Chapters 1-11

Chapter 1

1. What do you learn in this chapter about Maycomb, Atticus Finch and his family?
   
2. What do you learn about Dill's character?
   
3. What do you notice about the narrative voice and viewpoint in the novel?
   

Chapter 2

1. Why is Scout so looking forward to starting school?
   
2. Why does Jem not want anything to do with Scout at school? Is his behavior typical of an older child?
   
3. What do you think of Miss Caroline Fisher as a teacher? Can you find qualities that would make her good or not so good at her job?
   

Chapter 3

1. What is Walter Cunningham like? What does his behaviour during lunch suggest about his home life?
   
2. What do you think of the way Atticus treats Walter?
   
3. Does Scout learn anything from Walter's visit? What do you think this is?
   
4. Atticus says that you never really understand a person “until you climb into his skin and walk around in it”. What does this mean? Is it an easy thing for Scout to learn? (In the last chapter of the novel, Scout repeats this, but she changes “skin” to “shoes” - this is probably not a mistake: Harper Lee suggests that Scout cannot clearly recall exactly what Atticus said and when, but the reader can check this!)
   

Chapter 4

1. Why do the children make Boo's story into a game?
   
2. What do they do in this game? Do you think the game is an accurate version of what happens in the Radleys' home?
   
3. What might be the cause of the laughter from inside the house?
   

Chapter 5

1. Describe Miss Maudie Atkinson? How typical is she of Maycomb's women? What do the children think of her?
   
2. What does Miss Maudie tell Scout about Boo? How does this compare with what Scout already believes?
   
3. Scout claims that “Dill could tell the biggest ones ” (lies) she ever heard. Why might Dill have told such lies?
   
4. What reasons does Atticus give for the children not to play the Boo Radley game? Do you think he is right? Why?
   

Chapter 6

1. Why does Scout disapprove of Jem's and Dill's plan of looking in at one of the Radleys' windows?
   
2. What does Mr. Nathan Radley know about the intruders in his garden?
   

Chapters 7-9

1. Can you find any evidence that Jem is beginning to understand more than Scout about Boo Radley? What do you think this is?
   
2. Does Jem still fear the gifts in the tree? Give reasons for your answer
   
3. Why does Scout quiz Atticus about his visit to the Radley house? How much does Atticus tell her?
   
4. How well does Atticus feel he should defend Tom Robinson? Is it usual for (white) lawyers to do their best for black clients in Alabama at this time?
   
5. Read the final sentence of this chapter. Explain in your own words what it means and why it might be important in the story.
   

Chapters 10-12

1. Scout says that “Atticus was feeble”. Do you think that this is her view as she tells the story or her view when she was younger? Does she still think this after the events recorded in this chapter?
   
2. Jem and Scout have different views about telling people at school how well Atticus can shoot. Explain this difference. Which view is closer to your own?
   
3. Atticus says that Mrs. Dubose is a model of real courage rather than “a man with a gun in his hand”. What does he mean? Do you think he is right?
   
4. Chapters ten and eleven are the last two chapters in the first part of the book. Explain why Harper Lee chooses to end the first part here.
   
5. Comment on Jem's and Scout's visit to First Purchase church.
   

Use this Quick reply space to answer questions or ask your own

Chapter 1
1) What do you learn about Maycomb, Atticus Finch, and his family?
1) In Chapter 1 we learn that Atticus went to Montgomery to read law and his brother went to Boston to study Medicine. Maycomb was also about 20 miles away from Finch's landing.
2) What do you learn about Dill's character?
2) You learn that Dill is kind of a trouble maker and is very sneaky. You know so because Dill was trying to get Boo Radley to come out of his house even though he knows that Boo Radley doesn't like to.
3) What do you notice about the narrative voice and viewpoint in the novel?
3) I do not think so but in the first chapter, it is a little more 3rd person than 1st person like it is in the rest of the book.

1. 1 Maycomb was a town twenty miles east from Finch's Landing and also where Atticus Finch went to begin his practice. Atticus's wife died when Scout was two years old, Atticus is a lawyer and he is fifty years old. Atticus has a brother and a sister - Uncle Jack and Aunt Alexandra. He also has two kids Jean "Scout" Louise Finch, a girl and a boy named Jeremy "Jem" Finch, they also have a cook. 2 Dill has a great curiosity for things, for example, the Radley Place, and he also likes books, he likes Jem and comes every summer to Maycomb. 3 The narrative point of view is a girl and almost everyone calls her Scout even though her name is Jean Louise Finch, she likes to go the adventures with her brother and tries to stay together.

2. 1 Because she wants to join Jem's games with his friends and wants to go over the fence into the schoolyard, even Jem was happy to tell where her room was! 2 Jem doesn't want to be embarrassed which I guess is a typical attitude for children who would be embarrassed from their sibling playing with them. 3 First of all, she thinks Scout is lying because Jem said she was switched with another baby. And also she is a bit strict

3. 1 I think his home life is poor and he doesn't have enough food for himself and would probably only eat dinner and maybe breakfast but no lunch, Walter sounds very friendly to me and very wise because he first thought before acting like he did to accept the dinner request. 2 Atticus thinks of him as a good friend and cares about him more than he cares for himself. 3 That he likes syrup... Sorry... he LOVES syrup. 4 I think it means you first have analyze the situation and gather proof to make the people trust you.

4. 1 Thinking "What can be the life of Boo Radley?" so the make an acting game that mostly includes Boo Radley. 2 I don't think it's an actual version but similar, because I think he isn't - one single bit close to a Hot Steam. 3 I think Boo was actually laughing at their game and making fun of it because it was WAY off from his life.

5. 1 She is a person who likes things that are more than plain normal, she likes things that are "colorful" and more life full, but she is not typical, most of the women there don't cuss and have said bad things to people as she did with Atticus. And I also think kids would think her as a unique person to find. 2 She doesn't care much about Mr. Aurthur (Boo) but knows he is still alive because she said "... I've never seen him carried out..." 3 To try to trick Scout. 4 He thinks they should stop thinking and judging the Radleys.

6. 1 She doesn't want to get in contact with Boo. 2 Negros......

7-9. 1 He gets in more contact with Boo and Scout doesn't want to try. 2 Because someone might be watching them. 3 Because she was curious and she wanted to know what had happened. Not much. 4 Not all the time because it was a cold time but Atticus had a big heart and wanted to help anyone he could. 5 Atticus might have known all those years and that could've hurt her feelings because she wanted to hear and he knew all these years and he hadn't told her.

10-12. 1 I think it was when she was younger because this is a novel and she uses past tense words like "was" and nope. 2 I think Atticus is a good shot because he was in poor condition with his eyesight and he was old but he shot the dog in one shot so yup he is a sharpshooter. Jem thinks he was a master because he did it so fast and sharp but on the other hand Scout thought he did badly because she thought he just got lucky. 3 I think he meant she was a person they can follow the steps but I don't think this is true because she was in poor condition and I bet she is very old. 4 It was a cold time so everyone had to help each other out so everyone can survive, and Atticus was one of those people he wanted no one off-board. 5 I think it would've been wiser to just talk to the old lady and give her company so she won't feel alone and won't have as much agony but I will say "Why would a child want a baton?"