TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD EXAM QUESTIONS
WITH SOLVED ANSWERS.
What does it mean to "act responsibly?" Explain what a person needs to do in order to "act
responsibly" in the 1930's in Maycomb, Alabama.
In To Kill a Mockingbird, to behave responsible in 1930's Maycomb, Alabama, a person needs to rise
above the petty racism that was prevalent at that time.
Who can people trust in Maycomb, Alabama? Identify your impressions of Dill, Calpurnia, Jem, the
narrator, Atticus, the Radleys, Miss Stephanie Crawford, and Miss Caroline Fisher.
People really trust Atticus because he has strong family ties to the community and is an honest man.
People also typically trust the people they see frequently.
Dill- nerdy, small, nosy
Calpurnia- strict, helpful, family cook
Jem- kind, looks after Scout, likes to play sports outside
Scout (the narrator)- sassy, independent, tomboy
Atticus- honest, trustworthy, friendly
the Radleys- mysterious, quiet, not friendly
Miss Stephanie Crawford- likes to gossip, friendly, main source of rumors about the Radleys
Miss Caroline Fisher- strict, not nice to Scout, doesn't know much about the community
What are some essential family values and family history that have shaped the people in this
community?
-There is an "us" and "them" mentality regarding white families, "good" families vs. "trashy" families.
There is a code by which the town works and determines who is in what category.
-All white people are better than all black or "colored" people, but This family value was not upheld by
Atticus Finch.)
-Gender roles are reinforced by Scout's aunts, neighbors and school teacher. (Atticus Finch allowed
his 1st grade daughter dress in overalls and behave like a tomboy, teaches Scout to read, and allows
her to be called by a nickname rather than her given name, Jean Louise.)
-Outsiders do not understand the different families' relationships and connections with each other.
(Scout's teacher does not understand the Cunningham's poverty and pride)
What behaviors are acceptable in the Maycomb community? What behaviors are not acceptable in
the community?
It is unacceptable to be of a different race and expect justice in the community. This is scene in the
case of Tom Robinson, who is an innocent man convicted of a crime against a white woman. It is
acceptable to let a white woman free from contempt of court because she is ignorant. It is
unacceptable to be poor and rude. The poverty is held against the children in the story, as seen with
Walter Cunningham. It is acceptable to harass and malign a young man who has been isolated for a
long period of time. It is acceptable to be a racist with little empathy for those who are different as
long as you are a church-going white person.
Which characters inform Scout about proper behavior? How do these characters tell her to act?
Scout's teacher Miss Caroline tries to tell Scout how to behave; more specifically, she tells Scout her
father should not read to her at night for he will not teach her properly. Calpurnia tells Scout how to
behave when she invites someone to lunch, for she is not polite to the little Cunningham boy when he
pours molasses all over his food. Atticus tells Scout she needn't tell Miss Caroline they read at home,
explaining that "you never understand a person until you consder things from his point of view."
What is Walter Cunningham like? What does his behavior during lunch suggest about his home life?
, Walter Cunningham is a poor boy who is one of Scout's classmates. His father is a friend of Atticus'.
His behavior at lunch suggests that he does not usually get to eat and is not used to eating these types
of food (roast).
Describe Miss Caroline's interactions with Burris Ewell. What does this suggest about Miss Caroline?
What does this suggest about the Ewells?
Miss Caroline sees a bug crawling in his hair. She does not know that he comes from a family that is
often dirty and only attends school on the first day. She tells him to go home and bathe, but before he
leaves, he yells cruel insults to her and makes her cry. This shows how truly filthy and awful the Ewell
family is.
What do you think of the way Atticus treats Walter?
Atticus is very kind to Walter because he knows how terrible Walter's home life is. He wants to treat
him nicely because he knows that Walter rarely gets to experience that.
Does Scout learn anything from Walter's visit? What do you think this is?
Scout learns how to accept someone who is different and to not point out their difference just
because it is unfamiliar.
Atticus says that you never really understand a person "until you climb into his skin and walk around
in it." What does this mean? What does this lesson suggest about Atticus? Is it an easy thing for Scout
to learn?
He means that you should never judge someone because you never know what they are going
through in their personal life. This lesson suggests that Atticus is a very understanding person who
thinks of others before himself. This may not be an easy lesson for Scout to learn because she is so
young, but she is quite mature for her age and may understand this because Atticus is the one telling
her this.
What does Scout think of current fashions in education? What do her opinions reveal about Scout's
character?
She is confused and doesn't like them because she enjoys learning to read with Atticus.
What risky behavior do Scout and Jem engage in?
Trying to get Boo Radley to come out of his house.
Why do the children make Boo's story into a game?
The children have gotten bored with acting out books and movies, so they decide to act out the story
of Boo's life, complete with howling under the porch and stabbing Mr. Radley in the leg with scissors.
This shows just how much of an object of entertainment and wonder Boo has become. The kids have
put him on the same level as books and movies--he's no longer (or he never was) a person with
problems and feelings; he's simply two-dimensional and an object for fun.
How does Atticus react to the game? What does his reaction tell us about his character?
Atticus tells Jem and Scout to leave Boo Radley alone because he has a right to privacy. This reveals
that Atticus is respectful even to people who may not seem to deserve respect.
Identify at least 2 slang words/phrases appropriate to the 1930's in Maycomb Alabama. Translate
these words/phrases into today's language.
