To Kill a Mockingbird — Chapter 6

About This Passage

Selected for thematic weight (this is one of the most important small moments of Jem's growing up — he is learning that some things cannot be told even to a father he loves and trusts) and rhetorical sophistication (the dialogue is written in a child's voice that captures both Jem's love for Atticus and his new sense that adulthood has a private side he is just beginning to understand).

Narration Prompt

In your own words, tell the story of this chapter. What were the most important moments? What made them important — and how do you know?

Discussion Questions

1. Jem says, 'We can't always tell him things, Scout.' This is the first time Jem has chosen to keep something from Atticus. Was Jem right to keep this secret, or should he have told the truth even if it meant being whipped? Make the strongest case for both sides.
2. Mr. Nathan Radley fires his shotgun toward the children in the dark and then claims he was shooting at a 'Negro' in his collard patch. The neighbors all accept this story without question. What does the speed with which the neighbors accept this explanation tell us about Maycomb, and what is the author quietly showing us about what kinds of lies are easy to tell in this town?

+ 3 more questions in the complete study guide