Study Questions – To Kill a Mockingbird
Chapters 1-3
Identify with as much detail as you can:
Setting:
Narrator:
Jeremy Atticus Finch (Jem)
Calpunia
Miss Rachel Haverford
Mr. and Mrs. Radley
Arthur Radley (Boo)
Mr. Nathan Radley
Miss Stephanie Crawford
Answer study questions with as much specific detail as you can, using page references where possible.
1. What does the Radley house represent to the children?
2. What was the first “dare” made concerning the house?
3. Who made the first dare and who carried it out?
4. How does Harper Lee make the house and the Radley’s seem so mysterious?
5. Briefly describe the Finch family background. What was the “disturbance between the North and the South”?
6. Explain the differences between Dill’s family situation and the Finch family.
7. Who is Jean Louise?
8. What is the difference between Jen and Scout’s reaction to school?
9. What does Scout tell Miss Caroline about Walter Cunningham? Why does she tell her?
10. How does Atticus explain the Ewell family?
11. According to Atticus, why must Scout attend school?
12. Describe what you know so far about Atticus’ personality.
Briefly summarize Chapters 1-3
Chapters 4-8
13. What ‘treasures’ do Scout and Jem find in the Radley’s oak tree? How do these finds heighten the mystery of
the Radley house?
14. What is one of the stories the children tell about Boo?
15. How does Atticus react to the children’s dramatizations about the Radley family?
16. Who is Miss Maudie Atkinson? Describe the children’s relationship with her.
17. Describe Jem’s attempt to deliver a note to Boo. What does Atticus do when he discovers what Jem, Dill
and Scout are attempting?
18. Why do Jem, Dill, and Scout wait until the last night of summer to try to peek into the Radley’s back
window?
19. Describe in detail what happens when the children are caught in their prank.
20. What is significant about the neighbors’ conclusion as to whom they think was in the Radley’s yard.
21. How does Scout feel about second grade?
22. What does Jem reveal to Scout about his pants and who does he think is responsible?
23. What five additional treasures do Jem and Scout find in the Radley oak? Why do they think the treasures
are for them?
24. The children suspect various characters as having left the treasures. Cite each “suspicious” character and
the reason why Jem and Scout eliminate each possibility.
25. What doe Mr. Nathan Radley do to the oak tree and how do Jem and Scout react?
26. Why does Scout react to the snow by yelling “The world’s endin’, Atticus…!”
27. What is the significance of the reference point of Appomattox in Mr. Avery’s remark, “It hasn’t snowed in
Maycomb since Appomattox.”?
28. Why do you think Boo Radley covered Scout as she watched the fire? How did she react when she learned
the identity of her benefactor?
29. What character traits does Miss Maudie show when she reacts to the burning of her house?
Briefly summarize Chapters 4-8
Chapters 9-11
30. What is Maycomb’s “usual disease”? Who coined this phrase?
31. What does Cecil Jacobs announce at school about Atticus, and what does Scout do about it?
32. Who is Tom Robinson? Why is Atticus defending him? Why does Judge Taylor
appoint Atticus?
33. For what does Scout receive a spanking from Uncle John? Why does Atticus believe she deserved it?
34. What comparison does Scout use to describe her relationship with Aunt Alexandra and what does this
reveal about her character?
35. Explain Scout’s reasoning regarding her “cussing frequently.”
36. What has Scout learned about injustice from Miss Caroline and the townspeople?
37. Explain why Scout is upset that Attucs is “so old.”
38. Why does Atticus tell the children about mockingbirds? How does Miss Maudie help this explanation?
39. Why does the sheriff ask Atticus to shoot Tom Johnson?
40. What explanation does Miss Maudie give for Atticus putting his gun down 30 years ago?
41. What does Jem tell Scout to do about their father’s shooting of the dog?
42. What does Atticus do that causes Scout to say he was the “bravest man who ever lived”?
43. What does Jem do to Mrs. Dubose’s camellia bushes and why?
44. What does Mrs. Dubose want from Jem as payment for his crime?
45. How does Atticus explain the term “nigger-lover” to Scout?
46. What change had occurred in Mrs. Dubose by the last week Scout and Jem went to her home?
47. How does Atticus explain “courage” to Jem?
Briefly summarize Chapters 9-11
Chapters 12-15
48. List three things that are perplexing Scout at the beginning of the summer.
49. Describe the differences between Calpurnia’s church and the white people’s church. Why do you think
Harper Lee presents us with this contrast at this point in the novel?
