To Kill a MockingbirdChapters 27-31

Dr. Good

English 10

Arleta High School

Three Unusual Things… The first unusual thing is that Bob

Ewell got a job with the WPA WPA was the Works Projects

Administration, a government program established by Franklin Roosevelt in the 1930s

Ewell loses his job very quickly The lady who works at the welfare

office says that Bob Ewell blames Atticus for the fact that he lost his job

A Mystery at Judge Taylor’s The second unusual thing

to happen is that Judge Taylor hears strange noises at his house on a Sunday night

Although he did not see anyone, Judge Taylor feels uncomfortable enough to get his gun

Helen Robinson Helen has been working at Link

Deas’ farm to support her family To get to work, she must walk past

the Ewell place When she tries to walk past, they

throw things at her, and Bob Ewell follows her, cursing under his breath

Link Deas confronts the Ewells and tells Bob Ewell that he’ll have him in jail if he continues to bother Helen

Aunt Alexandra Worries “I don’t like it, Atticus, I don’t like it

at all,” was Aunt Alexandra’s assessment of these events. “That man seems to have a permanent running grudge against everybody connected with that case. I know how that kind are about paying off grudges, but I don’t understand why he should harbor one – he had his way in court, didn’t he?” (335)

THINK/PAIR/SHARE: Why do you think Bob Ewell still has a grudge? Even though he “won” in court, why is he still angry?

Back to a Routine Life “By the end of October, our lives

had become the familiar routine of school, play, study. Jem seemed to have put out of his mind whatever it was he wanted to forget, and our classmates mercifully let us forget our father’s eccentricities.” (335)

THINK/PAIR/SHARE: What do you think Scout means by “father’s eccentricities?”

A Halloween Pageant The school is putting on a

pageant for Halloween. There will be food, games, and a show representing all of Alabama’s agricultural products.

Scout will play a ham in the pageant.

Jem accompanies Scout. Atticus and Aunt Alexandra do not go.

After the Play Still in her ham costume,

Scout and Jem are the last to leave the school.

The night is very dark, and there are no streetlights where they are walking.

On the way home, Jem thinks that he hears someone following them – Jem says “I hear it when we’re walkin’ along, but when we stop I don’t hear it.” (349)

Attack!

“Shufflefoot had not stopped with us this time… He was running, running toward us with no child’s steps.” (351)

Jem tells Scout to run, but “Something crushed the chicken wire around me. Metal ripped on metal and I fell to the ground and rolled as far as I could… Someone rolled against me and I felt Jem.” (351)

“We were very nearly to the road when I felt Jem’s hand leave me, felt him jerk backwards to the ground. More scuffling, and there came a dull crunching sound and Jem screamed.” (351)

Jem is Hurt “The man was walking

with the staccato steps of someone carrying a load too heavy for him. He was going around the corner. He was carrying Jem. Jem’s arm was dangling crazily in front of him.” (352)

THINK/PAIR/SHARE: Who do you think attacked Jem and Scout? Who is carrying Jem?

Scout Meets Boo Radley Scout tells Heck Tate about how

they were followed from the school.

She thought that Jem had saved her, but then realizes that someone else was there. Someone else picked Jem up and brought him home. She doesn’t know who it is.

“’Why there he is…he can tell you his name.’ …They were white hands, sickly white hands that had never seen the sun, so white they stood out garishly against the dull cream wall in the dim light of Jem’s room.” (362)

Aftermath Dr. Reynolds sets Jem’s broken arm.

He will be fine. Heck Tate tells Atticus that Bob

Ewell is dead – he is under the tree with a knife stuck under his ribs.

Atticus thinks that Jem killed Bob Ewell in self-defense. Heck Tate insists that Bob Ewell fell on his own knife. He demonstrates with a switchblade. Bob Ewell was killed with a kitchen knife.

THINK/PAIR/SHARE: Who killed Bob Ewell? What are the possibilities? Which scenario makes the most sense?

Scout and Boo

Atticus asks Scout if she understands why it would be wrong to reveal who really saved their lives.

“Yes sir, I understand… Well, it’d be sort of like shooting a mockingbird, wouldn’t it?” (370)