
Full Answer
What chapter of to kill a Mockingbird is the most dramatic?
Analysis: Chapters 16–17 The trial is the most gripping, and in some ways the most important, dramatic sequence in To Kill a Mockingbird; the testimony and deliberations cover about five chapters with almost no digression.
What happens in to kill a Mockingbird chapter 21?
To Kill a Mockingbird Chapter 21 Summary & Analysis. LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in To Kill a Mockingbird, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Calpurnia enters the courtroom. She tells Atticus that Jem, Scout, and Dill are missing. Underwood says they're sitting in the balcony.
What is the summary of Chapter 3 of to kill a Mockingbird?
Chapter Summaries Chart Chapter Summary Chapter 1 To Kill a Mockingbird opens with Scout r ... Chapter 2 September comes and Dill leaves for home ... Chapter 3 In the playground Scout takes her frustr ... Chapter 4 The author whisks Scout through much of ... 27 more rows ...
What happened in to kill a Mockingbird?
The children begin finding gifts in the knot-hole. Knot-hole is cemented. Tom Robinson is arrested. Miss Maudie's house burns down. Atticus shoots the rabid dog. Mrs. Dubose dies. Dill runs away from home and comes to Maycomb. The Finches stop the lynch mob. Tom Robinson's trial begins.

What chapter was the end of the trial in To Kill a Mockingbird?
Summary: Chapter 21 Atticus tells them to go home and have supper. They beg to be allowed to hear the verdict; Atticus says that they can return after supper, though he knows that the jury will likely have returned before then. Calpurnia marches Jem, Scout, and Dill home.
How did the trial end in To Kill a Mockingbird?
The Verdict & Aftermath Atticus's efforts proved Tom's innocence, but the jury still found him guilty. Atticus points out to his children (and the reader) that the jury took hours to deliberate, that they didn't simply vote 'guilty' directly after the evidence was given.
What is the verdict in Chapter 21?
Tom returns, along with the jury, and Scout notices that the jury doesn't look at Tom—a sure sign they convicted him. She half expects to see Atticus raise an unloaded rifle. Judge Taylor reads the verdicts: they're all guilty. Atticus packs his things, whispers something to Tom, and then leaves.
When was the trial in To Kill a Mockingbird?
Even though Atticus knew how the town was gonna act towards him he still was gonna do his best and fight for Tom. Today, August 26, 1935 in Maycomb county, is the day of the trial for Tom Robinson and we have a big update.
Who wins the trial in TKAM?
The evidence doesn't matter. Tom is found guilty of raping Mayella although reasonable doubt and Tom's handicap is proven, HOWEVER, the jury deliberates for a few hours, which implies that they are considering the defense's testimony.
Does Atticus win the trial?
When he takes the case, Atticus assumes that they will lose the trial, but he believes they have an excellent chance in the appeal process. The people of his community trust him to do the right thing, and he does. After the trial is over, Atticus feels discouraged by the outcome, but he is not beaten by it.
What happened to Atticus after the trial?
After the guilty verdict, Atticus leaves the courtroom alone, and the African-Americans in the balcony stand up to honor him. After the trial, Atticus is bitter, but he hopes to win the case on appeal. Bob Ewell is also bitter, threatening Atticus in public and spitting in his face.
Why does Jem cry after the trial?
Why did Jem cry? He cried because it wasn't fair that the Tom should be convicted of something he didn't do, and the jruy knew he didn't do this and yet they still sentenced him to death.
Who threatens Atticus's life after the trial?
Background. Despite the guilty verdict, the effects of the trial linger. At the end of chapter 22, we learned that Bob Ewell confronted and threatened Atticus.
How long was the jury out in To Kill a Mockingbird?
How long was the jury out? (And why isn't this a trivial question?) They were out thirty minutes and this matters because it shows that the verdict wasn't an immediate decision. How does Scout know that Tom has not been acquitted even before the jury reports?
How old is Mayella in TKAM?
19Mayella Violet Ewell, 19, is the oldest of the eight Ewell children. Before the trial, Mayella is noted for growing red geraniums outside her otherwise dirty house to bring some beauty into her life.
What happens in To Kill a Mockingbird Chapter 17?
