To Kill a Mockingbird Study Questions - Weebly



To Kill a Mockingbird

Part Two Study Guide

CHAPTERS 12-15

1. List the three things that were bothering Scout at the beginning of the summer.

2. In chapter 12, how old is Jem? What does Calpurnia begin to call him? Why might she call him this?

3. How did the First Purchase Church get its name? How is it different from the churches Scout is used to?

4. Why does Reverend Sykes order the doors of the church shut?

5. Scout states that Reverend Sykes's sermon is the same that she has heard time after time at her own church. Cal, earlier, tells Lula that the all, black and white, have the same God. What idea about religion does Harper Lee present?

6. Why has Aunt Alexandra come to stay with the Finches? How does she explain the peculiar behavior of various citizens of Maycomb?

7. Who do you think is a better "mother" to the children, Calpurnia or Aunt Alexandra? Explain your opinion.

8. What concerns does Scout express to Atticus after his speech about "gentle breeding?" How does he reassure her?

9. Why do you think Atticus changes his mind about making the children conform to Alexandra's ideas?

10. How does Atticus deal with finding Dill in Scout's room?

11. Even though Dill gets permission to stay in Maycomb, why does Scout say their peace ended after a week?

12. Describe Dill's latest plan to get Boo Radley to come out.

13. When Jem asks Atticus if the men who came to the house were a "gang," what is Atticus's response?

14. After Atticus leaves the house late at night, where do the children find him? What is he doing?

15. Explain why the men have come to the jail.

16. When he is asked whether he can get a change of venue for Tom Robinson, the sheriff replies, "Not much point in that, now is it?" What is the sheriff implying?

17. When Jem defies Atticus's order that they go home, Scout expects Atticus to be angry with Jem while they walk home, but she sees Atticus tousle the boy's hair, his one gesture of affection. Why do you think Atticus wanted them to leave? Why do you think Jem refused to do so? Why do you think Atticus is not angry with him?

CHAPTERS 16-18

1. How does Atticus explain "mobs" to his children?

2. Scout describes the opening of Tom Robinson's trial as a "gala occasion." Since this trial may result in a man's losing his life, how would you explain the atmosphere?

3. Why does Jem say that "mixed children" are sad?

4. Where in the courtroom do the children sit? Why does this suggest to you about prejudice?

5. What question does Atticus ask the sheriff three times?

6. What does Atticus lead Sheriff Tate to remember about Mayella Ewell's black eye?

7. Explain why Jem tells Reverend Sykes that it's okay for Scout to sit in the courtroom.

8. What excuse does Mr. Ewell give for not running after Tom Robinson?

9. Explain what Atticus is attempting to show by asking Mr. Ewell to write something.

10. Why does Mayella think that Atticus is mocking her?

11. Mayella is puzzled when Atticus questions her about having friends. Then, when Atticus asks her whether she loves her father, her response is, "Love him, whatcha mean?" Considering the kind of life Mayella leads, do you think she has any idea what love is? Explain.

12. Explain why Atticus has Tom Robinson stand up.

13. Towards the end of Mayella's testimony in chapter 18, who does Atticus suggest is responsible for beating her?

CHAPTERS 19-22

1. According to Tom, where had Mayella's brothers and sisters gone on the evening in question?

2. Identify what Tom says Mayella did to him while he was standing on the chair and after he got off the chair.

3. When Atticus asks Tom why he ran, what is Tom's reply?

4. According to Scout, Tom realizes during his cross-examination that he has made a mistake. What is that mistake? Why is this statement a mistake? Why did the spectators dislike it?

5. How does Mr. Dolphus Raymond explain his pretense about drinking? When Scout accuses Mr. Raymond of being dishonest by pretending to drink when he doesn't, his response is that it isn't honest, but "it's mighty helpful to folks. What do you think of his and Scout's differing points of view?

6. Mr. Raymond tells Scout that when Dill grows up "he won't cry about the simple hell people give other people-- without even thinking. Cry about the hell white people give colored folks without even stopping to think that they're people too." What is Mr. Raymond implying about the difference between children and adults? Why does a child cry about an obvious injustice that an adult can ignore?

7. When Scout and Dill return to the courtroom, what prediction does Jem make? What basis does Jem have for making this prediction?

8. What, according to Atticus, is the one thing in the country that truly makes everyone equal?

9. Describe Cal's reaction to the children's having been at the trial. What is Alexandra's reaction?

10. What is Reverend Sykes's response to Jem's certainty that the jury will find Tom innocent?

11. How long is the jury out? When the jury returns, what does Scout observe about them? What is their verdict? Do you think that the jury's verdict proves or disproves Atticus's statement about equality?

