Chapters 28-End: What really happens under the tree? Be specific in your explanation, and be sure to explain where the knives come from.

We learn what happened under the tree from Scout but because it was dark and she was in costume from the pageant, little of what happened under the tree is clear. When Scout and Jem were on the road on the night after the pageant, she says she heard Jem yell “run.” Because she was in costume and couldn’t see where she was going, she tripped when running and then heard Jem scream because his arm was broken. Next thing Scout notices is that someone was on top of her, grabbing her costume and then that person was yanked away. After a time when she doesn’t hear anything, she gets up to try to find Jem and heard a bone rattling cough and a heavy man breathing. She knows it’s not Jem because, “my toes touched trousers, a belt buckle, buttons, something I could not identify, a collar and a face. A prickly stubble on the face told me it was not Jem’s” (Lee 352). The person she was touching could only be one of two people, Boo Radley or Bob Ewell. Because she was looking around on the ground with her foot, the person must be on the ground and the thing she could not identify may have been the knife handle in Bob Ewell’s ribcage.

The knife could have come from one of two places. It might have come from the dump according to Heck Tate’s description of what happened under the tree, or it could have come from the Radley’s kitchen. We know that the knife slashed Scout’s costume and ended up killing Bob Ewell. The knife must have been sharp enough to cut chicken wire with maybe one blow. A kitchen knife could be sharp enough to do these things but a dull knife, which would have been thrown away, and end up in the dump, would have to be sharpened.

What happened under the tree remains controversial, but a few things are for sure. Bob Ewell is dead. Jem was injured. Scout was attacked but she was saved by her costume and by someone, maybe even Boo Radley.

28-31/ Explain Scouts reference to a mockingbird on page 370.

               Scout is talking about Boo Radley. Throughout the book Scout references mockingbirds. She says "Its a sin to kill a Mockingbird...Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy (Lee,118). After Atticus argues with Heck about wether or not Jem killed Bob Ewell. Defeated Atticus turns to Scout to tell her Jem didn't kill Bob. Scout at this point has figured out that Boo actually was the one who put the knife in Bob. She says "Well it'd be sort of like shooting' a mockingbird wouldn't it (Lee,371)? She means that Boo never did anything to hurt anybody, like a mockingbird, so rather than causes all the pain it would, they should just let him be. Boo Radley is one of the only truly good people in Maycomb. He might not be seen doing good often, or ever for that matter but when it counted he came through. The community would never pay him back. The community would never know, but he was a truly good person. Scout only understood that after stepping in his shoes for a little bit. Atticus understands that Boo is and always was good,  however he is surprised that Scout does. Before he says he often fells as though he's not a very good parent but they're all he has. When Scout says she understands, its like saying that Everything he has taught has stuck. She got it. This is really comforting to Atticus, because for the second time this novel he has gotten hypothetically naked and put himself out there. This time though his message was heard. Not by Mr. Tate, but by Scout. She heard what he had said. She soaked in his teaching and is the better for it.

Do you think Boo or Jem killed Bob. Or Mr Tate was right?
Is Boo a good person or just a pyscho who was locked up for too long?

Has Justice been served in this novel?

In To Kill A Mocking Bird, by Harper Lee, there is what may be though of as a different definition of justice. Harper Lee's definition of justice is when everyone is treated equally. I believe that there is justice in this book. I say this because at the end of the book Mr. Ewell dies. Due to the fact that Tom Robinson died and Bob Ewell died there feels as though there is an equality or there is a form of balance. Tom Robinson didn't deserve to die, but Mr. Ewell practically caused his death by accusing him of rape and getting him sent to the prison where he was shot. Even though it is sad when every one dies, I feel that justice is served when Bob Ewell dies, because the black people lost someone and so did the white people. Mr. Tate says "let the dead bury the dead this time," (Lee, 396). In other words Mr. Heck Tate is saying let it be or it will take care of itself. In a way it already has. Mr. Ewell essentially killed Tom Robinson, and therefore killed himself. Had Bob not accused Tom of rape he, himself, would not have been after Atticus's kids and killed himself. It was a form of justice and fait. It was bound to happen. This man who is a "low-down skunk with enough liquor in him to make him brave enough to kill children," (Lee, 360), was bound to be killed for his actions. Mr. Ewell had already killed one man and was about to kill two children. He also "had the guts to pester an old colored women, he had the guts enough to pester Judge Taylor when he thought the house was empty.." (Lee, 361).  Due to those reason I believe there is justice and a sense of harmony when Mr. Ewell is found dead at the end of the book.

Chapter 26/27: "The Radley place had ceased to terrify me, but it was no less gloomy, no less chilly under it's great oaks, and no less uninviting." Explore this with reference to Scout's development.

While it is true that Scout has matured to drop most of her views, she still recognizes the basic facts and begins to grasp some more complex ones in Maycomb County. It's true that the Radley house is uninviting, and while she is beginning to lose her beliefs of "haints and hot steams," (Lee 341) the Radley place is uninviting, as the activities going on inside the fence and house are relatively unknown, with the exception of Nathan Radley's rare excursions into town. Scout is beginning to develop into an adult and starting to fit into the "caste system in Maycomb County." (Lee 175) She is wondering how to proceed in the most mature way, and she tries to understand complex concepts by asking Atticus. One example of this is when she wonders why Hitler is persecuting the Jews, and why Miss Gates is being a hypocrite by saying that it is "one of the most terrible stories in history." (Lee 329) She is further exploring her initial questioning of Jem or Atticus, and is trying to follow her brother's lead by trying to understand issues herself. This shows the level of maturity she has, and it shows the determination and pride she has by not relying on others' answers and opinions.

