American Literature Name: _KEY TEACHER COPY______
To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird
Notes and Questions
Chapter 1
- To whom is the book dedicated?
Mr. Lee and Alice
- What is the quote at the beginning of the book?
Lawyers, I suppose were children once
- What did Harper Lee consider her book to be?
A simple love story
- From what perspective is the book written? And from “when”?
-First person (Scout)
-From the future looking back
- Based on the first paragraph, what is the story about?
Jem breaking his arm
- What is the setting of the book (both time and place)?
1940’s
Maycomb County Alabama
- How is Maycomb described?
Sleepy, has-been, slow, tired, laid-back
- How old is the narrator at the start of the story?
5 (almost 6)
- What is the narrator/main character’s name?
Scout
- What talent does Scout have?
-She could read at a very early age
- How is Dill described? Based on the description, who does Dill represent?
-blond hair, small, avid story teller, jovial, excitable, bright eyes
-Truman Capote
- What idea does Dill come up with? Do you think Dill’s idea is a good one?
-making Boo Radley come out
- How is the Radley house described?
-creepy, overgrown, run-down, almost haunted
- What was “unforgivable” in Maycomb?
-keeping to yourself
- Briefly describe the history of Boo (Arthur) Radley.
18 got into little gang, got in a little bit of trouble, locked in house for 15 years, at 33 he stabbed his dad with sisters, spent some time locked up, went back home, no one has seen him since
- According to Jem, what does Boo look like? Does this connect with question #13?
6.5 ft. tall, blood stained hands and face, jagged scar on face, bugged-out eyes, rotten yellow teeth
- What argument do the kids have about turtles? How is the argument about turtles a discussion on empathy? How does this story resemble Huck’s comment on smoking in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn?
That turtles can’t feel pain, “Have you ever been a turtle?” It’s an argument of empathy
- Why does Jem finally take the dare to touch the Radley house?
Scout sneers at him
- What happens when Jem hits the house?
An inside shutter might have moved very briefly
- Below are the characters that we have met so far. Briefly jot down some notes about them.
· Atticus Finch
-Their dad, a lawyer, his is caring, sensitive, loving, but a little detatched
· Jem Finch
-The brother, broke his arm, won’t turn down a dare, older,
· Scout Finch
-narrator, tom boy, can read, blunt
· Calpurnia
-she’s black, she’s the cook and nanny of the family, she’s tough on scout
· Uncle Jack Finch
-Atticu’s brother who is a doctor in Boston
· Aunt Alexandra
-Aunt Alexandra lives on Finch’s landing, her husband is a bore
· Dill
-small, excitable, adventurous, imaginative, curious – their summer friend
· Boo Radley
-mysterious character, real name Arthur (more on #15-16)
· Miss Rachel Haverford
-Finch’s neighbor, Dill’s aunt
· Miss Stephanie Crawford
-Neighborhood gossip, she likes to talk about everybody and everything
Chapter 2
- How does Scout feel about the approaching school year?
Really looking forward to it
- Who takes Scout to school on her first day? Why do you think Atticus doesn’t do it?
Jem – Probably too busy at work
- What is the three ways that demonstrate that Miss Caroline is an outsider?
Appearance (dress) – Cunninghams have no money – Different ed. system
Union side of the war - Doesn’t understand dirtiness
- What is Scout’s real name?
Jean Louise Finch
- Why is Miss Caroline upset that Scout can read and write?
B/c her dad isn’t a teacher. She might have learned wrong.
There was a specific way she wanted to teach.
- What does Scout compare reading to? Pg. 23 Is the comparison accurate?
Breathing some natural act
Chapter 3
- What lesson about differences does Calpurnia give Scout on pages32-33?
Differences don’t imply that one is better than the other
People still need to be treated with respect despite differences
Don’t judge them for their differences
- Who is the “filthiest human” Scout has ever seen?
Burris Ewell
Mr. Ewell is very contentious
- Why would Burris Ewell be so adamant that he was leaving under his own will?
To try to save face. Redeem his own image of himself.
***(His dad is called contentious) What does contentious mean?
- What important lesson does Atticus give Scout on the top of page 39? Write it out.
