1. To Kill a Mockingbird
Chapter Questions

2. Chapter One
a) Who is narrating this story? b) What do we know so far about the character from whom we will be hearing this tale? c) What point of view is the novel written in?
Who else do we meet during this first chapter? Start a character list on a separate sheet of paper that includes their name and a brief description.
How and when did Scout and Jem’s mother die?
a) Who is Boo Radley? What, briefly, has happened to Arthur "Boo" Radley? b) What does the Radley house mean to the children? c) What was the first “dare” made concerning this house?

3. Character List Scout – 6 years old, narrator
Jem – Scout’s brother (by 4 years); Jeremy Atticus Finch
Simon Finch – ancestor; fur-trapping apothecary; founded Finch’s Landing
Atticus – Scout and Jem’s father; in 40s (?)
Calpurnia – cook & babysitter; black; nearsighted
Dill – Charles Baker Harris; 7 years old; looks very young (4 ½); blonde; lives with aunt Rachel in summer – from Meridian
Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose – crazy old lady neighbor; two doors north
Miss Stephanie Crawford – gossip
John Hale Finch – Uncle Jack; doctor
Arthur “Boo” Radley – was in trouble as a teen and arrested (ended with father locking him up for 15 years in Radley house); neighbor; stabbed father with scissors; scares kids in neighbourhood; lived 3 doors south; 6 1/5 feet tall; jagged scar across face; drooled a lot
Scout’s Mother – a Graham; died of a heart attack

4. Tom Robinson – the guy Atticus is defending (black)
Miss Maudie – neighbor; widow; gardener;
Francis – cousin (Aunt Alexandra’s grandson)
Uncle Jack Finch – doctor;
Cecil Jacob – schoolmate; teases Scout (gets beaten)
Nathan Radley – Boo Radley’s brother
Aunt Alexandra & Uncle Jimmy (their son Henry)
Mr. Avery – boarder at Mrs. Dubose (snowman shaped)
Walter Cunningham
Burris Ewell & family
Little Chuck Little
Eula May – Maycomb’s leading telephone operator
Mr. Heck Tate – sheriff

5. Chapter Two Why is Scout looking forward to school?
How does Jem feel about taking Scout to school?
What was Scout's first "crime" at school?
What was Calpurnia's fault?
Who is Walter Cunningham?
How did Mr. Cunningham pay Atticus for his lawyer services?
Add any new characters to your ‘character list’ with a brief description and update anything for the others on the list.

6. Chapter Three
In this chapter, Scout learns two lessons, one from Calpurnia and one from Atticus. What are they?
Who are the Ewells?
What is a "hain't“?
Add any new characters to your list.

7. Chapter Four
What does Scout find hidden in the oak trees at the edge of the Radley property?
Who do you suppose left them there?
What characteristics of children in general are revealed through the Boo Radley game?
Why doesn’t Scout enjoy the games as much as the boys do?
Why does Atticus order the children to stop playing "Boo Radley"?

8. Chapter Five Who is Miss Maudie?
What does she explain about Boo Radley?
What did the "footwashing" Baptists tell Miss Maudie?
What did the children want to send Boo? Why?
How were they going to accomplish this task?

9. Chapter Six
What do the children decide to do the night before Dill leaves?
What scares the children away?
What happened to Jem’s pants? What was the children’s explanation for this?
What conclusions do the townsfolk jump to about the disturbance at the Radley place? What does this indicate about the townspeople?
What does Jem do in the middle of the night?
What is significant about Jem’s decision to make a lone, nocturnal return to the Radley place?

10. Chapter Seven
What had Jem not told Scout about the night he retrieved his pants?
What do the children find in the tree?
When did they realize that someone was leaving presents for them?
Who do they think is responsible? What do they try to do? Why are they unsuccessful?
Why does Jem cry? What does Jem’s crying suggest about his character?
What was Mr. Nathan Radley’s excuse for cementing the hole in the tree?

11. Chapter Eight Why did Scout think the world was ending?
What did Jem want to make? How did he accomplish this task?
Who did the snowman look like? How did thy disguise it?
Why does Atticus wake up Scout in the middle of the night?
Where are the children ordered to stand?
Why does Atticus think the children disobeyed him?
Where did this item come from?
What does Jem tell Atticus?
How do people react to the fire at Miss Maudie’s house?

12. Chapter Nine Why has life become difficult for Scout at school?
What does Atticus tell Scout to do when she hears "ugly talk" at school?
Why is Scout using cuss words?
Why does Scout forget what Atticus told her about fighting?
What does Scout make Uncle Jack promise not to tell Atticus?
What does Atticus tell Jack he hopes Jem and Scout will do instead of listening to the town (or catching their “disease”)?
What lessons are learned in this chapter (think about Atticus and the case he’s working on)?
Don’t forget to update your character list… (Chapter 3?)

13. Chapter Ten
The children have begun to suspect Atticus is too old to be good at anything. What reasons do they have for this?
Atticus tells the children it is a sin to kill a mockingbird; how does Miss Maudie explain why?
Even though Atticus doesn't teach the children how to shoot their rifles, in this chapter they learn something surprising about his marksmanship. What and how do they learn?
How does Miss Maudie explain Atticus’ decision to put his gun down thirty years ago?
What reasons does Jem give for his father not telling them about his talent?

14. Chapter Eleven
What does Atticus do that makes Scout say she felt like he was "the bravest man who ever lived"?
What does Jem do to Mrs. Dubose’s camellia bushes? Explain why he does this.
What does Mrs. Dubose want as "payment" for what he has done?
How does Atticus explain the term "nigger lover"?
What change had occurred in Mrs. Dubose by the last week Scout and Jem went to her home?
Why did Atticus make Jem and Scout read to Mrs. Dubose?
How was Mrs. Dubose courageous?

