Chapter 16-17: What is revealed that is confusing about Mr. Underwood in chapter 16? How does this relate to one of the themes of the novel? (Grace)

In the beginning of chapter 16, Atticus says that Mr. Underwood “...despises Negroes, won't have one near him.”(Lee 209) It is strange that Mr. Underwood is known to hate people of color because in chapter 15 he protected Atticus and Tom Robinson from the angry mob of townspeople who were trying to kill Tom. After the mob left, Mr. Underwood let Atticus know he had been protecting them, telling him, “Had you covered all the time, Atticus.” (Lee 206) Braxton Underwood is the editor of the town newspaper, The Maycomb Tribune, and he lives out of his office. From there, he has a clear view of the jail. So while Atticus was unarmed that night, Mr. Underwood was there to protect him. Although Mr. Underwood may not value Tom Robinson's life and is clearly prejudiced against him, he is loyal to Atticus and is there to support and protect him. He also does not want to see anyone get hurt or allow anyone to break the law. Although Mr. Underwood is prejudiced, he is not a completely evil person. His actions show that most people are not all good or all bad, and his character gives the reader an idea about how complicated the ideas of race are in the town of Maycomb.

Chapter 16/17 - Free Response Post: What is the symbolism of Jem, Scout, and Dill sitting in the courthouse with the black community? (Alisa)

I think Jem, Scout, and Dill sitting in the Black section of the courthouse represents the hate for the black community that exists in Maycomb. The trio sat with Reverend Sykes to not be seen by Atticus, but I think it really represented how the town feels about the Finches. When Jem said “Around here once you have a drop of Negro blood, that makes you all black” he probably didn't realize that it also slightly applies to him and Scout (Lee 216). Ever since the whole town learned about the Tom Robinson case Jem and Scout have been treated differently. When the Finches became associated to the black community, the white community felt that they couldn't trust the Finches any more. Even though Atticus was only doing his job, fighting for justice. As much as the white community thinks they are superior in Maycomb I think they actually really fear the black community having power. They are worried that Atticus helping the black community will give them more power over the white community. I think overall, Jem and Scout don't realize the full extent to what Atticus is doing and how much it is affecting the Maycomb community.

Chapter 16-17: Explain Atticus’ explanation about the mob dispersing. What is a mob made of? How was it broken up? How does his explanation relate to one of themes of the book?(Randall)

At the start of chapter six Atticus, Jem and Scout where talking about the night when he was at the jail cell. Scout was wondering why Mr.Cunningham wanted to hurt her father. After Scout starts to worry abut this Atticus calms her and says Mr. Cunningham is still a friend and not all friends are perfect. He also says, "Mr. Cunningham was part of a mob last night, but he was still a man. Every mob in every little southern town is always made up of people you know"(Lee 210). Scout also sort of changed Mr. Cunningham's mindset when she was using her fancy words. She also talked about how he and Walter(Mr.Cunningham's son) were good friends. She also says she punched Walter but he always acts positive at the end. Mr. Cunningham sees how good Atticus's daughter is to his own son. He also realizes that it would be cruel if he hurt Atticus in front of his own kids. After thinking about this he called of the mob. Scout is a brilliant kid in this scene although se might be annoying sometimes she can also be really helpful. Later in chapter 16 Atticus thanks her for changing his mind and says she really made him step in Atticus's feet to feel around what he was going through. If scout was not there that night things would have went really differently Atticus might have not come back home.

Chapter 16-17: Explain Atticus’ explanation about the mob dispersing. What is a mob made of? How was it broken up? How does his explanation relate to one of themes of the book?(Ja’Niya)