Questions: How will Scout continue to develop and mature as the novel comes to a close? Is the Radley Place going to become more or less terrifying as the book concludes? How much of a role model is Jem to Scout?

Chapters 26-27: "The Radley Place had ceased to terrify me, but it was no less gloomy, no less chilly under its great oaks, and no less uninviting." Explore this with reference to Scout's development.

The Radley Place use to terrify Scout, but now as she is getting older, it no longer does.  Instead of looking at the Radley property in fear, she looks at it and feels bad for the Radleys.  She feels empathetic for Boo Radley and his sad life.  "The Radley Place had ceased to terrify me, but it was no less gloomy, no less chilly under its great oaks, and no less uninviting" (Lee 325).  Scout's newfound empathy towards people she used to dislike shows how Scout is growing up.  She considers things from all angles and never jumps to conclusions.  She has an understanding mindset similar to Attiucs, her teacher and role model.  When Scout was younger, Atticus taught Scout a trick about getting along better with folks.  "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... until you climb into his skin and walk around in it" (Lee 39).  Scout took her father's advice and imagined what it would be like if she was Boo Radley.  She pictured how gloomy her life would be, and how lonely she would be as a person.  She realized that he isn't in fact scary, and she almost begins to pity him.  Her demonstration of empathy shows that Scout considers things from other people's points of view, and is able to feel sympathetic towards those less fortunate.  Not only is she able to feel for the Radley's, but she is also able to empathize towards other minorities with less advantages such as black people and Jews.  This skill that Scout now possesses will be very useful to her as she grows up into a young woman.  She will encounter many people that she doesn't agree with, but in order to fully understand their point of view she must be able to "climb into their skin".  Atticus as parent must continue to teach Scout these life skills so she can apply them to everyday situations that are challenging for her.  Growing up in the south during the depression is very difficult, but Scout will have a much easier time if she puts these skills to use.

Do you think that Scout is being too naïve and should in fact fear the Radley Place? Do you think that the Radleys are a threat to Scout and Jem?  Do you think that Atticus is not being strict enough with his restrictions on trespassing? Do you think he is being too lenient? If so, why?

Chapters 26-27: Explore Scout's confusion in class. What is the root of Scout's confusion about Miss Gates? How is Miss Gates being a hypocrite? Why does Harper Lee include this? What is the purpose?

Scout is confused by Miss Gates because Miss Gates is a hypocrite. While explaining why Adolf Hitler is persecuting the Jews, Miss Gates says that persecution is wrong and "Persecution comes from people who are prejudiced," (Lee 329). However, Miss Gates is one of those people that are prejudiced. Miss Gates is just against black human rights instead of Jewish human rights. This confuses Scout because she doesn't see how someone can get so angry about persecution of one race or religion, and then turn around and do the same thing to another race. Scout tries to get a better understanding, but when she asks Jem, "How can you hate Hitler so bad an' then turn around and be ugly about folks right at home..."(Lee 331),  Jem freaks out and never answers her question. Scout knows that Miss Gates supports persecuting blacks because Scout overhears her teacher talking after the Tom Robinson trial that "it's time somebody taught 'em, (the black community), a lesson," (Lee 331). Most of the other school children understand Miss Gates point of view because they have been raised in a racist household. Scout, on the other hand, has been raised by Atticus. Atticus has taught Scout that all men are created equal and to think for herself, so it causes her a lot more confusion then her other classmates. Harper Lee included this scene to show that almost all humans are hypocrites, whether they realize it or not. Humans opinions make them blind to the truth sometimes. This scene also helps connect the history of African Americans and the Holocaust. These two stories both cast dark shadows on the worlds history, but at the time the population of the US felt much more empathetic towards the Jews because the Jews were white. Neither blacks nor Jews had ever done anything wrong, and both were punished for reasons they couldn't control; either their skin color or their beliefs.

Do you think Miss Gates is a bad person for only sympathizing with the Jews and not the blacks? Do you think that Scout's naivety helps her understand this situation better than the other children who have had their opinions pushed upon them by their parents?

Chapters 24/25: What is the significance of the “roly-poly”? What does this incident tell you about Scout and Jem?

            The roly-poly symbolizes innocence. In the beginning of chapter twenty-five, Scout finds a “roly-poly” bug in her room. Scout plays with the insect; making it curl into a ball several times by poking it with a stick to scare it. After a few minutes playing this game, Scout says, “Feeling sleepy, I decided to end things” (Lee 319). Right before Scout was going to squash the bug, Jem stopped her by saying, “They don’t bother you” (Lee 320).

            To Jem, the insect was like Tom Robinson. Tom was a normal African American man, who was unfairly charged of a crime he did not commit. By smashing the bug, Tom Robinson would be dead also. His innocence and freedom would be taken away from him. This is what happened when Tom was shot trying to escape. Jem was trying to keep Tom alive by stopping Scout.  Jem understands now that every person has a fighting chance, and should not immediately be thought of as evil and wrong.

Why would Scout immediately want to kill the roly-poly bug? (Does it represent more than boredom?) How does this event show Jem growing up?