To Kill A Mockingbird Reading Check Study Guide

To Kill A Mockingbird Reading Check: Chapters 1-3 1. What do Jem and Scout call their father? They call him Atticus, his first name. 2. Where does Scout’s family live? Please put city & state. They live in Maycomb, Alabama. 3. What are some of the rumors about Boo Radley or the Radley Place? Name one. Boo Radley is chained to the bed, he breathes frosts on azaleas, he eats raw cats and squirrels, he peeks in at other people’s windows, he’s seven feet tall, etc. 4. What does Dill dare Jem to do in Chapter 1? Touch the fencepost of the Radley Place. 5. In Chapter 2, why does Scout first “get off on the wrong foot” with Miss Caroline? Scout already knows how to read and write. 6. What does Scout have to explain to Miss Caroline about the Cunninghams? They are desperately poor, and they will not take anything they can’t pay back. 7. While eating lunch with Walter Cunningham, why does Scout get into trouble with Calpurnia? Scout was rude to Walter when she asked why he was pouring molasses all over his food. 8. How does Burris Ewell upset Miss Caroline? Name any of the ways. He was late, he was rude, he was filthy, he was covered in lice, he insulted her, he waited until she was crying before leaving. 9. How does Scout’s father explain the Ewells to Scout? Atticus explains that the Ewells are Maycomb’s disgrace; Bob Ewell, the father, has never done a day’s honest work in his life. They live by their own rules. 10. At the end of Chapter 3, what bargain do Scout and her father make to keep Scout at school? Atticus will keep reading to her if Scout keeps going to school. To Kill A Mockingbird Reading Check: Chapters 4-6 1. Where, specifically, does Scout find the chewing gum in Chapter 4? She finds it in the knothole of the oak tree on the Radley Place. 2. What new game do Scout, Dill, and Jem start playing, or reenacting in Chapter 4? Boo Radley: The Life of One Man. They act out scenes from Boo Radley’s rumored life. 3. After crashing into the Radley Place in the tire, what did Scout hear coming from inside the Radley House in Chapter 4? She heard low laughter coming from inside the Radley House. 4. In Chapter 5, what does Miss Maudie explain to Scout about Mr. Arthur Radley (Boo’s dad), or “foot-washing Baptists”? Foot-washing Baptists believe that anything we can take pleasure in on earth is a sin. 5. What do Jem and Dill plan to give Boo Radley in Chapter 5? They plan to give him a note inviting him for ice cream. 6. How does Jem try to deliver this item to Boo Radley? Jem tries to deliver it on the end of a fishing pole. 7. When Atticus catches them in Chapter 5, what does he tell them to stop doing? “Stop tormenting that man,” i.e., leave Boo Radley alone. 8. In Chapter 6, Jem and Dill say they plan to sneak out to try and get a peek at Boo Radley. They give Scout several reasons for why they have to go tonight. Name any one of the reasons: It’s the last day of summer; Dill leaves tomorrow; Atticus is up reading & won’t notice they’re gone; if Boo Radley kills them, they’ll only miss school. 9. After the commotion (and Nathan Radley’s shotgun blast), what explanation for their lateness (and Jem’s appearance) do Dill, Scout, and Jem give Atticus? They were playing strip poker, and Dill won Jem’s pants. 10. At the end of Chapter 6, why does Jem go back to the Radley Place in the middle of the night? He needs to get his pants back. To Kill A Mockingbird Reading Check: Chapters 7-9 1. When Jem went back for his pants, what was different about them? They were poorly mended and folded over the fence, like they were waiting for him. 2. Name two of the many things that Scout and Jem found in the Radley tree. A pack of gum, a ball of twine, soap dolls carved to look like them, a medal from a spelling competition, a broken pocket watch & chain, a knife. 3. What happened to Scout and Jem’s tree in Chapter 7? Nathan Radley filled it with cement, claiming he was sick. 4. In Chapter 8, according to Mr. Avery, what causes changes in the weather, like the sudden snowstorm in Maycomb? Mr. Avery says it’s because of badly behaved children. 5. What happens to Miss Maudie’s house in Chapter 8? Her house burns down. 6. When Scout and Jem go back home (after waiting out the situation at Miss Maudie’s), what had Boo given Scout? Boo had given them a blanket. 