though
she is also loving and considerate, treating Scout to crackling bread and offering to keep her
company when Jem needs alone-time. The Finches think of Calpurnia as a member of their
own family.
Hoping to expand the Finch children’s minds and trouble the strict racial boundaries of
Maycomb, Calpurnia brings Scout and Jem to her all-Black church, First Purchase. There, they
learn that she is one of the few literate Black people in Maycomb.

Charles Baker “Dill” Harris
Charles Barker Harris—who goes by the nickname “Dill”—is a small, peculiar-looking, worldly
boy. He lives in Scout and Jem’s neighborhood every summer when he comes to stay with his
Aunt Rachel. The book suggests that Dill has an absentee father and a complex family
situation whereby he is passed around from relative to relative.
As a means of escaping his familial disappointments, Dill develops a vivid imagination. He

engages Scout and Jem in games of make-believe wherein they act out the plots of books
and films. Dill becomes obsessed with Boo Radley and begins to incorporate stories of Boo’s
life into their games. He also involves the Finch children in schemes to make Boo come out of
his house.
Miss Maudie Atkinson
Miss Maudie is one of the Finch’s neighbors. Though she possesses traditional feminine
abilities—including a gift for gardening and cake-baking—Miss Maudie also possesses an
acid tongue and a formidable command of the Bible. She serves as one of Scout’s first
alternative female role models, providing company when Jem refuses to play with girls.
Miss Stephanie
Miss Stephanie is the neighborhood gossip. Spreading vicious and often bizarre rumors, she
serves as an exemplar of the suspicious groupthink that flows through Maycomb.
Arthur “Boo” Radley
Boo Radley is a mysterious neighbor of the Finch family and a source of obsession for Scout,
Jem, and Dill. A recluse who has not left the confines of his house in many years, Boo’s life is
enshrouded in local gossip, some of which is true, but most of which is greatly exaggerated.
According to various local sources, Boo was a polite, intelligent boy who fell in with the wrong
crowd—the Cunningham boys—as a teenager. One night, Boo and his friends got into trouble
while they were drunk and belligerent. Rather than send Boo to a juvenile reformatory, his
strict, conservative “footwashing Baptist” (50) father agreed to keep Boo locked inside the
house. Suspicious of people without screen doors who refuse to socially entertain (10),
residents of Maycomb began to negatively speculate about Boo’s character. The book

suggests that, over the years, Boo became sensitive to the gossip surrounding him and
voluntarily chose not to come out of the house (259). The book also strongly implies that Boo
has been emotionally damaged—and thereby stunted—by his father’s cruel judgments (12).
Boo does, however, venture out from time to time to check in on the Finch children, whom he
seems to perceive as friends. He leaves small gifts for them in a knothole of a tree in his yard,
including chewing gum, a pocket watch, and two figures carved in the children’s likenesses.
Ultimately, he saves the lives of both Scout and Jem when he defends them against Bob
Ewell.
A delicate creature who does no harm, yet faces unjust social violence, Boo Radley is a kind of
symbolic “mockingbird” within the novel.
Nathan Radley
Nathan Radley takes over for his father as Boo’s watchman after his father dies. His most
significant appearance in the novel is when he plugs the knothole in the tree on the Radley
property, preventing Boo from exchanging gifts (and further communication) with the Finch
children.
Tom Robinson
Tom Robinson is a young Black man who is accused of rape by a White woman, Mayella
Ewell. He is characterized as hardworking, generous, and well-mannered, going out of his way
to help Mayella with her chores. Ironically, it is his generous spirit that leads to his conviction
when the jury resents his sympathy for a White woman (224).
All evidence suggests Tom is not responsible for the crime he was accused of. Rather, he
himself was the victim of advances by his accuser. As a vulnerable, innocent figure who
receives unjust violence—both in the form of Bob Ewell’s hatred and the jury’s guilty verdict—
Tom Robinson is a “mockingbird” figure. This mockingbird resonance is confirmed when the
prison guard commits the “sin” (103) of unnecessarily shooting him: not once, but seventeen
times (268).

Helen Robinson
Helen Robinson is the wife of Tom Robinson. She experiences tremendous emotional and
financial struggle as a result of the trial. She finds difficulty in obtaining employment due to
widespread local prejudice. Her family is sustained by the generous donations of the First
Purchase church until Tom’s former employer, Link Deas, offers her a job.
Another mockingbird figure, Helen is visually compared to the caterpillar Jem refuses to let
Scout kill. Helen falls down upon the news of her husband’s death, “like a giant with a big foot
came along and just stepped on her” (274).
Robert E. Lee “Bob” Ewell
Bob Ewell is the drunken, presumably-abusive head of one of the poorest families in
Maycomb. In the novel, he is described as dirty, rude, lazy, and ignorant. Nevertheless, as a
White man, he is still considered to be one rung above Tom Robinson in the social hierarchy
of Maycomb (258).
During the trial, he demonstrates little care for his daughter’s condition, expressing that he
never summoned a doctor because only cared to “see who done it” (199). After the trial, he
acts out vengefully, stalking Helen Robinson on her way to work, appearing at the home of
Judge Taylor, and, ultimately, attempting to murder Scout and Jem Finch.
Mayella Ewell
Mayella is the oldest daughter of Bob Ewell. She is the caregiver of seven children, has few
friends of her own, and frequently suffers the abuse of her father. She strives, nevertheless, to
keep clean, compared to the rest of her family, and she maintains a small patch of red
geraniums. In this sense, she is also a kind of (potential) mockingbird, an innocent victim of
Bob Ewell’s ignorance and wrath.
The novel suggests that Mayella makes advances toward Tom Robinson out of loneliness
and desperation, and that she accused Tom Robinson of rape out of a need to deflect guilt
from herself. She is uncomfortable and emotional on the witness stand, and her testimony is
very inconsistent.

Heck Tate
Heck Tate is the sheriff of Maycomb County and a major witness at the Tom Robinson trial.
He is characterized as an upstanding man who strives to protect Maycomb’s citizens,
regardless of race, class, and social standing. He has a strong sense of justice and recognizes
when it is more fair to bend the law. When Tate suspects Boo Radley of killing Bob Ewell, he
protects Boo by falsely declaring that Ewell’s death was an accident.
Link Deas
Link Deas—Tom Robinson’s employer—is one of the few people in Maycomb who is not
racially prejudiced. He eagerly vouches for Tom’s character during the trial, offers Helen a job,
and defends Helen against Bob Ewell when he threatens her.
Mr. Walter Cunningham
Mr. Cunningham is a poor farmer who, lacking the money to pay Atticus for legal work
regarding an entailment—supplies the Finch family with farm-grown greens and hickory nuts.
He is honest, proud, and stubborn, “willing to go hungry to keep his land and vote as he
pleased” (23).
Mr. Cunningham is most notably the leader of a lynch mob that attempts to accost Tom
Robinson from prison the night before his trial. He displays humanity and compassion,
however, when he is confronted by Scout at the jail. Moved by Scout’s own demonstrations of
empathy, Mr. Cunningham calls off the mob.
Mr. Dolphus Raymond
Mr. Dolphus Raymond is a well-off White man who lives with a Black woman and children of
mixed race. He pretends to be a drunk, providing the gossipy residents of Maycomb with an
easy explanation for his lifestyle.
Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose
Mrs. Dubose is an old and mean-tempered woman prone to fits of judgment and accusation
against Scout and Jem. When she berates Jem for Atticus’s defense of Tom Robinson, Jem
snaps and tears up the prized camellias in her yard. Jem is then sentenced to read to her in

her dark, eerie house. When Mrs. Dubose dies, Atticus reveals that she bravely battled her
morphine addiction until the very end of her life, and ultimately emerged sober.

Themes
Growing Up
Though written from the perspective of an adult Scout looking back on her childhood, To Kill
A Mockingbird closely follows the coming-of-age experiences of both Scout and Jem. At the
outset of the novel, Scout and Jem are constant companions, to the degree that Scout
follows Jem into numerous situations that frighten her (such as their schemes to contact Boo
Radley and their daily reading time with Mrs. Dubose). As the novel progresses, however, the
two children embark on separate maturation processes, a separation motivated in no small
part by Jem’s experience with puberty.
Scout and Jem’s coming-of-age experiences are distinct in their gender specificity. Over the
course of To Kill A Mockingbird, Scout evolves from disdaining all things feminine (especially
dresses) to deepening her relationships with both Calpurnia and Miss Maudie Atkinson. As
she comes to appreciate, while helping Calpurnia in the kitchen, “there was some skill
involved in being a girl” (132). Likewise, in the course of learning from Atticus’ gentlemanly
behavior, Jem evolves from a stereotypical understanding of masculinity—mostly steeped in
football and gun-shooting—to a more elevated concept of what it means to be a good man.
He begins to assume a mentoring, educational role with Scout (advising her, for example, not
to agitate Aunt Alexandra), and a more protective role with delicate creatures (as with the
caterpillar Scout attempts to squash). After the Tom Robinson trial, he even compares
himself to a caterpillar emerging from a cocoon (246), framing the trial as a jarring transition
into adulthood.
Scout and Jem also respond to the Tom Robinson trial differently. Whereas Scout determines
that all humans are essentially the same, Jem adopts a more cynical perspective, questioning,
“If there’s just one kind of folks, why can’t they get along with each other?” (259).
Both children, however, mature significantly in their critical evaluation of stories, testimonials,
and gossip. They evolve from a position of naive acceptance wherein they believe any rumor
about Boo Radley—including the myths that he poisons pecans and stalks the streets at night
—to a more generous, evaluative approach. By the end of the novel, Scout demonstrates that
she has learned to empathize with others different from herself, emphasizing her ability to

stand in a man’s shoes and “walk around in them” (321), as Atticus taught. She explains that
"just standing on the Radley porch was enough” (321) to help her understand the private
anguish and loneliness Boo must’ve felt.
Language, Literacy, and Learning
In To Kill A Mockingbird, Scout posits that her most valuable education did not occur in
school. For the highly self-motivated and intelligent Scout, her school’s curriculum is slow-
moving and mind-numbing. Having learned to read with Atticus well in advance of the first
grade, she is dismayed when her teacher, Miss Caroline, discourages her from reading at
home. Fortunately, Scout and Atticus agree to a compromise: “If you’ll concede the necessity
of going to school, we’ll go on reading every night just as we always have” (35).
Both Scout and Jem learn a great deal through their collective role models—including Atticus,
Calpurnia, and Miss Maudie—and the storytelling games they play. In these games, they try
on the roles of literary and film heroes as well as local legends from their own neighborhood
(such as Boo Radley). While these real-world games of pretend bear little resemblance to the
lived experiences of those around them, they prime both children for their deeper exploration
of what it means to “climb into [someone’s] skin and walk around in it” (33).
This ability is further developed when the children enter into new social territories, where they
communicate with people of different economic and racial backgrounds. When Walter
Cunningham joins the Finch family for their midday meal, Scout comes to respect everything
from his advanced agricultural knowledge (as the son of a poor farmer) to his penchant for
pouring molasses on his food. When the children join Calpurnia as guests at her all-Black
church, they learn to appreciate the church’s unique culture (including their communal
generosity in providing for Tom Robinson’s wife, Helen).
Not all of the knowledge learned from experience is positive, however. Through their
exploration of new social territories, Scout and Jem encounter the great imbalances of
Maycomb’s social systems, many of which trace back—in some way—to literacy. When
completing their current-events assignments in school, children are looked down upon for
referencing the local agricultural paper (or being unable to procure any paper at all). When
Scout and Jem ask Calpurnia why the Black members of her church don’t use hymn books,
she explains that almost none of them know how to read. As Jem explains to Scout,
“Background doesn’t mean Old Family […] I think it’s how long your family’s been readin’ and
writin’” (258).

