Chapter 5
Scout tells us in this chapter that because of her constant nagging Jem decided that the game could be slowed down even though he insisted that Atticus didn’t know abut the game. Scout also says that Dill had become closer to Jem even though early in the summer he had asked her to marry him, she said that Jem and Dill would sit in the tree house and talk only calling on Scout when a third party was needed. This meant that Scout had become close to Miss Maudie, she said that Miss Maudie hated her house because she said time indoors was time wasted. Scout asked Miss Maudie if she thought Boo Radley was still alive and she said yes because she hadn’t seen him being carried out off the house. They then went on to talk about Atticus and his brother Jack Finch. The Chapter finishes with Jem and Dill asking Scout to help them get a note to Boo. Dill watched the front of the house; Scout watched the back and Jem tried to put the note through the window. Atticus caught hem doing this and told them that if Boo Radley wanted to come out he would do and that they were to leave him alone and not go near the house.
Chapter 6
In this chapter Jem and Scout and Dill attempt to sneak up to the window of the Radley House and look inside to see if they can catch a glimpse of Boo Radley. They tell Atticus they are going sitting by Miss Rachael’s fish pool because it was Dill’s last night in Maycomb. They first try the window at the side of the house but cant see in because of the curtains so Jem went round to the back and looked in that window and as he did this a shadow fell over him and all three of them ran through the gate, just as Scout tripped a shotgun went off and they ran to the school fence Dill and Scout got through but Jem got his pants caught. He kicked them off and they ran home. When asked where his pants were Dill said he had won them playing strip poker Atticus then told them to go and fetch them. Dill lent Jem some pants and he said his goodbyes. During the night Jem slipped out and went to retrieve his pants.
Chapter 7
In this chapter Scout says that second grade is just as bad as the first and the only good thing is that she can walk home with Jem. Jem tells scout about how he found his pants repaired and folded over the fence as if someone knew he would go back for them, and as they are walking past the tree they find a ball of grey twine in the knothole. They decided to leave it for a few days to see if it was anyone’s hiding place but when after three days it was still there they took it and from then on anything they found in the knothole they considered there property. Later on in the year they find two soap carvings in the knothole one of a boy, the other a girl. Jem said that he thought they were of them and they both wondered who had done them. Then in the next four weeks they found a whole pack of chewing gum, a medal that Atticus said was from a spelling competition, and a watch with a chain and a knife which didn’t run. They then decided to write a letter to who ever it was who was leaving these things to thank them. The next day the whole in the tree had been cemented up by Nathan Radley who said that the tree was dying but even Atticus said that the tree looked healthy. That night Jem stood outside leaning against a pillar and when he came inside Scout could tell he had been crying although she had not heard him.
Chapter 8
Scout tells us that that winter it was the coldest weather since 1885 and that it was that winter that Old Mrs Radley died. The next morning Scout woke up and looked out of the window and screamed because it was snowing but Scout had never seen snow and didn’t know what it was. That day Scout and Jem made a snowman and Atticus complimented Jem because of his idea to use mud as a base for the snowman. That afternoon the snow stopped and temperature dropped. At one the next morning Scout was woken by Atticus who told her to get dressed and to go with Jem and stand outside the Radley’s house. This was because Miss Maudie’s house was on fire. When all the fires were put out Atticus, Scout and Jem went home and Atticus asked Scout and Jem if they wanted hot chocolate. As they were drinking there cocoa Atticus asked Scout if they had stayed put and she said they had. Atticus then asked her whose blanket she had; Scout didn’t know what he was talking about but found she was clutching a blanket. Atticus then told them that Boo Radley had put it around her. That day at noon Cal woke them and Atticus said they didn’t have to go to school so they went into the front yard and retrieved Miss Maudie's Hat and garden clippers and returned them to her. They were surprised by how pleased she looked.
Chapter 9
In this chapter we hear about how Atticus is defending a ‘Negroe’ called Tom Robinson and how this means that scout and Jem are going to have a hard time at school while Atticus is defending Tom. When Christmas comes around they all go to Finch’s landing on Christmas day and it is here that the trouble begins when Scouts cousin Francis calls Atticus a ‘nigger lover’ although she doesn’t knows what this means she knows it is an insult so she retaliates. She gets in trouble from uncle jack but when she later explains what happened Jack is sorry. Jack and Atticus discuss Atticus defending off Tim Robinson and Scout hears it all.
