I am Scout’s older brother.
Jem Finch
Why is Ms. Caroline initially frustrated with Scout?
She can already read.
“It’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.”
Atticus
What does the mockingbird symbolize?
Innocence
Why does Lee have Scout narrate the novel as a child?
Her innocence allows the reader to notice the contradictions and prejudices of Maycomb that Scout herself does not always fully understand
I visit Maycomb during the summers and become friends with Scout and Jem.
Dill Harris
Why does Jem return alone to the Radley house after the children escape from Nathan Radley?
He has lost his trousers on the fence and goes back to retrieve them.
“Atticus Finch was the deadest shot in Maycomb County in his time.”
Ms. Maudie
What does the blanket Boo places around Scout symbolize?
Boo's kindness & protectiveness
Why is it significant that Scout chooses not to fight Cecil Jacobs after Atticus asks her to control her temper?
It shows Scout beginning to mature and allowing Atticus’s values to influence her behaviour.
I live beside the Finches and often talk to Scout and challenge some of Maycomb's attitudes.
Ms Maudie
What makes Nathan Radley's explanation for filling the knothole suspicious?
He says the tree is dying, but it's not.
“Don’t matter who they are, anybody sets foot in this house’s yo’ comp’ny.”
Calpurnia
What does Nathan Radley filling the knothole with cement symbolize?
Boo's isolation, and Nathan's control
Why does Lee reveal Atticus’s skill with a gun only after Scout and Jem complain that he is old and unimpressive?
The contrast challenges their childish idea that strength must be physical or obvious.
I refuse to accept something I cannot pay back, even though my family is poor.
Walter Cunningham
During Miss Maudie's house fire, something happens to Scout without her noticing. What happens, and why is it important?
Boo puts a blanket over her shoulders.
“Grandma says it’s bad enough he lets you all run wild, but now he’s turned out a n*******-lover.”
Francis
What might Tim Johnson and his rabies symbolize?
Racism and prejudice as a dangerous “disease” within Maycomb.
Why does Lee repeatedly show that Boo’s actions contradict the stories told about him?
It develops the idea that prejudice often comes from assumptions and rumours rather than genuine knowledge of a person.
I openly criticise the Radleys even though Scout is surprised because I rarely comment on the behaviour of white people.
Calpurnia
Who yells at Scout for fighting Francis?
Uncle Jack.
“Don’t you say hey to me, you ugly girl! You say good afternoon!"
What might Mrs Dubose’s camellias symbolize, particularly after Jem destroys them?
deeply rooted attitudes/prejudice
Atticus tells Scout that Maycomb has caught its “usual disease.” What does this metaphor suggest about prejudice?
It presents racism as something deeply embedded in the community that spreads between people and damages society.