English “To Kill a Mockingbird” vocab

Describe Maycomb, Alabama

It is described as old, tired, and suffocating. The town is burdened and diseased by social prejudices.

Describe Calpurnia and what is her role in the family?

Calpurnia is the family cook but she acts as a motherly role in disciplining the kids. She tries to help them with everyday things.

What is the story/legend of Arthur (Boo) Radley?

The legend of Boo Radley is that he was a mentally underdeveloped recluse who stayed inside after an accident in his childhood.

Why is Scout in trouble with the teacher on her first day of school?

Because she called out Walter Cunningham and she could read so the teacher was angry.

Scout tells her teacher, "He's a Cunningham," in explanation of Walter's hesitation in accepting lunch money. What is this explanation and what does it say about family honor?

This is regarding how the family doesn't take money from people since they can't pay it back. This says that this family is very honorable in the fact that they wont cheat people out of money.

Does Miss Caroline "fit" in with the rest of the townspeople? How can you tell?

She does not fit because she is very pristine and wears very clean clothes. She also doesn't know the different families that are in the town and the things that are associated with them.

What does Atticus mean when he says that professional people are poor because farmers are poor?

Atticus means that professional people need farmers as their clients, but the farmers can't afford professional services but they pay in in crops.

How does Scout get in trouble at dinner?

Scout gets in trouble at dinner because she ridicules Walter for putting syrup on his food.

Why does Miss Caroline send Burris Ewell home? How does Burris respond to being sent home?

Because he had bugs in his hair. Burris responds by being very disrespectful and he doesn't care because he wont be back.

Why doesn't Scout want to go to school?

Because she had a bad first experience and she doesn't like the teacher or the kids.

What does Atticus suggest is the way to get along with people?

To put yourself in their skin.

What kind of relationship does Scout have with her father?

They have a very good relationship and they even read together before going to bed.

What does Scout find in the tree at the Radley house?

She finds gum in a foil wrapper in the tree at the Radley house.

Who is putting the gifts in the knot hole of the tree?

Boo Radley

How does Scout end up at the front steps of the Radley house? What does Scout think she hears as she crawls out of the tire?

Scout ends up on the front steps because she was rolled in a tire and she hit their front steps. Scout thinks she hears a laugh as she crawls out of the tire.

Describe Miss Maudie. Why do the children trust her?

Miss Maudie is very kind and she thinks for herself and doesn't get involved in the town gossip. The children trust her because of her kindness and she also respects their privacy.

What does Miss Maudie mean when she says, "sometimes the Bible in the hand of one man is worse than a whiskey bottle in the hand of...oh, of your father

Miss Maudie means that for some people, the way that they interpret the Bible is bad and they become very toxic and judgemental to others

Miss Maudie tells a story of besting Miss Stephanie Crawford. Scout misinterprets the comment. What does this tell you about Scout? How does this affect the story since it is told from her viewpoint?

This tells us that Scout is very naive and innocent. This affects the story because it shows us that some of the things that are said go straight over her head and she doesn't understand them. Since she doesn't understand them, they could be misinterpreted in the text

Why do Jem and Dill go for a walk at night?

Jem and Dill want to see Boo Radley better in the house

What does Dill say happened to Jem's pants? What really happened to them?

Dill said that they were playing strip poker and that Jem had to give up his pants. In reality, they got stuck on the fence when he was running away from the Radley house

What happens when Jem goes back for his pants?

He finds his pants folded and sewn up by the fence

Why does Atticus stop the children from pestering the Radley house? What does this say about Atticus?

Atticus stops the children from pestering the Radley house because Boo Radley deserves respect if he wants to stay home. This shows that Atticus is a very kind man who ensures that everyone gets the respect that they deserve

What does Atticus advise Scout to do when people do things she does not understand?

Atticus tells Scout to climb into his skin and walk around in it. This means that she ends to put herself in people's situations even though she doesn't understand

What happened to the knot-hole?

Nathan Radley filled it in with concrete

What is the biggest prize Scout and Jem find in the tree's knot-hole?

A watch with a knife attached to it

How do Jem and Scout make their first snowman? What do people in the area say causes (or caused) the snow?

Jem and Scout make their first snowman out of the little bit of snow that fell and mud. They used wood chips for the eyes, nose, and buttons. They also used Miss Maudie's hat and hedge clippers for accessories

What does Scout receive during the fire? Where did it come from?

Scout receives a brown blanket during the fire. This blanket came from Boo Radley, which Scout didn't realize because of the commotion that the fire caused

What is Miss Maudie's reaction to her destroyed house

Miss Maudie seems very calm and laid back. She explains how she always wanted a smaller house to be able to plant more flowers

What kind of man is Atticus? What kind of people does he defend and what does this tell you about him

Atticus is a very kind and respectful man. He defends black people in the law and this tells us that he truly cares about everyone and wants everyone to be treated equally

Atticus admits there is no way he will win the Robinson case. Why does he say this?

He says this because in the world that they live in, it is that whites are "superior" and since he is representing a black man, he had to explain to Scout and Jem that he won't win

What makes Scout forget that she is too old and too big for fighting

The fact that everyone was saying things about her father made her forget that she is too old and too big for fighting

Who is Francis? Explain the situation between Francis and Scout

Francis is Scout's second cousin. Francis repeats everything that the family says about Atticus and Scout gets angry at him. He is very rude to her

What does Scout teach Uncle Jack about children? What does Atticus add to the lesson?

Scout teaches Uncle Jack to listen to both sides of the story before yelling at someone. Atticus adds to the lesson that Uncle Jack needs to tell children the truth when they ask questions

Why is it a sin to kill a mockingbird

It is a sin to kill a mockingbird because they don't nest where they aren't supposed to, don't do anything wrong, and they just sit there and sing

Why are Jem and Scout embarrassed by Atticus? What does he prove to them

Jem and Scout are embarrassed by Atticus because he is older than the rest of the fathers of the kids in their class and he can't do a lot of things that those fathers do. He proves to them that he can shoot a gun and that he can do things

What was Atticus' nickname when he was a boy? Why? Why did Atticus give up shooting

Atticus' nickname when he was a boy was "Ol One Shot." Atticus gave up shooting because he felt that he had an unfair advantage over the animals that he would shoot

Why don't the children like Mrs. Dubose

The children don't like Mrs. Dubose because she says things about Atticus that are hurtful

What does Mrs. Dubose want Jem to do after he destroys her camellias

Mrs. Dubose wants Jem to read to her Monday through Saturday for two hours after he destroys her camellias

Why does Mrs. Dubose suffer from "fits" when Jem and Scout visit her

Mrs. Dubose suffers from "fits" when Jem and Scout visit her because she is a morphine addict

What does Mrs. Dubose give Atticus to give to Jem after she dies?

Mrs. Dubose gives Atticus a flower in a box to give to Jem after she dies.

What is the "relationship" between Dill and Scout

Scout and Dill are very good friends. They have stated that they are going to get married one day

Why won't Scout be able to see Dill this summer

Scout won't be able to see Dill this summer because he is staying in Meridian with his new father

Where is Calpurnia's church? Where does it get its name? What happens there during the week? What is "linin" and why is it used?

Calpurnia's church is called "First Purchase African M.E Church." It got its name because it was built with the first earnings of newly freed slaves. "Linin" is where someone says a line, and the people say it back. This is used because the black people couldn't read during church so they didn't know the songs

What is different about Calpurnia at church? What realization does Scout make

Calpurnia speaks differently at church than around the kids at home. Scout realizes that Cal is living a different life around them and her own people

What doctrine (in Scout's eyes) preoccupies clergymen

In Scout's eyes, the impurity of women preoccupy clergymen

Who is waiting on the front steps of the Finch house when the children and Cal return from church

Aunt Alexandra is sitting on the front steps of the Finch house when the children and Calpurnia return from church

Why has Aunt Alexandra come to stay with the Finches

Aunt Alexandra has come to stay with the Finches to provide feminine influence to Scout

What is Aunt Alexandra's preoccupation

She is preoccupied with southern culture

Why doesn't Aunt Alexandra want Scout to visit at Calpurnia's house

She doesn't want Scout to visit at Calpurnia's house because she thinks that young white girls don't spend time in black peoples neighborhoods, especially not their homes. Also, she thinks its not ladylike