7. Why is Atticus taking the court case for Tom Robinson? If he didn’t, he wouldn’t be able to hold his head up in town or ask his children to “mind” him. 8. Why doesn’t Scout like going to Christmas Day at Finch’s Landing? Name any reason she gives. She doesn’t like Aunt Alexandra, Uncle Jimmy, or Francis; she hates being criticized for being unladylike; she hates having to eat by herself in the corner. 9. Why is Atticus “mortifying the family,” according to Francis? Atticus is mortifying the family because he’s defending Tom Robinson, a Black man. 10. Why does Scout ask Uncle Jack not to tell Atticus the real reason behind her fight with Francis? Atticus had made Scout promise not to defend him with violence, and she broke that promise. To Kill A Mockingbird Reading Check: Chapters 10-11 1. Why is it a sin to kill a mockingbird? They are completely innocent, all they do is sing. 2. In Chapter 11, why are Jem and Scout sort of ashamed of Atticus? This is NOT about the case; this is something else. In Jem and Scout’s view, Atticus can’t “do” anything. He’s older than the other fathers and doesn’t hunt, shoot, or play sports. 3. What’s wrong with the dog, Tim Johnson? Tim Johnson has rabies. 4. When asked to shoot the dog, why does Heck Tate, the sheriff, give his rifle to Atticus instead? Atticus is a much better shot. His nickname was One-Shot. 5. Why does Jem think Atticus isn’t proud of his skill? Atticus never told them about it. If he was proud of it, Jem figures he would have told his children. 6. What sort of woman is Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose? Mrs. Dubose is horrible, racist, and old. 7. When Mrs. Dubose finally gets Jem to lose his temper, what does Jem do to her yard? Jem smashes her camellias by cutting all of the buds off of the bushes. 8. What does Mrs. Dubose want Jem to do for her to make things right? Mrs. Dubose wants Jem to come read to her for two hours every day after school for a month. 9. What was Mrs. Dubose trying to do for herself before she died? Mrs. Dubose was trying to overcome her morphine addiction. She was using Jem’s reading as a way to distract herself between doses. 10. Why does Atticus describe Mrs. Dubose as “the bravest lady”? She made herself fight a losing battle. Real courage is “knowing you’re licked before you begin, but beginning anyway.” To Kill A Mockingbird Reading Check: Chapters 12-14 1. In Chapter 12, where does Calpurnia take Jem and Scout? Calpurnia takes Jem and Scout to her church. 2. Why does Reverend Sykes want to collect $10 for Helen Robinson? No one will hire her because of what Tom is accused of doing, and she has three young kids to take care of. 3. When Jem and Scout ask why there aren’t any hymnals, what does Calpurnia reveal about the members of her church? Even if they had hymnals, it wouldn’t matter; only 4 people there can read: Calpurnia, her son Zeebo, Reverend Sykes, and one other. 4. Why does Calpurnia change the way she talks, depending on who’s around? She doesn’t want to make anyone uncomfortable, so she code-switches. 5. Who do Jem, Scout, and Calpurnia find waiting on their front porch at the end of Chapter 12? They find Aunt Alexandra. 6. How well does Aunt Alexandra fit in with the rest of Maycomb society? Aunt Alexandra fits RIGHT in. She hosts missionary circles and gossips with everyone. 7. Why do Atticus and Aunt Alexandra argue over Calpurnia? Aunt Alexandra wants to get rid of Calpurnia, and Atticus argues that Calpurnia can leave when she wants to. 8. In Chapter 14, where was Dill hiding in Scout’s room? Dill was hiding under Scout’s bed. 9. Why did Dill run away? Dill felt that his parents didn’t care if he was there or not. 10. At the end of Chapter 14, Scout asks Dill why he thinks Boo Radley hasn’t run away yet. How does Dill answer? Dill thinks that Boo Radley probably doesn’t have a place to run to. To Kill A Mockingbird Reading Check: Chapters 15-17 1. At the beginning of Chapter 15, why do Heck Tate (the sheriff), Link Deas, and other men visit Atticus? They are worried that people are going to try to hurt Tom Robinson when he’s moved to the courthouse jail. 2. Later in Chapter 15, why have the men from Old Sarum come to the courthouse jail? They came there to lynch Tom, to kill him before his trial. 