0:092:01To Kill a Mockingbird | Chapter 17 Summary & Analysis | Harper LeeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIn Chapter 17 of To Kill a Mockingbird the trial begins with testimony from sheriff Tate Tate. SaysMoreIn Chapter 17 of To Kill a Mockingbird the trial begins with testimony from sheriff Tate Tate. Says Bob Ewell came to his office saying his daughter had been beaten. And raped.
What happens as Atticus leaves the courtroom?
Why do people in the balcony gallery stand when Atticus leaves the courtroom? They stand out of respect for what Atticus has done for Tom and for their community. They see that Atticus had achieved the impossible even though ignorance and bigotry won out. Everyone knew the truth.
Why does Jem cry after the trial?
Why did Jem cry? He cried because it wasn't fair that the Tom should be convicted of something he didn't do, and the jruy knew he didn't do this and yet they still sentenced him to death.
What happens at the courthouse in Chapter 15?
0:082:47To Kill a Mockingbird | Chapter 15 Summary & Analysis | Harper LeeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThey find out akka seated in front of the make of jail. Reading a book as the children watch from aMoreThey find out akka seated in front of the make of jail. Reading a book as the children watch from a distance cars approach the jail. And men empty out they've come to lynch Tom Robinson.
Why did Mayella accuse Tom?
Mayella's motive for accusing Tom Robinson of rape is because she lured Tom into her shack to seduce him. When Mr. Ewell saw his Mayella trying to kiss Tom he preceded to beat his daughter. Atticus assumed that the jury would never believe a white girl would do this.
What is the most important scene in To Kill a Mockingbird?
The trial is the most gripping, and in some ways the most important, dramatic sequence in To Kill a Mockingbird; the testimony and deliberations cover about five chapters with almost no digression. (Additionally, the courtroom scene, with Atticus picking apart the Ewells as the whole town watches, is the most cinematic portion of the narrative, and it is the centerpiece of the 1962 film version of the novel.) Though the trial targets Tom Robinson, in another sense it is Maycomb that is on trial, and while Atticus eventually loses the court case, he successfully reveals the injustice of a stratified society that confines Black people to the “colored balcony” and allows the word of a despicable, ignorant man like Bob Ewell to prevail without question over the word of a man who happens to be Black. In the trial conducted in the courtroom, Atticus loses. In the trial conducted in the mind of the reader, it is the white community, wallowing in prejudice and hatred, that loses.
What does Jem say about Atticus?
He believes that the irrefutable implications of the evidence will clinch the case for Atticus. When Jem says, “We’ve got him,” after Bob Ewell is shown to be left-handed, the reader knows better. Atticus, like Mrs. Dubose in her battle with morphine, is “licked” before he begins.
What is fitting that the children end up sitting in the “colored section” of the courthouse?
It is fitting that the children end up sitting in the “colored section” of the courthouse, just as it is fitting that Miss Maudie refuses to attend the trial. All three lack the racism that the crowd of white faces in the courtroom propagates. Jem, Scout, and Dill are segregated even from the other children, who have taunted Jem and Scout for loving Black people.
Who was the prosecutor in the case of Heck Tate?
The prosecutor, Mr. Gilmer, questions Heck Tate, who recounts how, on the night of November 21, Bob Ewell urged him to go to the Ewell house and told him that his daughter Mayella had been raped. When Tate got there, he found Mayella bruised and beaten, and she told him that Tom Robinson had raped her.
Who is the wealthy eccentric who owns land on a river bank, lives near the county line, and has?
People from all over the county flood the town. Everyone makes an appearance in the courtroom, from Miss Stephanie Crawford to Mr. Dolphus Raymond , a wealthy eccentric who owns land on a river bank, lives near the county line, is involved with a Black woman, and has mulatto children. Only Miss Maudie refuses to go, saying that watching someone on trial for his life is like attending a Roman carnival.
What chapter does Scout recall the events leading up to when her brother, Jem, broke his arm?
Chapter Summaries Chart. Chapter. Summary. Chapter 1. To Kill a Mockingbird opens with Scout recalling the events leading up to when her brother, Jem, broke his arm when he w... Read More. Chapter 2. September comes and Dill leaves for home in Meridian, Mississippi, just before school starts for Jem and Scout.
What chapter does Calpurnia pass Atticus a note?
Chapter 21. Calpurnia passes Atticus a note, which Atticus quickly reads. Atticus reports to the judge that the note is from his sis... Read More. Chapter 22. Feeling defeated, Atticus, Jem, Scout, and Dill trudge home. Jem in particular is crushed by the verdict because he can'...