15. Part Two

16. Chapter Twelve & Thirteen
A) What did Calpurnia start calling Jem? Why?
B) What do the children learn about Calpurnia?
C) Who was the church collecting money for that day?
D) What did the reverend do when there was not enough money?
Chapter 13:
A) Why does Aunt Alexandra move in?
B) What is her major preoccupation?
C) What does Aunt Alexandra want Atticus to explain to the children?
D) Why does Scout cry?

17. Chapter Fourteen & Fifteen
A) What do Atticus and Aunt Alexandra get into a fight about?
B) What do Scout and Jem fight about?
C) Who or what does Scout find under her bed?
D) What had Dill done? Why?
Chapter 15:
A) What does Atticus say about the Ku Klux Klan?
B) What did Atticus do after supper that the children thought was interesting?
C) What did the kids do after Aunt Alexandra went to sleep?
D) What does Scout do when she sees the group of men at the jail with Atticus?
E) Who does Scout see in the crowd?
F) What happens to make the men leave?

18. Chapter Sixteen & Seventeen
A) What does Miss Maudie say about townspeople regarding the trial? What does this say about her character?
B) Why do you think Mr. Dolphus Raymond's story mentioned?
C) What does Scout find out about Atticus’ defending Tom Robinson? Why does this confuse Scout?
D) Where do the children sit in the courtroom?
Chapter Seventeen:
A) What is learned about the Ewell's living conditions?
B) In questioning Heck Tate and Bob Ewell, Atticus raises two important points for the jury's considerations. What are they?
C) Why did Atticus ask Bob Ewell to write his name?

19. Chapter Eighteen & Nineteen
What more is learned about the Ewell's life style?
How does Atticus show that Mayella's story cannot be true?
What likely happened to her? How do you know?
Atticus has shown both Mayella and her father to be liars. What must they feel toward him?
Chapter Nineteen:
How is the sadness of Mayella's life emphasized in this chapter?
What did Tom say about how often he came inside the fence that was different from Mayella’s testimony?
Why was the Ewell house quiet on the day Tom went in the house to help Mayella?
Why did Tom run?
Why was Dill upset?
How does Gilmer attack Tom’s character in this chapter using race-relation-based implications and accusations?

20. Chapter Nineteen: Chapter Twenty:
How is the sadness of Mayella's life emphasized in this chapter?
What did Tom say about how often he came inside the fence that was different from Mayella’s testimony?
Why was the Ewell house quiet on the day Tom went in the house to help Mayella?
Why did Tom run?
Why was Dill upset?
How does Gilmer attack Tom’s character in this chapter using race-relation-based implications and accusations?
Chapter Twenty:
What do Dill and Scout discover about Mr. Raymond?
What does this say about the power of prejudice?
Summarize Atticus' speech to the jury.
What important idea does he press upon the jury in his conclusion?

21. Chapter Twenty & Twenty-one
What do Dill and Scout discover about Mr. Raymond?
What does this say about the power of prejudice?
Summarize Atticus' speech to the jury.
What important idea does he press upon the jury in his conclusion?
Chapter Twenty-one
Why was Calpurnia in the courtroom?
How does Jem feel the trial will end?
How does Scout know the verdict before it is read? What is the broader implication of the jury’s behaviour?
Describe what happened when Atticus left the courtroom. Why did this happen?

22. Chapter Twenty-two & twenty-three
How do the Negroes show their appreciation to Atticus for what he has done?
What does Miss Maudie say is a sign of how things are changing in regard to prejudice?
What did Bob Ewell do to Atticus?
Chapter 23:
How does Atticus explain Bob Ewell's reasons for threatening him?
What reasons does he give for the trial's outcome?
How does he define 'trash'? How does this differ from Aunt Alexandra’s definition?
Why does Jem think that Boo Radley stays inside his house? What has he learned about people?

23. Chapter Twenty-four
Scout decides she likes the company of men better, but also realizes that women are strong, also. What illustrates this for her?
Scout comes to a new understanding about her Aunt Alexandra. Explain.
What news did Atticus bring during the ladies’ meeting?
What does Aunt Alexandra say about how the town treats Atticus?

24. Chapter Twenty-five
Describe the reactions Helen, Mr. Underwood, the townspeople and Scout have when they hear about Tom Robinson's death.
B.B. Underwood connects the mockingbird symbol to Tom Robinson. Explain it.

25. Chapter Twenty-six
Why does Scout feel guilty when walking home from school?
What is Cecil Jacob’s current event?
What is ironic about Miss Gates’ disapproval of Hitler’s persecution of the Jews?
What does Scout recall about Miss Gates at the trial?

26. Chapter Twenty-seven
What events disturb the normal routine of the fall?
Describe Scout's role in the pageant and her costume.
What mood is created in this chapter?

27. Chapter Twenty-eight Outline the events of this chapter.
Who is the mysterious saviour of the children? Explain.

28. Chapter Twenty-nine What had happened to Scout’s costume?
What had Atticus been mistaken about?
Who was standing in the corner? What was Scout’s reaction to him?

29. Chapter Thirty
Why did Atticus want to go out onto the front porch to talk?
Who did Atticus think killed Bob Ewell?
What was Heck Tate’s final decision about Bob’s death?
Who killed Bob Ewell?
What did Atticus tell Boo?

30. Chapter Thirty-one What was the one thing Boo said to Scout?
Why did she ask Boo to bend his arm down to her?
What did Scout think about while standing on the Radley porch?
What did Atticus tell Scout about most people?