To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

(Guide questions for a middle school student tutee)

Here are some guide questions for To Kill a Mockingbird. You don’t have to write answers to the questions; however, they will point you toward passages that deal with one of the main themes of the novel: people’s intolerance toward others who are different. In locating the answers, you will have at least five examples for your school assignment. READ THE BOOK; DO NOT LOOK FOR THE ANSWERS.

1) How does Scout behave toward Walter Cunningham at school and, especially, when Jem invites him home to dinner at the Finch home? How do Atticus and Calpurnia react to Scout’s behavior? (Chap. 3)

2) What game do Scout, Jem, and Dill play that involves Boo Radley? What do they use a fishing pole for? Why does Atticus respond angrily to the game? (Chap. 5)

3) Why do Scout and her cousin Francis quarrel and fight at Christmas dinner? (Chap. 9)

4) Who is Mrs. Dubose? What is her attitude toward the Finches? (Chap. 11)

5) Why does Atticus set out one night with an electrical extension cord and light bulb and spend the evening reading in front of the Maycomb jail? (Chap. 15)

6) Why is Jem upset by the outcome of Tom Robinson’s trial?