Chapter questions from To Kill a Mockingbird

Chapter one Introduction to Maycomb, Boo Radley Jem Scout and all

1 Why is Boo Radley imprisoned by his father?

2 List all of the people that live on the same street as Atticus, Jem and Scout.
3 What do we learn about Atticus’ family in the first chapter?
4 What is Dill’s big plan?
5 What does Dill dare Jem to do?

Chapter two Scout goes to school

1 What sort of relationship do Scout and Miss Caroline have? Come up with 3 adjectives ,
and give supporting evidence for each.
2 What do we learn about the Cunningham family this chapter?
3 How does this fit with the wider setting of the Novel?
4 What attributes do the Cunninghams display?

Chapter 3 Walter Cunningham comes home from school for lunch.

1 What do we learn about Atticus’ character?

2 What distinction is made between the Cunninghams, and the Ewells?
3 What does Atticus mean by…
‘if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of
folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of
view – ’
’Sir?’
’ – until you climb into his skin nand walk around in it.’

Chapter 4 Jem and Scout find things in the tree and play ‘Boo Radley’. Scout rolls into the
Radley house in a tyre.

1 What is the first thing Scout finds in the live Oaks by the Radley place?
2 What is the new game that Dill and Jem start playing?
3 What does Scout hear after her tyre hits the Radley house?

Chapter 5 Jem, Dill and Scout try to make Boo come out, using a fishing line

1 Describe the relationship that Miss Maudie Atkinson has with Jem and Scout. Find some
evidence for you thoughts.
2 How do Jem and Dill try to lure Boo Radley out?
3 What advice does Atticus give to Jem and Scout concerning Boo Radley?

Chapter 6 Jem, Dill and Scout creep into the Radley yard at night and get shot at. Jem goes
back for his pants.

1 Why do Jem, Dill and Scout go to the Radley house in the middle of the night?
2 What does Nathan Radley do to scare Jem, Scout and Dill away from the Radley place?
3 Why does Jem return to the Radley place that same night?
Chapter 7 Nathan Radley plugs the hole in the tree, after Scout and Jem get more stuff from
it.

1 What further information does Jem tell Scout about the night they were scared off from
the Radley house?
2 List three other things that Jem and Scout find in the tree outside the Radley’s house
*
*
*
3 What reason does Nathan Radley give for plugging the hole in the tree with cement?

Chapter 8 Snow in Maycomb. Miss Maudie Atkinson’s house burns down.

1 Whose house is on fire?

2 Where do Jem and Scout stand to watch the fire?
3 Who gives Scout a blanket to keep warm?

Chapter 9 Scout taunted by Cecil, but walks away. Christmas: uncle Jack comes to stay, they
go to Finch’s Landing for Christmas.

1 Why does Scout fight Cecil Jacobs?

2 Which case do we hear about for the first time?
3 What provokes Scout to fight her cousin Francis?
4 Why is Scout upset with her Uncle Jack?

Re-read the conversation between Uncle Jack and Atticus on Pg 93.

What does this add about living with integrity?

Pg 92 “‘Uncle Jack, please promise me ________’, please sir. ______ you won’t tell Atticus about
this. He – he _______ me one time not to let anything I heard about him make me ____, an’ I’d
_______ him think we were _______’ about _________’ else instead. Please promise…’”

Chapter 10 Atticus shoots Tim Johnson

1 What present does Atticus give to Jem and Scout?
2 Who is Tim Johnson?
3 Why does Heck Tate (the policeman) make Atticus shoot Tim Johnson?
4 What nickname did Atticus have?

This novel is about integrity. Find and complete the following quote. It comes from page 104 (or if
your book is different to mine, the last page or two of chapter 10)

“‘If your father’s anything, he’s ________ in his heart. _________________ a gift of God, a
talent…. I think maybe he put his ____ down when he __________ that God had given him an
unfair ____________ over most living things.’
‘People in their ______ ________ never take ________ in their talents,’ said Miss Maudie.”

Look at the quote above. In your opinion, what does it say about living with integrity?

