To Kill A Mockingbird Chapters 9-11 Study Guide
Chapter 9-11 Plot Summary:
Characters:
Scout
Jem
Atticus
Calpurnia
Chapter 9 starts out with Cecil Jacobs saying Atticus defends
niggers to Scout’s face, and Scout then asks Atticus what he
means. Atticus explains why he does defend Negroes, how he
feels morally he must do it as part of his job and that he could
not go around the town without defending Tim Johnson in his
law case. Scout says Atticus sounds like Cousin Ike Finch, a
confederate veteran who talks of them losing the war, because
Atticus feels that he has little chance of winning his court case.
The second half of Chapter 9 begins after Atticus picks up
Uncle Jack from the train; Scout begins cussing in hopes to be
removed from school. During dinner her foul language gets her
in trouble and she receives a conversation from Uncle Jack about
being a lady. The next day, they arrive at Finch’s Landing, where
her Aunt Alexandra, Uncle Jimmy, and Cousin Francis live. The
setting of Finch’s landing is a house on a hill with 3 pieces of
land that go into the water. It contained 6 bedrooms, 2 staircases,
and a kitchen connected by a walkway. Scout and Francis were
talking when Francis called Atticus a “Nigger Lover". This
provoked Scout to begin cussing at him. Hearing this Aunt
comes out to warn Scout about cussing and threatens to tell
Atticus. When she left Francis once again called Atticus a
“Nigger Lover”. Scout, angered with what Francis said, began to
beat up and cussed repeatedly at Francis. Atticus, Uncle Jack,
and Aunt Alexandra break up the fight and scolded Scout
without hearing her side of the story. Later, when talking to
Scout Uncle Jack realized she had a good reason to be upset with
Francis. When he was ready to scold Francis she asked Uncle
Finch not to tell Atticus because she promised she would not
fight over what they say about Atticus. Uncle Jack agrees and
tells her a story.
Chapter 9 Characters:
Cecil Jacobs
Cousin Ike Finch
Tom Robinson
Uncle Jack Finch
Aunt Alexandra
Francis
Uncle Jimmy
Chapter 10 Characters:
Miss Maudie
Tim Johnson
Miss Eula May
Mr. Heck Tate
Zeebo
Chapter 11 Characters:
Mrs. Dubose
Jessie
Chapter 10 begins with a description of Atticus. We gain
insight into the features, qualities and characteristics of Atticus.
Scout has observed Atticus and she sees that he is not like the
typical fathers in Maycomb County. He did not have a menial
job, while the other fathers worked in garages, farmed, or drove
a dump truck. His main pastime is sitting and reading. Scout’s
curiosity leads her to asking Miss Maudie and Calpurnia if
Atticus had any special traits. They said nothing special, which
Scout had no interest in.
After, Scout and Jem decided to take their air rifles and go
shoot cans, but they ran into a dog. They reconized it as Tim
Johnson. Jem realized it was walking lopsided and looked
sickly. They ran to Cal and after describing Tim, Cal realized he
was a mad dog (he has Rabies). She called Atticus, and after
warning the town, Atticus shot it in the sight of Sherriff Heck
Tate. This incident alerts Scout to Atticus’ great shooting skill.
After asking Miss Maudie, she finds out that Atticus used to be
called “Deadshot” due to his skill, showing situational irony of
Scout sudden interest in Atticus’ skills which she disregarded
shortly before.
Chapter 11 has Scout and Jem bored of Boo Radely and
interested in the rest of the town of Maycomb. However they
must pass the house of Mrs. Dubose to get to town, and she
mocks them. One example is when she told scout that she
should become a waitress at the O.K. café. After Jem’s twelfth
birthday, he and Scout go to town and buys and mini-steam
engine and a baton for Scout. On the way home, Mrs. Dubose
calls Atticus and nigger-lover and Jem goes mad, tearing all of
her Camilla’s, Snow-or-the-Mountain, and gets caught. He is
sent read to her six days a week for 2 hours. Scout goes with
him. In the beginning, Mrs. Dubose has fits and the kids are
sent home, however she tricks them into staying later every day
to read to her. One night, Mrs. Dubose dies, and one discovers
her morphine addiction and she gives Jem a leaf from her
Camilla, which shows situational irony because Mrs. Dubose
gives the leaves to Jem to make him feel bad and ashamed even
though he red to her almost every day. The Theme of Chapter
11 was courage: Atticus speaking to Mrs. Dubose, whom he
disliked, Jem and Scout standing up for Atticus and themselves
against Mrs. Dubose, and Mrs. Dubose fighting to break her
Morphine addiction.
Written By Kevin Leddy, Sean Healey, Jade Ortiz, Edward Amaba