To Kill a Mocking Bird

By Harper Lee

Study Guide

1. Who is the author of the novel?

2. What is the setting of the novel? (Time period, City, and State)
3. Know who each character is and be familiar with the motives for their actions.

Chapter questions from To Kill a Mockingbird

Chapter 1: Introduction to Maycomb, Boo Radley, Jem, & Scout

1. Why is Boo Radley imprisoned by his father?
2. What do we learn about Atticus’ family in the first chapter?
3. What is Dill’s big plan?
4. What does Dill dare Jem to do?

Chapter 2: Scout goes to school

1. What sort of relationship do Scout and Miss Caroline have?
2. What do we learn about the Cunningham family this chapter?
3. How does this fit with the wider setting of the Novel? Think of the social structure.

Chapter 3: Walter Cunningham comes home from school for lunch.

1. What distinction is made between the Cunninghams, and the Ewells?
2. What does Atticus mean by…
‘if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks.
You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view – ’
’Sir?’
’ – until you climb into his skin nand walk around in it.’

Chapter 4: Jem and Scout find things in the tree and play ‘Boo Radley’.
1. What is the first thing Scout finds in the live Oaks by the Radley place?
2. What is the new game that Dill and Jem start playing?
3. What does Scout hear after her tire hits the Radley house?

Chapter 5: Jem, Dill and Scout try to make Boo come out
1. Describe the relationship that Miss Maudie Atkinson has with Jem and Scout.
2. How do Jem and Dill try to lure Boo Radley out?
3. What advice does Atticus give to Jem and Scout concerning Boo Radley?

Chapter 6: Jem, Dill and Scout creep into the Radley yard at night
1. Why do Jem, Dill and Scout go to the Radley house in the middle of the night?
2. What does Nathan Radley do to scare Jem, Scout and Dill away from the Radley place?
3. Why does Jem return to the Radley place that same night?
Chapter 7: Nathan Radley plugs the hole in the tree
1. What further information does Jem tell Scout about the night they were scared off from the
Radley house?
2. List three other things that Jem and Scout find in the tree outside the Radley’s house
3. What reason does Nathan Radley give for plugging the hole in the tree with cement?

Chapter 8: Snow in Maycomb.

1. Whose house is on fire?
2. Where do Jem and Scout stand to watch the fire?
3. Who gives Scout a blanket to keep warm?

Chapter 9: Scout taunted by Cecil

1. Why does Scout fight Cecil Jacobs?
2. Which case do we hear about for the first time?
3. What provokes Scout to fight her cousin Francis?
4. Why is Scout upset with her Uncle Jack?

Chapter 10: Atticus shoots Tim Johnson

1. What present does Atticus give to Jem and Scout?
2. Who is Tim Johnson?
3. Why does Heck Tate (the policeman) make Atticus shoot Tim Johnson?

Chapter 11: Jem reads to Mrs Dubose.

1. What is Jem and Scout’s opinion of Mrs Henry Lafayette Dubose?
2. What did Mrs Dubose say to really upset Jem?
3. How does Jem get revenge on Mrs Dubose?
4. What is Jem’s punishment for his revenge on Mrs Dubose?
5. What is revealed about Mrs. Dubose at the end of the chapter?

Chapter 12: Jem and Scout go to church with Calpurnia

1. In your opinion, why does Harper Lee include the incident with Lulu?
2. Note two differences between Calpurnia’s church, and the church Scout is used to.
3. Who do Jem and Scout discover sitting on their porch after church?

Chapter 13: Aunt Alexandra comes to stay.

1. What does Aunt Alexandra believe establishes a family?
2. Why in your opinion has Aunt Alexandra come to stay?

Chapter 14: Dill appears under Scout’s bed.

1. Who wants to get rid of Calpurnia?
2. Why has Dill run away from home?
Chapter 15: A mob warn Atticus about Tom Robinson being transferred prisons.
1. What does the group of men come to talk to Atticus about?
2. What does Atticus do on Sunday night that is so peculiar?
3. Explain the happenings outside the jail.

Chapter 16: (leads us right up to the trial)

1. Where do Scout, Jem and Dill sit to watch the trial?
2. Why is this significant?
3. Pg 169 we learn that the court has appointed Atticus to defend Tom Robinson. In your
opinion, how does this change the way that we see Atticus? How does this fit with our
understanding about integrity?