Chapter 11 Jem reads to Mrs Dubose.

1 What is Jem and Scout’s opinion of Mrs Henry Lafayette Dubose?

2 What did Mrs Dubose say to really upset Jem?
 3 How does Jem get revenge on Mrs Dubose?
4 What is Jem’s punishment for his revenge on Mrs Dubose?
5 What is revealed about Mrs. Dubose at the end of the chapter?

Atticus ‘This case, Tom Robinson’s case, is something that goes to the essence of a man’s
conscience – Scout, I couldn’t go to church and worship God if I didn’t try to help that man.’

‘…before I live with other folks I’ve got to live with myself. The one think that doesn’t abide by
majority rule is a man’s conscience.’ Pg 111
‘ – I wanted you to see what real courage is…. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin
but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you
do.’ Pg 118

Chapter 12 – Jem and Scout go to church with Calpurnia

1 In your opinion, why does Harper Lee include the incident with Lulu?
2 Note two differences between Calpurnia’s church, and the church Scout is used to.
3 Who do Jem and Scout discover sitting on their porch after church?

Chapter 13 Aunt Alexandra comes to stay. Atticus makes an attempt at telling Jem and Scout
what it means to be a Finch.

1 Which club does Aunt Alexandra become secretary of?

2 Pg 134 ‘Aunt Alexandra had a way of deciding What Is Best For The Family, and I
suppose her coming to live with us was in that category.’ Why has Harper Lee
capitalised W. I. B. F. T. F in this sentence?
3 The chapter ends “I know now what he was trying to do…” What was Atticus trying to
do when he spoke to Jem and Scout about what it means to be a Finch?
4 Why in your opinion has Aunt Alexandra come to stay?

Chapter 14 Dill appears under Scout’s bed.

1 Who wants to get rid of Calpurnia?

2 Why has Dill run away from home?

Chapter 15 A mob warn Atticus about Tom Robinson being transferred prisons. Another mob
try to kill Tom in prison.

1 Describe how Atticus shows integrity during this chapter. Look again at the map we’ve
made of integrity. How many elements of this are shown by Atticus at this point?
2 Lots of this chapter is INFERRED. That means we need to read between the lines to
work out what is happening. What can we INFER about the men, and the action in this
scene? See if you can list five things that we are encouraged to infer.
3 The word humane means to be gentle, civilised and compassionate. To be inhumane
means the opposite: barbaric, brutal and heartless. Take seven lines at least to describe
how Scout’s appearance in this scene changes things.

Chapter 16 (leads us right up to the trial)

1 Find and complete the following quote “‘A mob’s always made up of ________, no
matter what. Mr. ___________was part of a mob last night, but he was still a _______.
 Every ______ in every little Southern town is always made up of ___________ you
know…. You children last night made Walter Cunningham _________ in my _________
for a minute. That was enough.’” Atticus pg 163
2 How has Scout made Walter Cunningham stand in Atticus’s shoes?
3 How has this made him behave in a humane way?
4 Where do Scout, Jem and Dill sit to watch the trial?
5 Why is this significant?
6 Pg 169 we learn that the court has appointed Atticus to defend Tom Robinson. In your
opinion, how does this change the way that we see Atticus? How does this fit with our
understanding about integrity?

Chapter 17 The trial starts

1 “Mr Tate said, ‘Oh yes, that’d make it her right. It was her right eye, Mr Finch. I
remember now, she was bunged up on that side of her face….’” What is the significance
of Mayella Ewell’s injuries being on the right side of her face?
2 Why does Atticus ask if Bob Ewell or Heck Tate went to find the Doctor?
3 Why does Atticus ask Bob Ewell to write down his name?

Chapter 18 Mayella Ewell takes the stand

1 Why does Atticus question Mayella about her lack of friends?

2 What is revealed about Bob Ewell’s character?
3 What do we find out about Tom Robinson in this chapter? Why is this important?
4 Again, our inference skills as readers are tested. Write down four things that are inferred
in this chapter.