3. What makes the men break up their mob and go home? Scout asks questions to Walter Cunningham’s dad and makes him realize what he’s doing. 4. According to Atticus, what are all mobs made up of? All mobs are made up of people. 5. In Chapter 16, what rumors does Jem share about Mr. Dolphus Raymond? Mr. Dolphus Raymond is an evil man, he lives with a colored woman, he owns a riverbank, his white fiancée killed herself before the wedding, he has mixed-raced children. 6. According to Jem, why would a ‘mixed child’ be ‘real sad’? They don’t belong anywhere. 7. Who takes Jem, Scout, and Dill into the courtroom with them? Reverend Sykes, Calpurnia’s pastor. They sit in the segregated section of the courtroom. 8. In Chapter 17, according to Heck Tate’s testimony, which side of Mayella’s face had been beaten? The right side, meaning whoever beat her led with their left hand. 9. What, according to Scout, is Mr. Ewell’s only advantage? He’s white. 10. What does Atticus prove about Mr. Ewell by having Mr. Ewell write his name? Why would that be significant? Bob Ewell is left-handed, meaning he could be the one who beat Mayella. To Kill A Mockingbird Reading Check: Chapters 18-20 1. According to Mayella Ewell’s testimony in Chapter 18, what does she claim she invited Tom Robinson into her house to do? Mayella claims she invited Tom Robinson in to ‘bust up a chiffarobe,’ a piece of furniture, for firewood. 2. Why does Mayella Ewell think Atticus is being rude to her? Atticus is calling her ma’am and ‘Miss Mayella,’ and Mayella has never been spoken to kindly. She thinks Atticus is mocking her. 3. What does Atticus reveal about Tom Robinson, which could prove his innocence? Tom Robinson’s left arm doesn’t work. He got it caught in a cotton gin when he was 12. He can only use his right arm. 4. Why does Mayella Ewell stop answering Atticus’s questions? Atticus was pressuring her to confess that her father was the one who beat her, not Tom. 5. According to Tom Robinson’s testimony in Chapter 19, why had Mayella Ewell really invited Tom Robinson into her house? Tom says that Mayella invited him in to kiss him. She asked him in to fix the door, which wasn’t broken, then told him to get something down from a closet. While he was reaching up for it, Mayella grabbed him around the waist and started kissing him, demanding that he kiss her back. 6. How did Tom Robinson feel about Mayella Ewell, and how did Mayella Ewell feel about him? Tom Robinson felt sorry for Mayella, but Mayella was in love with Tom. 7. Why does Dill start crying during Mr. Gilmer’s cross-examination of Tom? Dill can’t stand how rude and disrespectful Mr. Gilmer is being towards Tom, calling him ‘boy’ and battling him on everything. 8. What does Mr. Dolphus Raymond actually keep in his glass bottle? Why? Mr. Dolphus Raymond only keeps Coca-Cola in his glass bottle. He does this so he can act drunk so people have a reason to hate his behavior and leave him alone, rather than question all his life choices. 9. Atticus tells the jury that Mayella was ashamed she had broken a “time-honored code.” What code was that? Mayella fell in love with and lusted after a Black man. 10. What does Atticus beg the jury to do at the end of Chapter 20? Atticus begs the jury to believe Tom. To Kill A Mockingbird Reading Check: Chapters 21-23 1. At the beginning of Chapter 21, what does Jem expect the verdict to be? Jem expects Tom to be found not guilty. 2. How long does the jury take to decide? Several hours; the jury does not come back with a verdict until after 11 o’clock at night. 3. What is the verdict? The jury still declared Tom guilty. 4. At the end of Chapter 21, what does Reverend Sykes ask Scout to do as Atticus leaves the courtoom? “Miss Jean Louise, stand up. You’re father’s passing.” 5. In Chapter 22, what do Tom Robinson’s neighbors and family give Atticus? Tons of food, like whole chickens, peanuts, tomatoes, ham, pickles, cookies, etc. 6. According to Miss Maudie, why is it a sign of progress that the jury took so long to decide Tom’s verdict? They didn’t indict Tom right away. They really had to stop and think. Any other time a Black man had been charged, the jury would have declared him guilty within seconds. 7. What does Bob Ewell do to Atticus at the end of Chapter 22? Bob Ewell spits in Atticus’s face, curses him, and says he’ll get him if it’s the last thing he does. 8. When Scout wants to invite Walter Cunningham (Jr) over, why does Aunt Alexandra say Scout can’t? “Because he—is—trash.” 