Chapter(s): 1 & 2
Summary: The novel begins by introducing the characters and sets the plot line based on how Scout Finch’s brother Jem Finch broke his arm. She talks about Simon Finch, her fur trading ancestor who founded Finch’s Landing. Scout and Jem’s mother died, and they live with their father Atticus Finch, a lawyer, and their cook Calpurnia. Dill Harris, a soon to be friend of Jem and Scouts’ moves into town and the trio being to reenact the life of Boo Radley. Boo is the town phantom, and is known for is scary and mysterious reclusive live. As summer ends, Dill leaves Maycomb and Scout and Jem get ready to go to school. Scout’s teacher Miss Fisher is unhappy with Scout’s advanced ability to read, and tells her to stop reading with her dad. Finally, at the end of the chapters, the poor Cunninghams are introduced, and we learn that they seek legal advice from Atticus in trade for goods rather than money.
Lesson Learned with Evidence: In these chapters, Scout learns the lesson that school life is different than anything she has experienced before, and she has to act differently to fit in. This is a major theme of the novel and is further explored in following chapters. There is evidence of this when Scout is told not to read with her father at home because it is too advanced for her education level.
Chapter(s): 3 & 4
Summary: After beating up Walter Cunningham, Scout invites him over for dinner. The next day at school, Miss Caroline is shocked when she sees a “cootie” crawling out of the hair of Burris Ewell, the son of a poor and unrespectable family. He almost makes the teacher cry with his rude comments before he leaves the classroom, he has finished the only day of school he will be attending. Later that day, after school, Scout tells Atticus that she isn’t feeling very well and isn’t going to attend school anymore, if it alright with him. Atticus says she has to continue to go to school, but, they will continue to read at home as long as Scout does not tell her teacher.
Lesson Learned with Evidence: In these chapters, Scout learns the the overarching lesson for the novel, “You never really understand a person until you see things from his point of view…until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” Evidence of this is shown when Scout realizes she shouldn't make fun of Walter for putting maple syrup on his food , and that just because “he ain't company” doesn’t mean that he deserves ridicule.
Chapter(s): 5, 6, & 7
Summary: Jem and Dill become better friends and begin to exclude Scout, this results in her befriending her neighbor Miss Maudie. The two talk about Boo Radley and Miss Maudie dispels some of the rumors Scout believes to be true. Meanwhile, Dill and Jem attempt to make contact with Boo and ask him out to ice cream, but Atticus orders them to stop tormenting him. On Dill’s last day in Maycomb, he and Jem make a plan to look through one of the shutters of the Radley house. Scout comes with them, but they are caught and shot at. In their escape, Dill loses his pants. When they get home, Atticus and his neighbors are out and have been told that Mr. Radley had shot at a “negro” in his yard. The gifts that have been left by Boo in the oak tree continue, but Nathan Radley covers the hole in the tree.
Lesson Learned with Evidence: The lesson learned in these chapters are learned by Jem, Dill, and Scout. They learn that they shouldn’t have judged Boo Radley so hardly, and he is not all he had seemed to be. There is evidence of this when Miss Maudie tells Scout the truth of Boo Radley, and the kids experience it first hand when they are given gifts by Boo, and he fixes Dill’s pants.
Chapter(s): 8 & 9
Summary: Jem and Scout have a snow day and make a dirt/snow man closely resembling their unpleasant neighbor. Later that night, they go outside to find Miss Maudie's house on fire. In the confusion, someone drapes a blanket over Scout, later figured out to be Boo Radley. Later at school, Scout nearly gets in another fight. A boy claims that “Scout Finch’s daddy defends ni--ers.” In actuality, Atticus is defending an innocent black man named Tom Robinson who was accused of raping a Ewell girl. Even though Atticus knows he going to lose the case, and despite ridicule from the town, Atticus has a strong moral compass and continues to defend Tom. Around Christmas time, Scout must be around Atticus’s sister’s grandson Francis, who Scout beats up after calling Atticus a “ni--er lover.”
Lesson Learned with Evidence: Atticus learns the lesson that you must “practice what you preach” if you want people to respect you. There is evidence of this when Atticus realizes that by not talking this case, he couldn’t raise his kids teaching them good morals while not practicing them himself.