Chapter 10
Scout tells us in this chapter how she and Jem thought that Atticus was old and couldn’t do much but as Miss Maudie said he could do a lot of things. When Scout and Jem see a mad dog walking down the street they told Cal and she rang for Atticus and then she told everyone to stay inside and she even went up to the Radley place to warn them not to come out. When Atticus arrives with Heck Tate, the sheriff, they concluded that the dog was definitely mad and that he would have to be killed. Tate said that he wasn’t good enough to shot the dog first time so Atticus would have to do it. When he shot the dog Jem and Scout were shocked because they did not know that Atticus was a dead shot. Later in the day Miss Maudie explained that Atticus was modest and didn’t like people to know about his talent.
Chapter 11
In this chapter we see that Scout and Jem have grown up and that they are not content with playing in their street but they are drawn into the town. To get into the town they have to pass by Mrs Dubose’s house and each time they do this she sends a constant barrage of insults in their direction. One day when she insults Atticus and how he brought them up and that he was ruining the family and later that day when they passed by again and saw Mrs Dubose wasn’t on her porch Jem trashed the camellia bushes in her garden. When Atticus returned home he told Jem to go and talk to Mrs Dubose. When Jem returned he Atticus told him that he was to read to her everyday apart from Sundays. Every time Jem went to read Mrs Dubose would have a fit and when her alarm sounded they were ushered out. Each day they stayed for longer and longer until she said the no longer had to read to her and sent them away without the alarm going off. Later in the year Atticus was called to Mrs Dubose’s and when he arrived home later he told Jem that she was dead. He then explained that she was a morphine addict and that she left the world free of her habit because each day she took her medicine later and later.
Chapter 12
In this chapter Scout notices that Jem has changed and when she asks Cal and Atticus about it they both say he is just growing up. When summer came Dill didn’t come but he sent Scout a letter and a picture. The letter said that Dill had a new father and that he was staying in meridian to build a fishing-boat. We also hear how when Atticus was away Cal took Scout and Jem to her church because she didn’t trust them to be left alone. Scout tells us that although the service is basically the same as in their church it varies slightly, because when Reverend Sykes said that they were ten dollars short in the collection he had the doors shut until the money was raised. Also they didn’t sing from hymn books because a lot of them couldn’t read. In the final part of the chapter Scout and Jem are surprised when they come home and see Aunt Alexandra sitting on the rocking chair as if she had sat there everyday of her life.
Chapter 13
In this chapter we see Aunt Alexandra move in with Atticus, Scout and Jem. Alexandra is accepted into Maycomb without any trouble and she often had Ladies around in the afternoon for drinks. She often told Atticus that she thought Scout was sluggish and that she needed to be more like a girl. She also brought a change in Atticus that shocked Scout and Jem because one night he came and told them both that they must uphold the family name and that Scout was to act like a lady and Jem was to act more like a Gentleman. This made Scout cry and she asked Atticus if he really wanted them to be like that and he changed back to his usual self and said he didn’t and walked out of the room and almost slammed the door behind him but refrained at the last moment.
Chapter 14
In this chapter we hear more about how Aunt Alexandra tried to change things in the house and how she would make decisions about what Scout and Jem could and couldn’t do. She also the only person she has ever heard argue with Atticus, she argued about the way he brought up his children and about what he let them do, she also argued that because she was staying with them they no longer had a need for Cal and that they should get rid of her. We also see that the change in Jem has upset Scout and that he keeps telling her what to do and she thinks she should have to do the things he tells her to. This leads to them fighting. Later that night Scout thinks that there is a Snake under her bed so she calls Jem to investigate. It turns out that it is Dill and he has run away from home and he and Scout talk about why he ran away, Scout contemplating running away and Boo Radley never running away.
Chapter 15
This chapter sees Dill being allowed to stay in Maycomb and Trouble arising because of Atticus’ case. One night when Dill is over there is a large group of men outside on their front yard. They have come to see Atticus about Tom Robinson the man he is defending. Heck Tate wants to move him from Maycomb jail to the county jail but Atticus said that surely Tate could keep him one more day till the trial. When Jem shouted that the phone was ringing the crowd dispersed. The next day after church Atticus was again surrounded by the men who said Tom Robinson had been moved back into Maycomb jail. That night Atticus went into the town after Scout and Jem had been sent to bed but Jem, Scout and Dill went into town to see what he was doing. They found him Sat outside Tom Robinson’s jail cell reading so they left. Just as they were leaving the Jail four cars pulled up outside. Out of these cars men came in ones and twos and walked up to Atticus. They asked if Robinson was in the cell he was outside and he said yes but he was asleep so they should leave. They then told Atticus to get out of their way. Scout ran up to Atticus and when she recognised Mr Cunningham she began talking to him but he didn’t acknowledged her until she had finished and he said he would say hi to Walter from her and they all left.
