To kill a mocking bird Chapter 6

Plot and events Jem, Scout and Dill investigate the Radley house. But are troubled with a mysterious shadow and a shotgun piecing their ears. The chapter shows great confidence and arrogance within the characters.

Themes and ideas Harper Lee tries to verify the fear and horror the Radley house holds. “Then I saw a shadow… At first I thought it was a tree, but there was no wind blowing, and tree trunks never walked” Page 59 - fear and panic has set into scouts mind. She begins to image things but quickly realizes the true facts to the situations. “I waited till it was time to worry and listened for Mr. Radley’s shotgun” Page 63 - This quote shows how scout is frozen with fear, waiting for the sound of the shotgun, almost saying that there was a very slim chance they would make it out without getting seen.

Setting Jem, Dill, Scout are entering Boo Radley’s backyard “We came to the gate that divided the garden from the backyard. Jem touched it. The gate squeaked”. Page 58 - This positions readers to feel the intensity as they approach the Radley garden. This is because if they don’t stay quiet, the Radley’s will wake up and there would be a possible chance of Jem, Dill and Scout being shoot and killed. Description of the Radley place; “a ramshackle porch ran the width of the house; there were two doors and two dark windows between the doors. Instead of a column, a rough two-by-four supported on end of the roof. An old Franklin stove sat in a corner of the porch; above it a hat-trick mirror caught the moon and shone eerily”. Page 58 - The house is old and doesn’t have much light in it. This expresses that the house is dead on the inside and out but is also depressing.

characters Jem shows great courage and protection towards his loved ones. Jem, Dill, Scout are going for a walk when Jem says to Scout “why don’t you go on home scout?... Dill and Jem were going to simply peep in the window with the loose shutter to see if they could get a look at boo Radley, and If I didn’t want to go with them I could go straight home and keep my fat flopping mouth shut, that was all”. Page 57 - Dill and Jem were frightened that scout would go home and tell Atticus what they were up to, so they gave her a decision to come with them, or go home and not say anything.

characters “I declare to the lord you are getting more like a girl every day!” Page 57 - Jem says to Scout that she is getting more like a girl every day because Scout didn’t want Jem and Dill going into the Radley place backyard in fear of getting seen or caught. “Jem leaped off the porch and galloped towards us. He flung open the gate, danced Dill and me through, and shooed us between two rows of swishing collards.” page 59 - Jem is showing imitative and leadership, as he puts scout and Dill first. He is protecting them from the mysterious shadow.