9. When Jem tries to rationalize what happened in the courtroom, he says there must be four types of ‘folks’: Finches, Cunninghams, Ewells, and African-Americans. How many types of “folks” does Scout think there are? Scout thinks there’s just one. 10. At the end of Chapter 23, what is Jem’s new theory as to why Boo Radley hasn’t come outside? Maybe Boo Radley doesn’t want to come outside. To Kill A Mockingbird Reading Check: Chapters 24-27 1. In Chapter 24, what news does Atticus bring about Tom Robinson? Tom Robinson was shot 17 times when he ran for the prison fence. 2. What upsets Aunt Alexandra after Atticus tells her the news about Tom Robinson during her missionary circle? Aunt Alexandra is upset at how Maycomb society is criticizing Atticus: “What else do they want from him?” 3. At the end of Chapter 24, what does Scout decide to do in order to help out Aunt Alexandra? Scout decides to be a lady. She serves cookies to the other women and makes polite conversation. 4. What does Cecil Jacobs report on for his “Current Event” in Chapter 26? Cecil reports on Adolf Hitler and his persecution of the Jews in Germany. 5. What does Miss Gates explain after Cecil Jacobs shares his “Current Event”? Miss Gates explains that America is a democracy, that what Hitler is doing is wrong, and that, in America, “we’re not prejudiced against anyone.” 6. What is hypocritical about Miss Gates based on what Scout remembers from the trial? Scout remembers Miss Gates saying it was good Tom was found guilty, that “next thing you know, they’ll think they can marry us.” ‘They’ referring to the African-American community in Maycomb. 7. According to Atticus, why doesn’t Jem want to talk about the trial ever again? What he saw upset him, and he isn’t able to process it yet. It will take him some time to be ready to think and talk about it again. 8. What does Mr. Link Deas do for Helen Robinson? Mr. Link Deas makes Bob Ewell leave Helen alone. Bob Ewell and his children were antagonizing, throwing things, and threatening Helen. 9. According to Atticus, why does Bob Ewell want revenge on Judge Taylor? Judge Taylor made Bob Ewell look like a fool in the courtroom. 10. What is Scout going to be in the Halloween pageant? Scout is going to be a ham. To Kill A Mockingbird Reading Check: Chapters 28-31 1. In Chapter 28, what does Cecil Jacobs do to Scout and Jem on their way to the Halloween party? Cecil Jacobs scares Scout and Jem on their way to the party. 2. How did Scout ‘ruin’ the pageant? Scout fell asleep curled up under her ham costume, didn’t hear her cue, then woke up and crashed onto the stage while the national anthem was playing. 3. What does Scout have to wear while walking home, and why? Scout has to wear her ham costume. She left her shoes backstage, and it’s hard to get out of the ham costume. 4. Who attacked Jem and Scout? Bob Ewell attacked them. 5. After telling her story to Atticus and Heck Tate, Scout notices a tall, pale man in the corner. What does she say to him? “Hey, Boo.” 6. When Scout and Jem’s attacker ends up dead, who does Atticus think killed them, and who actually did? Atticus thinks Jem must have done it in self-defense, but, based on the timeline, Jem was unconscious when Bob Ewell was stabbed. Bob Ewell was also stabbed with a kitchen knife, but had brought a switchblade with him. This means Boo Radley stabbed Bob to protect the kids. 7. What story is Heck Tate willing to tell about the attacker’s death, and why? Heck Tate will tell everyone that Bob Ewell tripped and fell on his own knife. He’s doing this to protect Boo’s privacy, and also to “let the dead bury the dead.” 8. If Atticus were to tell the truth about Jem’s rescuer, Heck Tate describes it as a sin, or a punishment. What comparison does Scout make to help Atticus understand why he shouldn’t reveal the identity of Jem’s rescuer? Scout says it would be like killing a mockingbird. 9. What does Scout ‘see’ as she stands on the Radley Porch? Scout sees the events of the whole book from Boo Radley’s perspective. 10. At the very end of the book, Scout describes a character as being ‘real nice.’ Atticus answers that “most people are, when you finally…”…what? “Most people are, when you finally see them.”