English 9th Finals Study Guide

Scout (Jean Louise) Finch

The narrator; a young tomboy growing up in Maycomb, Alabama.

Jem Finch

Scout’s older brother; protects her and undergoes a harsh coming-of-age during the trial.

Atticus Finch

Their father; a principled, highly respected lawyer who defends Tom Robinson.

Boo (Arthur) Radley

The mysterious, reclusive neighbor; the kids are obsessed with him, but he secretly protects them.

Tom Robinson

A hardworking Black man falsely accused of raping a white woman.

Bob Ewell

The abusive, drunken antagonist who accuses Tom to cover up his own abuse of his daughter, Mayella.

Calpurnia

The Finches’ Black cook and housekeeper. She is a strict but loving mother figure to Jem and Scout, and acts as a bridge between the white and Black communities.

Aunt Alexandra

Atticus’s sister. She moves in during the trial to give Scout a "feminine influence." She is obsessed with family heritage, social class, and proper behavior.

Uncle Jack Finch

Atticus’s brother. A doctor who provides a fun contrast to Atticus, though he learns a lesson from Scout about listening to both sides of a story.

Francis Hancock

Alexandra’s spoiled grandson. He taunts Scout about Atticus defending Tom Robinson, causing Scout to punch him.

Miss Maudie Atkinson

The children’s favorite neighbor. An open-minded, sharp-witted woman who loves gardening. She acts as a voice of reason and fiercely supports Atticus.

Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose

An elderly, racist neighbor who yells at the children. Atticus forces Jem to read to her, later revealing she was bravely fighting a morphine addiction before she died.

Stephanie Crawford

The neighborhood gossip. She is the main source of the exaggerated rumors about Boo Radley.

Mr. Nathan Radley

Boo Radley’s cruel older brother. He takes over the house after their father dies and plugs the tree knothole with cement to stop Boo from communicating with the kids.

Dill (Charles Baker Harris)

Jem and Scout’s summer neighbor and best friend. He is imaginative, fascinated by Boo Radley, and represents childhood innocence unfiltered by Maycomb's prejudice.

Mayella Ewell

Bob Ewell’s lonely, abused 19-year-old daughter. She falsely accuses Tom Robinson of rape out of shame and fear of her father after she was caught kissing Tom.

Judge John Taylor

The judge presiding over the trial. He is seemingly detached but fair, and he deliberately appoints Atticus to defend Tom because he knows Atticus will actually try to win.

Mr. Gilmer

The prosecutor. He treats Tom Robinson with open disrespect and condescension on the witness stand to appeal to the jury's racism.

Link Deas

Tom Robinson’s employer. He stands up in court to declare Tom's good character and later gives Tom’s widow, Helen, a job and protects her from Bob Ewell.

Reverend Sykes

The minister of the First Purchase African M.E. Church. He welcomes Jem and Scout to sit with him in the crowded courtroom balcony during the trial.

Heck Tate

The sheriff of Maycomb. A decent man who tries to maintain justice, ultimately deciding to protect Boo Radley from the public spotlight at the end of the book.

Mr. Walter Cunningham Sr

A poor white farmer who is part of the lynch mob at the jail, but backs down after Scout reminds him of his humanity. He later serves on the jury and holds out the longest for an acquittal.

Walter Cunningham Jr

Mr. Cunningham's son and Scout's classmate. He cannot afford lunch and is invited to the Finch house for dinner, where Scout is reprimanded for judging his eating habits.

Dolphus Raymond

A wealthy white man who lives with the Black community. He pretends to be a drunk so the town has an "excuse" for his unconventional lifestyle choices, hiding the fact that he simply prefers their company.

Miss Caroline Fisher

Scout’s young, inexperienced first-grade teacher. She struggles to understand Maycomb’s social dynamics and gets upset that Scout already knows how to read.

Helen Robinson

Tom Robinson’s wife. She is harassed by Bob Ewell after the trial until Link Deas steps in to protect her.

Zeebo

Calpurnia’s son and the town garbage collector. He is one of the few literate members of the First Purchase church and leads the congregation in singing.