    In the opening of chapter 16, Atticus, Scout, and Jem started to talk about the night at the jail cell. As Scouts starts to question why Mr. Cunningham wanted to hurt her father, Atticus reassures her that Mr. Cunningham is still their friend. He claims that the mob was made up of people, and even though Mr. Cunningham was apart of it he was still a man. “Mr. Cunningham’s basically a good man. He just has blind spots… A mob’s always made up of people, no matter what Cunningham was part of a mob last night, but he was still a man.”(Lee 210) Atticus also addresses how a mob of wild animals was stopped by one little kid. “That a gang of wild animals can be stopped, simply because they’re still human.”(210) Scout started to talk about Walter, and his entailments to Mr. Cunningham, that astonished everyone including Atticus and made Mr. Cunningham call off the mob. How Scout started to talk about his son and his personal life, Mr. Cunningham had a realization of how wrong it was to try to hurt Atticus in front of his own kids. “Then he did a peculiar thing. He squatted down and took me by both shoulders...Then he straightened up and waved a big paw.”(206). This is where he realizes that Scout does really understand a lot and knows that they are here to harm. Atticus’s explanation relates to the lesson he taught Scout about thinking of other people’s lives. The piece of advice was, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view...Until you climb into his skin and walk around in it”.(39) Mr. Cunningham realizes that Scout is a brilliant kid and can understand a lot, and began to walk in Atticus’s shoes. This caused him to realize the tuff spot Atticus was in, so he called off the mob. The night at the jailhouse was very terrifying for Atticus and Tom, if Scout were not there watching from the shadows everything might have gone totally different.

Chapter 14/15:Explain what Dill means in the last line of chapter 14. Is this surprising to your? (Tom)

Chapter 14/15: Explain what Dill means in the last line of chapter 14. Is this surprising to you? (Tom)

What Dill means in the last line of chapter fourteen, “maybe he doesn't have anywhere to run off to…” (Lee 192) is that Boo (Arthur) Radley doesn’t run away because he knows that if he does, he wouldn’t be able to support himself. After Dill is found under Scout’s bed and is fed, Scout and Dill have a heart to heart talk about how Dill made his way to Maycomb. Then, the conversation turns to Boo Radley. Here, Harper Lee makes the connection between Dill and Boo. Both Dill and Boo live with a relative who supports them. The reason why this is not surprising to me is that, in his own way, Dill feels compassion for Boo. A good example of this is in the second to last line of the book, where Lee writes “Dill sighed a deep sigh and turned away from me” (Lee 192). What do you think about Dill’s compassion for Boo? Do you think Dill and Boo can relate to one another?

Chapter 14/15 Explain what Dill means in the last line of chapter 14. Is this surprising to you? (Rohan)

When Dill and Scout are talking in he last scene of chapter 14, the subject of Boo Radley comes up and Scout asks “Why do you reckon Boo Radley's never run off?” (Lee 192) Dill replies, and says “Maybe he doesn't have anywhere to run off too” (Lee 192). When Dill says than, he is saying that Boo doesn't know anywhere to run off to. Earlier in the chapter, where Dill explained his story, he says he had come back “home”. Dill is saying that he had his real home, and his other home which was a place he could go to and trust that things would be better there. Boo Radley, on the other hand does not have that kind of place, because he has never been far enough away from his house that he would know of another secure place to run off too. This last line does not surprise me because of the fact that Boo has never been out of his house. He does not come out of his house often so naturally he would not know of any other place to be. If Boo knew of another place to go, he probably would go off to it, but for now Boo has to stay in his house.

Chapter 14/15: In chapter 15, Atticus is visited by two groups of men. Explain the situations and the intentions of each group. (Madison)

At the beginning of chapter 15 a group of Atticus’ friends shows up to support him and towards the end of the chapter a different group of men comes to the jail to threaten Atticus and his defendant. Chapter 15 opens with Atticus being called outside to discuss updates on Tom Robinson’s trial. Scout overhears Mr. Heck Tate say, “…movin’ him to the county jail tomorrow… I don’t look for any trouble, but I can’t guarantee there won’t be any…” (Lee 194) Heck warns Atticus there might be trouble at the jail when Tom is moved. He and some other men from Maycomb who appeared outside the Finch’s house that night “were people [Jem and Scout] saw every day: merchants, in-town farmers; Dr. Reynolds was there; so was Mr. Avery” (Lee 195). They’re all people the Finch’s know well and are friendly with. When Jem and Scout are watching through the window, they assume the men are trying to hurt Atticus, when they only want to warn him of what’s to come. Later that night, Atticus drives into town, which Jem finds extremely suspicious. He, Scout and Dill follow Atticus to the jail, where another group of men meets up with them.  The men who met outside Atticus’s house were there to help him and provide him with valuable insight that the second group of men outside the jail would be showing up the same night Tom was moved to jump him.

