Atticus Finch | Maycomb county born and bred; he knew his people and they knew him. He was related to nearly every family in town |
Charles Baker Harris | He was right puny for goin on seven. |
Miss Maudie Atkinson | She was a widow, a chameleon lady who worked in her flower beds wearing an old straw hat and men’s overalls |
Burris Ewell | The filthiest human Scout had ever seen. His neck was dark grey and the backs of his hands were rusty |
Mr. Walter Cunningham | One of the leaders of the lynch mob |
Zeebo | Calpurnia’s son who “lines” hymns at First Purchase |
Harper Lee | Author of this novel |
Mayella Ewell | A terribly lonely person, lonelier than Boo Radley |
Mr. Gilmer | prosecuting attorney in the Robinson Case |
Rachel Haverford | Dill’s aunt |
Mr. Underwood | a newspaper publisher and editor |
Dolphus Raymond | a white man who prefers to live with Negroes |
Alexandra Hancock | very “proper” relative who comes to provide a feminine influence in the house |
Great Depression | time period of the novel, setting of extreme poverty |
Touch the Radley house | Dill dares Jem to do this early on in the novel |
Read and write | Miss Caroline is angry because Scout already knows how to do this |
Trick Atticus teaches Scout | Try to see situations from other people’s points of view |
Laughing | Scout is surprised to hear this after she falls out of the tire in front of the Radley house |
Fire | This happened to Maudie’s house in the middle of the night |
Maudie’s description of Atticus | “same in his house as he is on the public streets” |
Unfair advantage | the reason why Atticus gave up shooting |
Morphine addiction | What Jem’s reading helped Mrs. Dubose to free herself from |
Lula | Negro woman who doesn’t want Scout and Jem to come to First Purchase |
Parents don’t care about him | Why Dill feels he needs to run away |
A lynching | What Atticus goes to jail to prevent |
People you know | What Atticus says every mob in a little Southern town is made up of |
A drinking problem | What Mr. Dolphus Raymond is pretending to have to keep people away |
Crippled arm | Tom has this which ultimately is proof he could not beat up Mayella Ewell |
Defending Tom Robinson | This action by Atticus makes most of the town extremely mad |
Right side | Mr. Heck Tate testifies that Mayella was beaten on this side of her face |
Stand up | When Atticus leaves the courtroom, the Negroes all do this to honor him |
Bob Ewell | determined to “get” Atticus because he knows that no one really believed his story and he was made a fool of in the courtroom |
Missionary tea ladies | Are more interested in poverty in far off countries than in their own town |
“Senseless slaughter” | Underwood’s description of Tom’s death |
Shot 17 times | Shows the cruelty in how Tom Robinson was killed |
Hitler | Miss Gates is pleased about Tom’s verdict but condemns this man |
Ham costume | Ultimately saves Scout’s life during Ewell’s attack |
Background | Aunt Alexandria says this is how long your family has been squatting on one piece of land |
Mockingbird | A sin to kill one of these, represents Tom Robinson and Boo Radley |
Disapprobation | Disapproval |
Acrid | strong or sharp to the taste or smell |
Compelled | to feel forced |
Benevolence | acts of kindness |
Impervious | incapable of being affected or injured |
Luminous | giving off light |
Static | stationary, not moving or changing |
Predilection | to have a preference towards something |
Vexations | irritations |
Fractious | unruly or irritable |
Illicitly | illegally, not permitted |
Ambled | a slow easy pace |
Contemptuous | showing or expressing hatred |
Strictures | Criticisms |
Mortifying | humiliating/shameful |
Inarticulate | unable to be expressed |
Elephantine | enormous |
Ludicrous | absurd |
Quaver | to shake |
Enterprise | a project undertaken |
Theme: Social Equality | -the lack of equality for blacks, separate churches, sitting in the balcony of the courthouse, Tom’s conviction despite his innocence |
Theme: Good vs. Evil | Atticus vs. Bob Ewell and the town, Boo vs. his community, Tom vs. the white citizens of Maycomb |
Theme: Innocence and Corruption | Scout seeing the world through unbiased eyes, Boo Radley hiding away from the corruption of the world |
Theme: Courage and Morality | Courage: Mrs. Dubose fighting off her addiction to die free, Morality: Atticus doing the right thing by defending Tom Robinson |
To Kill a Mockingbird Unit Test
January 28, 2020