Chapter(s): 10, 11, & 12
Summary: A rabid dog is found walking the streets of maycomb Calpurnia calls Atticus and he brings the sheriff Heck Tate to the scene. Heck hands the rifle to Atticus, who hits the dog on his first try. Scout and Jem are confused and surprised, they didn’t know that their father was so skilled in this matter, they later learn of Atticus’s nickname “One Shot Finch.” Mrs. Dubose is introduced is an angry old woman living down the street. Atticus tells his kids to be kind to her, but one day Jem kills all the flowers growing in her yard after she says unkind things about Atticus. Because of this, Jem is made to go to her house every day for a month and read things to her. After about a month of Jem and Scout’s reading visits, she dies from her combatting morphine addiction. Later on, Jem turns 12 and begins to lose interest in Scout’s childish games, and Dill stays home with his new father for the summer. While Atticus is out of town traveling the state capital, Calpurnia takes Jem and Scout to her church. They are confused by the second face Cal puts on when around other colored people. She acts uneducated and uses as Scout says “ni--er talk.” The reverend passes around a collection for Tom Robinson's wife, who now cannot get a job. Scout is confused as to why people believe anything the Ewells say.
Learned with Evidence: In these chapters, the theme of changing one's self to fit in emerges again. Scout learns the lesson that sometimes people change who they are in order to fit in and not seem out of place. There is evidence of this when she visits Cal’s church and realizes that Cal has two personalities; one that is saved for proper situations, the other emerges
Chapter(s): 13
Summary: Jem and Scout’s aunt comes to town to give them a female influence. Women from all over town come to bring her various goodies, and Aunt Alexandra takes pride in the good character of the Finches. Jem and Scout don’t have the same beliefs, and Atticus is made to lecture them on family history.
Lesson Learned with Evidence: In this chapter, Scout and Jem learn about the pride people take in their family. There is evidence of this when they say that they don’t think the Finches are all that Aunt Alexandra talks them up to be.
Chapter(s): 14
Summary: Tom Robinson’s trial is coming up, and Scout asks Atticus about the inappropriate details of the case that she learned at Cal’s church. Aunt Alexandra forbids Scout and Jem to return to the church, and even goes as far as to attempt to get rid of Calpurnia. Later that night after a fight with Jem, Scout discovers Dill hiding under her bed. He has run away from home because he believes his parents aren’t paying enough attention to him. He eats, and spends the night.
Lesson Learned with Evidence: In this chapter Scout learns the lesson that her actions will have consequences, and even the smallest thing such as asking an innocent question to her father could result in bigger consequences such as losing the ability to go to Cal’s church.
Chapter(s): 15
Summary: The chapter begins by the sheriff arriving at the Finch house due to a rising lynch mob coming for Tom Robinson. Aunt Alexandra’s family pride comes out again and tells Atticus that he is disgracing his family name by representing Tom. Later on, Jem, Dill, and Scout sneak out and go to town to see Atticus outside of the Maycomb jail. As they are watching, a group of cars pull up to Atticus, and outcome a group of men different from the group yesterday. Scout comes running to Atticus, Jem and Dill follow. Among the group, Scout recognizes Mr. Cunningham, the father of her friend Walter. She asks him to tell Walter the message “hey.” Mr. Cunningham is shamed by his actions in the face of a child and the mob leaves, the Finches and Dill leave soon after.
Lesson Learned with Evidence: An important lesson is learned in this chapter, and it is learned by an adult rather than one of the children. Mr. Cunningham realizes how childish his actions are when faced by the innocence and kindness of a child. This mob of men are more like a pack of wild animals, and Mr. Cunningham is reduced to his knees when facing Scout.
Chapter(s): 16
Summary: This chapter begins with people begin to gather for Tom’s trial. Jem, Dill, and Scout sneak into the courtroom and end up sitting in the designated colored people section. The judge and jury are all white, and there is suspense in the air, even though the outcome of the trial is already known.
Lesson Learned with Evidence: The lesson learned in the chapter is that ignorance is inevitable. It is obvious that Tom is innocent, but since he is black, the jury is going to dismiss the evidence and vote in favor of the white man. There is evidence of this when it is stated how the room felt suspenseful, but everyone knew that Tom would lose.
Chapter(s): 17
Summary: This chapter begins at the trial of Tom Robinson. Despite the suspenseful nature of the case, there is no doubt to the verdict of the jury. Even after indisputable evidence is presented in favor of Tom’s case, Tom was dead the second Mr. Ewell accused him.