Why might Jem be more interested in what his father is up to now? Why does Atticus tell the children to leave, but then congratulate Jem as they’re walking home after the encounter?

Chapter 14/15: What happens in this chapter that causes a fight between Jem and Scout? What does this reveal about their relationship? How is this furthered later in the chapter when Dill arrives? (Eric)

The fight between Jem and Scout started when Jem continued to emphasize the fact that he is older, the that he is the boss of her. On Jem’s twelfth birthday he becomes, “ a man” and ever since Scout has noticed that he becomes more boastful every day. Scout finally snaps when Jem says, “That’s because you can’t hold something in your mind but a little while...It’s different with grown folks, we—” when Scout hears that she says, “Jee crawling hova, Jem! Who do you think you are?” When Scout says this the reader can tell how frustrated she is with her brother, it is clear that this process of growing up for Jem, has been too immediate for Scout. Scout and Jem’s relationship is very important. All Scout’s life she has had a loving big brother that pushes her to be better in a constructive way, and all of a sudden that has all changed. Jem has also stepped out of line, the way he was treating Scout was unacceptable, and just because he was feeling the pain of trying to find himself. When Atticus comes in and breaks up the fight the reader can picture the tension in the room. This experience was clearly scarring for both of them, later they will realize the need for each other in oppressive time they live in.

Chapter 12/13: What do you learn about Aunt Alexandra in chapter 13 in general, and what do you learn about her influence over Atticus and his family?(Sydonie)

         At the beginning of chapter 13, we learn that Aunt Alexandra will be staying with the Finches for a while. Atticus says he decided to do this so that the children could have a taste of the "feminine influence"(Lee 170) that they would most likely see in the real world. As soon as she is introduced into the chapter, she quickly makes herself at home and starts doing things her way. "Aunty had a way of declaring What Is Best For The Family, and I suppose her coming to live with us was in that category"(Lee 171).  Although as we progress in the book, we start to see that this idea may have been more of Aunt Alexandra's plan than Atticus'. This may be part of Aunt Alexandra's plan to seemingly perfectionize the rest of the Finch family as she seems to think she and the rest of her family are above/better than the rest of Maycomb proven by the various opinions and categories she has set onto other groups of people. As for Aunt Alexandra's influence on Atticus' family, I think that her presence may cause some infighting between them. This is because ever since she arrived, he's been acting differently; acting to her standards. "Presently I picked up a comb from Jem's dresser and ran its teeth along the edge. 'Stop that noise,' Atticus said. His curtness stung me. [...] For no reason I felt myself beginning to cry, but I could not stop"(Lee 178). It's almost as if he's suddenly becoming more strict but the children don't know why. I think his sudden change of attitude may change the way the Scout and Jem see Atticus. Aunt Alexandra is a ticking time bomb readying itself to explode, the aftereffects of the blast may just turn Atticus into a stranger.

         Do you think Atticus will change his style of parenting because of Aunt Alexandra's arrival? How will Jem & Scout react to Atticus' sudden change of attitude? Why do you think Aunt Alexandra's opinions on how a Finch should act are so strong?

Chapter 12/13: What do you learn about Calpurnia in chapter 12? What does Scout realize about her?(Alex)

In chapter twelve we find out how Calpurnia is living two different lives. One life is her working formally in the Finches household as a housemaid. Her other life is a casual independent negro woman who goes to church every sunday which is what Scout realizes about her that she hadn't previously known. “They’s my comp’ny, said Calpurnia. Again I thought her voice strange: she was talking like the of them”(Lee 158). In this scene Scout finds out a different part of Calpurnia that she never had seen previously. Scout had never been with Calpurnia outside of when she was working in her house so this scene came very surprisingly to Scout. Calpurnia is very formal including her tone of voice with Finch’s because they are formal themselves. Outside of the Finch’s she acts the way she truly is, and scout had never been exposed or seen this part of Calpurnia which is why it was very interesting for Scout to experience. At the church Calpurnia was confronted by Lula another member of the church about bringing the two white Finch’s in the all black church. Calpurnia stands her ground in a more casual voice to Lula and defends the Finch’s to be able to stay for the church session. Scout also learns the background of not only Calpurnia but also her ancestors before her and how they are related to the Finch’s. Scout realizes how much more there is to Calpurnia other than what she had previously known her as the housemaid that went to work every morning but as close friend.