Chapter 19 Tom Robinson takes the stand

1 How old is Tom Robinson?

2 Why does Atticus start by asking Tom about his previous conviction?
3 Why were the other Ewell children not present the day of the alleged rape?
4 What mistake does Tom make when he’s on the witness stand? Why is this a mistake?

Chapter 20 Atticus’ final speech to the jury

1 Complete the quote: ‘Atticus says cheatin’ a ___________ man is ten times
worse than cheatin’ a _________ man,’ I muttered. ‘Says it’s the
_________ thing you can do.’ Why does Atticus think it is worse to cheat a
________ man than to cheat a _______ man?
2 How does this link to the title of the novel?
3 In Atticus’ summary, what does he claim Mayella does that is unspeakable in their
society?
4 Who appears in court at the end of Atticus’ closing speech to the jury?

Chapter 21 The Verdict

1 Who wins the trial?
2 When leaving the court, how does the Negro community show respect to Atticus?
3 In your opinion, how does this reflect upon Atticus’s integrity?

Chapter 22 Following the trial #1

 1 The following morning, how does the Negro community show respect for Atticus?
2 According to Miss Maudie, how does Judge Taylor help Tom Robinson?
3 What does Bob Ewell do to Atticus?

Chapter 23 Following the trial #2

1 Why is Atticus happy for Bob Ewell to spit on him?

2 Which member of the jury wanted to let Tom Robinson go free?
3 According to Jem, why does Boo Radley stay in his house?

Chapter 24 A Missionary women’s lunch

1 Why is Mrs Merriweather’s speech on J. Grimes Everett ironic?

2 Who is Mrs Farrow talking about when she says ‘I tell you there are some good but
misguided people in this town.’
3 What news do Atticus and Calpurnia break to Helen Robinson?

Chapter 25 following the trial #3

1 What does Jem stop Scout from killing? Why?

2 What does this incident reveal about Jem?
3 How long is Maycomb interested in the news about Tom Robinson?
4 [Mr Underwood, newspaper man] “He likened Tom’s death to the senseless slaughter of
songbirds by hunters and children….”How is Tom Robinson’s death like the killing of
songbirds?

Chapter 26 back to school

1 How has Scout’s attitude to the Radley place changed?

2 Why does Harper Lee include the incident with Little Cecil Jacobs and the article about
Hitler (or ‘Old Hitler’)? How is this incident like the Maycomb missionary ladies sitting
about discussing the work of J. Everett Grimes?
3 How is Jem trying to ‘deal’ with the Tom Robinson case?

Write a paragraph: look again at the notes you took on

integrity. How has Scout developed as a character? How many of
the lessons that Atticus taught on integrity has Scout taken on
board? Support your answer with specific evidence from the
novel.

Chapter 27 preparing for the Halloween pageant

1 What does Bob Ewell do to try to get back at Judge Taylor?

2 Who does Helen Robinson get work for? How did this man know her husband?
3 What happens to the furniture of Miss Tutti and Frutti Barber?
4 Describe Scout’s costume for the Halloween show:

Chapter 28 the pageant

1 Who jumps out to give Jem and Scout a fright on their way to the Haloween pageant?
2 Why does Scout miss her entrance in the pageant?
 3 What does Scout leave at the school house?
4 By the end of the scuffle, how many people are under the tree?
5 Who does Atticus summon following the attack on Scout and Jem?
6 Who is dead following the scuffle?
7 Ho has he died?

Chapter 29 Scout and Jem rescued

1 Who has rescued Scout and Jem?

Chpater 30

1 Why does Atticus invite people out on the front porch, instead of into the living room?
2 Who does Atticus think killed Bob Ewell?
3 Why does Atticus object to Heck Tate trying to cover things up?
4 Why is Heck Tate keen to silence Boo Radley’s heroics?
5 How would spreading news about Boo Radley’s heroics be like ‘shootin’ a mocking-
bird’ (pg 282)

Chapter 31

1 When leading Boo home, how does Scout demonstrate she’s a lady?
2 What is Scout doing when she stands on the Radley deck and thinks about events of the
last couple of years?