Gossip, Prejudice, and Mob Mentality
The theme of damaging prejudice is established from the beginning of To Kill A Mockingbird
through Scout’s excavations of the gossip surrounding Boo Radley. Because the Radleys
don’t engage in open communication or visit with neighbors, ridiculous rumors spread and
fester within the community. Jem even suggests that this gossip may be the reason Boo
refuses to go outside: "I think I’m beginning to understand why Boo Radley stayed shut up in
the house all this time…it’s because he wants to stay inside” (259).
The events surrounding the Tom Robinson trial also deepen Scout and Jem’s understanding
of gossip, prejudice, and mob mentality. More specifically, they illustrate that disturbing racist
beliefs often emerge from people they see every day. As Atticus explains to Jem after the
jailhouse mob confrontation, “Every mob in every little Southern town is always made up of
people you know” (179).
Scout observes the spread of such disturbing groupthink even after the trial, through the
gossip of people like Miss Stephanie and other members of her Aunt Alexandra’s missionary
circle. One Sunday, Scout listens as the women of this group communicate their disdain for
the righteous anger expressed by their Black servants over the guilty verdict. She also
overhears her school teacher emerging from the courthouse post-trial, saying, “it’s time
someone taught ‘em a lesson, they were gettin’ way above themselves, an’ the next thing they
think they can do is marry us” (283). Scout recognizes the hypocrisy in these statements and
wonders how fully-grown adults are able to maintain such clearly conflicting viewpoints.
Atticus explains, however, that accumulated experience—years of absorbing the gossip and
prejudiced statements of those around you—taints the reasoning of otherwise reasonable
people. When discussing how the jury arrived at a guilty verdict in the Tom Robinson trial,
Atticus elucidates, “There’s something in our world that makes men lose their heads—they
couldn’t be fair if they tried” (251).
Conversely, To Kill A Mockingbird also examines the strange value of gossip in southern
communities. Though often vicious, exaggerated, or simply untrue, gossip dictates the
importance of an event, and when no one talks about an event, it is quickly forgotten. For
example, the death of Tom Robinson occupies the hub of Maycomb’s gossip for merely two
days, then, tellingly, fades from public consciousness.

Courage, Justice, and Radical Empathy
At numerous moments in To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus Finch illustrates his unique definition
of courage. When Mrs. Dubose dies after conquering her morphine addiction, he explains to
Jem, “I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a
man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway
and you see it through no matter what” (128). With his decision to provide the best defense
possible for Tom Robinson, in spite of all consequences (and in spite of his understanding
that he will likely lose the case), Atticus thus enacts this model of courage for his children.
Atticus’s advice to “climb into [someone’s] skin and walk around in it” (33) serves as a
thematic mantra throughout To Kill A Mockingbird. Over the course of the book, the children
apply this mantra to almost every character, including Miss Caroline, Walter and Mr.
Cunningham, Mrs. Dubose, Boo Radley, Tom Robinson, and even Mayella Ewell. In so doing,
they appreciate the different experiences that motivate people and color their day-to-day
realities, even if they recognize that these experiences “interfere with [others’] reasoning
process” (251).
Not everyone in Maycomb responds to the radical empathy practiced by the Finch family. A
few characters in the novel, however, experience a change of heart as a result. Among these
characters are the Cunninghams: Mr. Cunningham calls off the lynch mob after Scout reaches
out to him, and another Cunningham advocates for an “innocent” verdict in the Tom Robinson
trial. Mr. Underwood also experiences a transformation, evolving from his initial (widely-
known) prejudice against Black people to his vocal advocacy for their fair treatment,
publishing an editorial that bemoans the death of Tom Robinson.

Symbols & Motifs
Guns and Violence
Throughout To Kill A Mockingbird, guns serve as a shorthand for violence. Though the precise
tone and message of this shorthand evolves throughout the book, each appearance of a gun
raises new questions about the necessity of violence (and the peril it brings to those close to
us).
In the southern world of Maycomb, guns are considered an essential part of life, to the degree
that—upon reluctantly gifting his children guns for Christmas—Atticus claims he’s “bowing to
the inevitable” (91). The guns are gifted, however, with firm cautions as to how they should be
used. Atticus explains that they’re allowed to “shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit
‘em,” but they must “remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (103). Miss Maudie later
illuminates the importance of this advice, explaining that mockingbirds “don’t eat up people’s
gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us” (103).
In other words, Atticus establishes that it is a sin to exact violence on innocent creatures who
have done no harm to those around them.
Atticus’s policy toward non-violence is put to the test, however, when he shoots the rabid Old
Tim Johnson, a dog formerly thought of as “the pet of Maycomb” (105). Atticus demonstrates
considerable talent with his gun, killing the dog in just one shot. When the Finch children ask
Miss Maudie why he never previously revealed his shooting talent, she explains, “he put his
gun down when he realized that God had given him an unfair advantage over most living
things. I guess he decided he wouldn’t shoot till he had to, and he had to today” (112). Though
Atticus was reluctant to exert his power over a helpless dog—which, as “the pet of Maycomb,”
serves as a stand-in for Maycomb’s community—he accepted the necessity of violence to
protect that very community.
This same complex logic is applied to Atticus’s defense of Tom Robinson, particularly when
he stands down the lynch mob of “people [the Finch family] know[s]” (179). Though Atticus
dislikes the idea of confronting their friends and neighbors, he knows it is necessary to do so
in order to protect Tom Robinson, who is also a member of Maycomb’s community. This
connection is confirmed by Scout, when she collates these two memories of Atticus:

I was very tired, and was drifting into sleep when 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. The full meaning of the
night’s events hit me and I began crying (177).
The novel also collates the incident where Nathan Radley shoots at Jem and the prison
guard’s shooting of Tom Robinson (who is Black). The string of connections—between Jem,
“the pet of Maycomb,” and Tom Robinson—is made explicit when Miss Stephanie gossips
about the incident, saying Nathan Radley is waiting to shoot someone and doesn’t care if it’s
a dog, a Black person, or Jem. This collapsing between different people and different acts of
violence comes full circle at the end of the novel, when Atticus and Heck Tate debate whether
Bob Ewell was killed by Jem or Boo Radley. Thus, in To Kill A Mockingbird, different members
of the community bleed into one another.
Mockingbirds
In the symbolic scope of To Kill A Mockingbird, the mockingbird is connected with any
innocent or vulnerable person who is the victim of violence (and violent misunderstanding).
Specifically—as per Miss Maudie’s definition—the mockingbird is a creature who hasn’t done
anything wrong, but is nevertheless wrongfully accused or threatened (just as Tom Robinson
is wrongfully accused of raping Mayella Ewell).
The numerous “mockingbirds” of the novel include Jem, Tom Robinson, and Boo Radley, and
their mockingbird status is flagged with illustrative language. Jem’s last name—Finch—
suggests comparison to the similarly-delicate bird. Boo Radley is described as having
“feathery” (310) hair. In Mr. Underwood’s editorial, which bemoans the shooting of Tom
Robinson, he compares it to “the senseless slaughter of songbirds by hunters and children”
(275).
Sin and Religion
In To Kill A Mockingbird, the motif of sin and religion is equally convoluted and open to
interpretation. It is telling, however, that Miss Maudie characterizes “foot-washing Baptists”
(50) as people who believe everything pleasurable is a sin, then explains that Boo Radley’s
father was himself a “foot-washer.” The novel thus implies that Mr. Radley’s oppressive
religious beliefs generated a sense of anxiety and inferiority in Boo.

Between the novel’s title and its comparisons between Boo Radley and a mockingbird, Harper
Lee suggests a dark undertone to religious zealotry. In attempting to violently shut out the
“sin” of pleasure, religious people often commit the one true sin: the violent shaming of an
innocent being.
This idea of “sin” is affirmed when Heck Tate effectively stands up for Boo Radley, refusing to
let him accept the blame for Bob Ewell’s death: “To my way of thinkin’, Mr. Finch, taking the
one man who’s done you and this town a great service an’ draggin’ him with his shy ways into
the limelight—to me, that’s a sin. It’s a sin and I’m not about to have it on my head” (317).

Important Quotes
1. “People moved slowly then. They ambled across the square, shuffled in and out of the
stores around it, took their time about everything. A day was twenty-four hours long but
seemed longer. There was no hurry, for there was nowhere to go, nothing to buy and no
money to buy it with, nothing to see outside the boundaries of Maycomb County. But it was a
time of vague optimism for some people; Maycomb County had recently been told it had
nothing to fear but fear itself.”
(Chapter 1, Page 6)
This passage—written from the combined perspectives of a young Scout and an adult Scout,
looking back on her life—characterizes the unique dual narration of To Kill A Mockingbird.
Here, Scout describes the slow-moving atmosphere of Maycomb in the summer of 1933,
explaining that the poverty the Great Depression generated in turn elicited a kind of quiet
anxiety in close-knit southern towns. The insinuation of “boundaries” is especially important
in this quote, suggesting that the citizens of Maycomb are wary of what resides “outside the
boundaries” of the community they know. This line also establishes the idea that Maycomb
itself is divided into different social “boundaries” (which—as we later learn—are largely
motivated by class and race). The line “Maycomb County had recently been told it had
nothing to fear but fear itself” refers to the inaugural address of Franklin D. Roosevelt and the
promises he made to agricultural communities—such as Maycomb—with the New Deal.
Though the line appears to land in support of Roosevelt’s social and economic goals, the
word “vague” hints at a more cynical undertone. This cynical undertone is likely the result of
Scout’s experience, both her adult experience—gained over the years—and her childhood
experience within the story of To Kill A Mockingbird. Furthermore, the mention of “fear” in
Roosevelt’s statement acquires an ironic tinge in light of Maycomb’s gossiping, suspicious
residents. Contrary to the quote’s suggestion, people in the south are very paranoid and very
afraid.
2. “The misery of that house began many years before Jem and I were born. The Radleys,
welcome anywhere in town, kept to themselves, a predilection unforgiveable in Maycomb. […]
The shutters and doors of the Radley house were closed on Sundays, another thing alien to
Maycomb’s ways: closed doors meant illness and cold weather only. Of all days Sunday was
the day for formal afternoon visiting: ladies wore corsets, men wore coats, children wore

shoes. But to climb the Radley front steps and call, ‘He-y,’ of a Sunday afternoon was
something their neighbors never did. The Radley house had no screen doors. I once asked
Atticus if it ever had any; Atticus said yes, but before I was born.”
(Chapter 1, Page 10)
In this passage, Scout expands upon her analysis of Maycomb’s social climate. She
specifically applies this analysis to her childhood neighbor, Arthur “Boo” Radley, offering
implied suggestions for his “misery.” According to Scout’s deductions, because formal
Sunday visits are so important to Maycomb society, the Radley family’s decision to remove
screen doors resulted in suspicion of their character. This suspicion led to gossip and cruel
rumor-spreading (such as the rumor that all pecans from the Radley’s tree are poisonous).
Because they knew gossip and rumors had spread about them, the Radleys—and most
especially Boo—were hesitant to leave the house. Of course, the more the Radleys kept to
themselves, the more Maycomb’s residents wondered and gossiped about them, spawning a
vicious cycle.
3. “Atticus said professional people were poor because the farmers were poor. As Maycomb
County was farm county, nickels and dimes were hard to come by for doctors and dentists
and lawyers. Entailment was only part of Mr. Cunningham’s vexations. The acres not entailed
were mortgaged to a hilt, and the little cash he made went to interest. If he held his mouth
right, Mr. Cunningham could get a WPA job, but his land would go to ruin if he left it, and he
was willing to go hungry to keep his land and vote as he pleased. Mr. Cunningham, said
Atticus, came from a set breed of men.”
Here, an adult Scout outlines the cycles of poverty in Maycomb, explaining that the poverty of
professionals such as Atticus Finch went hand-in-hand with the poverty of farmers like Mr.
Cunningham. She also describes the particular “breed” of stubborn pride, determination, and
strange loyalty embodied by Mr. Cunningham. This characterization also foreshadows the
Cunningham’s important roles both in the pre-trial mob and the jury of the Tom Robinson trial.
4. “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view […]
until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”

This line is spoken by Atticus to young Scout as he attempts to console her after her
tumultuous first day of school. He encourages her to identify with the perspectives of her
teacher, Miss Caroline, and another student from a very different socioeconomic background,
Burris Ewell. This idea—considering how someone’s life experiences have shaped their point
of view—becomes a kind of touchstone in the novel. Though the principle of this sentiment is
fairly elementary, its precise application within To Kill A Mockingbird (to social “outsiders”
such as Boo Radley, Tom Robinson, and even Bob Ewell) is relatively radical for the place and
time in which the book is set. After all, as the novel demonstrates, many adult residents of
Maycomb do not adhere to this principle, instead allowing their decisions to be guided by fear,
anger, and other emotionally-driven judgments.
5. “‘Do you know what a compromise is? [It’s an] agreement reached by mutual concession. It
works this way,’ he said. ‘If you’ll concede the necessity of going to school, we’ll go on reading
every night just as we always have.’”
Here, Atticus applies another lofty ethical principle to the level of Scout’s childhood
experience. In so doing, Atticus not only presents an alternative solution to Scout’s somewhat
subpar education, but also introduces the reader to his generous approach—and rhetorical
strategy—as a lawyer. According to Atticus, no concept is too mature to be adapted for the
comprehension of a child (or, by extension, the comprehension of a less-educated Maycomb
citizen).
6. “There are just some kind of men who—who’re so busy worrying about the next world
they’ve never learned to live in this one, and you can look down the street and see the
results.”
Miss Maudie illuminates the differences between herself (a devout Baptist) and those she
calls “foot-washing Baptists,” characterizing the foot-washers as people who believe
everything pleasurable is a sin. She explains that Boo Radley’s father was himself a “foot-
washer” and suggests that this limiting perspective played a major role in developing the
anxiety around the Radley household. As Miss Maudie implies, “the result” of this oppressive
“foot-washing” belief system was Boo Radley’s (self) imprisonment “down the street” in his
own house.

7. “Shot in the air. Scared him pale, though. […] Says he’s got the other barrel waitin’ for the
next sound he hears in that patch […].”
These lines are spoken by Miss Stephanie—the neighborhood gossip—as she tells the
neighborhood how Nathan Radley shot at a person whom he presumed to be a prowler. The
reader, however, knows that the prowler was none other than Jem Finch, and that his
intention—to coax Boo Radley out of the house—was harmless. Thus, this passage
encourages the reader to reflect on the disparity between the exaggerated threat expressed
by Miss Stephanie and the mostly-innocent activities of Jem, Scout, and Dill. The progressive
trio of intruders at the end of Miss Stephanie’s speech foreshadows a number of critical
moments-to-come in the book, including Atticus shooting the “dog,” Atticus’ defense of Tom
Robinson, and the confusion between Jem and Boo that transpires around the murder of Bob
Ewell.
8. “Scout, simply by the nature of the work, every lawyer gets at least one case in his lifetime
that affects him personally. This one’s mine, I guess. You might hear some ugly talk about it
at school, but do one thing for me, if you will: you just hold your head high and keep those
fists down […] Try fighting with your head for a change…it’s a good one, even if it does resist
learning.”
After Scout fights her schoolmate Cecil Jacobs, Atticus explains that he is defending a man
named Tom Robinson. He further explains that he feels he must provide the best possible
defense for Tom Robinson, even though he knows he will not win the case, simply because if
he didn’t, he couldn’t hold his own head high in town (86). He knows that the tension around
the case will not only affect him and Tom Robinson, but the entire town. Atticus repeats this
advice at numerous intervals throughout To Kill A Mockingbird.
9. “Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a
mockingbird.”
In keeping with his admonitions against violence, Atticus lectures Scout and Jem how to
mindfully practice shooting with their new air rifles. He warns them “it’s a sin to kill a
mockingbird,” employing a word he rarely uses—“sin”—to signal the severity of his warning.
Miss Maudie later explains to the children that it is a “sin” to kill a mockingbird because

mockingbirds are vulnerable, delicate creatures who never do anything harmful. Thus,
throughout the remainder of the novel, the mockingbird becomes a stand-in for numerous
people—such as Tom Robinson and Boo Radley—who have not harmed anyone, but
nevertheless experience undeserved violence.
10. “If your father’s anything, he’s civilized in his heart. Marksmanship’s a gift of God, a talent
—oh, you have to practice to make it perfect, but shooting’s different than playing the piano or
the like. I think maybe he put his gun down when he realized that God had given him an unfair
advantage over most living things. I guess he decided he wouldn’t shoot till he had to, and he
had to today.”
Following Atticus’ demonstration of impressive (but necessary) sharpshooting, Miss Maudie

explains the basis of his civility. Atticus’ civilization is characterized by his refusal to take “an
unfair advantage of things” even though he knows he must occasionally use his talents to
protect those who might easily be taken advantage of (such as Tom Robinson). Likewise, the
novel suggests that those who use their power to take “an unfair advantage” of vulnerable,
harmless people (mockingbirds), are sinners of the worst degree.
11. “I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a
man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway
and you see it through no matter what.”
In this passage, Atticus explains to Jem that old Mrs. Dubose was a morphine addict whose
dying wish was to kick her addiction. He frames Mrs. Dubose’s determination as an example
of bravery that counters Jem’s childish ideas of bravery as masculine heroism, broadening
Jem’s idea of what it means to be both a man and a responsible adult. This explanation also
echoes Atticus’s earlier reflections regarding his need to defend Tom Robinson, even though
he essentially knows he’s “licked before [he] begin[s].”
12. “It’s not necessary to tell all you know […] folks don’t like to have somebody around
knowin’ more than they do. It aggravates ‘em. You’re not gonna change any of them by talkin’
right, they’ve got to want to do it for themselves, and when they don’t want to learn there’s
nothing you can do but keep your mouth shut or talk their language.”

After bringing Scout and Jem to her all-Black church, First Purchase, Calpurnia explains why
she speaks differently among her fellow church members than she does with the Finch
family. As the Finch’s cook, Calpurnia suggests that she travels between two different social
worlds where the people speak two different languages, figuratively. She also suggests that
her literacy is a learned talent—much like Atticus’ shooting ability—and that it would
“aggravate” her Black friends if it seemed like she were using this talent too much to her own
advantage. This explanation ties together the wide range of interactions Scout and Jem
experience when the boundary between White and Black Maycomb residents is crossed. The
phrase “[i]t’s not necessary to tell all you know” could also be read as foreshadowing for Heck
Tate’s decision to “let the dead bury the dead” (317) and conceal Boo Radley’s killing of Bob
Ewell in Chapter 30.
13. “Well, Atticus, I was just sayin’ to Mr. Cunningham that entailments are bad an’ all that,
but you said not to worry, it take a long time sometimes…that you all’d ride it out together…”
These lines are spoken by young Scout after she recognizes Mr. Cunningham among the
lynch mob that confronts Atticus outside the prison where Tom Robinson is held. She speaks
to Atticus, expressing her naive attempt to “climb into his skin” (33) by identifying with his
interests and concerns. She also connects Mr. Cunningham’s struggles with the community
at-large, saying they “all’d ride it out together.” She thus reminds Mr. Cunningham that she,
Atticus (and, by extension, Tom Robinson) are not his enemies, but his neighbors. Her
demonstration of empathy results in Mr. Cunningham calling off the mob.
14. “I was very tired, and was drifting into sleep when 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. The full meaning of the night’s events hit me and I
began crying.”
After the Finches return home from the mob scene, Scout makes a conceptual connection
between Atticus’ shooting of the neighborhood dog—Old Tim Johnson—and his defense of
Tom Robinson against the lynch mob (whom Atticus later identifies as neighbors and other
people he knows).
15. “A mob’s made up of people, no matter what. Mr. Cunningham was part of a mob last

night, but he was still a man. Every mob in every little Southern town is always made up of
people you know—doesn’t say much for them, does it?”
Talking with his children over breakfast the morning after the mob incident, Atticus explains
that a mob always includes familiar people from one’s community. In addition to illuminating
Mr. Cunningham’s presence, this conversation foreshadows the community gossip and
groupthink that will converge around the Tom Robinson trial later that day.
16. “As Tom Robinson gave his testimony, it came to me that Mayella Ewell must have been
the loneliest person in the world. She was even lonelier than Boo Radley, who had not been
out of the house in twenty-five years. When Atticus asked had she any friends, she seemed
not to know what he meant, then she thought he was making fun of her. She was as sad, I
thought, as what Jem called a mixed child: white people wouldn’t have anything to do with her
because she lived among pigs; Negroes wouldn’t have anything to do with her because she
was white. She couldn’t live like Mr. Dolphus Raymond, who preferred the company of
Negroes, because she didn’t own a river bank and she wasn’t from a fine old family. Nobody
said, ‘That’s just their way,’ about the Ewells. Maycomb gave them Christmas baskets, welfare
money, and the back of its hand. Tom Robinson was probably the only person who was ever
decent to her. But she said he took advantage of her, and when she stood up she looked at
him as if he were dirt beneath her feet.”
Even as a child, Scout’s preconditioned ability to “climb into” a person’s skin allows her to
appreciate the social complexities of the Tom Robinson trial. She compares Mayella to Boo
Radley, recognizing that she, too, is an outcast from Maycomb society. She recognizes the
complicated relationship between class and race, acknowledging that because of her poverty,
Mayella is not afforded the same privileges of social mobility as Mr. Dolphus Raymond (who
lives among Maycomb’s Black community with his mixed-race children). In short, she
recognizes the many ways in which Mayella is a kind of mockingbird—a vulnerable person
who, until recently, never harmed anyone. Scout also seems to understand, however, that
being a mockingbird does not make someone immune from causing harm. With her
knowingly false accusation of rape, Mayella has committed the “sin” of using her social
status as a White person against Tom Robinson, who “was probably the only person who was
ever decent to her.”

17. “I felt right sorry for her, she seemed to try more’n the rest of ‘em—”
When the prosecutor asks Tom why he did so many of Mayella’s chores, Tom tries to explain
that he was motivated out of sympathy, seeing that Mayella wanted a different life from the
one she lived with her family. In this sense, Tom is climbing into Mayella’s skin, just as Atticus
has taught Scout to do with others. As soon as Tom mentions he “felt sorry” for Mayella,
however, he realizes he has made a mistake, as the jury will be averse to the idea of a Black
man pitying a White woman. In other words, White residents of Maycomb are resistant to
demonstrations of kindness from Black people, as it implies a kind of power over them, and
thereby a breach in the community’s rigid social stratification.
18. “And so a quiet, respectable, humble Negro who had the unmitigated temerity to ‘feel
sorry’ for a white woman has had to put his work against two white peoples’. I need not
remind you of their appearance and conduct on the stand—you saw them for yourselves. The
witnesses for the state, with the exception of the sheriff of Maycomb County, have presented
themselves to you gentlemen, to this court, in the cynical confidence that their testimony
would not be doubted, confident that you gentlemen would go along with them on the
assumption—the evil assumption— that all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are basically immoral
beings, that all Negro men are not to be trusted around our women, an assumption one
associates with minds of their caliber. Which, gentlemen, we know is in itself a lie as black as
Tom Robinson’s skin, a lie I do not have to point out to you.”
In Atticus Finch’s impassioned speech to the jury, he calls out the hypocrisy of maintaining
prejudice against Black men in a court system where “all men are created equal.” He disrupts
the toxic mindset that enables White people to think of Black people as a singular whole,
rather than considering them as individuals. He further disrupts the jury’s negative thoughts
against Tom Robinson’s sympathy, upholding the confidence that he “do[es] not need to
point that out.” He suggests, in other words, that when speaking to adults, he should not need
to point out the necessity of “climb[ing] into [Tom Robinson’s] skin,” an idea even his children
understand.
19. “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.”

After the Tom Robinson trial, Jem appears to lose his faith in his presumed goodness of
humanity. He makes the visual comparison to a cocoon, suggesting that after the trial, he has
emerged from a safe “warm place,” with his perspective transformed.
20. “If you had been on that jury today, son, and eleven other boys like you, Tom would be a
free man […] So far nothing in your life has interfered with your reasoning process. Those are
twelve reasonable men in everyday life, Tom’s jury, but you saw something come between
them and reason. You saw the same thing in front of the jail […] There’s something in our
world that makes men lose their heads—they couldn’t be fair if they tried.”
When Jem bemoans the cruelty of the jury’s “guilty” verdict, Atticus explains that time,
experience, and pressure from others in the community often leads adults to think less fairly
than Jem might. He insinuates that when prejudiced opinions converge together—as in the
jailhouse mob and the courtroom—the reasoning of men becomes tainted and they “couldn’t
be fair if they tried.” This passage hints at the complicated process of maturation, a process
that adolescent Jem is now confronting: growing older isn’t as simple as growing wiser.
21. “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? Scout, I think I’m beginning to
understand something. I think I’m beginning to understand why Boo Radley stayed shut up in
the house all this time…it’s because he wants to stay inside.”
In Chapter 23, Scout and Jem demonstrate their different perspectives on humanity after the
Tom Robinson trial. While Scout expresses her belief that all humans are essentially the same
—containing the potentiality for both good and evil—Jem seems to have a more cynical
outlook. Through the trial, he has come to appreciate how socially segregated Maycomb is,
and he perceives this segregation as the direct result of groups’ inability to “get along with
each other.” Furthermore, he recognizes that Boo Radley is likely sensitive to the judgment,
gossip, and mob mentality in Maycomb. Jem believes that Boo has decided to “stay inside”
and avoid confronting the hateful judgment of his community.

22. “His face was as white as his hands, but for a shadow on his jutting chin. His cheeks were
thin to hollowness; his mouth was wide; there were shallow, almost delicate indentations at
his temples, and his gray eyes were so colorless I thought he was blind. His hair was dead
and thin, almost feathery on top of his head.”
When Scout finally sees Boo, she descriptively compares him to a mockingbird, drawing
attention to birdlike, delicate features such as his “feathery” hair. She thus reminds the reader
that despite all the heightened tales, gossip, and rumors surrounding Boo, he is far from a
threat, and—like a mockingbird—has done nothing wrong.
23. “I’m not a very good man, sir, but I am sheriff of Maycomb County. Lived in this town all
my life an’ I’m goin’ on forty-three years old. Know everything that’s happened here since
before I was born. There’s a black boy dead for no reason, and the man responsible for it’s
dead. Let the dead bury the dead this time, Mr. Finch […] maybe you’ll say it’s my duty to tell
the town all about it and not hush it up. Know what’d happen then? All the ladies in Maycomb
includin’ my wife’d be knocking on his door bringing angel food cakes. To my way of thinkin’,
Mr. Finch, taking the one man who’s done you and this town a great service an’ draggin’ him
with his shy ways into the limelight—to me, that’s a sin. It’s a sin and I’m not about to have it
on my head.”
In this moment, Maycomb County Sheriff Heck Tate recognizes that Boo Radley—not Jem—
killed Bob Ewell. He acknowledges that Boo committed this act of violence to protect his
neighbors, Scout and Jem, and that the killing was a necessary use of Boo’s power (just as
Atticus’ shooting of the mad dog was a necessary use of his shooting ability). By deciding to
call Ewell’s death an accident, Tate claims he hopes to prevent “ladies […] from bringing
angel food cakes” and disrupting Boo’s solitude; however, his proclamation that spreading the
word would be “a sin” suggests a much darker truth. The implied result of attributing the
killing to Boo would be even more malicious (and possibly deadly) gossip. Thus, Tate prevents
the “sin” of killing a figurative mockingbird: the sin of destroying the life of a vulnerable man
who never did any harm that wasn’t justified.
24. “Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his
shoes and walk around in them. Just standing on the Radley porch was enough.”

Atticus’ adage about appreciating another person’s perspective appears to have registered on
a new level for Scout. This moment suggests her own coming into maturity as she
appreciates—even without fully knowing—everything Boo has experienced.
25. “Most people are, Scout, when you finally see them.”
In the final spoken line of To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus responds to Scout’s reflection that
Boo was surprisingly nice in person. His response speaks both to the literal reality of the
situation—Scout has now “seen” Boo for the first time, after years of hoping he would emerge
from the house—and to her more conceptual understanding of her father’s walk-in-another-
man’s-shoes philosophy.

Vocabulary
How to use
This section presents terms and phrases that are central to understanding the text and may
present a challenge to the reader. Use this list to create a vocabulary quiz or worksheet, to
prepare flashcards for a standardized test, or to inspire classroom word games and other
group activities.
Chapters 1 - 4
1. phantom (noun):
a ghost
“Inside the house lived a malevolent phantom.” (Chapter 1, Page 8)
2. the crash (noun):

informal term referring to the stock market crash of 1929 that signaled the beginning of the
Great Depression
“The Cunninghams are country folks, farmers, and the crash hit them hardest.”
3. entailment (noun):
in legal terms, a settlement of the inheritance of property so that it remains within a family for
several generations
“Entailment was only a part of Mr. Cunningham’s vexations. The acres not entailed
were mortgaged to the hilt, and the little cash he made went to interest.” (Chapter 2,
Page 21)
4. knot-hole (noun):
a hole in a tree trunk where a branch has decayed

“Some tinfoil was sticking in a knot-hole just above my eye level, winking at me in the
afternoon sun.” (Chapter 4, Page 33)
Chapters 5 - 8
5. scuppernongs (noun):
a variety of grape native to the basin of the Scuppernong River in North Carolina
“Our tacit treaty with Miss Maudie was that we could play on her lawn, eat her
scuppernongs if we didn’t jump on the arbor, and explore her vast back lot, terms so
generous we seldom spoke to her, so careful were we to preserve the delicate
balance of our relationship, but Jem and Dill drove me closer to her with their
behavior.” (Chapter 5, Page 42)
6. lest (conjunction):
slang for “unless”
“Can’t anybody tell what I’m gonna do lest they know me, can they, Scout?” (Chapter
7, Page 58)
7. touchous (adjective):
a slang term meaning overly sensitive or irritable
“Jem restrained me from further questions. He said Atticus was still touchous about
us and the Radleys and it wouldn’t do to push him any.” (Chapter 8, Page 64)
8. caricature (noun):
a picture, description, or imitation of a person in which certain striking characteristics are
exaggerated to create a comic or grotesque effect

