ENGL 41: Ninth Grade English 1

Chapter Questions from the Novel To Kill a Mockingbird; Chapters 17-24

As you read the novel, you will answer discussion questions in a minimum of two to three
complete sentences. Answer the questions in the organizer below.

Name: ______________________________ Date: ________________________________

Chapter 17: Summary

Atticus cross-examines Bob Ewell on the stand. Ewell’s testimony is discredited before the jury.
First, Atticus draws attention to his failing to summon a doctor to tend to his daughter’s injuries,
and second, Atticus shows the jury Bob Ewell’s left-handedness.
Chapter 17: Questions
1. What are the main points in Heck Tate’s evidence? What does Atticus show in his cross-
examination of Sheriff Tate?
He points out that Mayella Ewell's was injured from the right side. Which led to Atticus
interpreting that Tom Robinson is innocent since his left arm was permanently broken.
Tom Robinson's left arm is disabled. Hence, he cannot use it in any form of action.

2. What do we learn indirectly about the home life of the Ewell family in this chapter?
I have learned that they are an extremely poor household; Bob is an abusive father who
drinks like a fish and abuses his kids, especially Mayella. They suffer to get food, and they
live in very harsh and horrible conditions.

3. What do you learn from Bob Ewell’s evidence?

From the savage language, he used I can tell that he is being racist and is such a liar, and I
knew that he is left-handed, which increases the chance of him beating his daughter. He
wants to pardon himself from such an awful crime by accusing Tom Robinson, who is
innocent; he knew the jury would charge Tom and support him since racism played a
significant role at that time if he were not the one who hit Mayella, he would have quickly
rushed to the doctor. But the reality is that he knew it not from his behalf to do so.

Chapter 18: Summary

Mayella testifies about the assault and is cross-examined by Atticus. Atticus has Tom stand in
order to display his disability. Scout is afraid that Mr. Underwood will tell Atticus that she,
Scout, and Dill are attending the trial.
Chapter 18: Questions
1. How is Mayella like her father? How is she different from him?
Mayella differs from Bob because she is considered weak and incapable. She will, of
course, lie and risk the life of Tom Robinson, whom she knows is entirely innocent,
solely to save her father's life. I am not defending her in any way possible; she was
supposed to tell the holy truth even if it was not what she aspires, but instead, she lies and
causes the death of an innocent man.
2. Why do you think Mayella begins to cry in the court?
I think she cried because she knows the holy truth but chooses to hide it for the sake of
saving her abusive, drunk, and racist father. She acknowledges the awful sin she made. She
knew that she would live in a big shame and suffer from guilt throughout her life.

3. How does Mayella react to Atticus’s politeness? Why does she react this way?

I think that Mayella and the Ewells, in general, are often despised by people, and that is
the reason she would feel that Atticus is calling her Ma'am to offend her instead of being
polite. While the truth is that Atticus is being nice to her.

Chapter 19: Summary

Tom Robinson testifies in his own defense. During his cross-examination, Dill begins to cry and
Scout takes him out of court with Jem. They take him to sit out by a shade tree and observe other
court watchers where they meet the fascinating Mr. Dolphous Raymond.
Chapter 19: Questions
1. What made Tom visit the Ewells’ house in the first place?
As I go through chapter 19, Tom Robinson claims that Mayella lied to him and called
him to repair a broken door for some cash, but it turns out she just wanted to let him get
into her house. "I'd tip m'hat when I'd go by, and one day she asked me to come inside the
fence and bust up a chiffarobe for her." (254)

2. Why do you think Scout observes Mayella Ewell as being “the loneliest person in the
world”?
It is clear why scout thinks Mayella is lonely because she is a very young girl who gets
abused by her drunk father. She is only 19 years old, but after her mom's death, she felt
lost and detached; she has been put in harsh living conditions; that forced her to hold
 huge responsibilities such as caring for her younger siblings, who are helpless and not
intimate with her.

3. Why do you think Dill reacts to Tom Robinson’s cross-examination in such a way?

By reading the book, I can assume that Dill did not like how Mr. Gilmer speaks to Tom
Robinson as it was a bit rough and impolite. He felt terrible because Mr. Gilmer's
language seemed to display racism or rudeness. Anybody who has some sense of virtue
would not have liked it.

Chapter 20: Summary

Dolphus Raymond helps Dill feel better by offering him Coca-Cola and praising Atticus. He also
gives the children some general observations about life. Upon returning to the courtroom, the
children find Atticus in the middle of his closing arguments to the jury. Feeling quite pleased
with themselves for having seen the trial when they were not supposed to, the children notice
Calpurnia enter the courtroom as Atticus finishes they and see that she has a note for Atticus.
Chapter 20: Questions
1. Ironically, Scout had been told that “Mr. Dolphus Raymond was an evil man.” Was that
information accurate?
No, it was such a misjudgment. Raymond is a kind man; he was perceived to be evil
because he favors living in a black community rather than the community of his own skin
color. Moreover, he covers his coke bottle, which led to people thinking he is a drunk
man.