Lesson Learned with Evidence:
Summary: The novel begins by introducing the characters and sets the plot line based on how Scout Finch’s brother Jem Finch broke his arm. She talks about Simon Finch, her fur trading ancestor who founded Finch’s Landing. Scout and Jem’s mother died, and they live with their father Atticus Finch, a lawyer, and their cook Calpurnia. Dill Harris, a soon to be friend of Jem and Scouts’ moves into town and the trio being to reenact the life of Boo Radley. Boo is the town phantom, and is known for is scary and mysterious reclusive live. As summer ends, Dill leaves Maycomb and Scout and Jem get ready to go to school. Scout’s teacher Miss Fisher is unhappy with Scout’s advanced ability to read, and tells her to stop reading with her dad. Finally, at the end of the chapters, the poor Cunninghams are introduced, and we learn that they seek legal advice from Atticus in trade for goods rather than money.
Lesson Learned with Evidence: In these chapters, Scout learns the lesson that school life is different than anything she has experienced before, and she has to act differently to fit in. This is a major theme of the novel and is further explored in following chapters. There is evidence of this when Scout is told not to read with her father at home because it is too advanced for her education level.
Chapter(s): 3 & 4
Summary: After beating up Walter Cunningham, Scout invites him over for dinner. The next day at school, Miss Caroline is shocked when she sees a “cootie” crawling out of the hair of Burris Ewell, the son of a poor and unrespectable family. He almost makes the teacher cry with his rude comments before he leaves the classroom, he has finished the only day of school he will be attending. Later that day, after school, Scout tells Atticus that she isn’t feeling very well and isn’t going to attend school anymore, if it alright with him. Atticus says she has to continue to go to school, but, they will continue to read at home as long as Scout does not tell her teacher.
Lesson Learned with Evidence: In these chapters, Scout learns the the overarching lesson for the novel, “You never really understand a person until you see things from his point of view…until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” Evidence of this is shown when Scout realizes she shouldn't make fun of Walter for putting maple syrup on his food , and that just because “he ain't company” doesn’t mean that he deserves ridicule.
Chapter(s): 5, 6, & 7
Summary: Jem and Dill become better friends and begin to exclude Scout, this results in her befriending her neighbor Miss Maudie. The two talk about Boo Radley and Miss Maudie dispels some of the rumors Scout believes to be true. Meanwhile, Dill and Jem attempt to make contact with Boo and ask him out to ice cream, but Atticus orders them to stop tormenting him. On Dill’s last day in Maycomb, he and Jem make a plan to look through one of the shutters of the Radley house. Scout comes with them, but they are caught and shot at. In their escape, Dill loses his pants. When they get home, Atticus and his neighbors are out and have been told that Mr. Radley had shot at a “negro” in his yard. The gifts that have been left by Boo in the oak tree continue, but Nathan Radley covers the hole in the tree.
Lesson Learned with Evidence: The lesson learned in these chapters are learned by Jem, Dill, and Scout. They learn that they shouldn’t have judged Boo Radley so hardly, and he is not all he had seemed to be. There is evidence of this when Miss Maudie tells Scout the truth of Boo Radley, and the kids experience it first hand when they are given gifts by Boo, and he fixes Dill’s pants.
Chapter(s): 8 & 9
Summary: Jem and Scout have a snow day and make a dirt/snow man closely resembling their unpleasant neighbor. Later that night, they go outside to find Miss Maudie's house on fire. In the confusion, someone drapes a blanket over Scout, later figured out to be Boo Radley. Later at school, Scout nearly gets in another fight. A boy claims that “Scout Finch’s daddy defends ni--ers.” In actuality, Atticus is defending an innocent black man named Tom Robinson who was accused of raping a Ewell girl. Even though Atticus knows he going to lose the case, and despite ridicule from the town, Atticus has a strong moral compass and continues to defend Tom. Around Christmas time, Scout must be around Atticus’s sister’s grandson Francis, who Scout beats up after calling Atticus a “ni--er lover.”
Lesson Learned with Evidence: Atticus learns the lesson that you must “practice what you preach” if you want people to respect you. There is evidence of this when Atticus realizes that by not talking this case, he couldn’t raise his kids teaching them good morals while not practicing them himself.