“‘I don’t care what you do, so long as you do something,’ said Atticus. ‘You can’t go
around making caricatures of the neighbors.’ ‘Ain’t a caricature,’ said Jem. ‘It just
looks like him.’ ‘Mr. Avery might not think so.’” (Chapter 8, Page 67)
Chapters 9 - 12
9. jury (noun):
a group of people (typically twelve in number) that gives a verdict in a legal court case based
on evidence submitted to them
“The jury couldn’t possibly be expected to take Tom Robinson’s word against the
Ewells’—are you acquainted with the Ewells?” (Chapter 9, Page 88)
10. interrogation (noun):

aggressive questioning
“If she was on the porch when we passed, we would be raked by her wrathful gaze,
subjected to ruthless interrogation regarding our behavior, and given a melancholy
prediction on what we would amount to when we grew up, which was always
nothing.” (Chapter 11, Page 99)
Chapters 13 - 16
11. shinny (noun):

a slang term for liquor, usually whiskey or bourbon
“Miss Maudie Atkinson baked a Lane cake so loaded with shinny it made me tight;
Miss Stephanie Crawford had long visits with Aunt Alexandra, consisting mostly of
Miss Stephanie shaking her head and saying, “Uh, uh, uh.” (Chapter 13, Page 129)
12. heredity (noun):

a person’s ancestry

“I never understood her preoccupation with heredity. Somewhere, I had received the
impression that Fine Folks were people who did the best they could with the sense
they had, but Aunt Alexandra was of the opinion, obliquely expressed, that the longer
a family had been squatting on one patch of land the finer it was.” (Chapter 13, Page
130)
Chapters 17 - 20
13. counsel (noun):

the lawyer or lawyers conducting a case
“Mr. Ewell backed up into the witness chair, settled himself, and regarded Atticus
with haughty suspicion, an expression common to Maycomb County witnesses when
confronted by opposing counsel.” (Chapter 17, Page 175)
14. cross-examination (noun):

the formal questioning of a witness called by the other party in a court of law to challenge or
extend testimony already given
“Never, never, never, on cross-examination ask a witness a question you don’t

already know the answer to, was a tenet I absorbed with my baby-food. Do it, and
you’ll often get an answer you don’t want, an answer that might wreck your case.”
15. browbeating (progressive verb):

intimidating someone, typically into doing something, with stern or abusive words
“‘Now let’s consider this calmly—’ began Atticus, but Mr. Gilmer interrupted with an
objection: he was not irrelevant or immaterial, but Atticus was browbeating the
witness. Judge Taylor laughed outright. ‘Oh sit down, Horace, he’s doing nothing of
the sort. If anything, the witness’s browbeating Atticus.’” (Chapter 18, Page 186)

16. volition (noun):

the power of using will or conscious choice
“He seemed to be a respectable Negro, and a respectable Negro would never go up

into somebody’s yard of his own volition.” (Chapter 19, Page 192)
Chapters 21 - 24
17. verdict (noun):

the decision made by the jury in a court trial
“‘Aw, Atticus, let us come back,’ pleaded Jem. ‘Please let us hear the verdict, please
sir.’” (Chapter 21, Page 207)
18. defendant (noun):

the accused individual in a court of law
“A jury never looks at a defendant it has convicted, and when this jury came in, not
one of them looked at Tom Robinson.” (Chapter 21, Page 211)
19. cynical (adjective):

believing that people are motivated by self-interest; distrustful of human sincerity or integrity
“‘Don’t talk like that Dill,’ said Aunt Alexandra. ‘It’s not becoming to a child. It’s
—cynical.’ ‘I ain’t cynical, Miss Alexandra. Tellin’ the truth’s not cynical, is it?’”
20. acquittal (noun):

a judgment that a person is not guilty of the crime with which the person has been charged

“No jury in this part of the world’s going to say, ‘We think you’re guilty, but not very,’
on a charge like that. It was either a straight acquittal or nothing.” (Chapter 23, Page
219)
21. circumstantial (adjective):

evidence that points indirectly toward someone's guilt but does not conclusively prove it
“He said he didn’t have any quarrel with the rape statute, none whatever, but he did
have deep misgivings when the state asked for and the jury gave a death penalty on
purely circumstantial evidence.” (Chapter 23, Page 219)
Chapters 25 - 28
22. prejudice (noun):

preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience
“‘Persecution comes from people who are prejudiced. Prejudice,’ she enunciated
carefully. ‘There are no better people in the world than the Jews, and why Hitler
doesn’t think so is a mystery to me.’” (Chapter 26, Page 245)
23. pageant (noun):

a stage performance
“Mrs. Grace Merriweather had composed an original pageant entitled Maycomb

County: Ad Astra Per Aspera, and I was to be a ham.” (Chapter 27, Page 252)
Chapters 29 - 31
24. perforated (past tense verb):

pierced through, creating a hole

“I wondered why he had those marks on him. His sleeves were perforated with little
holes.” (Chapter 29, Page 269)
25. connived (past tense verb):

conspire to do something considered immoral, illegal, or harmful
“Before Jem looks at anyone else he looks at me, and I’ve tried to live so I can look
squarely back at him…if I connived at something like this, frankly I couldn’t meet his
eye, and the day I can’t do that I’ll know I’ve lost him.” (Chapter 30, Page 273)

Essay Topics
1. To Kill A Mockingbird is often categorized as a “bildungsroman,” or “coming of age” novel,

following the childhood evolution, learning, and growth of young Scout and Jem. Over the
course of the book, both characters develop increasingly-mature consciousnesses about the
world; however, their individual growth processes are also specifically gendered as feminine
and masculine. What are some of the ways Scout and Jem develop according to traditional
southern standards for women and men? What are some of the ways both Scout and Jem
resist that development?
2. Since the 1960 publication of To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus Finch has been widely upheld
as a role model for real world lawyers, even inspiring many people to pursue the practice of
law. Recently, however, critics have argued that Atticus Finch didn’t do as much as he could
have to disrupt the climate of racism, sexism, and classism he practiced within. Do you feel
Atticus Finch continues to endure as a strong role model, or do you think his practices are
outdated?
3. Throughout To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus Finch expresses his strong distaste for violence
and assertions of power. Nevertheless, he finds himself in the position where—in order to
protect his community from the possibility of attack by a rabid dog—he must shoot Old Tim
Johnson, the so-called “pet of Maycomb” (105). What does this scene suggest about Atticus
Finch’s complicated role in defending Tom Robinson?
4. In the scene where Jem’s pants get caught on the Radley’s gate, Nathan Radley fires a
shot, believing he is shooting at a prowler. By the end of the novel, Jem is again conflated with
another person’s identity when Atticus and Heck Tate discuss whether Jem or Boo Radley
should be charged with the murder of Bob Ewell. What is Lee trying to insinuate with these
repeated instances of mistaken identity? How do these moments thematically relate to the
Tom Robinson case?
5. Though Atticus urges Scout to adopt a sympathetic view toward her teachers, To Kill A
Mockingbird offers a mostly critical perspective of public education. What are some of the
specific critiques the novel provides? What are some of the Finch’s familial alternatives to

institutionalized learning?
6. Maycomb is a town with a definitive caste system, described by Jem (in Chapter 23) as
having four tiers: “the ordinary kind like us […] the kind like the Cunninghams out in the
woods, the kind like the Ewells down at the dump, and the Negroes” (258). These groups are
generally stratified, keeping to their own respective areas of the community. To Kill A
Mockingbird, however, presents a number of exceptional situations wherein different tiers of
the community collide with one another, including Walter Cunningham’s dinner at the Finch
home, the children’s visit to Calpurnia’s church, and the trial of Tom Robinson. Choose one of
these exceptional situations and analyze how the different tiers perform toward their
expected roles (and how their typical performances are also disrupted).
7. In Chapter 3, Atticus notably urges Scout to “climb into [another’s] skin and walk around in
it” (33), suggesting that empathy is derived from imagining what someone else’s life feels like
beneath the surface. To Kill A Mockingbird seems to also suggest, however, that much of the
human condition is inaccessible to our imaginations, deeply locked away—like Boo Radley—
in some territory that cannot be entered. How does the book use Boo Radley as a vehicle for
peering into this unknown (or unknowable) interiority? How do you interpret Atticus’s final
lines: “Most people are [nice] when you finally see them” (323)?
8. Processing the confrontation he and his children recently faced with the mob at the county
jail, Atticus reflects, “Every mob in every little Southern town is always made up of people you
know” (179). How does To Kill A Mockingbird examine the spread of gossip, prejudicial ideas,
and other aspects of mob mentality in a small southern community?
9. How did perspectives on violence, racism, and racial prejudice in the U.S. change (and
remain the same) between the Great Depression and To Kill A Mockingbird’s first publication
in 1960? How have perspectives changed (and remained the same) between the book’s
original publication and present-day American society?
10. Though much of the dialogue in Robert Mulligan’s 1962 film adaptation of To Kill A
Mockingbird remains true to the original text, the film also makes a number of radical
changes, including major omissions and point-of-view shifts. What are some of the most

significant changes the film makes? Why do you think these changes were made?

Further Reading & Resources
How to use
The following materials bring books to life and support both individual and group literature
study. Use these resources to draw real-world connections, plan interdisciplinary lessons,
inspire unique research projects, create enrichment activities, and support differentiated
instruction.
Books & Articles
The Mockingbird Next Door: Life with Harper Lee
This 2015 biography of Harper Lee is written by Marja Mills, who knew Lee personally. Based
on interviews with Harper Lee and her sister Alice, the book offers an inside look at their
upbringing and how To Kill a Mockingbird affected their lives.
I Am Scout: The Biography of Harper Lee
This biography by Charles J. Shields is geared toward younger readers. Shields is the author
of the New York Times bestselling biography Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee, which he
then adapted into this version for a younger audience.
Go Set a Watchman
Published in 2016, this novel is Harper Lee’s only other published work of fiction. Originally
presented as a sequel to To Kill a Mockingbird, Go Set a Watchman is now regarded as an
early draft of To Kill a Mockingbird. In it, a 26-year-old Scout returns home to Maycomb,
Alabama from New York to visit Atticus.
“Great Depression in Alabama"

This Encyclopedia of Alabama article explores the societal, industrial, and agricultural
impacts of the Great Depression era in Alabama.
Let Us Now Praise Famous Men
A book by James Agee with photos by Walker Evans that documents the conditions among
farmers in the South during the Great Depression. Published in 1941, the New York Public
Library has since praised it as one of the most influential books of the 20th century.
Videos & Podcasts
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962 Film)
Directed by Robert Mulligan, the film stars Gregory Peck as Atticus, a performance for which
he won an Academy Award for Best Actor. The film received a number of other awards and
nominations, including a nomination for Best Picture.
Scottsboro: An American Tragedy
Directed by Daniel Anker and Barak Goodman, this 2001 documentary film relays the
circumstances surrounding the Scottsboro Boys, a group of nine African American boys
accused of raping two white women in Alabama in 1931. This highly publicized trial may have
contributed to Harper Lee’s depiction of Tom Robinson’s trial in her novel.
To Kill a Mockingbird Setting: A Portrait of a Southern Town in the 1930s
This is a short video from American Masters that depicts what life was like in Harper Lee’s
hometown of Monroeville, Alabama, during the Great Depression. It includes biographical
details about Harper Lee’s upbringing and the town that inspired the novel’s setting of
Maycomb.

Other
Dorthea Lange's Moving Photographs of the Depression Era
A series of 5 photographs by Dorthea Lange along with descriptions that depict the
consequences of The Great Depression in 1930s America
"The Cake that Made Maycomb Famous: The Lane Cake"
A recipe for Lane cake, a traditional Southern cake and Miss Maudie’s specialty (and the envy
of Miss Stephanie Crawford) mentioned throughout the novel.

Teaching Guide
How to use
Use these Teaching Materials to assess comprehension and facilitate analysis of a

challenging text.
Reading-check questions can be used after students read chapter sets independently or as a
group. Reading-check, reading comprehension, multiple-choice, and/or short-answer
questions can be used as formative assessment tools as readers proceed through the book
unit, or as summative assessment tools after the completion of the chapter set or book. Use
the questions to review aloud after reading multiple chapter sets, or after completing the book
in preparation for the unit test.
Questions can also be utilized in lesson planning and unit design.
Use questions as:
Discussion starters (examples throughout)

Entrance and exit “tickets”
Writing activity ideas
Prompts to create opportunities for finding evidence and support in the text, employing
critical thinking skills, and practicing test-taking skills
Reading, Discussion & Quiz Questions
Chapters 1-4
READING CHECK
1. In what town and state do Scout and Jem live?
Answer: Maycomb, Alabama
2. What is the name of Jem and Scout’s father?

Answer: Atticus Finch
3. What is Jem and Scout’s father’s occupation?
Answer: Lawyer
4. What is the name of the Finch’s cook/housekeeper?
Answer: Calpurnia
5. What is the name of Miss Rachel’s nephew who comes to visit each summer?
Answer: Dill (full name: Charles Baker Harris)
6. What is Scout’s full name?
Answer: Jean Louise Finch
QUIZ
1. What happened to Jem and Scout’s mother?

A) She died giving birth to Scout.
B) She died of a sudden heart attack.
C) She and Atticus are divorced.
D) She died in a car accident.
2. What is curious about the Radley house?

A) it’s abandoned
B) it’s haunted
C) The Radley’s son died there.
D) The Radley’s son lives there, but he never comes out.
3. What pretend game do Scout, Jem, and Dill play all summer?
A) They pretend to be circus animals.
B) They pretend to be Miss Maudie, tending her garden.
C) They pretend to be lawyers at a trial.

D) They pretend to be Boo Radley and his parents.
Discussion Suggestion: Use the above question to discuss the Radleys’ reputation. How does
Atticus’s view of the Radley family seem to differ from the majority of the town’s, and why
doesn’t he approve of the children’s pretend game?
4. Put Scout, Jem, and Dill in order of age, from oldest to youngest.
5. When Miss Caroline tries to lend Walter Cunningham a quarter to buy lunch, what does
Scout explain about the Cunninghams’ reputation?
QUIZ ANSWERS
1. B. Scout’s mother died from a sudden heart attack; a condition that ran in her family. Jem
was 6 years old, and Scout was 2 years old at the time.
2. D. When Arthur Radley got in trouble with the law at age 15, his father shut him in the
house, and he has never been seen since, except for one incident in which he reportedly
stabbed his father with a pair of scissors.
3. D. Dill is captivated by the story of Boo stabbing his father with a pair of scissors, and the
children spend the summer acting out this scene and other imagined scenarios based on
neighborhood gossip about the Radleys.
4. Jem, Dill, Scout
5. They don’t have much money, and they won’t accept money that they can’t pay back.
Chapters 5-8
READING CHECK
1. What does Jem use to try and deposit a letter on the Radley house window without
entering the yard?
Answer: a fishing pole

2. What gets stuck on the fence when Jem, Dill, and Scout are running away from the Radley
house after looking in the window?
Answer: Jem’s pants
3. What kind of unusual precipitation do they have in Maycomb?
Answer: snow
4. What happens to Miss Maudie’s house?
Answer: It catches on fire and burns down.
QUIZ
1. What surprises Jem when he goes to the Radley fence to retrieve his pants?
A) The pants are folded and mended.
B) The pants are gone.
C) Mr. Nathan Radley is waiting for him.
D) The pants have money in the pocket.
2. Which of the following do Jem and Scout find in the knot-hole of the tree?
A) ribbon
B) a magnifying glass
C) a pocket watch
D) lollipops
3. What happens to the knot-hole in the tree?

A) It gets larger.
B) It catches on fire.
C) It remains empty.
D) It gets filled in with cement.

Discussion Suggestion: When no one retrieves the twine in the knot-hole, Jem and Scout
conclude that the items they find are meant for them. What other evidence supports their
conclusion? Why does Jem cry after the knot-hole is filled in?
4. How does Jem build a snowman where there isn’t much snow on the ground?
5. Who places a blanket on Scout’s shoulders the night of the fire?
QUIZ ANSWERS
1. The pants are folded neatly across the fence, and the rip in the pants has been sewn up in
an amateur fashion.
2. Other “gifts” in the knot-hole include chewing gum, twine, carved soap (that resembles Jem
and Scout), a spelling contest medal, and pennies.
3. Nathan Radley fills the knot-hole with cement. When Jem asks about it, he claims that the
tree is dying, and the cement will help the tree. However, Atticus states that the tree looks
healthy.
4. Jem uses dirt to form the snowman, then he covers the dirt with a layer of snow, which he
collects from the backyard, front yard, and Miss Maudie’s yard.
5. Boo Radley
Chapters 9-12
READING CHECK
1. Atticus is defending a Black man, and it stirs up controversy in the town. What is the man’s
name?
Answer: Tom Robinson
2. What do Scout and Jem receive for Christmas?

Answer: air rifles; Jem also gets a chemistry set
3. What is the name of the family property where Scout, Jem, and Atticus go for Christmas?
Answer: Finch’s landing.
4. Scout obeys Atticus and doesn’t fight people who taunt her because of Atticus’s case, with
one exception. Which family member does she get into a fight with?
Answer: Francis
5. What is the name of the Finch’s grumpy neighbor who sits on her porch and yells insults at
Jem and Scout?
Answer: Mrs. Dubose
6. When Jem and Scout attend church with Calpurnia, who is the offering collected for?
Answer: Tom Robinson’s wife, Helen
7. How does the congregation at Calpurnia’s church sing without hymnals?
Answer: “Lining,” a person reads a line, and the congregation sings it
QUIZ
1. Aunt Alexandra lectures Atticus because Scout constantly wears:
A) Dresses
B) Shorts
C) Sandals
D) Overalls
2. How old is Atticus?

A) Nearly 50
B) In his 30s
C) Nearly 60

D) Nearly 70
3. Scout is disappointed that her father doesn’t seem to posses the talents other fathers have
(hunting, fishing, playing football etc.) What hidden talent does she find out that he has the
day the mad dog comes down the street?
4. What is Jem’s punishment for cutting off the tops of Mrs. Dubose’s camellia bushes?
5. When Mrs. Dubose passes away, what do Jem and Scout learn about her from Atticus?
QUIZ ANSWERS
1. D. Scout is characterized as a tomboy, and Aunt Alexandra wants her to be more ladylike,
starting with the way she dresses.
2. A. Atticus’s age is somewhat surprising for how young his children are. His age keeps him
from engaging in physical games with Scout and Jem, and they find it somewhat
disappointing that he doesn’t have the same talents as other fathers.
3. Atticus is the best shot in the county. He hasn’t told Scout and Jem about this talent, nor
has he fired a gun for 30 years. According to Miss Maudie, “People in their right minds never
take pride in their talents” (98).
4. Jem has to read to Mrs. Dubose for two hours every day, except Sundays, for a month.
5. She was addicted to morphine. The reading sessions were a distraction for her as she
broke herself of her addiction.
Chapters 13-16
READING CHECK
1. What family member comes to stay with Scout and Jem “for a while” (127)?
Answer: Aunt Alexandra

2. Who is hiding under the bed in Scout’s room?
Answer: Dill
3. On the day of the trial, where do Scout, Jem, and Dill find seats?
Answer: upstairs in the balcony with the Black community
Discussion Suggestion: Why must the Black people sit in the balcony seats of the
courthouse? Why is it significant that Jem and Scout sit with the Black people rather than the
white people?
4. What is the name of the judge who presides over the trial?
Answer: Judge Taylor
QUIZ
1. How does Scout’s relationship with Jem change as they grow older?
A) Jem shares more secrets with Scout.
B) Jem wants to be left alone more.
C) Jem plays with Scout more often.
D) Jem and Scout walk home from school together.
2. When Jem, Dill, and Scout sneak out at night and go into town, where do they find Atticus
sitting?
A) in front of the jail
B) in front of the post office
C) in the middle of the town square
D) in his office
3. Scout recognizes one of the men in the group that confronts her father and tries to make
conversation with him. What is his name?
A) Heck Tate
B) Mr. Underwood

C) Bob Ewell
D) Mr. Cunningham
Discussion Suggestion: Scout diffuses the tension of the confrontation without necessarily
intending to. Why did her words to Mr. Cunningham have such a powerful effect on him?
4. What reason does Jem give for saying that a mixed child is sad?
QUIZ ANSWERS
1. B. Scout comments several times on how she and Jem don’t play together as much
anymore, and that Jem often prefers to spend time alone.
2. A. Atticus knows the men of the town are likely to stir up trouble now that Tom Robinson
has been moved to the Maycomb jail the night before the trial. He stands guard on Tom’s
behalf.
3. D. Scout recognizes Mr. Cunningham and does what she’s been taught to do when she
sees someone she knows. She’s friendly and tries to make conversation about something he
is interested in: his son, Walter, and his entailment.
4. Jem says that a mixed child doesn’t belong anywhere. Neither white people nor Black
people accept them.
Chapters 17-20
READING CHECK
1. What is Heck Tate’s occupation?
Answer: sheriff
2. Is Mr. Ewell left- or right-handed? Why is this significant?

Answer: left-handed; Mayella’s right eye was beaten, an injury likely caused by a left-handed
attacker.
3. What is the name of Mr. Ewell’s daughter?
Answer: Mayella Ewell
4. How old is she?
Answer: 19
5. What is unusual about Tom Robinson’s left arm?
Answer: it’s crippled
QUIZ
1. According to Tom Robinson’s testimony, on November 21, what did Mayella Ewell try to do
to him?
A) hug and kiss him
B) hit him
C) convince him to do more work
D) pay him for his work
2. Why does Dill start crying during Mr. Gilmer’s cross-examination of Tom?
A) He’s sick.
B) He misses his mom.
C) Scout said she wouldn’t marry him.
D) He doesn’t like the way Mr. Gilmer treats Tom.
3. What does Dill taste when he takes a drink from Mr. Dolphus Raymond’s paper bag covered
bottle?
A) whiskey
B) bourbon
C) coca-cola
D) milk

4. Why does Mr. Dolphus Raymond pretend to be drunk when he comes to town?
QUIZ ANSWERS
1. A. Mayella was the one who initiated contact with Tom. All Tom could do was resist her
advances and run.
2. D. Dill recognizes the condescension with which Mr. Gilmer questions Tom, and it bothers
him deeply.
3. C. Mr. Raymond only pretends to be drinking whiskey, but in reality, he’s just drinking a
Coke.
4. Mr. Raymond pretends to be drunk to give the townspeople an excuse for his choice to live
with Black people.
Chapters 21-24
READING CHECK
1. What is the jury’s verdict in Tom Robinson’s case?
Answer: guilty
2. Does Scout feel more at home around women (like Aunt Alexandra and the missionary
circle ladies) or around men (like Atticus, Jem, and Heck Tate)?
Answer: men
3. What sad news must Atticus deliver to Tom’s wife, Helen?
Answer: Tom is dead.
QUIZ

1. What gifts does Calpurnia find on the back steps when she comes to the Finch’s house the
day after the trial?
A) food of all kinds
B) bags of clothing
C) a stuffed animal
D) all of the above
2. What does Bob Ewell do to Atticus after stopping him on the post office corner?
A) punches him
B) spits on him and threatens him
C) holds him at gunpoint
D) all of the above
3. Aunt Alexandra won’t allow Scout to invite Walter Cunningham over. Why not?
A) She sees Walter as trash.
B) She’s afraid of Walter.
C) She doesn’t like having guests.
D) She’s too busy.
QUIZ ANSWERS
1. A. The Black community showers Atticus with gifts as a way to say thank you for his
representation of Tom.
2. B. Bob Ewell tells Atticus, “he’d get him if it took the rest of his life” (217) after spitting in
Atticus’s face.
3. A. Aunt Alexandra takes great pride in the Finch family ancestry, and she sees other
families as too low-class to associate with.

Chapters 25-28
READING CHECK
1. What part does Scout play in the school pageant?
Answer: ham
2. What holiday is the pageant on?
Answer: Halloween
3. Who accompanies Scout to the pageant?
Answer: Jem
QUIZ
1. What topic does Cecil Jacobs choose for his current event at school?
A) The Great Depression
B) the Tom Robinson trial
C) Hitler’s persecution of the Jews
D) the upcoming school pageant
Discussion Suggestion: Scout’s teacher, Miss Gates, makes a distinction between Germany
and America, saying, “Over here we don’t believe in persecuting anybody” (245). How are her
comments ironic?
2. Why is Scout embarrassed after the pageant?

A) She forgot her lines.
B) Her costume fell off.
C) She came onstage at the wrong time.
D) She fell off the stage.
3. On their way home from the pageant, who do Scout and Jem think is following them at
first?

A) Atticus
B) Bob Ewell
C) Dill
D) Cecil Jacobs
4. Who actually attacked Jem and Scout?
5. What happened to Mr. Ewell?
QUIZ ANSWERS
1. C. Cecil reports on Hitler’s persecution of the Jews, and Miss Gates uses it as an
opportunity to emphasize the sinfulness of Hitler’s prejudice against the Jews and to contrast
a dictatorship with a democracy.
2. C. Scout fell asleep backstage and missed her cue.
3. D. Cecil scared them earlier in the evening, and he’s been known to repeat the same joke
multiple times.
4. Mr. Ewell
5. He dies, having been stabbed with a kitchen knife.
Chapters 29-31
READING CHECK
1. Who were the two people following Jem and Scout?
Answer: Bob Ewell and Arthur (Boo) Radley
2. What injury does Jem have?
Answer: a broken arm (and a bump on his head)

3. Who does Atticus first believe is responsible for Mr. Ewell’s death?
Answer: Jem
QUIZ
1. Who is Scout surprised to recognize standing in the corner of Jem’s room?

A) Walter Cunningham
B) Dr. Reynolds
C) Heck Tate
D) Boo Radley
2. How does Heck Tate assert that Mr. Ewell died?

A) Jem killed him.
B) Scout killed him.
C) Mr. Ewell had a heart attack.
D) Mr. Ewell tripped and fell on his knife.
3. What do Atticus and Sheriff Tate disagree about?
4. Who actually stabbed Mr. Ewell?
QUIZ ANSWERS
1. D. Although Scout doesn’t know who he is at first, once she takes in his white skin and gray
eyes, she realizes it’s her neighbor, Boo Radley.
2. D. Heck Tate claims that it was too dark to see anything, and that Bob Ewell must have
tripped over a tree root and fallen on his knife.
3. Atticus believes Jem killed Mr. Ewell in self-defense, and he won’t allow Sherriff Tate to
cover up the truth by suggesting that Mr. Ewell killed himself.
4. Boo Radley stabbed Mr. Ewell while defending Jem and Scout.

How to use
Use these Teaching Materials to assess comprehension and facilitate analysis of a
challenging text.
Reading-check questions can be used after students read chapter sets independently or as a
group. Reading-check, reading comprehension, multiple-choice, and/or short-answer
questions can be used as formative assessment tools as readers proceed through the book
unit, or as summative assessment tools after the completion of the chapter set or book. Use
the questions to review aloud after reading multiple chapter sets, or after completing the book
in preparation for the unit test.
Questions can also be utilized in lesson planning and unit design.
Use questions as:
Discussion starters (examples throughout)

Entrance and exit “tickets”
Writing activity ideas
Prompts to create opportunities for finding evidence and support in the text, employing
critical thinking skills, and practicing test-taking skills

Reading, Discussion & Quiz Questions
Chapters 1-4
READING CHECK
1. In what town and state do Scout and Jem live?
Answer: Maycomb, Alabama
2. What is the name of Jem and Scout’s father?
Answer: Atticus Finch
3. What is Jem and Scout’s father’s occupation?
Answer: Lawyer
4. What is the name of the Finch’s cook/housekeeper?
Answer: Calpurnia
5. What is the name of Miss Rachel’s nephew who comes to visit each summer?
Answer: Dill (full name: Charles Baker Harris)
6. What is Scout’s full name?
Answer: Jean Louise Finch
QUIZ
1. What happened to Jem and Scout’s mother?

A) She died giving birth to Scout.
B) She died of a sudden heart attack.

C) She and Atticus are divorced.

D) She died in a car accident.
2. What is curious about the Radley house?

A) it’s abandoned
B) it’s haunted
C) The Radley’s son died there.
D) The Radley’s son lives there, but he never comes out.
3. What pretend game do Scout, Jem, and Dill play all summer?
A) They pretend to be circus animals.
B) They pretend to be Miss Maudie, tending her garden.
C) They pretend to be lawyers at a trial.
D) They pretend to be Boo Radley and his parents.
Discussion Suggestion: Use the above question to discuss the Radleys’ reputation. How does
Atticus’s view of the Radley family seem to differ from the majority of the town’s, and why
doesn’t he approve of the children’s pretend game?
4. Put Scout, Jem, and Dill in order of age, from oldest to youngest.
5. When Miss Caroline tries to lend Walter Cunningham a quarter to buy lunch, what does
Scout explain about the Cunninghams’ reputation?
QUIZ ANSWERS
1. B. Scout’s mother died from a sudden heart attack; a condition that ran in her family. Jem
was 6 years old, and Scout was 2 years old at the time.
2. D. When Arthur Radley got in trouble with the law at age 15, his father shut him in the
house, and he has never been seen since, except for one incident in which he reportedly
stabbed his father with a pair of scissors.
3. D. Dill is captivated by the story of Boo stabbing his father with a pair of scissors, and the
children spend the summer acting out this scene and other imagined scenarios based on
neighborhood gossip about the Radleys.

4. Jem, Dill, Scout
5. They don’t have much money, and they won’t accept money that they can’t pay back.
Chapters 5-8
READING CHECK
1. What does Jem use to try and deposit a letter on the Radley house window without
entering the yard?
Answer: a fishing pole
2. What gets stuck on the fence when Jem, Dill, and Scout are running away from the Radley
house after looking in the window?
Answer: Jem’s pants
3. What kind of unusual precipitation do they have in Maycomb?
Answer: snow
4. What happens to Miss Maudie’s house?
Answer: It catches on fire and burns down.
QUIZ
1. What surprises Jem when he goes to the Radley fence to retrieve his pants?
A) The pants are folded and mended.
B) The pants are gone.
C) Mr. Nathan Radley is waiting for him.
D) The pants have money in the pocket.
2. Which of the following do Jem and Scout find in the knot-hole of the tree?

A) ribbon
B) a magnifying glass
C) a pocket watch
D) lollipops
3. What happens to the knot-hole in the tree?

A) It gets larger.
B) It catches on fire.
C) It remains empty.
D) It gets filled in with cement.
Discussion Suggestion: When no one retrieves the twine in the knot-hole, Jem and Scout
conclude that the items they find are meant for them. What other evidence supports their
conclusion? Why does Jem cry after the knot-hole is filled in?
4. How does Jem build a snowman where there isn’t much snow on the ground?
5. Who places a blanket on Scout’s shoulders the night of the fire?
QUIZ ANSWERS
1. The pants are folded neatly across the fence, and the rip in the pants has been sewn up in
an amateur fashion.
2. Other “gifts” in the knot-hole include chewing gum, twine, carved soap (that resembles Jem
and Scout), a spelling contest medal, and pennies.
3. Nathan Radley fills the knot-hole with cement. When Jem asks about it, he claims that the
tree is dying, and the cement will help the tree. However, Atticus states that the tree looks
healthy.
4. Jem uses dirt to form the snowman, then he covers the dirt with a layer of snow, which he
collects from the backyard, front yard, and Miss Maudie’s yard.
5. Boo Radley

Chapters 9-12
READING CHECK
1. Atticus is defending a Black man, and it stirs up controversy in the town. What is the man’s
name?
Answer: Tom Robinson
2. What do Scout and Jem receive for Christmas?
Answer: air rifles; Jem also gets a chemistry set
3. What is the name of the family property where Scout, Jem, and Atticus go for Christmas?
Answer: Finch’s landing.
4. Scout obeys Atticus and doesn’t fight people who taunt her because of Atticus’s case, with
one exception. Which family member does she get into a fight with?
Answer: Francis
5. What is the name of the Finch’s grumpy neighbor who sits on her porch and yells insults at
Jem and Scout?
Answer: Mrs. Dubose
6. When Jem and Scout attend church with Calpurnia, who is the offering collected for?
Answer: Tom Robinson’s wife, Helen
7. How does the congregation at Calpurnia’s church sing without hymnals?
Answer: “Lining,” a person reads a line, and the congregation sings it
QUIZ

1. Aunt Alexandra lectures Atticus because Scout constantly wears:

A) Dresses
B) Shorts
C) Sandals
D) Overalls
2. How old is Atticus?

A) Nearly 50
B) In his 30s
C) Nearly 60
D) Nearly 70
3. Scout is disappointed that her father doesn’t seem to posses the talents other fathers have
(hunting, fishing, playing football etc.) What hidden talent does she find out that he has the
day the mad dog comes down the street?
4. What is Jem’s punishment for cutting off the tops of Mrs. Dubose’s camellia bushes?
5. When Mrs. Dubose passes away, what do Jem and Scout learn about her from Atticus?
QUIZ ANSWERS
1. D. Scout is characterized as a tomboy, and Aunt Alexandra wants her to be more ladylike,
starting with the way she dresses.
2. A. Atticus’s age is somewhat surprising for how young his children are. His age keeps him
from engaging in physical games with Scout and Jem, and they find it somewhat
disappointing that he doesn’t have the same talents as other fathers.
3. Atticus is the best shot in the county. He hasn’t told Scout and Jem about this talent, nor
has he fired a gun for 30 years. According to Miss Maudie, “People in their right minds never
take pride in their talents” (98).
4. Jem has to read to Mrs. Dubose for two hours every day, except Sundays, for a month.

5. She was addicted to morphine. The reading sessions were a distraction for her as she
broke herself of her addiction.
Chapters 13-16
READING CHECK
1. What family member comes to stay with Scout and Jem “for a while” (127)?
Answer: Aunt Alexandra
2. Who is hiding under the bed in Scout’s room?
Answer: Dill
3. On the day of the trial, where do Scout, Jem, and Dill find seats?
Answer: upstairs in the balcony with the Black community
Discussion Suggestion: Why must the Black people sit in the balcony seats of the
courthouse? Why is it significant that Jem and Scout sit with the Black people rather than the
white people?
4. What is the name of the judge who presides over the trial?
Answer: Judge Taylor
QUIZ
1. How does Scout’s relationship with Jem change as they grow older?
A) Jem shares more secrets with Scout.
B) Jem wants to be left alone more.
C) Jem plays with Scout more often.
D) Jem and Scout walk home from school together.

2. When Jem, Dill, and Scout sneak out at night and go into town, where do they find Atticus
sitting?
A) in front of the jail
B) in front of the post office
C) in the middle of the town square
D) in his office
3. Scout recognizes one of the men in the group that confronts her father and tries to make
conversation with him. What is his name?
A) Heck Tate
B) Mr. Underwood
C) Bob Ewell
D) Mr. Cunningham
Discussion Suggestion: Scout diffuses the tension of the confrontation without necessarily
intending to. Why did her words to Mr. Cunningham have such a powerful effect on him?
4. What reason does Jem give for saying that a mixed child is sad?
QUIZ ANSWERS
1. B. Scout comments several times on how she and Jem don’t play together as much
anymore, and that Jem often prefers to spend time alone.
2. A. Atticus knows the men of the town are likely to stir up trouble now that Tom Robinson
has been moved to the Maycomb jail the night before the trial. He stands guard on Tom’s
behalf.
3. D. Scout recognizes Mr. Cunningham and does what she’s been taught to do when she
sees someone she knows. She’s friendly and tries to make conversation about something he
is interested in: his son, Walter, and his entailment.
4. Jem says that a mixed child doesn’t belong anywhere. Neither white people nor Black
people accept them.

Chapters 17-20
READING CHECK
1. What is Heck Tate’s occupation?
Answer: sheriff
2. Is Mr. Ewell left- or right-handed? Why is this significant?
Answer: left-handed; Mayella’s right eye was beaten, an injury likely caused by a left-handed
attacker.
3. What is the name of Mr. Ewell’s daughter?
Answer: Mayella Ewell
4. How old is she?
Answer: 19
5. What is unusual about Tom Robinson’s left arm?
Answer: it’s crippled
QUIZ
1. According to Tom Robinson’s testimony, on November 21, what did Mayella Ewell try to do
to him?
A) hug and kiss him
B) hit him
C) convince him to do more work
D) pay him for his work
2. Why does Dill start crying during Mr. Gilmer’s cross-examination of Tom?
A) He’s sick.

B) He misses his mom.

C) Scout said she wouldn’t marry him.
D) He doesn’t like the way Mr. Gilmer treats Tom.
3. What does Dill taste when he takes a drink from Mr. Dolphus Raymond’s paper bag covered
bottle?
A) whiskey
B) bourbon
C) coca-cola
D) milk
4. Why does Mr. Dolphus Raymond pretend to be drunk when he comes to town?
QUIZ ANSWERS
1. A. Mayella was the one who initiated contact with Tom. All Tom could do was resist her
advances and run.
2. D. Dill recognizes the condescension with which Mr. Gilmer questions Tom, and it bothers
him deeply.
3. C. Mr. Raymond only pretends to be drinking whiskey, but in reality, he’s just drinking a
Coke.
4. Mr. Raymond pretends to be drunk to give the townspeople an excuse for his choice to live
with Black people.
Chapters 21-24
READING CHECK
1. What is the jury’s verdict in Tom Robinson’s case?
Answer: guilty

2. Does Scout feel more at home around women (like Aunt Alexandra and the missionary
circle ladies) or around men (like Atticus, Jem, and Heck Tate)?
Answer: men
3. What sad news must Atticus deliver to Tom’s wife, Helen?
Answer: Tom is dead.
QUIZ
1. What gifts does Calpurnia find on the back steps when she comes to the Finch’s house the
day after the trial?
A) food of all kinds
B) bags of clothing
C) a stuffed animal
D) all of the above
2. What does Bob Ewell do to Atticus after stopping him on the post office corner?
A) punches him
B) spits on him and threatens him
C) holds him at gunpoint
D) all of the above
3. Aunt Alexandra won’t allow Scout to invite Walter Cunningham over. Why not?
A) She sees Walter as trash.
B) She’s afraid of Walter.
C) She doesn’t like having guests.
D) She’s too busy.
QUIZ ANSWERS
1. A. The Black community showers Atticus with gifts as a way to say thank you for his
representation of Tom.

2. B. Bob Ewell tells Atticus, “he’d get him if it took the rest of his life” (217) after spitting in
Atticus’s face.
3. A. Aunt Alexandra takes great pride in the Finch family ancestry, and she sees other
families as too low-class to associate with.
Chapters 25-28
READING CHECK
1. What part does Scout play in the school pageant?
Answer: ham
2. What holiday is the pageant on?
Answer: Halloween
3. Who accompanies Scout to the pageant?
Answer: Jem
QUIZ
1. What topic does Cecil Jacobs choose for his current event at school?
A) The Great Depression
B) the Tom Robinson trial
C) Hitler’s persecution of the Jews
D) the upcoming school pageant
Discussion Suggestion: Scout’s teacher, Miss Gates, makes a distinction between Germany
and America, saying, “Over here we don’t believe in persecuting anybody” (245). How are her
comments ironic?
2. Why is Scout embarrassed after the pageant?

A) She forgot her lines.

B) Her costume fell off.
C) She came onstage at the wrong time.
D) She fell off the stage.
3. On their way home from the pageant, who do Scout and Jem think is following them at
first?
A) Atticus
B) Bob Ewell
C) Dill
D) Cecil Jacobs
4. Who actually attacked Jem and Scout?
5. What happened to Mr. Ewell?
QUIZ ANSWERS
1. C. Cecil reports on Hitler’s persecution of the Jews, and Miss Gates uses it as an
opportunity to emphasize the sinfulness of Hitler’s prejudice against the Jews and to contrast
a dictatorship with a democracy.
2. C. Scout fell asleep backstage and missed her cue.
3. D. Cecil scared them earlier in the evening, and he’s been known to repeat the same joke
multiple times.
4. Mr. Ewell
5. He dies, having been stabbed with a kitchen knife.

Chapters 29-31
READING CHECK
1. Who were the two people following Jem and Scout?
Answer: Bob Ewell and Arthur (Boo) Radley
2. What injury does Jem have?
Answer: a broken arm (and a bump on his head)
3. Who does Atticus first believe is responsible for Mr. Ewell’s death?
Answer: Jem
QUIZ
1. Who is Scout surprised to recognize standing in the corner of Jem’s room?

A) Walter Cunningham
B) Dr. Reynolds
C) Heck Tate
D) Boo Radley
2. How does Heck Tate assert that Mr. Ewell died?

A) Jem killed him.
B) Scout killed him.
C) Mr. Ewell had a heart attack.
D) Mr. Ewell tripped and fell on his knife.
3. What do Atticus and Sheriff Tate disagree about?
4. Who actually stabbed Mr. Ewell?
QUIZ ANSWERS

1. D. Although Scout doesn’t know who he is at first, once she takes in his white skin and gray
eyes, she realizes it’s her neighbor, Boo Radley.
2. D. Heck Tate claims that it was too dark to see anything, and that Bob Ewell must have
tripped over a tree root and fallen on his knife.
3. Atticus believes Jem killed Mr. Ewell in self-defense, and he won’t allow Sherriff Tate to
cover up the truth by suggesting that Mr. Ewell killed himself.
4. Boo Radley stabbed Mr. Ewell while defending Jem and Scout.


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To Kill a

C H A P TER S UM M A RIES & A N A LYS ES 9

Jean Louise “Scout" Finch 36

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Guns and Violence 48

FURTH ER REA DIN G & RES O URC ES 72

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REA D IN G , D IS C US S IO N & Q UIZ Q UES TIO N S 91

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Chapter Summaries & Analyses

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Chapters 1-4 Analysis

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Chapters 5-8 Analysis

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Chapters 9-12 Analysis

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This idea of an “incestuous streak” is particularly pertinent to Maycomb, where a family’s

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Chapters 13-16 Analysis

Aunt Alexandra arrives and—though never explicitly confirmed—attempts to perform damage

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Chapters 17-20 Analysis

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Alexandra hosts a missionary circle on an August afternoon. Motivated by her growing

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Chapters 21-24 Analysis

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Chapters 25-28 Analysis

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Chapters 29-31 Analysis

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Jean Louise “Scout" Finch

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Uncle Jack Finch

Aunt Alexandra Finch

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Charles Baker “Dill” Harris

As a means of escaping his familial disappointments, Dill develops a vivid imagination. He

Miss Maudie Atkinson

Arthur “Boo” Radley