Chapter 12-13: What does Scout learn (and the reader) through the trip to the church about the divisions in Maycomb County?(Mike)

With Dill not being able to come to Maycomb and Atticus leaving for two weeks, Scout had a rough start to the summer. Calpurnia takes care of them during the days and invites Jem and Scout to her church, First Purchase, a colored church. Jem and Scout aren’t expecting much of a difference when going to Calpurnia’s church than their own, but to their surprise, the churches are like two different worlds. Once Jem and Scout get inside the church, they are greeted by Luna, who asks Calpurnia why she brought two white kids to a black church, which is almost like a switch in racism at the time. Calpurnia proceeds on and they find their seats to begin. Scout first discovers that there are no hymn books for them to read from, which confused Scout as to how they would read along as this was a regular at her regular church. Scout and Jem were even announced and welcomed by Reverend Sykes and acknowledged Atticus as they seemed to respect him. “Brethren and sisters, we are particularly glad to have company with us this morning. Mister and Miss Finch. You all know their father… ”(Lee 160). It is almost like everything is the opposite in the church as it is to Scout and Jem’s regular life. Normal things in Scout’s mind, like going to school and having a home would be hard to imagine someone without, but Scout’s visit to Calpurnia’s church changed that. Calpurnia told them that the people at her church could not afford the hymn books and even if they could, they didn’t know how to read. Calpurnia said that most people of color didn’t get an education, which shocked Scout as nearly 10 months of her life every year is school and people were living without it. Scout’s main takeaway is that there is a big difference between being a person of color, and being someone white. Scout now has to learn and understand that she can’t take things for granted even if it is just going to school, being able to have a family and having a roof over her head.

Would Scout have more respect for school if she knew not everyone had the right to go to school? Why did Scout not know this earlier? Should Scout have known this? Should Scout respect Atticus more, now that she knows that the people in the church appreciate him?

Chapter 10-11; Explain Atticus’s definition of courage (end of Chap. 11). (Emma)

Atticus’s definition of courage is fighting through a fear while staying true to your morals. The trial of Tom Robinson has not started, but it has already affected Atticus, Scout, and Jem’s life. Family and friends have begun calling Atticus cruel racial slurs due to his position in the trial. The town of Maycomb and community the Finches are living in is very racially bias towards white people. The fact that Atticus is going against them and supporting a black man is infuriating them and they have begun viewing him differently because of it. Atticus is one of the only people in the town with a desire for racial equality, and his strong morals have led him on a path of no return. Mrs. Dubose had just passed away, Atticus enlightens Jem of her devoted courage, “... you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do.” (Lee, 149). Atticus has to face a trial he knows will not be easy for him or his family. At the same time, he knows he has to ‘see it through no matter what’ because if he did not he would not be able to live with himself knowing he went against his morals, bending to the society around him. Atticus is using the same courage Mrs. Dubose had to face his trial. Atticus has the strongest sense of moral justice of any character we have seen in the book thus far. He has always been a man of his morals, and this has been demonstrated many times throughout the book. Atticus repeatedly tells his children to hold their heads high, and all that matters is doing the right thing, not the opinions of others around them. Atticus has admired Mrs. Dubose’s courage and is imitating it for the trial he is facing, and his way of life.