WITH SOLVED ANSWERS.
What does it mean to "act responsibly?" Explain what a person needs to do in order to "act
responsibly" in the 1930's in Maycomb, Alabama.
In To Kill a Mockingbird, to behave responsible in 1930's Maycomb, Alabama, a person needs to rise
above the petty racism that was prevalent at that time.
Who can people trust in Maycomb, Alabama? Identify your impressions of Dill, Calpurnia, Jem, the
narrator, Atticus, the Radleys, Miss Stephanie Crawford, and Miss Caroline Fisher.
People really trust Atticus because he has strong family ties to the community and is an honest man.
People also typically trust the people they see frequently.
Dill- nerdy, small, nosy
Calpurnia- strict, helpful, family cook
Jem- kind, looks after Scout, likes to play sports outside
Scout (the narrator)- sassy, independent, tomboy
Atticus- honest, trustworthy, friendly
the Radleys- mysterious, quiet, not friendly
Miss Stephanie Crawford- likes to gossip, friendly, main source of rumors about the Radleys
Miss Caroline Fisher- strict, not nice to Scout, doesn't know much about the community
What are some essential family values and family history that have shaped the people in this
community?
-There is an "us" and "them" mentality regarding white families, "good" families vs. "trashy" families.
There is a code by which the town works and determines who is in what category.
-All white people are better than all black or "colored" people, but This family value was not upheld by
Atticus Finch.)
-Gender roles are reinforced by Scout's aunts, neighbors and school teacher. (Atticus Finch allowed
his 1st grade daughter dress in overalls and behave like a tomboy, teaches Scout to read, and allows
her to be called by a nickname rather than her given name, Jean Louise.)
-Outsiders do not understand the different families' relationships and connections with each other.
(Scout's teacher does not understand the Cunningham's poverty and pride)
What behaviors are acceptable in the Maycomb community? What behaviors are not acceptable in
the community?
It is unacceptable to be of a different race and expect justice in the community. This is scene in the
case of Tom Robinson, who is an innocent man convicted of a crime against a white woman. It is
acceptable to let a white woman free from contempt of court because she is ignorant. It is
unacceptable to be poor and rude. The poverty is held against the children in the story, as seen with
Walter Cunningham. It is acceptable to harass and malign a young man who has been isolated for a
long period of time. It is acceptable to be a racist with little empathy for those who are different as
long as you are a church-going white person.
Which characters inform Scout about proper behavior? How do these characters tell her to act?
Scout's teacher Miss Caroline tries to tell Scout how to behave; more specifically, she tells Scout her
father should not read to her at night for he will not teach her properly. Calpurnia tells Scout how to
behave when she invites someone to lunch, for she is not polite to the little Cunningham boy when he
pours molasses all over his food. Atticus tells Scout she needn't tell Miss Caroline they read at home,
explaining that "you never understand a person until you consder things from his point of view."
What is Walter Cunningham like? What does his behavior during lunch suggest about his home life?
, Walter Cunningham is a poor boy who is one of Scout's classmates. His father is a friend of Atticus'.
His behavior at lunch suggests that he does not usually get to eat and is not used to eating these types
of food (roast).
Describe Miss Caroline's interactions with Burris Ewell. What does this suggest about Miss Caroline?
What does this suggest about the Ewells?
Miss Caroline sees a bug crawling in his hair. She does not know that he comes from a family that is
often dirty and only attends school on the first day. She tells him to go home and bathe, but before he
leaves, he yells cruel insults to her and makes her cry. This shows how truly filthy and awful the Ewell
family is.
What do you think of the way Atticus treats Walter?
Atticus is very kind to Walter because he knows how terrible Walter's home life is. He wants to treat
him nicely because he knows that Walter rarely gets to experience that.
Does Scout learn anything from Walter's visit? What do you think this is?
Scout learns how to accept someone who is different and to not point out their difference just
because it is unfamiliar.
Atticus says that you never really understand a person "until you climb into his skin and walk around
in it." What does this mean? What does this lesson suggest about Atticus? Is it an easy thing for Scout
to learn?
He means that you should never judge someone because you never know what they are going
through in their personal life. This lesson suggests that Atticus is a very understanding person who
thinks of others before himself. This may not be an easy lesson for Scout to learn because she is so
young, but she is quite mature for her age and may understand this because Atticus is the one telling
her this.
What does Scout think of current fashions in education? What do her opinions reveal about Scout's
character?
She is confused and doesn't like them because she enjoys learning to read with Atticus.
What risky behavior do Scout and Jem engage in?
Trying to get Boo Radley to come out of his house.
Why do the children make Boo's story into a game?
The children have gotten bored with acting out books and movies, so they decide to act out the story
of Boo's life, complete with howling under the porch and stabbing Mr. Radley in the leg with scissors.
This shows just how much of an object of entertainment and wonder Boo has become. The kids have
put him on the same level as books and movies--he's no longer (or he never was) a person with
problems and feelings; he's simply two-dimensional and an object for fun.
How does Atticus react to the game? What does his reaction tell us about his character?
Atticus tells Jem and Scout to leave Boo Radley alone because he has a right to privacy. This reveals
that Atticus is respectful even to people who may not seem to deserve respect.
Identify at least 2 slang words/phrases appropriate to the 1930's in Maycomb Alabama. Translate
these words/phrases into today's language.