Chapter 17: The trial starts

1. “Mr Tate said, ‘Oh yes, that’d make it her right. It was her right eye, Mr Finch. I remember
now, she was bunged up on that side of her face….’” What is the significance of Mayella
Ewell’s injuries being on the right side of her face?
2. Why does Atticus ask if Bob Ewell or Heck Tate went to find the Doctor?
3. Why does Atticus ask Bob Ewell to write down his name?

Chapter 18: Mayella Ewell takes the stand

1. Why does Atticus question Mayella about her lack of friends?
2. What is revealed about Bob Ewell’s character?
3. What do we find out about Tom Robinson in this chapter? Why is this important?

Chapter 19: Tom Robinson takes the stand

1. Why does Atticus start by asking Tom about his previous conviction?
2. Why were the other Ewell children not present the day of the alleged rape?
3. What mistake does Tom make when he’s on the witness stand? Why is this a mistake?

Chapter 20: Atticus’ final speech to the jury

1. Complete the quote: ‘Atticus says cheatin’ a ___________ man is ten times worse than
cheatin’ a _________ man,’ I muttered. ‘Says it’s the _________ thing you can do.’ Why does
Atticus think it is worse to cheat a ________ man than to cheat a _______ man?
2. How does this link to the title of the novel?
3. In Atticus’ summary, what does he claim Mayella does that is unspeakable in their society?
4. Who appears in court at the end of Atticus’ closing speech to the jury?

Chapter 21: The Verdict

1. Who wins the trial?
2. When leaving the court, how does the Negro community show respect to Atticus?

Chapter 22: Following the trial #1

1. The following morning, how does the Negro community show respect for Atticus?
2. According to Miss Maudie, how does Judge Taylor help Tom Robinson?
3. What does Bob Ewell do to Atticus?
Chapter 23: Following the trial #2
1. Why is Atticus happy for Bob Ewell to spit on him?
2. Which member of the jury wanted to let Tom Robinson go free?
3. According to Jem, why does Boo Radley stay in his house?

Chapter 24: A Missionary women’s lunch

1. Why is Mrs Merriweather’s speech on J. Grimes Everett ironic?
2. What news do Atticus and Calpurnia break to Helen Robinson?

Chapter 25: following the trial #3

1. What does Jem stop Scout from killing? Why?
2. What does this incident reveal about Jem?
3. How long is Maycomb interested in the news about Tom Robinson?
4. [Mr Underwood, newspaper man] “He likened Tom’s death to the senseless slaughter of
songbirds by hunters and children….”How is Tom Robinson’s death like the killing of
songbirds?

Chapter 26: back to school

1. How has Scout’s attitude to the Radley place changed?
2. Why does Harper Lee include the incident with Little Cecil Jacobs and the article about Hitler
(or ‘Old Hitler’)? How is this incident like the Maycomb missionary ladies sitting about
discussing the work of J. Everett Grimes?

Chapter 27: preparing for the Halloween pageant

1. What does Bob Ewell do to try to get back at Judge Taylor?

2. Who does Helen Robinson get work for? How did this man know her husband?
3. Describe Scout’s costume for the Halloween show:

Chapter 28: the pageant

1. Who jumps out to give Jem and Scout a fright on their way to the Haloween pageant?
2. Why does Scout miss her entrance in the pageant?
3. What does Scout leave at the school house?
4. By the end of the scuffle, how many people are under the tree?
5. Who does Atticus summon following the attack on Scout and Jem?
6. Who is dead following the scuffle?
7. How has he died?

Chapter 29: Scout and Jem rescued

1. Who has rescued Scout and Jem?
Chpater 30
1. Who does Atticus think killed Bob Ewell?
2. Why does Atticus object to Heck Tate trying to cover things up?
3. Why is Heck Tate keen to silence Boo Radley’s heroics?
4. How would spreading news about Boo Radley’s heroics be like ‘shootin’ a mocking-bird’ (pg
282)

Chapter 31

1. When leading Boo home, how does Scout demonstrate she’s a lady?
2. What is Scout doing when she stands on the Radley deck and thinks about events of the last
couple of years?