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Chapter 1
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Who is narrating the novel? Approximately how old is the narrator? In what point of view is the novel told?
Scout. 9. first person point of view
What happened to Jem when he was nearly thirteen?
He broke his arm at the elbow
How did Simon Finch make his money?
He was a fur trapper
Where does this story take place (give details)?
Maycome Alabama in the south, which is a small town and everyone knows everyone else's business
Why do you think the children call their father Atticus rather than "Dad"?
Out of respect
What does Atticus Finch do for a living?
He is a lawyer
Who were his first two clients? What happened to them? Why? How did this case change Atticus as a lawyer?
The Haverfords, They were hanged because they shot a blacksmith and refused to accept an offer from the state. He didn't care for criminal law anymore.
What does the author mean by: "There was no hurry, for there was nowhere to go, nothing to buy and no money to buy it with, nothing to see outside the boundaries of Maycomb County." Why did the people of Maycomb have "no money"?
It was the depression and people didn't have money to do anything and so many people were out of a job so there was no hurry.
What happened to the narrator's mother? How did her death affect the narrator? How did it affect Jem?
She died. Scout wasn't really effected because she was so young. He misses his mom and sometimes gets depressed.
Describe Dill. Why has he come to Maycomb? What does Dill claim to have done with the "beautiful child" money?
He is a small kid with a big personality. He is shipped off to his Aunt Rachel Haverford's every summer. He went to the movie everyday with the money.
Explain how the children spend their summer. What do they do for fun?
They spend it playing and trying to get Boo Radley out of his house
Give 3 examples of rumors about the Radley house and its inhabitants.
Boo Radley peeped in windows, froze people's azela bushes, killed animals
-Radley pecans would kill you
-Mr. Radley "bought cotton"
-Boo experimented with stumphole whiskey (moonshine)
What did Arthur Radley and the other boys do that got them in trouble? Why was Arthur locked in the Radley house?
Locked a police officer in an outhouse. His punishment instead of going to a boy's home was to be locked in his house.
Describe Miss Stephanie Crawford.
Town gossip
Describe Boo Radley, according to Jem's description.
Six and half feet tall, dined on raw squirrel and cat, hands were blood stained, long jagged scare across his face, yellow and missing teeth, bug eyed, drooled most of the time.
Who took Mr. Radley's place at the Radley residence when "Mr. Radley went under" (died)?
Mr. Nathan
Dill and Jem make a bet at the end of this chapter. What is their deal? What does Jem do to win the bet?
If Jem goes and touches the Radley house, Dill won't say he ran out on a dare. Jem touches the Radley house.
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Chapter 2
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Describe Miss Caroline. Where is she from? Why does this make her first day as a teacher even more difficult?
She is a first year teacher from Winston County in North Alabama. People in Maycomb see her as strange because where she is from.
Explain Jem and Scout's interpretation of the "Dewey Decimal teaching system" that Miss Caroline uses.
You don't have to learn from books, but rather, learn about cows by going and milking them; according to Scout, it consists of Miss Caroline holding up cards with two words "cat," "the," and "ran
Scout gets in trouble twice on the first day of school. What does she do to get in trouble?
She can read and she tells the teacher about the Cunninghams.
Why won't Walter Cunningham take Miss Caroline's money?
His family doesn't take handouts.
What do the Cunninghams do when they cannot pay for a service?
They provide a service
How do the people of Maycomb "seal" contracts and deals?
Spit on their hands and shake
What happens to Scout when she tells Miss Caroline about the Cunningham family?
She gets spanked and has to stand in the corner.
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Chapter 3
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Why does Scout beat up Walter in the school yard before lunch?
He was making fun of Atticus
How does Walter claim he almost died his first year of school?
eating Mr. Radley's pecans
Why has Walter been unable to pass the first grade?
He can't go to school because he has to help on the family farm.
What does Walter do at dinner (our version of lunch) that surprises Scout?
He puts molasses (syrup) all over his food
What does Calpurnia tell Scout as a result of her outburst?
Doesn't matter a person's background, you treat them well.
What do the kids first think causes Miss Caroline to scream? What is the real reason she screams?
A mouse. A lice (cootie).
Why do you think the Ewell children only come to school on the first day? What do you think is the reason many Maycomb children need to stay at home for the rest of the year?
So they don't get in trouble with the law but no one cares about them at home. Poor kids had to work on the farm (field age).
How does Burris Ewell treat Miss Caroline? Be specific.
She asks him to go home and take care of the lice and take a bath. He tells her that she can't tell him what to do. He then tells her (when he is far enough not to get in trouble) she is a "snot nose slut of a school teacher".
What is Atticus's solution when Scout tells him that she doesn't want to go back to school?
They make a compromise. He will continue to read to her every night and she will go back to school.
What do we learn about the Ewell family from Scout and Atticus's conversation?
Bob Ewell is a drunk that spends all of his government assistance on whiskey and leaves his kids hungry. He is allowed to hunt out of season so the kids have a chance at getting fed. They kids have to take care of themselves and live in filth. They are al