Lula

A parishioner at First Purchase church who objects to Calpurnia bringing Jem and Scout (white children) to a Black church, highlighting that racial tension goes both ways.

Mr. Horace Gilmer

The solicitor/prosecutor from Abbottsville who handles the state's case against Tom.

Dr. Reynolds

The local Maycomb doctor who treats Jem’s broken arm after the Halloween attack and is a familiar, comforting presence to the kids.

Mr. Avery

A plump neighbor who blames the sudden winter snowstorm on bad children like Jem and Scout. The kids later build a snowman that looks exactly like him.

Miss Gates

Scout's third-grade teacher. She condemns Adolf Hitler's persecution of Jewish people, which confuses Scout because Miss Gates hypocritically expresses racist views toward Black people in her own community after the trial.

Simon Finch

The ancestor of the Finch family. He was a fur-trapper and methodist apothecary who established Finch's Landing, the family homestead.

Mrs. Gertrude Farrow

A hypocritical, deeply religious woman in Aunt Alexandra’s missionary circle who worries about the poor people in Africa but shows zero sympathy for the Black community in her own town.

Eula May

Maycomb's leading telephone operator. She is responsible for issuing public announcements, such as wedding invitations, school closures for snow, and the warning about the rabid dog.

What happens in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Tom Robinson is falsely accused of rape, found guilty, and later shot and killed.

How does this happen? (To Kill a Mockingbird)

Bob Ewell beats his daughter Mayella after catching her kissing Tom. To cover it up, they blame Tom. Despite Atticus proving Tom’s innocence in court (showing Tom's left arm is paralyzed, while Mayella's injuries were made by a left-handed attacker like Bob), the all-white jury convicts Tom due to racial prejudice. Tom later tries to escape from prison and is shot by guards.

Who defends Tom Robinson in court?

Atticus Finch

What happens with the kids and Boo Radley?

he kids spend summers playing games to lure Boo outside. Boo secretly watches them, leaving gifts in a tree knothole and wrapping a blanket around Scout during a fire. At the end, he steps in physically to save them.

What characters were trying to lure Boo Radley outside?

Scout, Jem and Dill

Who saves Scout and Jem’s life in the end of To Kill a Mockingbird?

Boo Radley

Who attacks the children in the dark (To Kill a Mockingbird)

Bob Ewell

Why does Bob Ewell attack the children?

Furious that Atticus exposed his lies during the trial, Bob Ewell vows revenge. He stalks Scout and Jem as they walk home from a school Halloween pageant in the dark. He breaks Jem's arm and tries to squeeze Scout to death. Boo Radley runs out from his house, fights Bob, and stabs him with his own knife. Heck Tate covers it up, saying Bob "fell on his knife" to keep the shy Boo out of the spotlight.

Who does Bob Ewell attack after halloween pageant?

Scout and Jem

What injuries happened to Jem after he was attacked

Broken arm

Why is it important that Jem breaks his arm in the story?

Because in the beginning it foreshadows about his arm being broken, the narrator Scout describes that you’ll figure out why later.

What is the setting of To Kill a Mockingbird?

Maycomb, Alabama, during the Great Depression (1930s).

Who are the three main children obsessed with Boo Radley?

Scout Finch, Jem Finch, and their summer neighbor, Dill.

How does Boo Radley secretly interact with the children in Part 1?

He leaves small gifts (gum, pennies, a pocket watch) in the knothole of an oak tree on his property.

Why does Nathan Radley plug the tree knothole with cement?

To stop Boo from communicating and sharing gifts with the children.

How does Scout stop the lynch mob at the Maycomb jail?

She speaks innocently to Walter Cunningham Sr. about his son, which shames him and the crowd into leaving.

What physical evidence proves Tom Robinson is innocent?

Mayella was beaten by a left-handed attacker. Tom’s left arm is completely paralyzed, while her father, Bob Ewell, is left-handed.

What is the verdict of Tom Robinson's trial?

He is found guilty by the all-white jury despite overwhelming evidence of his innocence.

What happens to Tom Robinson after the trial?

He is shot and killed by prison guards while trying to escape over the fence.