Chapter 16
In this chapter we see the start of Atticus’ case. Scout described it as being just like a Saturday when people would go into town and would slowly and steadily pass by their house. Scout, Jem and Dill stayed away from the courthouse that morning because Atticus had told them to, but after dinner when Atticus had gone back to the court they followed and when they reached the court the Square outside it was full of people eating and drinking. Later they went into the court and Scout, Dill and Jem all sat with Reverend Sykes. The chapter ends with Heck Tate in the witness stand.
Chapter 17
In this chapter Tate tells us how Bob Ewell had told him to go to his house immediately because his daughter had been raped. When Tate arrived he found her on the floor battered and bruised. When Atticus asked if she had a black eye and Tate said her right eye was black. When Bob Ewell was called to the stand Atticus asked him if he agreed that with Tate and Ewell said he did. Then Atticus asked him if he could read and write. Ewell said he could and he wrote his name on an envelope for Atticus. He did this with his left hand meaning it was possible that he had beaten up his own daughter.
Chapter 18
In this chapter we hear the testimony of Mayella Ewell and her side of the story. She tells the court that she had asked Tom Robinson to break up an old chiffarobe and she would pay him a nickel. When she went inside to get the nickel she turned around and he grabbed her around the neck and threw her to the floor. Atticus asked her if her father was tolerable and she said yes apart from when he was drinking. Then Atticus went on to ask her if it was her father who had beaten her up. Atticus then asked her to identify her attacker and told Robinson to stand up. It was then that everyone noticed that his left hand was twelve inches shorter than his right. When asked again who had attacked her she refused to answer so the judge called a recess and asked if they would be able to wind up the case that day. Atticus said he thought they could and said he had only one witness to call.
Chapter 19
This chapter is about Tom Robinson’s testimony. He says that he often did jobs for Mayella Ewell and that he had broken up a chiffarobe for her but it had been in the spring and not November. He said that on the twenty-first of November he went into the Ewell’s house because she had asked him to help her. When he got up on a chair she grabbed his legs. He got off the chair, turned around and she hugged him around the waist and kissed him. This is when Mr Ewell looked through the window. When he was asked why he had run away he said it was because if he got caught there he would get put in jail. At the end of the chapter we see Dill leave the courtroom with Scout because Mr Gilmer made him sick by the way he treated Tom.
Chapter 20
In this chapter we hear Atticus’ closing statement. He tells the jury that he thinks Tom Robinson is innocent and that Mayella was guilty of kissing him but only because she was lonely and had no one who cared for her. He also said that Mr Ewell beat her then accused Tom because of the embarrassment it would have caused if the truth that his daughter had kissed him got out.
Chapter 21
In this chapter we see Cal come to the court to give Atticus a note from Aunt Alexandra who said that she hadn’t seen the children since noon. When Atticus told the judge this Mr Underwood said that they were sat upstairs in the coloured balcony. Atticus then told them they should go home for their supper but they could return later. When they return an hour later the jury still hadn’t made a decision about the verdict. Three hours later the verdict was given. The jury said that Tom Robinson was guilty. Atticus then left the court after saying something to Tom Robinson.
Chapter 22
In this chapter we see Jem talk to Atticus about the verdict. Also the next morning they had chicken for their breakfast because Tom Robinson’s father brought it round. Cal said that when she had arrived that morning she said that people had left all sorts of food on the back step. Atticus said that they shouldn’t do it again because these times were hard. He then left the house and went into town. Later that day Miss Stephanie told Scout, Jem and Dill that Bob Ewell had stopped Atticus at the post office corner, spat in his face and said he’d get him back if it took the rest of his life.