Who was under Scout's bed? What's his story this time? What has he done? Why

Dill was under Scout's bed. His story this time was that he ran away because he was chained up in the basement by his parents and fed one pea a day. He escaped a circus and then walked all the way to Maycomb. In reality, he ran away from home because he was upset that his parents didn't want to spend time with him recently

Why does Dill say Boo Radley has never run off

Dill says Boo Radley never ran off because he didn't have anywhere to run off to

Why does the mob at the jail break-up without any violence? Who is mostly responsible for this

The mob at the jail breaks up without any violence because Scout came over to Atticus. Scout is mostly responsible for this because she began talking to the members of the mob

Who is Braxton Underwood

Braxton Underwood is the owner, editor, and printer of The Maycomb Tribune

Why are so many people passing by the Finch house

So many people are passing by the Finch house because they are on the way to the court house

What does Scout learn about why Atticus defends Tom Robinson

Scout learns that Atticus defends Tom Robinson to uphold his sense of justice and self respect

What type of people make up the jury

Farmers seem to be the people who make up the jury

Why does Reverend Sykes make room for the children

Reverend Sykes makes room for the children because their dad was not only representing Tom, but he was representing the whole black community

Where do the Ewells live? Describe their living conditions

The Ewell's live behind the garbage dump in a supposed to be old cabin. The cabin and yard are made of scraps of random things. They live in a very jumbled space

Why is there a request to clear the courtroom of women and children? What is Judge Taylor's reaction to this request

There is a request to clear the courtroom of women and children because of the topic of conversation, which is rape, and the language that Mr. Ewell is using. Judge Taylor's reaction to this request is that it won't be necessary for women and children to leave the courtroom because everyone is worthy or hearing the case

Why doesn't Mr. Ewell call a doctor for Mayella

Mr. Ewell doesn't call a doctor for Mayella because he could clearly tell that she was hurt. He said that he didn't need to pay five dollars for the doctor to tell him the same thing

Why does Atticus ask Mr. Ewell to write his name

Atticus asks Mr. Ewell to write his name to see what hand he was dominant with (which was his left)

What is revealed about Tom Robinson when he stands up

When Tom Robinson stands up, it is revealed that his left arm is shriveled

What happened to Tom Robinson's left arm

It got caught in a machine and the limb got torn off

Why did Atticus make a point to determine on which side Mayella had been beaten? Why is the revelation of Tom's handicap important to the case?

Atticus made a point to determine which side Mayella had been beaten to determine if she was beaten with a left or right hand. The revelation of Tom's handicap is important to the case because if it is determined that she was beaten with a left hand, then it couldn't have been Tom

What is Scout's opinion of Mayella

Scout's opinion of Mayella is that she is a very lonely girl

Why was Tom in trouble with the law before

Tom was in trouble with the law before because he got into a fight with another man (disorderly conduct

What does Tom say is the reason he entered the Ewell house on Nov. 21st

Tom says that he entered the Ewell house on Nov 21st because Mayella told him that the old door fell off the hinges and she asked him to fix it

Who is Link Deas? What does he do to get kicked out of the courtroom

Link Deas is a white man who employed Tom Robinson for eight years. He gets kicked out of the courtroom because he stands up and says he "ain't had a speck o'trouble outa him

What is Tom's "biggest" crime

Tom's "biggest" crime is disorderly conduct, which he received 30 days in jail for because he couldn't pay the fine

Why is Dill sick and crying

Dill is sick and crying because he doesn't like the way that Mr Gilmer is treating Tom Robinson on the witness stand

What does Mr. Raymond have in his bottle? Why does he carry on the deception

Mr Raymond has Coca-Cola in his bottle. He carries on the deception because he wants people to think that alcohol makes him the way that he is (especially since he's married to a black woman

According to Atticus, what is the one way in this country that all men are created equal

Atticus says that all men are created equal in the court of law

Why has Calpurnia come to the courthouse

Calpurnia has come to the courthouse because she is carrying a note from Aunt Alexandra that says the kids are gone