Chapter 10/11: Why do you think Atticus never revealed he was an expert marksman?(Sophia)

Atticus hid his skills in marksmanship from Jem and Scout, because he didn’t want to influence his son and daughter into thinking that it was alright to kill living creatures for the fun of it. When Miss.Maudie is teaching Jem and Scout about their father’s history in shooting, she says “...he’s civilized in his heart...I think maybe he put his gun down when he realized that God had given him an unfair advantage over most living things...he wouldn’t shoot unless he had to”(Lee 130). Not only did Atticus not tell his children that he was an excellent marksman, he didn’t want to teach Jem and Scout how to shoot when they got air rifles for Christmas and instead asked uncle Jack to teach them. One day, when Jem wanted to go outside to shoot with his new air rifle, Atticus told him, "I'd rather you shot at tin cans in the back yard, but I know you'll go after birds"(Lee 119). Atticus tries very hard to erase his past of shooting, to the point that even uncle Jack, his own brother, says that Atticus isn't fond of guns. Atticus could potentially learn to embrace his talent, even if he isn't very proud of it, marksmanship is not a skill that everybody has.

Chapter 10/11 Explain Atticus's definition of courage (end of chap. 11) (Cordelia)

Real courage in Atticus’s definition is not physical but mental. It is facing and trying to overcome your fears. Just like Mrs. Dubose overcome her morphine addiction before she died. This was very difficult for her, but her determination and strong will made it possible. She knew what she wanted and worked hard for it. Atticus wants to teach Jem and Scout her type of courage “ I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand.” (Lee p. 149). Atticus teaches his children that anyone can be courageous. The more courageous man is not the man who fires his gun to protect people, but is the one that knows something is very hard or even impossible to accomplish but still trys and doesn't give up. Atticus is teaching Scout this because she will have to be courageous in the summer, when Atticus defends Tom Robinson.

Chapter 10/11: Why is it appropriate to kill a mad dog but not a mockingbird? Explain. (Quinn)

The reason why it is ok to kill a mad dog but not a Mockingbird is because a mad dog will harm someone but a Mockingbird won't. When Jem is using his shotgun in the backyard, Atticus tells him "I'd rather you shot at tin cans in the backyard, but I know you'll go after birds. Shoot at all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember its a sin to kill a Mockingbird"(Lee 119).  The mockingbird does nothing to harm anyone and sings its heart out for everyone whos listening and does nothing else.

Chapter 8/9: Explore Scout's relationship with Uncle Jack. Don't forget to include what Scout teaches her uncle. (Alisa)

A love hate relationship would best describe Scout and Uncle Jack in chapter nine. When Uncle Jack first comes, both Jem and Scout missed him and our happy that he is here, but that changes when Uncle Jack tells Scout to watch her mouth and when he gets mad at her for fighting with Francis. When Uncle Jack arrives Scout recalls how he was a doctor that didn't frighten her. He is straightforward but also disguised the pain well, through laughter. When Scout got a splinter during a past Christmas Uncle Jack “Kept [her] laughing about a preacher who hated going to church so much… [she] interrupted to make [him] let [her] know when he would pull it out… [he] said he yanked it while [she] was laughing” (Lee 104). This quote shows his effort towards Scout and not wanting her to feel pain although this changes when he gets mad at Scout for fighting with Francis. When Uncle Jack was holding her back from fighting more with Francis he immediately blamed Scout and her mouth but she later revealed that Francis was the one who triggered her. Scout tells him “You don't understand children much” (Lee 113). When she says this Uncle Jack is confused, but later when he is talking with Atticus he realizes what Scout meant. He needed to listen to her side of the story before jumping to conclusions. By the end of the chapter they both gain more respect for each other and go back to a loving relationship .

Chapter 8/9: How did Scout end up with a blanket across her shoulders? Why would Harper Lee include this moment in the book? (Grace)

On the night of the fire, Boo Radley placed the blanket on Scout's shoulders. Harper Lee included this moment in the book to give a different perspective on the character Boo Radley and to show how different he is than the way people in Maycomb perceive him. When Miss Maudie's house catches fire, most of the town comes to help. Atticus tells Scout and Jem to stay in front of the Radley’s house, away from the fire. After the fire, Atticus notices the blanket wrapped around Scout's shoulders and slowly realizes how it got there. “Atticus grinned slowly. ‘Looks like all of Maycomb was out tonight, in one way or another.’” (Lee 95) At first, Scout and Jem don't know where the blanket could have come from, but they soon realize that with Nathan Radley helping with the fire, Boo Radley must have put the blanket around Scout to keep her warm. By including this event in the book, Harper Lee shows a different view of Boo Radley. Boo’s kindness to Scout the night of the fire demonstrates that he is not the crazy, scary man that everyone in the town thinks he is. Instead, he is a shy, kind person that just wanted to help. Even though he can't interact with Scout and Jem directly, he tries to reach out to them, similarly to how he was leaving things for them in the tree. This could change Scout’s idea of Boo Radley and how the reader views him for the rest of the story.