Chapter 23
In this chapter Scout tells us about how Atticus dint retaliate to what Bob Ewell did but just ignored him. She also tells us about how they discussed how the jury could convict a man with so little evidence. Atticus said that they made a slight victory that day because instead of the jury taking a few minutes to decide the verdict it took them a few hours. This was because they had to wear down one of the jurymen because he believed Tom wasn’t guilty. That man was a relation of the Cunningham’s. This made Scout decide that she would be kind to Walter and that she would invite him round to their house some day after school. Aunt Alexandra objected to this because she thought that the Cunningham’s were trash and that they weren’t good enough for them. That night Scout and Jem discussed the type of people they thought lived in Maycomb. Scout said she thought that there was one kind of people. Jem said he had thought this when he was her age and wondered why everyone couldn’t get on. He then said he thought he understood why Boo Radley didn’t come out of his house and that was because he didn’t want to.
Chapter 24
In this chapter we see Aunt Alexandra having a meeting with her missionary circle. Scout was in the kitchen and she could her them talking in the living room. When they break for refreshments Scout decides that instead of joining them she will help Cal because she didn’t want to get her dress dirty. When Scout does eventually join them she asks what they have been talking about that morning. They tell her and then the subject changes to Tom Robinson’s case. They said that all the ‘Negroes’ had been unhappy at the result of the trial so they were not concentrating on there work. Later in the day Atticus arrived home and told Cal to come with him to see Helen Robinson because Tom was dead. He said he had attempted to run away but the guards had shot him. They said that if he had two good arms then he would have been able to get away.
Chapter 25
In this chapter we see the death of Tom Robinson discussed by all of Maycomb. We also hear Dill talking about the night that Tom was shot. He said that when he and Jem were coming back from Barkers Eddy Atticus drove passed and picked them up. He said that they would have to come with him because he wasn’t going home for a while. Dill said that when the got to Helen Robinson’s house she wasn’t into one of her children ran and got her. When she was told that Tom had died she collapsed on the floor and Cal, Dill and Atticus had to carry her to her cabin. A while later Atticus appeared from the house and went home.
Chapter 26
In this chapter the school year begins again and Scout is surprised when Miss Gates, talks about Hitler’s persecution of the Jews, contrasting it to the non-prejudiced United States. Scout can’t understand Miss Gates as she heard her putting down black people to Miss Stephanie, as she came out of the courthouse. Jem shouted at Scout and told her not to talk about the courthouse again, and Atticus later explains to the puzzled Scout that Jem needs to forget the trial incident for a while.
Chapter 27
This chapter shows that Bob Ewell hasn’t forgotten that he has a score to settle. At the welfare office he complains, quite unreasonably, of Atticus stealing his job. Judge Taylor’s hose is broken into, probably by Bob Ewell, who also threatens Helen Robinson. Mr Link Deas, who has given Helen a job, has to warn Ewell to leave her alone.
Chapter 28
In this chapter Jem and Scout are walking to the pageant in the dark and Cecil Jacobs from Scout’s class, jumps out on them. When Scout is waiting for her line in the pageant she fell asleep, causing her a lot of embarrassment and so she decides to stay inside her costume until she gets home. Jem leads Scout back in the dark, and they hear noises behind them. They think it must be Cecil following them at first, until the supposed prank carries on too long. Somebody attacks Scout, there is a big scuffle, there is a crunching sound from beneath her dress and Jem screams. As scout reels from a blow she hears a man wheeze then cough and stagger away groaning. Scout finds a man on the ground that smells of whiskey and a man carries Jem back to the Finch home. Heck Tate arrives and says that he has found Bob Ewell dead under the Radley’s’ tree with a knife in his ribs.
Chapter 29
In this chapter Heck Tate asks Scout if she would tell him what happened. She tells him what happened and he asks to see her costume. When he sees it he points out a clean line in the dull metal chicken wire. This is where he has attacked Scout. When Tate asks her who brought Jem back to the house she points to a man in the corner. She realise who it is. It is Boo Radley.
Chapter 30
Doctor Reynolds arrives and asks everyone to leave the room while he examines Jem. Atticus, Heck, Boo and Scout go on to the porch. Atticus discusses the incident with Tate but doesn’t understand why he insists Ewell fell on the knife. He eventually understood that Tate was trying to protect Boo’s privacy.
Chapter 31
Scout takes Boo to see Jem who is asleep in his room. Then at Boo’s request she walks him home and that is the last she saw of him. As Scout walks home she looks back at the incidents that have happened from Boo’s viewpoint and contemplates Atticus’ moral of seeing things as if standing in another’s shoes. Scout joined Atticus beside the sleeping Jem and very soon after Atticus begins to read her ‘the grey ghost’ she fell asleep.