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To Kill a Mockingbird

Terms in this set (38)

Tom Robinson
- A 25 year old black man, being accused of raping Mayella Ewell
- Has wife and children
- One of the book's "mockingbirds"
Atticus Finch
Father to Scout and Jem; wise; wants his children to be respectful to everyone; lawyer who defends Tom Robinson
Scout Finch
The narrator and protagonist of the story. Scout lives with her father, Atticus, her brother, Jem, and their black cook, Calpurnia, in Maycomb. She is intelligent and, by the standards of her time and place, a tomboy. Scout has a combative streak and a basic faith in the goodness of the people in her community. As the novel progresses, this faith is tested by the hatred and prejudice that emerge during Tom Robinson's trial. Scout eventually develops a more grown-up perspective that enables her to appreciate human goodness without ignoring human evil.
Jem Finch
-Scout's brother and one of her best friends
-Enters young "adulthood" and faces difficult issues
Dill
- Charles Baker Harris
- Scout's "fiance" who is passed around from family member to family member throughout the year
- tells all sorts of crazy stories about who his daddy is
- wants to be a clown when he grows up
- Scout finds him under her bed
Calpurnia
the Finch's housekeeper; acts as a more distant mother-figure to Jem and Scout
Boo Radley
- town "phantom" that is rarely seen
- his real name is Arthur Radley
- puts a blanket around Scout the night of the fire
- the kids play a game where they act out his story
- supposedly stabbed his father in the leg with scissors
- saves Jem and Scout from Bob Ewell by killing him
Ms. Dubose
-An elderly women who is prejudiced against the colored
-Was trying to get over her morphine addiction before she died
- Had Jem read to her before she died
Miss Maudie Atkinson
One of Maycomb's most open-minded citizens, Miss Maudie lives across the street from Jem and Scout. An avid gardener, she often spends time talking with the children — especially Scout — helping them to better understand Atticus and their community.
Bob Ewell
- town drunk who uses his relief checks on alcohol instead of caring for his children
- accuses Tom Robinson of raping his daughter
- attacks Jem and Scout
- killed by Boo Radley
Mayella Ewell
- accuses Tom Robinson of raping her
- lives in a dump but has pretty red geraniums
- thinks Atticus is making fun of her when he calls her ma'am
Maycomb, Alabama
The fictional setting of To Kill a Mockingbird
Atticus wants his children to
respect EVERYONE!
Bildungsroman
A novel or story whose theme is the moral or psychological growth of the main character; a coming of age story.
Why is it a sin to kill a mockingbird?
"They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird..." ~ Miss Maudie
Who are the two mockingbirds in the story?
Boo Radley and Tom Robinson
"until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."
You must look at things from others persepctive and point of view to REALLY understand; it's only fair to do this before jumping to conclusions or getting upset.
How do you know Atticus respects Calpurnia?
-he allows her to discipline the children
-he offers for her to spend the night when it's cold
-he offers her a ride home
-he refuses to let his sister convince him to fire her
-he tells his sister Cal has helped him raise the children
What is Maycomb's usual disease?
racism
What does the mockingbird symbolize?
innocence
What do the red geranium's symbolize?
betterment; normalcy; trying
Atticus' desire for his kids to know what the n-word means, what rape is, and that the Finch family also has streak shows his love for the
truth
Atticus treating everyone fairly shows that Atticus wants his children to know that people are
people
What is real courage, according to Atticus?
"...instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do." Ms. Dubose and her fight against morphine is an example.
Haper Lee
the author of To Kill a Mockingbird
-was about the same age as Scout in the 1930s
-grew up in south Alabama
-her daddy was a small town lawyer
Who desired to "die free?"
Ms. Dubose
Who was so concerned about family pride?
Aunt Alexandra
Who is having to grow up too fast?
Scout
Who focus on moral responsibility and respect?
Atticus
Who is dealing with adolescence and being more mature and understanding?
Jem
Who is seeking vengeance?
Bob Ewell
Why can kids sometimes see certain things "better" and understand "better" than adults?
innocence
What laws were enforced during the early 1900s in the South that kept blacks and whites separated?
Jim Crow Laws
Real courage "is...
when you know when you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what".
Why did Tom Robinson run when Bob Ewell showed up?
He was scared.
What infrence can be made about the relationship between Bob Ewell and his daughter?
It can be inferred that Bob Ewell physically abuses Mayella and may even sexually molest her.
What was Mayella's "crime"?
Perjury I guess... Actually it is that she broke the code of society and kissed a black man.
What was Mayella Ewell seeking when she came on to Tom Robinson?
Love and companionship
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