Annotation Focus for TKM chapters 12—15
1. Find examples that show that the distance grows between Jem and Scout.
2. Jem and Scout's education continues, with Calpurnia instructing them. What
does Calpurnia teach the children? What do they discover about her?
3. Why do you think Harper Lee chose to write a scene in which Scout and Jem go
to church with Calpurnia? How does this scene help us better understand the
complexity of the characters? What themes does it prompt us to think more
deeply about?
4. In what ways does Aunt Alexandra cause conflict when she moves in with Scout,
Jem, and Atticus? Find examples.
5. Find examples in chapter 14 of evidence of Jem's struggle to become an adult.
6. What does chapter 14 reveal about Scout’s point of view? What is she learning
about herself, her family, and her community? What is she struggling to
understand? What parts does the reader understand better than Scout? How
does this dramatic irony affect your reading of the novel?
7. People in a mob often act very differently than they would alone, even to the
point of going against their morals. Find evidence to support this.
8. Analyze Scout’s attempts to engage Mr. Cunningham in conversation? Why does
this exchange convince Mr. Cunningham and the other men to leave?
9. In chapter 11, Atticus tells Jem, "I wanted you to see something about her [Mrs.
Dubose]. I wanted you to see what real courage is . . . “(149). Who shows real
courage in chapter 15? How? Find examples.
10. How does Scout’s limited understanding of the events in this chapter affect the
reader? What parts of the story must the reader piece together on his/her own?
What does this process reveal about Scout’s reliability as a narrator?
To Kill a Mockingbird is a type of novel called a bildungsroman. Be ready to talk about
what this is and why TKM is an example of this type of fiction.