To Kill A Mockingbird Study Guide
By: Courtney Chown and Michaela Smith
Table of Contents Page 1
Characters
Page 2-9
Summary
Page 10
Themes/ Symbols
Page 11
Quotes
Page 12
Historical Context
Page 13
Author Biography
Page 14
Bibliography
Characters Atticus is in his late 40’s early 50’s. He is Scout’s and Jem’s father. He taught them everything they know, he has a lot of wisdom and has a dry sense of humor. Atticus is a widower and his job is being a lawyer. He is working on a case about black man named Tom Robnson who was falsely accused of raping a white woman. Atticus is disrespected by all the people in Maycomb county because he is defending Tom. They call him all sorts of names, and a man even threatens to hurt Atticus, but he just ignores the comments. Atticus has influenced Scout and Jem in a lot of ways.
Jem’s full name is Jeremy Atticus Finch. He is in Junior high and is obsessed with Boo Radley and the Radley house. He is Scout’s brother and through out the book, he becomes very mature for his age. He doesn’t back down from dares, and plays football. Atticus has taught him everything he knows, and that is why he is so mature.
Dill has a very active imagination. His real name is Charles Baker Dill Harris, and he lives with his Aunt Rachel in the summer. He is originally from Meridian, Mississippi. He doesn’t stay at one house, he travel’s from relative to relative. He is obsessed with Boo Radley and the Radley house just as much as Jem. He is around Jem’s age, and is completely in love with Scout. They plan on getting married.
Scout’s real name is Jean Louise Finch, Scout is just her nick name. She just started grade one at the beginning of the book. She is a “tomboy” and likes to fight. Scout eventually develops a more grown-up perspective that enables her to appreciate human goodness without ignoring human evil. Throw out the book, she usually sticks with her brother, or her father. She is engaged to Dill and is going to marry him when they are older. She is also the narrator and protagonist.
Chapter Summarys!
Jem’s pants got stuck in the fence the only way they thought they could escape quickly was to take his pants off and leave without them.
As the kids were running they heard a gunshot and turned to see everyone gathered around the Radley place saying Mr .Radley had tried to shot a black man.
Chapters 1-6 Pages 1-56
Scout , Jem , Dill, and Atticus are introduced. Atticus is the father of Scout and Jem, and Dill is their friend that visits them in the summer.
They live in Maycomb.
The house across the street from Scout , Jem , and Atticus’s house is Aurther Radleys place. The kids are obsessed with this house because no one ever comes out of it.
Miss Stephanie Crawford is the town gossiper and is always saying something about someone.
Scout is just starting school for the first time , she is very intelligent, however her teacher gets mad when she reads a t home because she says in disrupts her teaching.
Scout’s teacher Miss Caroline is not from Maycomb and doesn't understand their ways.
Calpurnia is a black women that works are a housekeeper for Atticus.
On their way to school and back the kids keep finding things left in an old tree by the Radley house, they kids decide to take the things from the tree and each day there is new things there for them.
Miss Maudie is one of their other neighbors she is very nice to the kids and talks to them a lot.
One night the kids curiosity gets the best of them and they plan of looking into the Radley house’s window.
The kids seen a shadow of someone approaching them, and they got scared and tried to run away.
Mr.Radley did shot at something but it wasn't a black man it was the kids running to escape from his yard no one knew the truth that it had been the kids he had shot at. Late that night Jem got up told Scout to go back to sleep and he went back to get his pants.
Chapters 1-7 Pages 57112
Scout just started second grade
Jem told Scout one day when they were walking back to school what really happened that night when he went back for his pants at the Radley place.
When Jem had gone back that night he found his pants sown and hung over the top of the gate, like someone knew he would come back for them.
The kids continued getting presents out of the tree by the Radley place this time they had gotten two figures that looked strangely of them carved out of soap.
people
Scout is also made fun of at her Christmas family dinner by her cousin.
Scout loses her temper with her cousin and punches him right in the face
Her uncle Jack smacked her for hitting her cousin
On Christmas Jem and Scout each got an air rifle to shoot.
A mad dog was running around throughout Maycomb and Atticus had to be the one to shot it as he was the best shot in the entire county when he was younger.
Another one of the kids neighbors Mrs.Dubose was always mean to them and would yell at them from her porch.
On Jem’s birthday he went to the toy store with Scout and bought a model train and a baton.
The next week the kids found a pocket watch the wouldn't run and an aluminum knife in the tree. The kids start to get curious as to who is leaving all the presents in the tree and decided to write a letter thanking the person to see if they could find out who it was when and if they wrote back. A little while after the letter had been placed in the tree the tree was filled in with cement by Mr.Radley, who claimed that the tree was dying.
That winter Mrs. Radley died of natural causes.
During the first snow the kids made a snowman out of mud and snow.
Miss Maudies house caught fire and burned down.
Mr.Radley helped Scout keep warm by putting a blanket around her while she was watching the firefighters put out the fire.
The next day at school Scout is made fun of because someone said her daddy defends black
On the way back from the toy shop Jem ran into Mrs.Dubose’s yard yelling and wacked all her flowers ruining them. Atticus made Jem go apologize to Mrs.Dubose, the she made Jem come over the read to her everyday for two hours.
Awhile after Jem started reading to Mrs.Dubose everyday she died, leaving behind a flower for Jem.
Jem didn't know at the time but Mrs.Dubose had been battling an addiction, she was a very brave women and she knew she didn't have much time to live.
Chapters 12-17 Pages 115-166
sent
Scout then talks back to her aunt and is told by Atticus that as long as her aunt is living with them she will respect everything she has to say
Aunt Alexandra tells Atticus that he doesn't need his black maid anymore and that he should fire her however Atticus would never fire Calpurnia because he says she is part of the family
Jem has just turned 12 and wants to be more independent and doesn't want to hang out with Scout as much anymore
Jem telling Scout to go away and leave him alone makes her really upset.
That summer when Dill was supposed to come and stay in Maycomb he never showed up
Instead of coming to Maycomb Dill sent Scout and Jem a letter saying that he had got a new father that was a lawyer like Atticus
Attticus goes away for a business trip and leaves the kids with Calpurnia .
Calpurnia takes the kids to her black people church one Sunday and when they return they find their Aunt Alexandra waiting for them.
Their Aunt Alexandra is going to stay and live with them for awhile to help Atticus raise them as she does not like the way they act.
When getting ready for bed Scout feels something under her bed and thinks it’s a snake so she gets Jem to check it out
Jem comes in and hits whatever is under Scout’s bed with a broom and out comes Dill
Dill says he ran away from home because his new parents don't pay attention to what he has to say even though they are rich and give him everything
Atticus tells Dill he can stay the night at his house
In the morning a group of people came to Atticus’s front door and took him outside to talk while the kids watched in the window
That night Atticus left and went to the jail house , the kids followed him there wondering where he would be going that time of night anyway
Atticus told the kids they had to change their ways, this made Scout very upset and she started crying , Atticus ended up telling the kids to for- get everything that he had said
When the kids went in a group of men were sitting talking with Atticus , people that were clearly there to hurt him and Tom
Just by the kids being there and talking to the men trying to hurt Atticus and Tom made the men leave
Atticus then took the kids home with him and they went to bed
Scout is sitting in the living room with Atticus reading the paper when all of a sudden she asks Atticus what rape is , he told her it was carnal knowledge of a female by force and without con-
The next day the kids went to court to see Tom’s Trial and basically everyone in the town was there.
Chapter s 17-22 Pages 167-212
mond
Mr.Raymond is the only white man in town with a black wife and mixed kids
He pretends to be a drunk so people just ignore him and except his way of life
Mr. Raymond shares his Cola with Dill
Dill and Scout reenter the courtroom only to see Calpurnia marching up to Atticus
Calpurnia told Atticus that she couldn't find the kids, the kids were then pointed out and told to come down from the balcony
Calpurnia made the kids leave the trial to come have supper and wasn't going to let them come back, however , Atticus said the kids could come back after dinner and see the rest of the trial.
When the kids got back to the courthouse the jury had just given their verdict , Tom was found guilty
-The trial starts and Mr.Tate takes the stand
Mr.Tate said that Bob Ewell got him on November 24th the night of the rape Mr.Tate said she was laying on the floor beaten. Bob Ewell did not call a doctor though The sheriff took the stand and described her injuries, a black right eye, arms bruised, and finger marks on her neck
Bob Ewell said he saw Tom Robinson rape his daughter Mayella
Mayella then took the stand and said that Tom came up to her house that night to help her with something , she then proceeded to say he then attacked her and raped her
Atticus tried to prove that the reason Mayella was saying what she was saying was because her dad was a drunk and she was afraid of him
Tom then took that stand and said Mayella Was always asking him for help when he passed her place on the way home from work
He then said once he was in the house Mayella attacked him and tried to kiss him
Tom said Bob Ewell then saw Mayella trying to kiss him and screamed “ You filthy whore ,I'll kill ya”
Tom said he did not rape Mayella Ewell
Dill then got upset in the courtroom and started to cry
Dill and Scout then left the courtroom and went outside
Once outside the kids ran into Mr.Dolphus Ray-
Chapters 22-27 Pages 213-247 - Jem cries because he knows Tom should not have been found guilty and thinks it’s very unfair
The next day all the black people who were friends with Tom leave food on Atticus’s table as a thank you for all the work he did to try and save Tom
The kids go over to Miss Maudie’s house for cake Jem tells her he used to think the world of the white people in Maycomb but after what they let happen to an innocent man he doesn't think highly of them anymore
Miss Maudie tells the kids that some people did try to help but they were outnumbered
While Atticus was on his way to the post office Bob Ewell stopped him and spit on him and threatened him
In August Alexandra invites some of her friends over for tea she gets Scout to wear a dress and help Calpurnia serve tea
Atticus comes in during the tea and tells Calpurnia, Scout and Alexandra to come with him to the kitchen as he has something to tell them
Once in the kitchen Atticus tells them that the jail called and said Tom had tried to escape so he had been shot and he is now dead
Atticus goes to Tom’s wife Helen and tells her what has happened she is very upset
Dill leaves to go back home
The kids start school again and walk by Boo Radley’s house everyday
Chapters 27– 31 Pages 247-281 h
him all the way back to her house
Atticus then called the sheriff because his kids were attacked
The doctor came to check Jem at the house and said he had a broke arm but other than that he would be fine
After the sheriff got there and heard the story he went back to the tree to see if he could find anything, when he came back he announced that Bob Ewell was laying under the tree dead
-Mr.Ewell got fired from his job because people are finally starting to realize how lazy he really is
Atticus took Bob Ewell’s old job
Bob Ewell has been harassing Tom’s wife Helen as she passes his house going to and from work
Mr.Link didn't need Helens help at his business but he gave her a job anyway to help support her family
On Halloween night there was a pageant at the school and Scout was playing the ham
The sheriff however proved that Jem didn't kill Bob Ewell but Ewell had actually attacked the kids with the intention to kill them when he had fallen back on his own knife and died
After everything was settled down at the house Atticus introduced Scout to the man who carried jem back to the house as none other than Aurther Radley
Jem took Scout to the pageant , on the way there Cecil Jacobs scared them
Backstage Scout feel asleep while waiting to go on stage and missed her cue
After the show Mrs.Marywheather told Scout she ruined her pageant so Scout was very discouraged and felt bad On their way home Scout and Jem heard someone following them , they thought it was Cecil just trying to scare them again
After a few minutes while they were by the big old oak tree they heard something again so Jem told Scout to run
Scout was tackled to the ground her costume crushing around her body, Scout then heard a struggle going on between the mystery person following them and Jem
Then she heard Jem scream before all the fighting stoped and she couldn't hear anything anymore
She then saw a man carrying Jem , she followed
Atticus wasn't going to give his boy any special treatments and was going to make him face the consequences for killing Bob
Scout had finally seen Boo Radley and she realized he was nothing to be scared of and that he was actually very nice It was then time for bed as Scout went to her bed and Atticus went to stay with Jem so he would be there in the morning when he woke up.
Themes / Symbols The title of To Kill a Mockingbird has very little literal connection to the plot, but it carries a great deal of symbolic weight in the book. In this book, the people who were affected the most by innocence, for example Boo Radley, are called the “mockingbirds”. Thus, to kill a mockingbird is to destroy innocence. The mockingbirds were innocent until people started to think they were evil. This connection between the Another theme is the threat that hatred, prejudice, novel’s title and its main theme is made explicit sevand ignorance pose to the innocent: people such as eral times in the novel: after Tom Robinson is shot, Tom Robinson and Boo Radley are not prepared for Mr. Underwood compares his death to “the senseless slaughter of songbirds,” and at the end of the the evil that they encounter, and, as a result, they book Scout thinks that hurting Boo Radley would be are destroyed. Jem sees the evil in people, and is like “shootin’ a mockingbird.” Most important, Miss affected badly by this. Scout on the other hand still Maudie explains to Scout: “Mockingbirds don’t do sees the goodness in people, and is not very affected one thing but . . . sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” That Jem and by the trial and everything else that is going on. Scout’s last name is Finch (another type of small bird) The difference of which family name is more imsays that they are particularly vulnerable in the racist portant than others. The Finches are at the top, and world of Maycomb, which often treats the fragile inall the others are “beneath” them. Ignorant country nocence of childhood harshly. farmers like the Cunninghams lie below the townspeople, and “the white trash” Ewells rest below the Cunninghams. But the black community in Maycomb, despite its abundance of admirable qualities, squats below even the Ewells, enabling Bob Ewell to make up for his own lack of importance by persecuting Tom Robinson. Scout does not understand this, and when Aunt Alexandra is always on her about living up to the family name, it bugs her. The most important theme is Moral’s of the people. Whether they are essentially good, or essentially evil. The novel shows this by showing Scout’s and Jem’s perspective on the world as they were growing up. They don’t really see the evil in people until they have a more mature attitude and realize what evil is.