Chapter 8/9: How did Scout end up with a blanket across her shoulders? Why would Harper Lee include this moment in the book?(Randall)

The strange blanket that appeared on Scout's back was placed there by Boo Radley. Harper Lee included this scene in the book to show that Boo Radley isn't a scary guy who kills people if he sees them. The kids have been playing the Boo Radley game and they were scared of him and his house. In the earlier chapters scout dared Jem to touch the house, Jem did it but was of course scared because the Radley house is known to be this creepy/scary place because they almost never come out of their house. When Scout and Jem were ordered to go in front of the Radley house to stay away from the fire, and report if the wind was blowing so they knew which direction the fire was going Boo Radley quickly went a put the blanket around Scout's shoulders. Scout didn't realize this because  she was so distracted with the fire. When scout finds out Boo Radley put it around er shoulder's she has a sort of negative reaction,"My stomach turned to water and I nearly threw up when Jem held out the blanket and crept towards me"(Lee,96). She had a disgusted  reaction that such a strange scary man put a blanket around her but this scene shows the reader and Scout that Boo Radley will do no harm to them and it also changes their mindset of Boo Radley. Not only is he not this scary guy he is portrayed as in the story but he is a friendly helpful neighbor that people don't pay attention to because he is not active as the others.

Chapter 8/9: How did Scout end up with a blanket across her shoulders? Why would Harper Lee include this moment in the book?(Ja’Niya)

   Arthur “Boo” Radley placed the blanket on Scout the night of the fire. Harper Lee included this moment to show that Arthur isn’t the evil, spooky guy everybody thinks he is. So far in the book Harper has portrayed Boo as a creepy, troubled, stalkerish guy that no one ever sees.  Since there was an enormous fire, everyone was panicking and running around paying no attention to anything but the fire. Atticus was the first person to realize the blanket and how the owner might be Boo. Lee wrote in the book, "Someday, maybe, Scout can thank him for covering her up... Boo Radley. You were so busy looking at the fire you didn't know it when he put the blanket around you(96)." Jem and Scout have been getting gifts from, maybe, Boo Radley. When Nathan Radley ran outside, Boo was left in the house by himself giving him the opportunity to abandon his house. This scene showed how caring Boo can be and how he isn't the person everybody assumes he is. Scout and Jem already had multiple run-ins with Boo but recognizing how generous he is, it's shown there is no reason to fear Boo. Altogether, Harper Lee wrote this part of the book to show that Boo is beginning to show up more frequently.

Eric                                            English 8
9/20/18                                        TKAM

Chapter 6/7:   Why do the children play the “Radley Game?”  What does it reveal about them (together and individually)? (Eric)

    Dill has just moved back to Maycomb for the summer, and as they have gotten more mature from last summer, Harper Lee sees this as an opportunity to show a new side of the three kids. The three of them begin to play act the legend of Boo Radley when Harper Lee writes: “As the summer progressed, so did our game. We polished it and perfected it… It was a melancholy little drama, woven bits, and scraps of gossip, and neighborhood legend” (Lee 52). This make-believe game provides a getaway from their lives during the great depression. It offers them the ability to escape into a new character and to connect with each other while they learn about the superstition around the legend of Boo Radley. For Jem the game lets him take on a role of leadership while he directs their play, which will be an essential skill later in his life. The game offers Scout something where boys and girls can collaborate, and it gives her an opportunity to spend more time with her brother and their friend. This summer it is evident that Jem and Dill are becoming more independent, so this game lets her spend time with them. Dill is a good actor, and gets into his role well, being exposed to this gives him a chance to do what he loves. In the 1930’s a boy that is passionate about acting might not get as much support from his father or other family members. This play-acting game is crucial because it gives all of them an opportunity to escape, and to enjoy the happy moments in the depressed time that they live in.

