TKAM 10-16 Questions

chapter 10-11

• why are the children embarrassed by atticus

  • he was much older than the other parents at their school and he doesn’t do the activities they do

• what does atticus remind the kids about shooting? explain why he tells them this

  • its a sin to kill a mockingbird because they dont harm the environmet, they only sing

• summarize the incident with the rabid dog

  • lopsided, sick, and posessed

  • Calpurnia warned the whole town about the dog

• what do the children learn about atticus from this

  • he shoots the rabid dog and he has a hidden skill of shooting earning the nickname “one shot finch”

• Describe Mrs. Dubose

  • elderly, ill-tempered, addicted to drugs, racist, rude

• Why does Scout think Atticus is the bravest man she has ever known?

  • Atticus respects Mrs. Dubose and is kind even though she is rude to them

• What causes Jem to get so angry with Mrs. Dubose

  • Mrs. Dubose says Atticus is no better than Tom Robinson

• How does he react when this happens? What is his punishment?

  • he is very mad and takes scouts baton and destroys Mrs. Dubose’s camellia bushes and then breaks the baton

  • Jem has to read to Mrs. Dubose every afternoon for 2hours for a month

• What was Mrs. Dubose’s goal? Did she achieve it? How

  • every time jem would read to her, she would stretch the time out longer to distract her from her drug medication and gradually break her free from her addiction

• What is Atticus hoping his children learn from Mrs. Dubose?

  • he wanted them to see and learn what courage really was

• How does Atticus define courage?

  • “when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what”

chapter 12-15

• why doesn’t dill come visit this summer

  • his mom remarried and had plans with his stepfather

• describe the children’s experience with the people at the First Purchase church

  • very welcoming, lula is hostile towards them and discriminating them

  • collection for tom’s wife

• what are the two differences the children notice while attending church with Calpurnia? explain each one of them

  • no songbooks/intruments because they don’t have much money

  • lining- one person reads a line and the congregation recites it bc they cant read

• what is tom robinson on trial for? explain how the time period affects this

  • raping a white woman, no matter what evidence a black person was almost always assumed guilty

• why is aunt alexandra in town

  • to help raise scout and jem and to have a feminine influence in their lives

• what can we learn about aunt alexandra from the first two things she says after coming to maycomb

  • she focuses on the family’s reputation and proper manners

• what does aunt alexandra suggest atticus do with calpurnia? what is his repsonse

  • she suggested he let her go because they no longe need her

  • atticus says the kids like her and shes like family

• why did dill run away

  • he felt neglected and won’t get enough attention

• why does the group of men come to the finch house

  • they warn atticus about the potential danger of tom robinson’s trial

  • someone might take tom from jail and lynch him

• when atticus leaves the house later that evening, where do the children find atticus? why? what does this show about atticus?

  • Maycomb jail to protect tom from the mob

  • he is committed and has courage to stand up for what is right

• when does atticus realize the children are watching him

  • jem tells scout to be quiet

• how does scout diffuse the situation at the jail without intending to

  • she sees mr cunningham and starts a casual conversation with him about walter which makes him come to his senses and the mob disperses

• who is mr. underwood? what part does he play in the events at the jail

  • owner and editer of the maycomb tribune

  • his gun is ready to protect atticus from potential violence

chapter 16

• how does atticus explain mr cunninham’s participation in the mob

  • he’s a good man but he has blind spots like everyone else

• why would so many people come to maycomb for the trial

  • because atticus was defending a black person and this was looked down on

• why do you think atticus chooses not to tell the kids he was appointed to the tom robinson case?

  • he wants to set an example of doing the right thing

• where do the children sit for the trial? with whom?

  • the balcony with black people

• describe judge taylor

  • lazy old man who acts casual but knows what he’s doing