TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
Reading Guide
Chapter 1
1. Where and when does the story take place?
2. What is life like in this town and the South in general?
3. Identify the following characters:
Scout –
JemAtticus –
Dill –
Calpurnia –
Miss. Rachel Haverford –
Miss. Stephanie Crawford 4. What do the kids do for fun?
5. Why did Boo Radley get into trouble?
6. What punishment did the other boys get?
Chapter 2
1. Who is Miss Caroline Fisher?
2. What two things got Scout into trouble the first day of school?
3. Who is Walter Cunningham and why did Scout get into trouble concerning him?
4. What is "entailment"?
Chapter 3
1. What "lesson" did Calpurnia teach Scout concerning her guest, Walter Cunningham?
2. Describe Burris Ewell and the problem he caused at school.
3. Why does society allow the Ewells to break the rules?
4. What agreement does Atticus make with Scout?
Chapter 4
1. What did Scout discover in the knot-hole in the tree at the edge of the Radley lot?
2. What did Jem and Scout find in the tree?
3. What was the tire game? What happened?
4. What happened to the tire?
5. What new game did Jem suggest playing? What were the three different versions?
6. Who caught them playing this game? Does he know the truth?
7. What two reasons made Scout want to quit the game?
Chapter 5
1. Why does Scout feel left out?
2. Who is Miss Maudie Atkinson? Describe her.
3. What plan do the kids have to communicate with Boo?
4. Who caught them and what lesson did he preach on privacy?
Chapter 6
1. Who is Mr. Avery and what performance did he give that night?
2. What do Jem and Dill plan to do, and Scout reluctantly goes along with?
3. What stopped the invasion?
4. What happened as the kids escaped?
5. What happened to Jem during this escape?
6. What do all the neighbors believed happened?
7. How did Dill explain Jem's problem?
8. What did Jem do that scared Scout to death?
Chapter 7
1. What news did Jem reveal about "that night" and his pants?
2. What else did Jem and Scout find in the knot-hole?
3. How did Jem and Scout plan to respond?
4. What did Mr. Nathan Radley do that upset Jem and Scout so much, and why did he do it?
Chapter 8
1. What happened that Jem and Scout had never seen before?
2. How did they make the snowman? Who did it look like?
3. What happened to Miss Maudie's house?
4. Where did Jem and Scout stand during the fire?
5. What condition was the fire truck in?
6. What had been given to Scout during the fire w/o her knowledge, and who gave it to her?
7. What was Miss Maudie's reaction to her loss?
Chapter 9
1. Who is Atticus defending? Why has this case already caused so much tension?
2. Does he stand a chance of winning? Why not?
3. Why does he take the case and plan to give it all he can?
4. Why won't Scout fight anymore?
5. Identify the following:
Aunt Alexandria –
Uncle Jimmy –
Francis –
Uncle Jack -
6. What is Scout's latest habit that she hopes will convince Atticus to let her stop going to
school?
7. What did Uncle Jack bring the kids or Christmas? (They're really from Atticus.)
8. Where did Scout sit for Christmas dinner?
9. How did Francis tease Scout?
10. How did Scout react and what happened to her?
11. What lesson did Scout teach Uncle Jack?
12. What lesson did Atticus teach Uncle Jack?
13. What information does Atticus reveal about the trial?
Chapter 10
1. Why are Jem and Scout so disappointed with Atticus?
2. Atticus tells the kids that it is a sin to ____________________________. Why?
3. What was wrong with old Tim Johnson?
4. Who is Heck Tate?
5. Who settled the situation with Tim Johnson and how?
6. How did Jem and Scout react?
7. What was Atticus' nickname? Why?
8. Why did Atticus give up hunting? What does this tell about him?
9. Are the kids going to brag about Atticus' talent? Why?
Chapter 11
1. Who is Mrs. Dubose? What's her reputation?
2. What's her relationship with Jem and Scout?
3. Name the two items are the kids going to buy in town,
4. What did Jem do on his return from town?
5. What did Atticus make him do?
6. In reference to the Tom Robinson case, what does Atticus mean when he says, "…but
before I can live with other folks I've got to live with myself"?
7. What does Mrs. Dubose want Jem to do?
8. Describes what Mrs. Dubose looks like?
9. What happened to Mrs. Dubose as Jem read?
10. How does Atticus define "nigger' lover"? Is he one?
11. What does Scout realize about the alarm clock?
12. What were the "fits" Mrs. Dubose experience while Jem read to her?
13. Why did she put herself through such pain and agony before she died?
14. Atticus said he would have made Jem go read to her anyway because he wanted to teach
Jem what real courage was - what is it?
