Discussion Questions

[Tunde Sogo]

Chapter 10:
Why are drinking and smoking valued over law practice in Maycomb?
Chapter 11:
Why did Mrs. Dubose take out her feverish emotions on innocent children?
Chapter 12:
Why were Calpurnia and the other African Americans in favor of a double standard, in which Whites may attend an African American church, but not vice versa.
Chapter 13:
How can Aunt Alexandra decide to move for several years, possibly a decade, and leave her spouse behind?
Chapter 14:
What caused Atticus' views of African Americans to develop so differently from his siblings?
Chapter 15:
Why won't Aunt Alexandra take her own brother's side, in the face of angry mobs?

[Tunde Sogo]

 Chapter 16:
How can the Coninghams and the Cunninghams occupy the same place and marry each other constantly, without merging into a single family?
Chapter 17:
How can the prosecutor's witnesses continuously change their stories, without convincing the whole court of the defendant's innocence?

[Tunde Sogo]

Chapter 18:
Could Atticus be going too far with his questioning of Mayella Ewell?
Chapter 19:
Why does Mr. Gilmer find it so hard to believe that African Americans are afraid of Whites, at this time, but willing to attack him with the rest of the court when he says that he pitied a White woman?
Chapter 20:
How can Jem casually hurl out harsh, racist terms without any obvious sadness?

[Tunde Sogo]

Chapter 21:
How can Scout already be so skilled at reading a jury's expression?
Chapter 22:
How can Jem's perspective on Tom Robinson, Calpurnia, and Reverends Sykes be so different from his view of other African Americans?
Chapter 23:
Why doesn't Atticus correct Jem, who lacks understanding of the severity of rape?

[Tunde Sogo]

Chapter 24:
Why are other human beings, like African Americans and Native Americans, treated as inferior by those whose very religion claims human beings are all made in their God's image?
Chapter 25:
Why is it that people, like Tom Robinson, are referred to as n____ s  but aren't considered to always act as n____s  even if they are always treated as n____s?
Chapter 26:
How can Scout be so oblivious to the tragedies occurring in the world around her, and be so aware of those nearby?
Chapter 27:
Why does Mr. Ewell think that notoriety will earn him release from his life of poverty?

[Tunde Sogo]

Chapter 28:
How can wire and fabric protect Scout so well, from someone with deliberate murderous intent and a knife?
Chapter 29:
How can Heck Tate be trusted as sheriff, when he admits to shooting suspects he strongly believes are guilty?
Chapter 30:
Why is Atticus so willing to believe that his twelve year old son would murder in any situation?
Chapter 31:
Did the shock of Mr. Ewell's suicide and attempted child murder prevent Scout from being shocked by the appearance of Boo Radley?

[Robin Nourie]

Wonderful, wonderful questions - all of them from chapter 10 on, Tunde.  As far as your question about Heck Tate, where does he say he shoots people he thinks are guilty????

As far as Jem goes are you referring to when Jem talks about Dolphus Raymond's family, as his "hurling out harsh, racist terms without any obvious sadness?"  I think Jem is just ignorant of how he sounds - children pick up what they hear and given the attitudes in the '30's his description of the Dolphus Raymond children not being accepted anywhere would be accurate, though I agree, the way he puts is hard to take.