You never really understand a person until you consider things from his
point of view
- How does Atticus describe the Ewells?
Disgrace of Maycomb – lived like animals – they don’t have to follow the rules
- Harper Lee has a special talent in ending her chapters remarkably well. What is the last line of chapter three? How is that a fitting end to the chapter?
Atticus was right. Much of the chapter was about the wisdom of Atticus
Chapter 4
1. How does Scout describe school? (Pg. 44 top) Do you agree?
12 years of unrelieved boredom
2. Where does Scout get her Wrigley’s Double-Mint gum from? Why would she eat it?
A knot in the tree in front of the Radley yard
3. What year were the pennies that Jem and Scout found? Why ask this question?
1900 and 1906
4. Who is the “meanest old woman who ever lived”?
Mrs. Dubose
5. How does Scout end up near the Radley’s front steps? Pg. 49-50
Jem pushes her in the tire. He pushes her too hard b/c they’re arguing
6. What game do Dill, Jem and Scout take up to occupy their summer?
They play out the history of Boo Radley
7. What does Jem think happened to Boo? Does Scout agree?
Died and stuffed up a chimney - NO
8. What was the first (and real) reason that Scout didn’t want to play the game? Pg. 54
When she landed there in the tire she heard someone inside laughing
Chapter 5
1. How does Scout try to remind Dill of their engagement?
She beats him up twice.
2. What does Miss Maudie say about “nut grass” on page 56? What might this eman about the rest of the book?
That one blade can ruin the entire county
3. What’s Miss Maudie’s criticism of those who worry about “the next world?” Pg. 60 Is she right?
They never learn how to live justly in this one.
4. What are Dill and Jem planning? Pg. 62
To get a note to Boo
-Dill said Boo might feel better if he sat with them for a bit
5. What reasons does Dill give for getting Boo to come out? Pg. 65 How is this empathetic?
He might enjoy us. Friendship. Maybe b/c Dill grew up with little/no friends
6. Why does Atticus demand that the kids leave Boo alone? Pg. 65 How does this tie to empathy?
How would you like it? Argument of empathy
7. What is the distinction between trying to love your neighbor and merely annoying him?
Kids answer individually
Chapter 6
- Why is Scout frustrated at the top of page 68? How has this frustration been building throughout that summer? Notice also Jem’s quote on the top of page 69.
She can’t pee standing up. The boys keep treating her like a girl and pushing her outside the group of guys.
- Why did Jem and Dill wait until that particular night to try to look in the Radley’s window to see Boo?
So that if they died they would miss school and not summer vacation
- What happens when Jem gets up on the back porch?
A shadow passes over him and then Nathan Radley shoots at them
- What does Nathan Radley think he shoot at? Would that be more permissible to shoot?
A black man that he scared so bad he turned white
Must have gotten a fairly good look at the kids
- What does Dill do that demonstrates his “engagement” to Scout? Pg. 74 How is this not a big deal to Scout? Notice Chap. 4 question 1.
He kisses her.
This is cool b/c this is Scout’s first kiss, but unlike other books about girls, this is not a huge deal in the book. Scout has other things going on than just boys.
- Why would Jem go back for his pants? Pg. 75 Would you?
Chapters 7
1. What surprised Jem when he went to retrieve his pants? Why would that be so freaky?
They were waiting for him and were mended. Someone knew Jem enough to know that Jem would come back for them.
2. Who are the soap figures representations of?
Jem and Scout
3. What other items do the kids find? Pg. 80-81
Eliminate this question
4. How do the kids attempt to respond to the anonymous gift-giver?
They write him a letter and are going to put it in the tree
5. What happens to the hole in the tree? What reason does Nathan give?
Nathan Radley fills it with cement. He says the tree is sick. Really Nathan probably thinks that Boo is sick and that he ought to be cut off from the kids
6. Why was Jem crying? Pg. 84
Boo’s only means of communicating with the outside world just got cut off
Chapter 8
- Who dies on page 85? Does this change anything about Boo?
Mrs. Radley
- What do the kids experience for the first time?
Snow
- What does Jem do with dirt and snow? Is this at all similar to the soap carvings?
Makes a snowman. He copies Boo in making a figure of someone. Almost like they are playing together
- What happens to Miss Maudie’s house? Pg. 92
It burns down
- Why does Atticus send Jem and Scout to the Radley place?
He thought they would be safe there. Maybe he thought Boo would watch over them
- How do Scout and Jem get a blanket?
Boo sneaks up behind them and puts a blanket on Scout’s shoulder
- Why doesn’t Jem want to return the blanket?
B/c he didn’t want Boo to get in trouble with Nathan for coming out
- How does Scout get her words mixed up (causing Miss Maudie to laugh)?
She mixes up the word hermaphrodite and says morphodite when talking about
Their mixed gendered snowman/woman
Chapter 9
- What does Cecil Jacobs say about Atticus? You don’t need to write the actual words.
He says he defends n*****s
- What is Atticus’s response to Cecil Jacobs’s accusation? Pg. 99
Of course I do – Don’t say that word it’s inappropriate
- How does Scout try to avoid school?
She fakes fainting, stomachaches, and tries to get ringworm. She also argues that school is where she learns those bad words
- What are the main reasons Atticus gives for taking on Tom Robinson’s case?
If he didn’t –he couldn’t hold up his head in town –he couldn’t represent this county in the legislature –he couldn’t tell his kids not to do something again
- How does Atticus expect Scout to “fight” from now on? Pg. 101
With her head. Think.
- How does Atticus describe his chances of winning and reason for continuing?
Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win
- What does Atticus say about who they are fighting? Pg. 101
Their friends and neighbors
- What is Scout’s opinion of Aunt Alexandra, her husband, and their grandson?
She can’t stand them. Aunt Alexandra offends her. Her husband ignores her. Her grandson is the opposite and boring.
- What do the kids get for Christmas? How does Atticus feel about their presents? pg 105
Air rifles. He merely bowed to the inevitable. He threatens to take them away from the kids
- How does Scout describe talking to Francis? How is this good writing on Lee’s part?
Talking to Francis gave me the sensation of settling slowly to the bottom of the ocean
- How does Aunt Alexandra hurt Scout’s feelings? Pg. 108
Aunt A. says that Scout is disappointing her father by not acting girlie and wearing skirts.
- What does Francis say about Atticus?
He says Atticus is a n*******-lover who is ruining the family’s reputation
- Why does Scout lie about what happened? Pg. 112
She doesn’t want Atticus to know that she was fighting about what he told her not to fight about.
- Why does Scout say Uncle Jack doesn’t understand children? Connect this with empathy.
He doesn’t stop to hear her side of the story. Kids need EMPATHY
- What does Atticus want Scout to hear? (especially note middle of 117)
It will get tough. Hopes that Scout and Jem will trust him and come to him for their answers.
Chapter 10
1. How old is Atticus? How is he feeling?
50 - feeble
2. How does Scout describe her father’s occupation? Pg. 118
Didn’t do anything
3. What does Calpurnia warn the neighbors about?
A rabid dog
4. What does Scout say is the deadliest thing? Pg. 125
Empty, waiting street
5. What is the only thing Atticus ever called a sin? Why?
Killing a mockingbird - All they do is sing.
6. What does Atticus do that shocks Jem and Scout?
Shoots the dog. They are shocked that he is such an amazing shot.
7. According to Miss Maudie, why doesn’t Atticus shoot anymore?
He has an unfair advantage over living things. He is too good.
8. What lesson does Miss Maudie give the kids on page 130?
People in their right minds do not take pride in their talents.
9. Why does Jem NOT want Scout to tell the kids about what happened?
B/c Atticus is a gentleman and wouldn’t take pride in it.
Chapter 11
- What were previous encounters between the Finch kids and Mrs. Dubose like?
She was really mean and angry
- Why did Scout think her father was brave? Pg. 134
He acts the same right in front of Mrs. Dubose and treats her with respect
- What does Jem do with and to Scout’s baton? Why?
He chops down Mrs. Dubose’s flowers then snaps the baton in half. She insulted his father and mother.