3.In To Kill a Mockingbird, why had Atticus not brought a chair for the man in the corner? Who might this man be?
Atticus didn't bring a chair for the man in the corner, because that man was Arthur "Boo" Radley, one known for staying to himself. Despite the children's hypothesis that he was a raving lunatic surviving on the blood of raw squirrels, in reality he was a shy intraverted fellow who kept to himself due to having been shunned by the town years ago.
Boo would've felt uncomfortable talking much with anyone, even Atticus and the Sheriff. In fact, Boo never says a word; he just sort've motions and uses facial expressions. From the years of confinement, it's possible he hasn't said a word in a very long time.
This is just another example of the respect Atticus shows his neighbors and fellow townspeople, due to his keen sense of perception of others.
CHAPTER 29
What causes the "shiny clean line" on the otherwise dull wire of Scout's costume?
The "shiny clean line" that "stood out on the dull wire" was the mark left by the knife wielded by Bob Ewell. It is significant because it proves that Ewell meant to kill Scout; her life was saved when the wire on her costume deflected the sharp thrust of his weapon. Bob Ewell was drunk, and Mr. Tate observes that he "meant business", noting ironically that he had "enough liquor in him to make him brave enough to kill children" (Chapter 29).
- explain how Harper Lee builds tension in this scene?
Atticus was stunned by the news. Heck asked Scout to describe what had happened and from Atticus' lap she recounted her story. Heck examined Scout's crushed costume and pointed out a long, clean cut through the chicken wire where a knife had slashed the costume without harming Scout. The ham costume had saved her life. Scout went on to describe the scuffling. She said that when Mr. Ewell was trying to squeeze her to death someone pulled him off of her, and she thought Jem had gotten up again.
But then she heard the hard breathing of someone older and thought it was Atticus. Heck asked who it was and she pointed to the man in the corner and said that he could tell Mr. Tate his name. As she looked at him she noticed the paleness of his hands and face. He looked delicate and his eyes were so colorless he almost looked blind. His cheeks were thin and his face looked hollow, and when she pointed to him he seemed to tense up. She stared at him a moment in wonder and he smiled timidly as her eyes filled and she greeted him with, "'Hey, Boo.'"
CHAPTER 30
1. Who does Atticus think caused Bob Ewell's death?
Atticus thinks that Jem killed Bob Ewell in the course of the struggle. He stops to consider for a moment how old Jem is since this might make a difference in the course of a legal investigation. This shows that Atticus would not expect any special privileges for his family, and that he would want Jem to be subjected to the same investigation that anyone else would go through. It's Sherriff Tate who realizes that Boo Radley has actually killed Ewell to save Jem and Scout. But Ewell does not want Boo subjected to the limelight, knowing how painful this would be for Boo. His official decree is that Bob Ewell has fallen on his own knife.
2.Who does Atticus think caused Bob Ewell’s death? Why does Heck Tate insist that Bob Ewell’s death was self-inflicted?
Atticus believes that Jem is the one who killed Bob Ewell; this is why he is so adamant that the letter of the law be followed in documenting Ewell's death. He doesn't want anyone to believe Jem was given special treatment because he is Atticus's son.
Heck Tate understands the truth of the situation, which is that Boo Radley killed Bob Ewell. Heck Tate also understands that to publicize this information would bring a lot of attention on Boo Radley, something Boo himself would never want. To protect Boo's privacy, Heck Tate insists that Bob Ewell's death be reported as accidental; they will say that Ewell fell on his own knife.
It could be said that Bob Ewell's death was his own fault, since he died in an attempt to attack children. Boo Radley was only defending Scout and Jem; had Bob Ewell left the Finch kids alone, he would not have died in this manner.
CHAPTER 31
1. How do the events of the final chapters explain the first sentence of the novel?
The first sentence of the book states,
"When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow."
It is in the last chapters of the book that Jem breaks his arm, so that is how that sentence ties in to the end of the book. Hopefully, if you have read the final chapters, you will understand the chain of events that led up to Jem getting his arm broken; in general, Bob Ewell attacks Jem and Scout, and in the scuffle, Jem gets his arm broken. Specifically, the actual event of Jem breaking his arm occurs in chapter 28 of the book; more details about the event come out in chapters 29 and 30. You can't read "To Kill a Mockingbird" without reading those chapters. They bring everything that the entire book has talked about all together in a very dramatic climax. In light of that, I would hate to just outright state what happened. Instead, I encourage you to quickly read through those chapters on your own if you haven't already, and I also provided a link below to an analysis of those chapters that will help to explain-clearly and concisely-just exactly what happens.
2. How much of a surprise is it find what Boo Radley is really like? has the story before this point prepared the reader for this discovery?
If you pay close attention to the story along the way, it shouldn't surprise you that Boo Radley is a nice person, who is willing to help the children. Instead of being upset at Scout for launching herself into his yard when she was riding in the tire, he was laughing at the spectacle of it all; he was amused by her. The fact that he offered them tokens of friendship in the tree also indicates that he is friendly. Then, after Miss Maudie's fire, Scout finds that she is covered in a blanket, one that Atticus hints was put there by Boo. All of these clues indicate that Boo was a passive participant in much of their childhood, very friendly, and cared about their safekeeping.
It is perhaps surprising that Boo took such active action at the end; that he came out of hiding to confront such a dangerous and violent situation is quite a change-up. However, he reacted emotionally to Jem's scream, and did what needed to be done. And we come to discover that he is a just a man-a bit pale, but a man nonetheless-who acted as any other decent man would have to rescue Jem and Scout from the clutches of Bob Ewell. We also discover how fond he is of the children; his actions in saving them, then his desire to see Jem at the end, indicate, as all other events did, that he was fond of the children. A close reading of the novel supports that notion.
3. At the end of the novel, Atticus reads to Scout. Comment on his choice of story. Does it have any connection with themes earlier in the novel and in it's ending?
The author, Harper Lee, has wisely selected The Grey Ghost as the story which Atticus reads to Scout at the conclusion of To Kill a Mockingbird. The title is ironic since the hero of the novel is similar to the ghostly pale Boo Radley. The plot of the novel is likewise akin to the children's earlier beliefs about Boo. The character, Stoner's Boy, was thought to have been a mischievous sort who was falsely accused and chased about--just like Boo. Stoner's Boy also turned out to be innocent of his crimes, and "real nice, too"--also like Boo. Atticus responds by telling Scout, "Most people are, Scout. When you finally see them."
