Chapters 1-3
What did Dill Dare Jem to do that set the story in motion?
Run on up and touch the Radley home
What are the first two "gifts" the kids find in the Radleys' tree?
Gum and two Indian head pennies
How did Mrs. Maudie's house catch fire? What is her reaction?
She left the fire going for warmth; she didn't mind, and just moved forward.
How does Jem begin to change?
He matures; he leaves some of the childish games behind him and stops his pranks. Thus, he is "moody" to Scout's point of view.
How do Mayella and Tom's testimony diverge?
Tom says she tried to tempt him; Mayella says she was abused by Tom.
What is the first "crime" that Scout commits at school, according to her first grade teacher, Miss Caroline?
She already knows how to read.
Who is Mrs. Dubose and what is her relationship to the Finich Family?
She's a cantankerous old woman addicted to pain medicine who takes every opportunity she can to bother, insult, or mock the Finches.
What does Cecil Jacobs tell Scout about her father that she didn't know?
That he would be defending a black man in court.
Wht does Scout learn about Calpurnia's "double life"?
What was Tom's handicap? Why was it important to the case?
Explain the following quote from Scout: "He ain't company, Cal, he's just a Cunningham." What does she mean and what reaction does it fetch from Calpurnia?
Scout thinks Finches are better than Cunninghams, and that fetches a scolding from Calpurnia about looking down at other people.
What was the Boo Radley game?
Reenactments of plays.
What lesson did Scout leacher Uncle Jack about raising children?
Get both sides of a story before constructing conclusions and punishments
"Aunt Alexandra fitted into the world of Maycomb like a hand in a glove, but never into the world of Jem and me." Explain this passage.
Jem and Scout don't seem to agree with their Aunt's way of thinking or superficial modes of saying and doing the right things to look accomplished or proper.
What do Scout and Dill learn about Mr. Raymond?
He pretends to be a drunk to protect his famiily from any unsavory opinions or backlash.
Why didn't the Ewells have to go to school?
The truant officer couldn't jail father without taking away the adult from a home with many, many needy children. Because of Mr. Ewell's unique situation, the authorities bent the rules from the children.
What advice does Atticus give Jem and Dill when he catches them trying to give Boo Radley a note on a fishing line?
Use the front door.
What brave thing does Atticus have to do in Chapter 10 that changes how his children think of him?
"One shot Finch" has to put down a rabid dog from a distance.
What is the major disagreement between Atticus and Alexandra concerning the children? How does Atticus handle it?
They disagree on Calpurnia's role in the family; Atticus puts his foot down on the fact that Calpurnia is good for the family and will stay until she doesn't want to do so any longer.
What is Atticus' final plea to the jury?
Thomas Jefferson: "All men are created equal."
Which character's absence can be felt most immediately in this novel's first few chapters?
Mrs. Finch.
What is odd about how Jem found his pants at the Radley house after Dill, Scout, and him had to leave in a hurry?
His pants, which he'd gotten hooked on wire, were mended and folded on the fence.
She spoke ill of Mr. Finch for defending Tom Robinson
What did Walter Cunningham's mob want?
They wanted their own justice, even if that meant hurting Atticus to accomplish it?
Explain Jem's thought: "I think I'm beginning to understand why Boo Radley's stayed shut up in the house all this time...it's because he wants to stay inside."
Jem feels like there are cruelties outside of the house that are worthy trying to avoid altogether.