50. Explain what Scout fids unusual about Calpurnia’s manner of speaking at the Negro church and how
Calpurnina explains this to her.
51. What do Jem and Scout learn about the injustice of white people during their visit to Calpurnina’s church?
52. Why does the congregation sing the hymns by “lining”?
53. Who is sitting on the Finch’s front porch when they get home?
54. How does Atticus explain Aunt Alexandra’s arrival? How do the children feel about it?
55. What sense of values doe Aunt Alexandra try to impart to the children?
56. Why does Scout cry?
57. How does Atticus respond to Alexandra’s suggestion that they do not need Cal anymore?
58. What does Scout say she had never heard of or seen before, and how does it make her feel?
59. Why did Dill run away from home? What is different between Dill’s relationship with his parents and
Scout and Jem’s relationship with Atticus?
60. What evidence do we have the Jem is starting to grow up and is beginning to identify with the adult world?
Be specific.
61. Why did Heck Tate and the men pay a visit to Atticus? How did Jem and Scout react to this?
62. How did the gang that met Aticus at the jail compare with the first group that came to his home? What
was the result of Scout’s combination of innocence and straightforwardness when she addressed Mr.
Cunningham?
63. What had Mr. Underwood done during the conversation at the jail?
64. What is Dill’s latest plan to get Boo Radley to come out?
65. How is the author slowly building a web of tension leading up to the trial?
Briefly summarize Chapters 12-15
Chapters 16-19
66. How would you characterize the crowd that has come to the trial? Why do you think Harper Lee described
them in such detail?
67. What kind of a judge was Judge Taylor?
68. What subtle change does Scout notice in Atticus?
69. How does Atticus explain “mobs” to the children?
70. What is Miss Maudie’s reaction to everyone wanting to go to the trial?
71. Why doe Jem say the “mixed children” are sad?
72. What news does Scout overhear about Atticus defending Tome Robinson? How does she feel about it?
73. With whom do the children sit in the courtroom?
74. Why do you think Harper Lee pays meticulous attention to every aspect of the courtroom?
75. On what single key issue doe Atticus build his case? What kinds of strategies does he used to elicit the
truth?
76. What question does Atticus ask the sheriff three times?
77. How does Jem convince Reverend Sikes it is OK for Scout to stay in the courtroom?
78. What excuse does Mr. Ewell give for not running after Tom Robinson?
79. Why does Mayella think Atticus is mocking her?
80. Explain why Atticus has Tom Robinson stand up.
81. Why does Atticus look like “his stomach hurt” when he proves his case against Mayella?
82. Why does Scout pity Mayella even though she was testifying against Tom Robinson?
83. Compare Scout and Dill’s reactions to Mr. Gilmer’s prosecution. Why do you think Dill becomes so upset
when Mr. Gilmer cross examines Tom?
84. Why does Tom say he ran?
85. What mistake does Tom make when Mr. Gilmer asks him to explain why he helped Mayella?
Briefly summarize Chapters 16-19
Chapters 20-24
86. Why had Dolphus Raymond made himself into a town outcast? What commentary is he making about the
town and its values?
87. In his summation speech to the jury:
What does Attticus describe as Mayella’s offense?
How does Atticus partially excuse Mr. Ewell’s actions?
Where does Atticus say all men must truly be equal?