Do you think that some of the legends are true? Do you think that the other neighbors find this enjoyable to watch? Is there anything that I missed?

Chapter 6/7: What does Scout mean by "it was then that Jem and I first began to part company?" (Tom)

Chapter 6/7: What does Scout mean by “It was then that Jem and I first began to part company?”(Tom)

After Scout, Jem and Dill’s trouble at the Radley place, Scout finds herself not being able to understand Jem. This gives Harper Lee the ability to further contrast Jem and Scout. Jem, Scout, and Dill decide to look inside the Radley house. After sneaking into the yard, Jem looks into a window only to find himself staring at a pair of blinds. Once Jem is let down, Scout notices a shadow with a hat slowly approaching them. The children take off running, and in his haste, Jem loses his pants. After both Jem and Scout are safely in their beds, Jem decides to go back to get his pants. It is at this point where Scout says “It was then that Jem and I first began to part company” (Lee 75). Scout tries to stop Jem, saying that a Lick’in goes but death doesn’t. Jem says “I-its like this, Scout...Atticus ain’t ever whipped me since I can remember. I wanta keep it that way” (Lee 75). Scout can’t understand Jem because she would rather take the definite (but lesser) punishment than the possible permanent one. Lee can also use this to build the relationship between Jem and Atticus (which is one of mutual respect opposed to Scouts relationship, love, and trust).

Chapters 6 & 7, Explain Jem’s statement: “When I went back they were folded across the fence . . . like they were expectin’ me.” Rohan

Explain Jem’s statement: “When I went back they were folded across the fence . . . like they were expectin’ me.” (Rohan)

When Jem goes back to retrieve his pants from the Radley fence, he finds that his pants have been folded for him. This Passage shows that the Radleys aren't bad people who hate everybody because when Mr. Radley saw that Jem had left his pants, he  decided to fold them for him as a act of compassion, knowing that Jem would have to come back for them. When Jem said “They were folded across the fence” (Lee 78), he was surprised that the Radleys would do something like this. The reputation that the Radleys have is one of a old cranky person who hates everybody, but in reality the Radleys are not like that. Mr. Radley had folded up Jem’s pants as a statement to show him that they are nice people.

Chapter 6/7: Explain Jem’s statement: “When I went back they were folded across the fence… like they were expectin’ me.” (Madison)

When Jem goes back for his pants in the middle of the night he is met with them folded and sewn, meaning someone must have found them and fixed them up for Jem knowing he’d come back to retrieve them. Right before Jem leaves the house, Scout is begging him not go because she is well aware of Nathan Radley’s threat to shoot anything that moves in his yard again. However, Jem would rather risk his life getting his pants, than have Atticus be angry with him when his pants are found the next morning. Jem is scared when he finds the pants waiting for him because it means someone knew he was coming back, “Like somebody was reading my mind… like somebody could tell what I was gonna do. Can’t anybody tell what I’m gonna do lest they know me, can they, Scout?” (Lee 66). Jem held off sharing his concerns with Scout up until this point, but later on in the chapter the two of them discovering that someone is leaving things for them in the knothole by the Radley’s yard. Here, he realizes for the first time that someone has been watching them. Jem states that someone was expecting him with the pants fixed and folded on the fence, something he hadn’t been ready for or expecting. This is the first scene where the reader begins to suspect that Boo Radley is keeping on eye on these kids. Later on in the chapter, Nathan Radley cements up the knothole which Jem and Scout had been using to communicate with whomever was leaving them gifts. He claimed the tree was dying, but Atticus soon disproved Nathan’s excuse. Boo Radley is the only other person still living on that property who could have been putting gifts in the knothole for the children to find. When Jem said “like they were expectin’ me” (Lee 66) he was referring to whoever had taken the liberty to fold his breeches and lay them out for him. Boo is expecting them to come back more and play in his yard, Nathan just doesn’t like the attention.

What will Jem and Scout do with the letter they wrote to the person who keeps leaving them treasures in the knothole? Are they beginning to suspect Nathan after what he said about the tree being dead? What is Atticus’s angle when he proves the tree is clearly still alive but then backs down saying Nathan knows the trees on his property better than Atticus himself would?

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