Chapter 12
1. Where is Dill this summer and why?
2. Where does Calpurnia invite Jem and Scout?
3. How does she prepare them? Why so much fuss?
4. How did the people respond when they saw Jem and Scout?
5. Who is Lula and what's her complaint?
6. What's the result of the confrontation?
7. Who is Zeebo? What did he tell Jem?
8. Why won't Calpurnia let Jem and Scout contribute their own money?
9. Who is Rev. Sykes and how did he start the service?
10. Who was the collection for?
11. Why isn't Helen, Tom's wife working?
12. What is Tom accused of and by whom?
13. Atticus referred to the Ewells as _____________________.
14. Why don't the people at Cal's church save money to buy hymn books?
15. What "two languages" does Cal speak and why?
16. What does Scout ask of Cal? What's significant about this?
17. Who was sitting on the porch when they got home?
Chapter 13
1. How does Aunt Alexandra fit into Maycomb?
2. What was Scout's definition of "Fine Folks"?
3. Describe what Atticus was trying to tell the kids in Jem's room? Why was he doing this?
How did it turn out?
Chapter 14
1. How did Atticus respond when he found out about the kids going to church with Cal?
2. How did Aunt Alexandra respond?
3. How does Atticus respond and defend her?
4. What happened between Jem and Scout in his room and why?
5. What was hiding under Scout's bed? Why did he run away?
Chapter 15
1. Who came to see Atticus that night and what did he want?
2. Atticus said that Tom might "go to the chair" but not until_________________________.
3. Who is Mr. Underwood?
4. Where did Atticus go that night and what did he do?
5. Who came to visit Atticus at this location and what did they want?
6. Who burst through the crowd and why?
7. What did Atticus tell Jem and what was his response?
8. What happened to the man who grabbed Jem?
9. Who did Scout recognize in the crowd?
10. What did Scout say to him and what was the result? Why?
11. Who had Atticus "covered" all the time?
Chapter 16
1. Aunt Alexandria didn't like Atticus talking a certain way in front of Calpurnia. What did
he say and how does he feel about Calpurnia's presence in general?
2. Why did Mr. Cunningham, a family friend, join the "mob" in threatening Atticus?
3. What is the atmosphere like in town the day the trail starts?
4. Who is Mr. Dolphus Raymond? Describe him.
5. What is a "mixed child" and why are they sad to Jem?
6. Where do the kids sit during the trial?
7. Describe Judge Taylor.
Chapter 17
1. Who is Mr. Gilmer?
2. Who was the first witness? Briefly, what was his testimony?
3. What two points of the testimony did Atticus keep clarifying?
4. What was the extent of Mayella Ewell's injuries?
5. Describe the Ewells, their life, and their house?
6. What existed in one corner of the yard that "bewildered Maycomb"?
7. Describe the "Negro settlement"?
8. What was the only fact about Bob Ewell that made him better than his black neighbors?
9. What was Bob Ewell's testimony?
10. State the two reasons Bob Ewell gave for wanting the black settlement shut down.
11. How did Bob Ewell respond when Atticus asked him why he didn't call a doctor for
Mayella?
12. What did Atticus have Bob Ewell do to prove his literacy? What hand did he use?
13. Mr. Gilmer asked Bob if he was "ambidextrous" What does that mean and what was his
response?
14. What was Atticus trying to prove?
Chapter 18
1. Why did Mayella burst into tears on the witness stand?
2. How old is she?
3. What was her version of the attack?
4. Why does Mayella think that Atticus is being rude to her?
5. What else did we learn about the Ewell's home life?
6. How does Mayella respond when asked is she has any friends?
7. Mayella says her dad is "tollable" except when __________________
8. When Tom stood to face his accuser (Mayella) what did we learn about him?
9. How and when did this happen?
10. Atticus asks Mayella several pointed questions - state two.
11. How does Mayella feel toward Atticus when her testimony is over?
12. Why didn't she go to court for her outburst and the contempt she showed everyone?
Chapter 19
1. How did Tom know Mayella?
2. Had Tom ever gone inside the Ewell yard? Why?
3. Why was it so quiet at the house on the night of the attack?
4. Briefly, what was Tom's testimony?
5. Tom was caught between physically defending himself against Mayella or running. Why
were both options hopeless situations for him?
Chapter 20
1. What did Dolphus Raymond give Dill?
2. Why does Dolphus Raymond act as he does?
3. In his closing arguments, Atticus told the jurers that, "This case should have never have
come to trial. This case is as simple as ______________." What does this mean?
4. What did Atticus do that shocked Jem and Scout? How did he address the jury? Why did
he do this?
5. Atticus said that Mayella was guilty of __________. Why was that such a big deal?
6. Atticus said that all men are not created equal in this world. Where is the one place where
all men can be treated equally?
Chapter 21
1. What was the atmosphere like in the courtroom while waiting for the verdict.
2. How did Scout know the verdict before it was announced? What was the verdict?
3. What did the African Americans do as Atticus left the courtroom? Why?
Chapter 22
1. How did the African Americans show their appreciation for what Atticus did?
2. How did Miss Maudie show her sympathy and understanding towards the kids?
3. What did Miss Maudie say about Atticus' role in Maycomb and his selection as Tom's
lawyer?
4. What did Dill say he'll be when he grows up and what will he do?
5. What did Bob Ewell do to Atticus?
Chapter 23
1. How did Atticus respond to Bob Ewell?
2. How does Atticus explain Bob's behavior to Jem?
3. What was Atticus' plan for Tom?
4. Why couldn't Miss Maudie ever be on a jury?
5. Atticus felt some progress because the jury took several hours to reach its verdict. One
member held out for a long time….who was it, why is that important?
6. Why did Aunt Alexandria tell Scout she could never invite Walter Cunningham home to
dinner?
7. Why does Jem think Boo has stayed in his house all these years? Why does he feel this
way?
Chapter 24
1. Where are Jem and Dill?
2. What's going on at the Finch's house?
3. The ladies were complaining about someone who was dissatisfied and restless lately.
Who is it?
4. What did Miss Merriweather say that embarrassed Aunt Alexandria?
5. Scout preferred the man's world rather than the women's…why?
6. What news did Atticus bring home?
7. How did it happen?
8. Why does Aunt Alexandria get upset?
9. How does Miss Maudie explain Atticus' role?
Chapter 25
1. What was the town's response to Tom's death?
2. What two points did Mr. Underwood make in his editorial concerning Tom's death?
3. When Bob Ewell heard the news of Tom's death, he said, "…one down and about two
more to go". Who are the two?
Chapter 26
1. How much time has passed since the beginning of the book? What grades are the kids in
now?
2. How does Scout feel about her "tormenting" Boo Radley when she was younger?
3. What did Atticus finally reveal about Nathan Radley and the kids?
4. What word did Miss Gates write on the board and explain to the class?
5. How did she explain the difference between Germany and the US? Why is this do ironic?
6. Why was Scout so confused by what Miss Gates said about Hitler? What is the name
given to someone who says one thing and does something else, or says conflicting things
to different people?
Chapter 27
1. What happened to Judge Talyor's house?
2. What has happened to Helen Robinson?
3. What’s the problem Helen faces going to work and what's the result?
4. How does Atticus explain reasons for revenge?
5. What was the Halloween prank played on the Misses Tutti and Frutti Barber?
6. What event was planned for the whole town this Halloween?
7. What was Scout's role? How was her costume made and what were its discomforts?
Chapter 28
1. What was Scout's cue and how did she enter the stage?
2. How did she feel afterwards so what did she and Jem do?
3. What did Scout forget behind the stage?
4. What's the first noise the kids heard while walking home? Who did they think it was?
5. Jem and Scout heard someone running-- then what happened?
6. How many people were under the tree?
7. As Scout staggered toward the street, what did she see under the street lamp?
8. What injuries did the kids receive?
9. Where was the man that carried Jem home?
10. What three things did Heck Tate find at the site?
Chapter 29
1. According to Heck Tate, why did Bob Ewell attack the kids?
2. Who was standing in the corner of Jem's room?
Chapter 30
1. Why didn't they sit in the front room to discuss the events?
2. Who does Atticus think killed Bob Ewell and what does he want to do about the incident?
3. Who really stabbed Bob Ewell?
4. Why does Heck Tate refuse to reveal the truth about the crime?
5. What will they say happened that evening?
6. Who really killed Bob Ewell and why?
7. Scout says that Heck Tate is right. That revealing the truth would be "sort of ________”
Chapter 31
1. Describe Boo's leaving the Fiches house?
2. How did he and Scout walk down the street?
3. What did Scout do before she left the Radley porch? Why?