What is the jury's decision in Tom Robinson's case

The jury's decision in the Tom Robinson case is that Tom is guilty

What happens as Atticus leaves the courthouse

When Atticus leaves the courthouse, all of the colored people on the balcony stand up as he walks by

What do the gifts of food for Atticus and his family represent

The gifts of food for Atticus and his family represent how thankful the community is that Atticus took on the role of representing Tom, even though he didn't win

Miss Maudie hints at a small victory in the Robinson case. What is it

Miss Maudie hints at the fact that at least they made a "baby step" in the right direction. This is in regard to how the court treats black people

What does Dill say he wants to be when he grows up? Why

Dill says he wants to be a clown when he grows up because he says the only thing he can do in this world is laugh at people

What does Miss Stephanie tell the children about their father

Miss Stephanie tells the children that Bob Ewell spat in Atticus' face and threatened his life

What is the only thing Atticus will say about the incident with Mr. Ewell

The only thing Atticus will say about the incident with Mr. Ewell is that he wishes that he wouldn't chew tobacco

The Ewell's "won" their case against Tom Robinson, so why does Mr. Ewell seek revenge against Atticus

Even though the Ewell's "won" their case against Tom Robinson, Mr Ewell seeks revenge against Atticus because he exposed Bob Ewell as a despicable man on how him and his daughter lied. Atticus also implied that Bob was the one who sexually assaulted Mayella

Who was the "lone juror", the last juror to return a guilty verdict

The "lone juror" was a member of the Cunningham family

Atticus and Aunt Alexandra have different definitions of folks who are "trash". What are those definitions? What do those definitions tell you about Atticus and Alexandra

Aunt Alexandra thinks that people who are poor and don't have backgrounds that they can take pride in are trash. Atticus thinks that trash are people who don't have good morals and are bad people. These are different because Alexandra is judging based off of physical things/appearance, while Atticus is judging based off of their actions

Describe the ladies at the missionary circle

The ladies at the missionary circle are gossips and they criticize different people around the town. They reveal their hypocrisy, prejudice and ignorance

What is the "Christian" act Mrs. Merriweather completes weekly for Sophy

The "Christian" act Mrs Merriweather completely weekly for Sophy is paying her a dollar and a nickel a week for her duties

Who are the hypocrites

The hypocrites are Aunt Alexandra, Miss Gates, and Mrs Merriweather

Why does Atticus come home early during the missionary circle

Atticus comes home early during the missionary circle because Tom Robinson has been shot for trying to escape during the exercise period at the jail

Why is Mr. Underwood so enraged over Tom's death

Mr Underwood is so enraged over Tom's death because he was innocent and was murdered. Also, Tom was a cripple and it was a "sin" to kill cripple people

How does Helen Robinson react to the news of Tom's death

Helen Robinson falls to the ground and is upset when she hears the news about Tom's death

What does Miss Stephanie say that Mr. Ewell said about Tom's death

Miss Stephanie says that Mr Ewell said after Tom's death "One down, two to go

Miss Gates teaches the class about prejudice. What is the irony in her explanation

The irony in her explanation is that she preaches about equality and how awful Hitler treats the Jews, but Maycomb treats the black people the same way. She also says that they are not prejudice, but they are prejudice towards the black people

What is Scout's problem with Miss Gates' explanation

Scout's problem with Miss Gates' explanation is that she is preaching about equality, but then outside the courthouse after the trial, she was saying horrible things about black people

What three things "out of the ordinary" happened in Maycomb County in October

Bob Ewell is fired from his job and blames Atticus.
Judge Taylor's house is threatened by a burglar.
Helen Robinson is threatened by Bob Ewell

What happened on Halloween to Tutti and Frutti Barber

Someone broke into Tutti and Frutti's home and took all of the furniture inside

What part does Scout play in the Halloween pageant

Scout plays a ham in the Halloween pageant

Who takes Scout to the pageant

Jem takes Scout to the pageant

Who scares Jem and Scout on the way to the pageant

Cecil Jacobs scares Jem and Scout on the way to the pageant

Why does Scout miss her cue in the pageant

she fell asleep

What happens to Jem and Scout on their way home

They get attacked by someone.

Who hurts the children? What happens to him?

Bob Ewell is stabbed.