All responses should be composed in your journal and should reflect both thought and understanding. Be
thorough and provide details!
Chapter 1
1. What do we learn in this chapter about Maycomb, Atticus Finch, and his family? What kind
of people live in Maycomb?
2. What do you learn about Dill’s character?
3. What, briefly, has happened to Arthur “Boo” Radley?
4. Do you believe that the stories surrounding the Radleys are true? Explain your response.
5. Why does the Radley place fascinate Scout, Jem, and Dill?
6. What possible themes are introduced through the Radley place?
7. What do you notice about the narrator’s voice and point of view?
Chapter 2
1. Why is Scout so looking forward to starting school?
2. Why does Jem not want anything to do with Scout at school? Is this typical “older sibling”
behavior?
3. Describe Scout’s experience(s) at school. What do we learn about Maycomb through this?
Does the author introduce any themes/ ideas through this?
4. What do you think of Miss Caroline Fisher as a teacher? Can you find qualities that would
make her good or not so good for her job?
Chapter 3
1. Who is Calpurnia? What is her place in the Finch household? Describe her relationship
with Scout, using examples.
2. What is Walter Cunningham like? What does his behavior during lunch suggest about his
home life? What does it suggest about the population of Maycomb?
3. Does Scout learn anything from Walter’s visit? If so, what? Why does she learn this?
4. What do we learn in this chapter about the Ewells? What is the difference between the
Cunninghams and the Ewells? Explain.
5. Describe the kind of father Atticus Finch is. What is his relationship like with his children?
Cite examples from the text.
Chapter 4
1. What does Scout think of the current system of education?
2. What superstitions do the children have in connection with the Radley house?
3. What do the children do in their Radley game? Do you think this is really what happens in
the Radley home?
4. What might be the source of the laughter in the house?
Chapter 5
1. Describe Miss Maudie Atkinson. Is she a “typical” Maycomb woman? What do the
children think of her?
2. What does Miss Maudie tell Scout about Boo? How does this compare with what Scout
already believes?
3.
How does Atticus feel about the Boo Radley game? Why? What does this tell us about
Atticus?
Chapter 6
1. Why does Scout disapprove of Jem’s and Dill’s plan of looking in at one of the Radleys’
windows?
2. What does Mr. Nathan Radley know about the intruders in his garden? Why does Miss
Stephanie refer to a “negro” over whose head Mr. Nathan has fired?
3. Why does Dill’s explanation of Jem’s state of dress almost land him in trouble?
4. Why does Jem go back for his pants? What does this tell us about Jem?
Chapter 7
1. What new discovery is made on the Radley property?
2. What does Mr. Nathan Radley tell the children?
3. What does Atticus say to contradict Nathan Radley?
4. Why does Jem cry at the end of the chapter? Explain what this tells us about Jem.
**Make a list of the interactions that Jem and Scout have with the Radley home and the Radley
family.**
Chapter 9
1. What happens in this chapter to further the storyline between the Finches and Boo Radley?
2. Why does Scout get into an argument with Cecil Jacobs? Why does Scout walk away from him?
3. Who is Tom Robinson? What do we know about him? Why is Atticus representing him?
4. Who is Francis? About what do he and Scout fight?
5. How does Aunt Alexandra treat Scout?
6. How is Atticus “ruining the family” (83)? Do you agree he is ruining the family?
7. What do we learn about the kind of father Atticus is?
Chapter 10
Take some notes on the symbolic significance of Tim Johnson.
Chapter 11
1. What is your definition of courage?
2. Describe Mrs. Dubose, as Scout describes in the opening paragraphs of the chapter.
3. Why don’t Jem and Scout like Mrs. Dubose?
4. Describe the altercation (run-in) the Jem and Scout have with Mrs. Dubose.
5. Why is Atticus upset with Jem? What is his punishment?
6. On pages 104-105, Atticus explains to Scout why he is defending Tom Robinson. Summarize his
reasoning in at least 3 sentences.
7. Why isn’t Atticus upset or troubled by the names Mrs. Dubose calls him?
8. Explain why the alarm clock goes off later and later each day that Jem reads to Mrs. Dubose.
9. Explain why Atticus wanted Jem to read to Mrs. Dubose. What lesson was he supposed to learn?
10. Atticus calls Mrs. Dubose “’the bravest person I ever knew’” (112). Why is this? Do you agree that
she is brave? (Morphine was prescribed as a painkiller during this time. Mrs. Dubose was not using
“recreational drugs.” Keep this in mind when you are answering.)