12. What is Atticus's response to Jem's question about how the jury could have convicted Tom?

13. What causes Atticus's eyes to fill with tears?

14. What does Miss Maudie say about Atticus's ability to have kept the jury out for so long?

15. What does Bob Ewell do to Atticus? What might this foreshadow?

16. Scout notices Miss Maudie has two little cakes instead of three. When Miss Maudie cuts a piece from Jem from the big cake, Scout says they understood. What does Miss Maudie's action signify?

17. Dill's reaction to the travesty of Tom Robinson's conviction is to say he's going to be a clown when he grows up since, "There ain't one thing in this world I can do about folks except laugh." What did Dill do at the trial? Is there anything else he can do?

CHAPTERS 23-26

1. What had Atticus told Jem about having a gun around? Do you agree or disagree with Atticus?

2. How does Atticus explain Bob Ewell's attitude and behavior?

3. Where is Tom Robinson? What will happen if he loses his appeal?

4. When Jem suggests juries should be done away with, what does Atticus suggest should be done instead?

5. When is a man white trash?

6. How does Atticus explain the fact that women can't serve on juries in Alabama?

7. How does Atticus explain his decision to allow a Cunningham to sit on a jury?

8. Why don't the "normal" people of Maycomb serve on juries?

9. What is Aunt Alexandra's decision about Walter Cunningham? What is her reasoning?

10. According to Jem, what are the four kinds of folks?

11. What does Jem conclude constitutes "old family?"

12. What conclusion does Jem come to about Boo Radley? Do you agree with his conclusion?

13. After their discussion of the Mrunas, what do the ladies of the missionary society do?

14. Mrs. Merriweather had great compassion for the "poor Mrunas." She then criticizes the "cooks and field hands" of Maycomb for being dissatisfied about the verdict of Tom's trial and accuses "her Sophy" of "not being Christian." How can you account for the differences in Mrs. Merriweather's attitude?

15. What is Miss Stephanie's advice to Scout about becoming a lady?

16. What news does Atticus bring about Tom Robinson?

17. How does Atticus explain what Tom did?

18. Why is Maycomb only interested in the news of Tom's death for two days?

19. What conclusion does Scout come to about Tom after reading Mr. Underwood's article?

20. How did Atticus tell Scout that he knew of the incident in the collard patch?

21. Identify the irony in Miss Gates's lesson on democracy.

22. What hypocrisy does Scout see in Mrs. Gates?

CHAPTERS 27-31

1. Why does Bob Ewell lose his W.P.A. job? Who does he blame?

2. Why does Judge Taylor have a shotgun in his lap when his wife comes home from church?

3. Why was Helen Robinson walking a mile out of her way to get to her job?

4. Describe how Atticus explains Bob Ewell's dislike of John Taylor.

5. What might your responses to numbers 1-4 be foreshadowing?

6. What are the discomforts of Scout's ham costume?

7. As Scout and Jem walk toward the school, what happens to them?

8. After Jem tries to comfort Scout for coming on stage at the wrong time, what does Scout realize about Jem?

9. When Jem hears someone following him and Scout, who does he conclude it is?

10. How does Scout know that the body she touches with her toes is not Jem's?

11. When Scout reaches the street, what does she see in the light?

12. What, according to Dr. Reynolds, is Jem's condition?

13. Who is in Jem's room besides Scout, Atticus, and Alexandra?

14. What news does Sheriff Tate give Atticus?

15. Why can't Atticus or any of the other neighbors hear the children yelling?

16. What conclusion does Sheriff Tate come to about Scout's costume?

17. According to the sheriff, what kind of man was Bob Ewell?

18. When Scout points to the man who saved Jem and looks at him closely, what does she realize? What does she say?

19. Why does Atticus suggest that they go to the porch instead of the living room? Why does Scout seat Boo in a chair in the shade?

20. Who does Atticus think killed Bob Ewell?

21. What does Sheriff Tate say about Bob Ewell's death?

22. When Atticus continues to argue with the sheriff about protecting Jem, what does the sheriff yell?

23. What does the sheriff say the townspeople, including his wife, would do if they knew the truth about who killed Bob Ewell? What does the sheriff say would be a sin?

24. What is Scout's response when Atticus asks her if she can understand that "Mr. Ewell fell on his knife?"

25. After Scout takes Boo home, what makes her sad?

26. As Scout tells Atticus the story of The Gray Ghost, what does she say about Stoner's boy? What is Atticus's response?

27. As Scout returns home after leaving the Radley place, she comments that she and Jem hadn't much left to learn but Algebra. What has Scout learned from the episodes she recounts? What have you learned from having read about Scout's experiences?

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