To Kill a Mockingbird — Chapter 24

About This Passage

Miss Maudie quietly tells Aunt Alexandra that Maycomb is paying Atticus the 'highest tribute' a town can pay a man — they trust him to do right. The chapter has just delivered terrible news, and these few sentences hold the heart of the book: a few people who believe a fair trial is for everybody. The passage gives Scout the words for what her father is doing.

Narration Prompt

Tell the chapter as a story of two parts. The first part is the missionary tea, where the ladies talk about the Mrunas and about Tom's wife. The second part is when Atticus comes home and tells everyone that Tom Robinson is dead. Tell what the ladies do at the end of the chapter, and what Scout learns from Aunt Alexandra and Miss Maudie.

Discussion Questions

1. Mrs. Merriweather complains about her cook Sophy being 'sulky' after Tom's trial. Miss Maudie asks her, 'His food doesn't stick going down, does it?' How can you tell that Miss Maudie is angry, even though her voice stays quiet?
2. Atticus says, 'I guess Tom was tired of white men's chances and preferred to take his own.' What in the story helps you understand why Tom climbed the fence at the prison even when the guards were watching?

+ 2 more questions in the complete study guide