Why does Bob Ewell want revenge after winning the trial?

Because Atticus exposed his lies and abusive nature, destroying his remaining reputation in the town.

How does Bob Ewell die?

Boo Radley kills him during the struggle to save the children.

Why does Sheriff Heck Tate cover up Bob Ewell's true cause of death?

He claims Bob "fell on his knife" to protect the deeply private Boo Radley from unwanted public attention.

How does the book end for Scout's character growth?

She walks Boo home and stands on his porch, finally seeing the neighborhood from his perspective and practicing empathy.

What does the mockingbird symbolize?

Pure innocence. To kill a mockingbird is to destroy something vulnerable that only does good for the world (like Tom Robinson or Boo Radley).

What is the main internal conflict Scout faces?

Learning to control her hot temper and handle insults with words/empathy instead of her fists.

What is the parallel between the Mad Dog incident and the trial?

Atticus shooting the mad dog to protect the town parallels him taking on Tom's hopeless case to fight the town’s "disease" of racism.

Who said: "You never really understand a person... until you climb into his skin and walk around in it"?

Atticus Finch (Teaching the core theme of empathy).

What does the phrase "it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird" foreshadow?

The unjust harm that will come to innocent characters, specifically the town's conviction of Tom Robinson and the attack on the Finch children.

How does Bob Ewell's behavior after the trial foreshadow the climax?

His threats to Atticus, his break-in at the judge's house, and his stalking of Helen Robinson foreshadow his violent ambush on Jem and Scout.

What is the dramatic irony during the trial of Tom Robinson?

The audience and the Finches know Tom is physically incapable of committing the crime, yet the jury convicts him anyway based entirely on race.

What is situational irony regarding Miss Gates's lesson on Hitler?

She furiously condemns Hitler’s persecution of Jewish people in Germany, but she completely supports the racial persecution of Black people in her own town.

What is Scout’s main internal conflict throughout the novel?

Fighting her natural urge to react with anger and violence when people insult her father, learning instead to practice self-control and empathy.

What is the primary external conflict (Character vs. Society) in the book?

Atticus and his family standing against the deeply rooted racism and social expectations of the Maycomb community during the trial.

What is the primary external conflict (Character vs. Character) in the climax?

Bob Ewell attacking the defenseless Jem and Scout in the woods out of spite, and Boo Radley fighting him off to save them.

What does the Mad Dog (Tim Johnson) symbolize?

The "hidden sickness" of Maycomb—specifically, the town's unthinking, dangerous racism. Atticus taking the shot to kill the dog symbolizes him taking on the burden of fighting that racism alone.

How does the Mad Dog incident parallel the Trial of Tom Robinson?

Atticus is the only one who can shoot the rabid dog to protect Maycomb from a physical disease. This parallels him being the only lawyer willing to defend Tom to protect the town from its moral disease (racism).

How does Jem ruining Mrs. Dubose's camellias parallel Atticus defending Tom Robinson?

In both cases, a Finch has to face an impossible, painful battle. Jem is forced to read to Mrs. Dubose while she fights her addiction; Atticus is forced to defend Tom against a rigged system. Both teach the kids what "real courage" looks like.

How does the Lynch Mob at the jail parallel the Verdict in the courtroom?

Both events show a group of Maycomb citizens acting out of unthinking, collective racism. However, the mob is stopped by Scout's innocence, while the jury is completely blinded by prejudice and cannot be stopped.

How does the scapular/costume saving Scout parallel Boo Radley saving the kids?

During the Halloween attack, Scout's awkward ham costume physically protects her from Bob Ewell’s knife. This literal shield parallels Boo Radley acting as their ultimate emotional and physical protector in the dark.

“Remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” Who says it, and what does it mean?

Atticus (and later Miss Maudie). It means it is a sin to hurt or destroy innocent people who do nothing but bring goodness to the world.

“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.” What is the context?

Atticus explaining why he made Jem read to Mrs. Dubose. He wants his kids to know that true courage is fighting for something even when you know you are licked before you begin.

“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.” Who says this to whom?