What chapter does Aunt Alexandra go to Calpurnia's church?
Chapter 13. Aunt Alexandra assumes a leading role in the Finch household and Maycomb society. She tells Atticus he needs to instill ... Read More. Chapter 14. Scout mentions to Aunt Alexandra and Atticus that she and Jem went to Calpurnia's church with her. While Atticus is amus...
Who befriends Scout and Jem?
Dill arrives and befriends Scout and Jem.
What chapter does Scout kill a mockingbird?
To Kill a Mockingbird: Chapter 20 Summary & Analysis. To Kill a Mockingbird: Chapter 20. LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in To Kill a Mockingbird, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Mr. Raymond invites Dill to have a drink to settle his stomach. Scout knows he’s evil and that Atticus ...
What does Atticus say about the Ewells?
He says that Tom’s only crime was feeling sorry for Mayella, and now the Ewells are asking the jury to believe that all black people are immoral, untrustworthy liars. He insists that people of all colors can be awful.
What is Atticus' advice?
Atticus’s advice rests on the idea that it’s a horrendous thing to pick on someone who isn’t able to defend themselves, just like Bob and Mayella Ewell are doing with this case. Active Themes. Atticus asks permission to unbutton his vest and collar and remove his coat.
What does Scout know about Atticus and Aunt Alexandra?
Scout knows he’s evil and that Atticus and Aunt Alexandra will be unhappy, but she follows Dill. Dill delightedly says that it’s just Coca-Cola in the bottle and Mr. Raymond swears the children to secrecy.
Is Atticus halfway through his speech?
Judge Taylor is almost finished with his cigar and Atticus is already halfway through his speech to the jury. Jem whispers that Atticus just finished going through the evidence. Here, Mr. Raymond insists that racism is an intrinsic part of Maycomb, even if it hasn’t been especially apparent to Scout before now.
Why does Atticus let the children return for the verdict?
When Atticus agrees to let the children return for the verdict, it again shows that he believes children are capable of grappling with difficult adult ideas. Doing so will help them become better people as they move toward adulthood, and since Atticus seems fairly convinced that Tom is going to lose, he understands that this will help the children recognize the underlying cruelty and unfairness in their idyllic small town.
Who shares that Judge Taylor seemed like he may have been leaning toward Tom ’s side?
Reverend Sykes shares that Judge Taylor seemed like he may have been leaning toward Tom ’s side. Jem confidently announces that they’ll win and then offers his own ideas of how the courts deal with rape in Alabama. Jem stops only when Scout assures Reverend Sykes that she knows exactly what Jem is talking about.
What chapter does Calpurnia pass Atticus a note?
To Kill a Mockingbird: Chapter 21. LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in To Kill a Mockingbird, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Calpurnia passes Atticus a note. Atticus asks Judge Taylor to go, since his children are missing, but Mr. Underwood interjects that Scout, Jem, and Dill are in the balcony.
What time does Scout stop talking to Jem?
Atticus, Mr. Gilmer, and Judge Taylor all behave normally, but the rest of the courtroom still seems fretful and anxious. They sit, and around 11:00 p .m. Scout falls asleep against Reverend Sykes. Dill sleeps against Jem.
What does Scout think about Atticus shooting Tim Johnson?
When Scout continues to think back to the day when Atticus shot Tim Johnson, it shows that she recognizes that Atticus is sacrificing himself to doing what he feels is right and necessary. When Reverend Sykes asks the children, along with the others in the balcony to stand for Atticus out of respect, it shows how meaningful Atticus’s honest attempt to save Tom was for the black community, even if he lost the case. Atticus’s efforts send the message that in the eyes of this influential community member, they matter.
What does Scout notice when the jury doesn't look at Tom?
Tom returns, along with the jury, and Scout notices that the jury doesn’t look at Tom—a sure sign they convicted him. She half expects to see Atticus raise an unloaded rifle. Judge Taylor reads the verdicts: they’re all guilty. Atticus packs his things, whispers something to Tom, and then leaves.
Who passes Atticus a note?
Calpurnia passes Atticus a note. Atticus asks Judge Taylor to go, since his children are missing, but Mr. Underwood interjects that Scout, Jem, and Dill are in the balcony. The children head downstairs and Jem excitedly announces that they’re going to win. Atticus looks exhausted.