2. Why does Dolphus Raymond hide Coca-Cola in a bag?

Because he favored living in a black community on living in a white skin-colored
community. Because it would convince people at that time why he chose to live between
black people; because he is a drunk man, sounds reasonable isn’t it? Only a drunk man
white man could do so.
 3. In your own words, explain Atticus’s views on the equality of people.
Atticus is a great man; I think he views equality like that of the Bible; God has created all
people to be free no matter what their skin color is, what race they are, and what gender,
all human beings are equal and are born free.

Chapter 21: Summary

The children are caught in the balcony, and Atticus sends them home. An hour after dinner, they
return and wait until after 11:00 that evening, when the jury returns with a verdict. As Atticus
departs the courtroom, black members of the balcony audience respectfully stand.
Chapter 21: Questions
1. What does Jem expect the verdict to be? Does Atticus think the same thing?
As any immature child Jem wishes and believes that Tom Robinson will be found
innocent since the truth always wins, but in actuality, Tom Robinson is found guilty even
though he is innocent. Jem is not aware of the jury’s racist beliefs toward black people
but since Atticus is an adult and is aware that racism and people's cruelty can sometimes
lead to the death of an innocent soul solely because of his skin color, which is pitiful.

2. What is unusual about how long it takes the jury to reach a verdict? Is the verdict
predictable or not?
I think Atticus defending Tom Robinson postponed the jury reaching the verdict as it would
usually, since Atticus provided some solid evidence that proves the innocence of Tom
Robinson; nevertheless, Tom Robinson was condemned as a criminal due to racism against
black people at that time. I think it is undoubtfully predictable since Tom Robinson is a black
guy and Mayella is a white woman.

3. As Scout waits for the verdict, she thinks of earlier events. What are these events, and
how do they remind us of the novel’s central themes?
She remembers back in the winter when she was waiting for her father to shoot the
infected dog because it was dangerous and could infect the community. It is like the
situation of her father trying to save an innocent soul and trying to save people from the
dangerous idea of racism. Their racist beliefs are dangerous and harmful; not only would
it harm Tom, but it could also harm his wife and other black people. Racism is just like a
disease; it could hurt innocent people and lead to the death of innocent souls. At the
beginning of the novel, he tries to save the community from a deadly disease and now he
is trying to save them from deadly beliefs.
 Chapter 22: Summary
Atticus defends the children’s right to observe the tensions in the community and courtroom. The
next morning, Calpurnia discovers that grateful members of the black community have placed
gifts of food on the Finch’s porch. Miss Maudie champions Atticus’s Christian deed when Jem
feels despondent. Neighbors warn the children that Bob Ewell spat in their father’s face earlier
that morning at the post office and threatened him.Chapter 22: Questions
1. Although Atticus did not want his children in court, he defends Jem’s right to know what has
happened. In your own words, explain Atticus’s reasons for this.
I can interpret by reading the book that Atticus strove to mature up his kids; he aspires his
kids to be knowledgeable of the world around them. He wants them to know how the
people of Maycomb think and what they believe. He simply wants his kids to be aware
and not ignorant of the community they live in.

2. Miss Maudie tells Jem that “things are never as bad as they seem.” What reasons does
she give for this view?
She told Jem that there are men who were born to do hard things that others will not be
willing to do, such as their father Atticus, who was ready to help a black man and, at the
very beginning of the book, he shot a sick dog that could have spread disease among
Maycomb community. "I simply want to tell you that there are some men in this world
who were born to do our unpleasant jobs for us. Your father's one of them.” (Miss
Maudie, TKAM, page 219). “We’re so rarely called on to be Christians, but when we are,
we’ve got men like Atticus to go for us.” (Miss Maudie, TKAM, page 219).

3. Why does Dill say that he will be a clown when he grows up? Why is this statement
both sad and true about human nature?
He said that he desires to laugh at people all the time, "I think I'll be a clown when I get
grown," said Dill. Jem and I stopped in our tracks. "Yes, sir, a clown," he said. "There
ain't one thing in this world I can do about folks except laugh, so I'm gonna join the
circus and laugh my head off." " (TKAM, page 289). But Jem replies to him and tells him
that deep down inside, he won't feel happy laughing at people all the time. Indeed, it is
people that enjoy laughing at a clown. "You got it backwards, Dill," said Jem. "Clowns
are sad; it's folks that laugh at them."

