Characters
This character struggles to remember the exact details from the night of the rape. After thinking very hard, he is able to tell Atticus that Mayella had a black eye on her right side.
Who is Heck Tate?
What might Tom's trial and death symbolize? Please explain with at least one supporting detail.
What are racism and prejudice?
Atticus represents the good, courageous part of Maycomb. This man represents the poverty and racial prejudice of Maycomb.
Who is Bob Ewell?
Identify the speaker. "Let the dead bury the dead, Mr. Finch. Let the dead bury the dead."
Who is Heck Tate?
Describe what happened during the scuffle under the Radleys' tree.
Bob Ewell attacked Jem and Scout. Scout couldn't see anything because of her costume. Jem tried to fight off Bob Ewell, but he was forced to the ground and broke his arm. Boo Radley came out to help Jem and Scout, ultimately stabbing Bob Ewell. Then, Boo carried Jem home.
This character shows up at the Maycomb County jail to threaten Atticus and Tom Robinson. He seems to be ashamed of himself once Scout begins talking to him and asking him about his son.
Who is Mr. Walter Cunningham?
What might the Ladies' Missionary Circle represent or symbolize? Remember, Aunt Alexandra was a member of this organization, and she invited them over for tea.
What is hypocrisy?
By the end of the novel, the children see this character and begin to recognize him as a real person.
Who is Boo Radley?
"Well, it'd be sort of like shooting a mockingbird, wouldn't it?"
Who is Scout?
Evaluate why a jury of white, male farmers negatively impacted Tom's trial.
They saw only his race, and to them, his race was an immediate sign of guilt.
This character has mixed race children in Maycomb County. He doesn't get along with the white members or the African American community. He pretends to be drunk to avoid their judgment.
Who is Mr. Dolphus Raymond?
What might the snowman Jem and Scout build represent?
What is the blacks and the whites coming together?
This is the reason Scout didn't want to attend school.
Her teacher, Miss Caroline, told her she didn't want Scout to read with Atticus anymore.
"Stand up, Miss Jean Louise. Your father's passing."
Who is Reverend Sykes?
How does Atticus suggest Bob Ewell is the one who actually beats Mayella?
He demonstrates that Mayella was most likely hit by a left-handed person, since her right eye is bruised. He has Bob Ewell write to show that Bob is left-handed. Finally, Atticus suggests, in his closing statements, that Tom is not guilty, but someone in the courtroom is.
This character threatens three characters in the book: Helen Robinson, Judge Taylor, and Atticus Finch. He also spits in Mr. Finch's face. He dies from a stab wound.
Who is Bob Ewell?
What might Mrs. Dubose's last camellia to Jem represent or symbolize?
Forgiveness.
Scout learns this important lesson after Walter Cunningham pours molasses all over his dinner.
Don't criticize your company.
"Secretly, Miss Finch, I'm not much of a drinker, but you see they could never, never understand that I live like I do because that's the way I want to live."
Who is Dolphus Raymond?
Explain why Calpurnia uses dialect and talks "more like a black person" around Lula at First Purchase Church.
Calpurnia wouldn't be taken seriously if she talked the way she did at the Finches'. She is trying to fit in and show that she is still loyal to her people while defending herself, the Finches, and her choices.
This character is the prosecutor and tries to make it seems as though Tom is strong enough to beat up a young woman so that he looks guiltier than he actually is.
Who is Mr. Gilmer?
What or who is the Gray Ghost (the book) supposed to symbolize?
Boo Radley
These things inspired the events in the novel.
Harper Lee's life events.
"Most people are [nice], Scout, when you finally see them."
Who is Atticus?
Describe why Tom Robinson's statement, "I felt bad for [Mayella]," makes everyone in the courtroom uncomfortable.
With this statement, Tom is implying that Mayella, a white woman, was in a worse situation than he was as a black man in the South. However, based on racial implications, this was not believed to be true. Tom was assumed, by the audience in the courtroom, to be challenging the structure and beliefs of the town.