To Kill a MockingbirdPart 1 Summary

Chapter 1

• Setting – Maycombe, small town southern America

• Tone of mystery– How did Jem break his

arm?– Who is Boo Radley? Is he

a monster?• Atticus

– Independent (left family business)

– Fair (listens to both sides of children’s arguments)

– Respectful of all (including children)

Chapter 2

• Social Hierarchy– Cunninghams– Ewells

• School System is mocked– Miss Caroline and

Scout’s reading– Outsider who doesn’t

understand Maycombe

Chapter 3• Mystery of Boo Radley• Scout’s lessons

– Guests deserve respect (Calpurnia)– Understand others by seeing from their perspective

(Atticus)

Chapter 4• Mystery of Radley’s

– Gifts in tree (infer this is Boo; is he a monster?)

– Tire episode (Scout hears laughter inside the Radley house)

• Prejudice– Play the Boo Radley game– Atticus forbids them from

doing this

• Miss Maudie– Open minded– Respectful of children and Radley’s

(calls Boo Arthur)– Enjoys life in the moment

Chapter 6

• Mystery of the Radleys– Jem’s pants are

mended

• Jem grows up– Jem takes

responsibility – doesn’t want to let down Atticus

Chapter 7

• Mystery of the Radley’s– Gifts in the tree– Mr. Radley blocks the hole– Jem cries at loss of friendship and Arthur’s

unfair isolation

• Scout matures– Patient and understanding of Jem– Puts herself in his shoes– Jem tells her about the pants

Chapter 8• Prejudice

– Mr Avery’s snowman– Atticus makes them

change it

• Mystery of Boo Radley– Boo provides blanket

during fire– Scout is still frightened

(immature)– Jem tells Atticus about

Arthur (mature)

Chapter 9

• Prejudice– School children tease Scout about her father’s case involving

Tom Robinson– Atticus warns Scout she will hear some nasty talk and

encourages her to fight with her head, not her fists– Scout does not understand– Francis calls Atticus a “nigger-lover” and Scout hits him

• Parenting Methods– Jack spanks Scout without hearing her side of the story– Jack avoids answering Scout’s awkward question– Atticus says to answer kids’ questions and listen to both sides

• Courage– Atticus takes Tom’s case despite the opposition of the town– Scout tries not to fight

Chapter 10• Ageism

– Jem and Scout feel Atticus is too old to do anything

• Courage– Atticus confronts the rabid dog– Atticus is peace-loving and avoids

using guns

• Mockingbirds– Atticus refuses to teach them to

shoot– If you must shoot, never kill a

mockingbird as they only sing and do no harm

– Mockingbirds in the novel – Tom Robinson, Boo Radley

Chapter 11

• Prejudice– Mrs. Dubose mocks Atticus to Jem– Jem assumes Mrs. Dubose is just a cranky old lady

for no good reason• Courage

– Jem reads to Mrs. Dubose every day (somewhat unwillingly)

– Mrs. Dubose is trying to kick her morphine addiction and die clean showing courage

– Courage is not a man with a gun but to fight for what you believe even when you no you cannot win

– Atticus also takes the Robinson case because he has courage