88. Why does the author make it seem like an airtight case in Atticus’ favor just prior to the jury’s decision?
89. What does Jem think when Atticus calls them from the balcony?
90. How does Scout know the verdict before it is read?
91. What is Cal’s reaction to the children having been at the trial? What is Alexandra’s?
92. What is Atticus’ response to Alexandra’s attempt to say the children shouldn’t have witnessed the trial?
93. What is Aticus’ response to Jem’s question about how the jury could have convicted Tom?
94. What causes Atticus’ eye to fill with tears?
95. What does Miss Maudie say about Atticus?
96. What had Bob Ewell done to Atticus after the trial? How does Atticus explain his behavior?
97. Why did Atticus say he selected a Cunningham for the jury?
98. As a result of the conviction, Jem has a new theory about Boo Radley’s seclusion: what is it?
99. When Jem suggests juries should be done away with, what does Atticus suggest should be done instead?
100. How does Atticus explain the fact that women can’t serve on juries in Alabama?
101. After their discussion of the Mrunas, what do the ladies of the missionary society do?
102. What does Mrs. Merriweather say the cooks and field hands did after the trial? Why?
103. What is Mrs. Merriweather’s view of Northerners? Why does she hold this view?
104. What news does Atticus bring about Tom Robinson?
105. How does Atticus explain what Tom had done?
Briefly summarize Chapters 19-24
Chapters 25-28
106. What is Scout’s assessment of Jem’s changed behavior after he won’t let her kill the roly poly?
107. Why is Maycomb only interested in the news about Tom’s death for two days?
108. What does Mr. Underwood say in his editorial?
109. What conclusion does Scout come to about Tom after reading Mr. Underwood’s article?
110. What satirical points are made on the subject of education?
111. What does Scout fantasize about?
112. What comic incident is related in Chapter 27 and what function does it serve?
113. What historical figure does Miss Gates condemn? Why does her condemnation confuse Scout?
114. After Jen tries to comfort Scout for coming on stage at the wrong time, what does Scout realize about Jem?
115. Why does Bob Ewell lose his WPA job? Whom does he blame?
116. What details in Chapters 27 and 28 add to the mounting tension before Jem and Scout are attacked?
117. When Jem hears someone following Scout and him, who does he conclude it is?
118. How does Scout know the body she touches with her toes is not Jem’s?
119. When Scout reaches the street, what does she see in the light?
120. What, according to Dr. Reynolds, is Jem’s condition?
121. Who is in Jem’s room besides Scout, Atticus, and Alexandra?
122. What news does Sheriff Tate give Atticus?
Briefly summarize Chapters 25-28.
Chapters 29-31
123. Why hadn’t Atticus or any of the neighbors heard the children yelling?
124. What conclusion does Sheriff Tate come to about Scout’s costume?
125. According to the sheriff, what kind of man was Bob Ewell?
126. When Scout points to the man who saved Jem and looks at him closely, what does she realize? What does
she say and do?
127. Why does Atticus suggest they go to the porch instead of the living room?
128. Who does Atticus think killed Bob Ewell?
129. What does Sheriff Tate say about Bob Ewell’s death?
130. When Atticus continues to argue with the sheriff about protecting Jem, what does the sheriff yell?
131. What does the sheriff say the townspeople, including his wife, would do if they knew the truth about who
killed Bob Ewell? What does the sheriff say would be a sin?
132. What insight is gained into Heck Tate’s character?
133. What is Scouts’ response when Atticus asks her if she can understand that “Mr. Ewell fell on his knife”?
134. After Scout takes Boo home, what makes her sad?
135. As Scout tells Atticus the story of The Gray Ghost, what does she say about Stoner’s Boy? What is
Atticus’ response?
Briefly summarize Chapters 29-31
Discussion Questions
136. What is the significance of the symbol of the mockingbird in relation to Tom Robinson?
137. What implications are made about education in the novel? (Chapters 2 and 26 specifically?)
138. Discuss whether To Kill a Mockingbird expresses a pessimistic or an optimistic view of life.
139. What are the implications in the novel about parent/child relationships?
140. The author shows that both children and adults kill mockingbirds. Which is worse and why?