Another theme is the small town life. It’s old fashioned, the small town life values, it shows this all through the novel. The horror of the fire, for instance, is mitigated by the comforting scene of the people of Maycomb banding together to save Miss Maudie’s possessions. It shows how well everyone cares for each other.
“I
Quotes “I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.” -Atticus Finch.
was born good but had grown progressively worse every year.” -Scout Finch “Don’t talk like that, Dill,” said Aunt Alexandra. “It’s
not becoming to a child. It’s – cynical.”
“Atticus said to Jem one day, "I’d rather you shot at “I ain’t cynical, Miss Alexandra. Tellin’ the truth’s not tin cans in the backyard, but I know you’ll go after birds. Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit cynical, is it?” ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird." That was the only time I ever heard Atticus say it was “The way you tell it, it is.” Dill and Aunt Alexandra a sin to do something, and I asked Miss Maudie about it. "Your father’s right," she said. "Mockingbirds don’t do one thing except make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corn cribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” “Sometimes the Bible in the hand of one man is worse than a whisky bottle in the hand of (another)... There are just some kind of men who - who're so busy worrying about the next world they've never learned to live in this one, and you can look down the street and see the results.” - Miss. Maudie “As you grow older, you'll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something and don't you forget it - whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, he is trash.” “You just hold your head high and keep those fists down. No matter what anybody says to you, don't you let 'em get your goat. Try fightin' with your head for a change.” -Atticus Finch
I
Historical Context
The book was completed in 1959, and published in 1960. It was written in New york.
In the 1960’s society was racist, and discriminated against coloured or black people. The book of “To Kill a Mockingbird” it shows how they were so discriminative. In the book, Atticus is a lawyer for a coloured man who had supposedly raped a white woman. If that was true, then he would have to go to jail and they would hang him. The judge ignores the people telling him about the African American’s rights, and the jury also ignores the fact that Tom Robinson’s left arm was useless. In the 1930’s a similar case, called the Scottsboro Trial, had occurred. The judge looked the other way at the rights and freedoms of the African American, and the jury overlooked that the white woman had not suffered injuries. In the 1960’s, it was very dangerous to be a black person. If black people went to churches, their church was bombed. People were shot, black men were arrested for no reason, either lynched or never heard from again. The governor at the time was very racist and really wanted to uphold segregation no matter what happened. After a while though, freedom rights people went to the black people and registered them to be able to vote.
What Inspired Harper Lee to write the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” was her early childhood. Her father was a lawyer who was put on a case to defend a black man. She went through a lot and also learned very much from that situation.
The book was written about her own life as a child. Harper Lee is Scout and Harper Lee were both “tomboys” when
they were growing up. Her real brother was named Jem Finch in the novel, and her dad was named Atticus in the novel. They had a black maid named Calpurnia. Atticus was working on a case since he was a lawyer, about black men raping white women. The same thing happen to Harper Lee when she was a child. Her dad was a lawyer and working on a case about the exact same thing. Harper Lee also had a friend like Dill was to Scout. The boy would come home every summer to visit Harper, just like Dill did for Scout. Scout had also talked back to teachers, just like Harper did in school. They didn’t like school very much, and they thought it was boring and pointless. Harper Lee wrote the novel based on her childhood. When she was younger she wrote short stories and To Kill a Mockingbird is basically made up of short stories combined together to make one big story. She wrote about children’s and adults’ morals. When Harper was 10 years old, her father had come across a case that 9 black men had raped two white women. Every one of the nine black men was sentenced to death on false charges toward raping the two white women. She wanted people to see that children are innocent and don’t know evil unless they experience it like she did.
Author Biography Nelle Harper Lee was born on April 28,1926 in Monroeville Alabama. She is 85 years old now. Lee’s father was a local lawyer in her hometown when she was a young girl. She was the youngest of four kids and was defined as a tomboy while growing up. During her childhood Lee always spent time with her best friend Truman Capote, who she later worked with. Nelle graduated in 1944 and then went on to attend the all female Huntington College in Montgomery . Later on she transferred to the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa. It was then that Lee realized she wanted to become a writer. Eventually she became the editor of a magazine called the Rammer Jammer. She quit her job as a reservation clerk in 1956 to concentrate on her writing. After getting an agent she started to write her book “ To Kill A Mockingbird”. Lee had the most success of her career when her wrote “ To Kill A Mockingbird “. To Kill A Mockingbird was published on July 11, 1960. Nelle received many awards over the years for her novel. She has received a presidential Medal Of Freedom at the White House. To Kill A Mockingbird is now one of the most known books all over the world, and has been published in over 3 different languages. After To Kill A Mockingbird Lee stopped writing and hasn't had another book published since. (Lee also wrote a letter to Oprah which we could not find on the internet.)
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