Chapter 23: Summary

Jem worries about the threat; Aunt Alexandra fears a sneaky retribution. Late in the summer,
Tom goes to Enfield Prison Farm. Atticus is encouraged by how long the jury stayed out for
deliberation and is glad he accepted Cunningham on the panel.
Chapter 23: Questions
1. What is your opinion of Atticus’s reaction to Bob Ewell’s challenge? Should he have
ignored Bob, retaliated, or done something else?
As Always, Atticus's reaction to Bob Ewell's threat amazed me; I think he chose to do the
right thing he decided to ignore him. Atticus knew that Bob would not be able to kill him
since he can't even hold a gun, but I think he knew that a coward like Bob would try to
harm his kids instead. Which was absolutely true.

2. What is “circumstantial evidence”? How does it pertain to Tom’s conviction?

Circumstantial evidence is evidence based on a series of events or that happened earlier. The
jury can draw up a conclusion based on the facts these events provide. They are often not
enough to prove someone committed a crime. The evidence against Tom Robinson seemed to
be Circumstantial, that he was at the Ewell's house, but that does not prove that he committed
such a crime. "He glanced at me, saw I was listening and made it easier. "—I mean before a man
is sentenced to death for murder, so; there should be one or two eye-witnesses. Someone
should be able to say, 'Yes, I was there and saw him pull the trigger.'" "But lots of folks have
been hung—hanged—on circumstantial evidence," said Jem." “I know, and lots of ‘em probably
deserved it, too—but in the absence of eye-witnesses there’s always a doubt, some times only
the shadow of a doubt. The law says ’reasonable doubt,‘ but I think a defendant’s entitled to the
shadow of a doubt. There’s always the possibility, no matter how improbable, that he’s
innocent.” (TKAM, page 223).

3. What does Atticus tell Scout about why the jury took so long to convict Tom?
The reason behind why the jury took so long to convict Tom Robinson was a mysterious
man who was striving to acquit tom; Atticus told his kids that it was one of their friends
who was willing to help Tom Robinson. Jem quickly guessed that it was one of the
Cunninghams.

4. At the end of this chapter, Jem forms a new theory about why Boo Radley has never left
his house in years. What is this? In your opinion, how likely is it to be true?
Jem came up with a new theory that Boo Radley does not want to leave his house
because he loves to stay inside his home, which in my opinion is true since when he
secures the kids from Bob Ewell, he asks Scout to lead him to his house, he also added
that he does not like people visiting him.

Chapter 24: Summary

Late in August at Alexandra’s missionary circle, Scout helps Calpurnia serve charlotte and tarts.
Atticus arrives home to tell Calpurnia that Tom (discouraged by the trial) attempted to escape
from the prison farm and was shot to death by the white guards. Alexandra admires Atticus for
his character and regrets his sufferings.
Chapter 24: Questions
1. Compare the reaction of Miss Maudie with the other ladies’ reactions when Scout says
she is wearing her “britches” under her dress.
Miss Maudie looked at her gravely or in such a serious way while the rest of the ladies
laughed at little Scout; Miss Maudie did not laugh because Scout did not mean to be
funny in any way possible she was serious.

2. What is Atticus’s explanation for Tom’s attempted escape? Do you agree with Atticus?

Atticus said that Tom Robinson was shot seventeen times as he attempted to escape by
climbing up a fence. He said they warned him by firing some shots in the air, but it
seemed like Tom Robinson did not respond to their warning. Yes, I think Tom Robinson
wanted to end his life because he knew he was dead anyway.

3. In this chapter, how do we see Aunt Alexandra in a new light? How does Miss Maudie
support her?
In this chapter, it is evident that Aunt Alexandra is backing her brother Atticus by
supporting him and agreeing with what he often states; Miss Maudie also supports both
Atticus and Aunt Alexandra and tells her how much Atticus is known for his courage and
bravery.

Response Questions:
1. What elements of the hero’s journey do you see in To Kill a Mockingbird?
a. Ordinary world: Maycomb town, in the 1930s.
b. The Call to Adventure: Atticus is asked to defend a black guy, Tom Robinson who
was accused of rape.
c. The Refusal of the Call: Atticus accepts the Call after taking some time considering
the consequences of defending a black guy and knowing that it might put his family
in danger.
d. Mentor: I think that in the novel both Atticus and Calpurnia serve as the mentor
figure.
1. Think back to the historical information you read in Unit 4. What influences from those
historical events do you see in these chapters?
2.

3. Why is Tom found guilty? What biases affected the jury’s decision? Do those biases exist
today? Explain.