Chapter 12
1. How has Jem changed? List 2 ways.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
What makes this summer different?
Where are Jem and Scout going with Calpurnia? Why?
Who is Lula? Describe her reaction to Jem and Scout’s appearance at church.
What indications are there that the members of Cal’s church are poor?
Rev. Sykes tells Scout, “This church has no better friend than your daddy” (123). Why?
Why has Tom Robinson been arrested?
Name two things we learn about Calpurnia in this chapter.
What surprise is waiting for Calpurnia and the children when they get home?
Chapter 16
1. How does Atticus explain the mob mentality to Jem and Scout?
2. What does he say stopped Mr. Cunningham? Of what did Scout remind him?
3. What is Aunt Alexandra’s reaction to the night’s events?
4. Who is Dolphus Raymond? What is unusual about him?
5. Where do Jem and Scout on this day? Why is the whole town also there?
6. What does Scout learn about Atticus that she claims “put a different light on things” (163)?
7. Why might Atticus not have told his children about this detail?
8. Why don’t Jem, Scout, and Dill have seats? Where do they sit instead?
9. Scout explains that “from [the Colored balcony] we could see everything” (164). What is symbolic
about this statement?
Background/ Trial – p. 164
1. Describe the jury. Does this hurt or help Tom’s case? Explain.
2. Where do Scout and Jem sit during the trial? Why is this significant? What is the symbolic
significance of their location in the balcony?
Chapter 20
3. Who is Dolphus Raymond? What do we know about him?
4. Dill is supposed to represent the innocence of childhood. When do we see him unable to handle adult
situations?
5. Atticus’s closing argument is exceptionally eloquent and well-written. Summarize what he says and
include two specific details uses to try to convince the jury to rule “not guilty.”
Chapter 21
6. Why do the children almost miss the verdict?
7. For how long does the jury deliberate? What does this tell us?
8. What is the verdict in the case? Is this surprising? Explain.
9. Why does Scout know what the verdict will be before the foreman reads it? Specifically, what does
she notice about the jury?
Chapter 22
10. What change do we begin to see in Aunt Alexandra?
11. Why doesn’t Atticus mind that the children attended the trial?
12. What does the black community do to show their appreciation for Atticus? Why is this particularly
touching, given the time period?
13. What 2 things does Miss Maudie tell Jem and Scout that suggests that Atticus’s hard work wasn’t all
in vain (for nothing)?
14. What does Bob Ewell do to Atticus?
Chapter 23
15. Is Atticus wise to dismiss Bob Ewell’s threat? Why or why not? (This is an opinion question that
should be supported by your understanding of the characters and the novel.)
16. Explain Atticus’s reasoning for not being upset about Bob Ewell’s behavior.
17. Atticus surprises the children by describing certain people as “trash.” Whom does he describe as
trash and why? Do you agree?
18. Explain how the Cunninghams were involved with the trial.
19. Aunt Alexandra also has an opinion on who is “trash.” Explain her opinion.
20. How do we begin to see Jem’s burgeoning maturity? Explain his conversation with Scout about
“folks” and his subsequent decision that Boo Radley doesn’t want to leave the house.
Chapter 24
21. What change do we begin to see in Scout? Why is this?
22. Explain what happens to Tom Robinson and how it happens.
23. Why is the “17” significant?
24. What change do we see in Aunt Alexandra’s relationship/ feelings toward Atticus?
25. Why does Miss Maudie say that, “’we’re paying the highest tribute we can pay a man’” (236) about
Atticus? What do they trust him to do?
Chapter 25
26. Explain the symbolism of the roly-poly.
27. Describe the town’s reaction to what happens to Tom.
28. How does Mr. Underwood’s editorial echo the title of the novel?
Chapter 26
1. In her lesson on Hitler, Miss Gates says that “we (American people) don’t believe in persecuting
anybody. Persecution comes from people who are prejudiced” (245). What is odd about this claim?
2. Why is Scout puzzled by Miss Gates’s disapproval of Hitler? What had she once heard Miss Gates
say?
Chapter 27
3. What three (3) does Bob Ewell do that alarm Aunt Alexandra?
4. What was the purpose of the Halloween pageant? What practical joke had persuaded the grownups
to have an organized event?
Chapter 29
5. Describe Scout’s version of the events of the night.
Chapter 30
6. Describe Heck Tate’s version of the events of the night.
7. Is Heck Tate’s version accurate? Explain, using at least 3 details that support your answer.
8. The title of the novel is referenced again on p. 276. Explain it again in light of recent events