Dolphus Raymond to Dill and Scout during the trial, explaining why Dill is crying over Mr. Gilmer's cruel treatment of Tom Robinson.

“Miss Jean Louise, stand up. Your father’s passin’.” What is the significance?

Reverend Sykes says this to Scout from the courtroom balcony. It shows the deep respect and gratitude the Black community has for Atticus, even though he lost the trial.

“Well, it’d be sort of like shootin’ a mockingbird, wouldn’t it?” Who says this at the end of the book?

Scout to Atticus. She realizes that putting Boo Radley in the public spotlight for killing Bob Ewell would ruin his quiet, private life, destroying his innocence.

Who is telling the story? (To Kill a Mockingbird)

Scout Finch

Is Scout narrating in the actual time of the events?

No, this is older Scout sharing her story.

The Snowman (To Kill a Mockingbird)

Jem and Scout build a snowman out of dark mud covered in white snow. It symbolizes that beneath skin color (black or white), people are fundamentally the same.

The Camellias (To Kill a Mockingbird)

The white flowers Jem destroys and Mrs. Dubose later leaves him. They symbolize that deep-rooted prejudice (like Mrs. Dubose's views) cannot be easily wiped out, but forgiveness and understanding are possible.

The Fire (To Kill a Mockingbird)

Miss Maudie’s house burning down brings the whole town together (both Black and white residents help save her furniture) right before the trial tears the town apart.

Melinda Sordino

The protagonist and narrator. She enters high school as an isolated outcast, physically and emotionally traumatized by a sexual assault. She uses an old janitor's closet to hide and relies on art to heal.

Andy Evans ("IT" / "Beast" / "Harelip")

The antagonist. A popular, narcissistic senior who raped Melinda at a summer party. He continues to haunt the school and later dates Melinda’s former best friend.

Mr. Freeman

The passionate art teacher. He is the only adult who validates Melinda's feelings, offering his classroom as a safe haven and urging her to use art to express her reality.

Rachel/Rachelle Bruin

Melinda's ex-best friend. She completely shuns Melinda after the party, changes her name to sound more sophisticated, and blindly dates Andy Evans until Melinda saves her.

Heather from Ohio

A new student who moves to town and gloms onto Melinda. She is hyper-focused on social climbing and joining the "Marthas" clan, eventually abandoning Melinda for being too depressing.

David Petrakis

Melinda's brilliant biology lab partner. He stands up to their controlling Social Studies teacher, inspiring Melinda with his quiet courage and confidence.

The "Marthas"

A high-profile school clique focused on charity work, flawless appearances, and strict social hierarchies. Heather tries desperately to fit in with them.

Melinda's Parents

Uncommunicative and struggling. Her mom runs a stressful retail store, and her dad is emotionally distant. They communicate with Melinda mostly through sticky notes on the fridge.

Why do Melinda's old friends hate her at the start of the school year?

Because she called the police to shut down an end-of-summer party, resulting in several arrests, but she kept the reason why (her rape) a secret.

How does Heather treat Melinda throughout the novel?

She uses Melinda to help her complete tasks for the "Marthas" clique, then coldly dumps Melinda for being "weird" and unpopular.

Why does Melinda refer to Andy Evans as "IT" or "Beast"?

She is too deeply traumatized to say his real name, dehumanizing him in her mind to cope with the fear.

What is Melinda's physical reaction to trauma?

She becomes selectively mute (unable to speak) and compulsively bites her own lips until they bleed.

Where does Melinda go to escape the pressures of high school?

An abandoned old janitor’s closet that she cleans up and fills with posters to create a safe hideout.

How does Melinda finally warn Rachel about the dangers of Andy Evans?

First, she writes an anonymous warning note. When that fails, she physically forces herself to speak out loud to Rachel to tell her the truth.

What happens in the final confrontation (the climax) of Speak?

Andy traps Melinda in her janitor's closet. Instead of freezing, she screams, fights back with a sharp piece of broken mirror, and holds him off until the lacrosse team breaks in.

What is the primary theme of the novel Speak?

The necessity of finding your voice. Silence protects abusers and isolates victims, while speaking the truth leads to healing and freedom.