CHAPTER 4

QUESTIONS

1 What does Scout think of current fashions in education?

2 What superstitions do the children have about the Radley House?

3 Why do the children make Boo’s story into a game?

4 What do they do in this game? Do you think the game is an accurate version of what happens inside
the Radley house?

5 What may be the cause of the laughter inside?

ANSWERS

1 What does Scout think of current fashions in education?

She does not approve of them. Cannot understand why it is a problem that she can read already, and
why her teacher is mad at her. The 2 wisest people she knows are Atticus and Uncle Jack, and they
were taught at home, so really thinks the current fashions in education are stupid. Questioning school
and teaching methods (Scout: sharp and logical)

2 What superstitions do the children have about the Radley House?

They think it is haunted, that Boo Radley is dead, that he was killed and stuffed up the chimney...
Jem'Scout thinks he is still alive inside the house.

3 Why do the children make Boo’s story into a game?

First of all it changes from their usual game, and they are so intrigued by this man and his story.
Playing his story is a way to exorcise their fears, to make his story theirs and to imagine their version.
A story within the story: when the characters become story tellers.

4 What do they do in this game? Do you think the game is an accurate version of what happens inside
the Radley house?
This game is a role play, they try to imagine what the members of the Radley family are like, they make
them alive to a certain extent. The role play is probably very different from what happens inside the
house, they are making a drama out of a family life, a little strange that is true, but not as bizarre as the
children imagine.

5 What may be the cause of the laughter inside?

It is probably Boo who has discovered their game and is laughing of their lively imagination.
 CHAPTER 5

QUESTIONS

1 Describe Miss Maudie.

2 How typical is she of Maycomb’s women?
3 What do the children think of her?
4 What does Miss Maudie tell Scout about Boo?
5 Scout claims that “Dill could tell the biggest ones”. Why might Dill have told such lies?
6 What reasons does Atticus give to the children not to play the Boo Radley game?

ANSWERS

1 Describe Miss Maudie.

A widow, hates being inside, loves gardening, dressed like a man when she is in her garden, but then
after her afternoon bath, she is a magnificent lady.

2 How typical is she of Maycomb’s women? Untypical, not gossiping. Is independent, living alone,
taking care of house and garden, is very open minded and tolerant, much like Atticus. At the same time
she participates in some of the afternoon gatherings with the other women, she is not excluded.

3 What do the children think of her? They are fond of her and appreciate her kindness and tolerance,
she is warm and caring and straightforward.

4 What does Miss Maudie tell Scout about Boo?

She tells her Boo/ Arthur is not dead, that he just is inside. He was a nice boy who talked nicely to
people when he was a child. This corresponds to what Scout thought, she didn’t believe he was dead
stuffed up the chimney. This truth is a relief to her.

5 Scout claims that “Dill could tell the biggest ones”. Why might Dill have told such lies? Examples of
lies p. 53. Dill has no father, but is inventing one, with this invented father comes invented stories. He
is probably ashamed of not having a father, needs to invent one.

6 What reasons does Atticus give to the children not to play the Boo Radley game? He tells them to
leave Boo alone, if he wants to come out, he will, and if he wants to stay inside, that is his right and his
own business, and it should not be an issue for anyone else. And Jem and Scout would not appreciate if
Boo came over to glance through the windows and observe them. Atticus is probably trying to widen
his children’s perception of what normal behaviour is, and simply accept that other people can behave
differently, and that is their right. Just like Atticus is raising his children with the values he thinks are
important, which does not necessarily correspond to what the people in Maycomb think. This is a
lesson about tolerance and acceptance.