The Trial
This one young woman plays an active role in the trial.
Who is... Mayella?
Tom's friends, family and neighbors do this for Atticus after the trial.
What is...
Drop off food in thanks.
This man attacks the Finch children on their way home from the pageant.
Who is Bob Ewell?
These characters could be considered metaphorical mockingbirds.
Who are...
Tom Robinson, Boo/Arthur Radley, Mayella Ewell
Bonus Answers: Jem, Scout, Dill, Atticus? How so?
Scout specifically often feels confused and trapped by this type of bias, mostly inflicted on her by Aunt Alexandra.
What are gender roles?
Atticus treats Mayella this way during the trial.
What is...
very politely and respectfully, using titles like "ma'am"
How did Tom Robinson die?
What is...
Tom Robinson was murdered as he tried to escape prison.
This man saves the children from the attack on the way home from the pageant.
Who is Boo/Arthur Radley?
Judge Taylor appointed Atticus because he knew Atticus would actually try, and do a good job, to defend Tom Robinson. This proves that Judge Taylor was subtly defending Tom as well.
Aunt Alexandra often discriminates against these types of families and believes that the Finches are "a finer family" then them.
What are...
Lower class families?
What is...
Standing in respect?
Atticus interrupts the missionary tea for this reason.
What is...
to tell Aunt Alexandra, Calpurnia, and Scout about Tom Robinson's murder.
This costume of Scout's inhibits her from seeing what happens and makes her helpless to fight back.
What is a ham costume?
This injury is mentioned on the first page that foreshadows the attack on the Finch children.
What is...
Jem's broken elbow?
Miss Gates reveals her own hypocrisy in this way in Scout's class.
What is...
she is enraged over mistreatment of Jewish people, but she harbors her own racial prejudices.
Jem reveals is childlike naivete when he feels this way about the pending result of the trial.
What is...
Jem is confident that they will win.
Bob and Atticus have this encounter at the post office after the trial.
What is...
spitting in his face and telling him he'll "get him"
Atticus immediately suspects this person of having killed Bob.
Who is Jem?
We could argue that these two types of innocence are explored in the novel.
What are...
Innocence of a crime (Tom)
Innocence of a child (Scout)
The ladies at the missionary tea exhibit their own hypocrisy in this way.
What is...
they pity and are generous to struggling communities around the world, but they are critical of the marginalized black community in their own town.
What is...
Mayella is a victim, and he pities her, but he does not pity her enough to wrongfully accuse Tom.
This person assures the Finch children that more people (like herself!) supported Tom and Atticus than they thought.
Who is Miss Maudie?
True or false: Atticus did not think that even Bob Ewell could be cowardly enough to attack children in the dark of night.
What is...
true
pg. 356, 361
When Sheriff Tate and Atticus discuss Bob's death on the porch, Tate suspiciously has a switchblade, though he says he only saw a kitchen knife on the scene. He says the switchblade came from an earlier case that evening. How might it actually be connected to the attack?
What is...
The kitchen knife was actually Boo's not Bob's. Tate confiscated the switchblade from the scene to cover Boo's involvement.
There are this many encounters that we see a black character interact meaningfully with another black character.
What is 0?
Discussion question: Why might that be problematic?