Chapter(s): 10, 11, & 12
Summary: A rabid dog is found walking the streets of maycomb Calpurnia calls Atticus and he brings the sheriff Heck Tate to the scene. Heck hands the rifle to Atticus, who hits the dog on his first try. Scout and Jem are confused and surprised, they didn’t know that their father was so skilled in this matter, they later learn of Atticus’s nickname “One Shot Finch.” Mrs. Dubose is introduced is an angry old woman living down the street. Atticus tells his kids to be kind to her, but one day Jem kills all the flowers growing in her yard after she says unkind things about Atticus. Because of this, Jem is made to go to her house every day for a month and read things to her. After about a month of Jem and Scout’s reading visits, she dies from her combatting morphine addiction. Later on, Jem turns 12 and begins to lose interest in Scout’s childish games, and Dill stays home with his new father for the summer. While Atticus is out of town traveling the state capital, Calpurnia takes Jem and Scout to her church. They are confused by the second face Cal puts on when around other colored people. She acts uneducated and uses as Scout says “ni--er talk.” The reverend passes around a collection for Tom Robinson's wife, who now cannot get a job. Scout is confused as to why people believe anything the Ewells say.
Learned with Evidence: In these chapters, the theme of changing one's self to fit in emerges again. Scout learns the lesson that sometimes people change who they are in order to fit in and not seem out of place. There is evidence of this when she visits Cal’s church and realizes that Cal has two personalities; one that is saved for proper situations, the other emerges
Chapter(s): 13
Summary: Jem and Scout’s aunt comes to town to give them a female influence. Women from all over town come to bring her various goodies, and Aunt Alexandra takes pride in the good character of the Finches. Jem and Scout don’t have the same beliefs, and Atticus is made to lecture them on family history.
Lesson Learned with Evidence: In this chapter, Scout and Jem learn about the pride people take in their family. There is evidence of this when they say that they don’t think the Finches are all that Aunt Alexandra talks them up to be.
Chapter(s): 14
Summary: Tom Robinson’s trial is coming up, and Scout asks Atticus about the inappropriate details of the case that she learned at Cal’s church. Aunt Alexandra forbids Scout and Jem to return to the church, and even goes as far as to attempt to get rid of Calpurnia. Later that night after a fight with Jem, Scout discovers Dill hiding under her bed. He has run away from home because he believes his parents aren’t paying enough attention to him. He eats, and spends the night.
Lesson Learned with Evidence: In this chapter Scout learns the lesson that her actions will have consequences, and even the smallest thing such as asking an innocent question to her father could result in bigger consequences such as losing the ability to go to Cal’s church.
Chapter(s): 15
Summary: The chapter begins by the sheriff arriving at the Finch house due to a rising lynch mob coming for Tom Robinson. Aunt Alexandra’s family pride comes out again and tells Atticus that he is disgracing his family name by representing Tom. Later on, Jem, Dill, and Scout sneak out and go to town to see Atticus outside of the Maycomb jail. As they are watching, a group of cars pull up to Atticus, and outcome a group of men different from the group yesterday. Scout comes running to Atticus, Jem and Dill follow. Among the group, Scout recognizes Mr. Cunningham, the father of her friend Walter. She asks him to tell Walter the message “hey.” Mr. Cunningham is shamed by his actions in the face of a child and the mob leaves, the Finches and Dill leave soon after.
Lesson Learned with Evidence: An important lesson is learned in this chapter, and it is learned by an adult rather than one of the children. Mr. Cunningham realizes how childish his actions are when faced by the innocence and kindness of a child. This mob of men are more like a pack of wild animals, and Mr. Cunningham is reduced to his knees when facing Scout.
Chapter(s): 16
Summary: This chapter begins with people begin to gather for Tom’s trial. Jem, Dill, and Scout sneak into the courtroom and end up sitting in the designated colored people section. The judge and jury are all white, and there is suspense in the air, even though the outcome of the trial is already known.
Lesson Learned with Evidence: The lesson learned in the chapter is that ignorance is inevitable. It is obvious that Tom is innocent, but since he is black, the jury is going to dismiss the evidence and vote in favor of the white man. There is evidence of this when it is stated how the room felt suspenseful, but everyone knew that Tom would lose.
Chapter(s): 17
Summary: This chapter begins at the trial of Tom Robinson. Despite the suspenseful nature of the case, there is no doubt to the verdict of the jury. Even after indisputable evidence is presented in favor of Tom’s case, Tom was dead the second Mr. Ewell accused him.
Lesson Learned with Evidence: