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Copywork
About This Passage
Selected for thematic weight — this is the moral compass of the entire trial section of the novel. Atticus is teaching Scout (and the reader) that the obligation to try is not erased by the certainty of losing.
Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win.
Full copywork activity with handwriting lines available in the complete study guide.
Discussion Questions
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
- Atticus tells Scout that the case 'couldn't be won.' But he is taking it anyway. What does this tell us about the difference between Atticus's idea of success and the way most people think about success? What in the story makes you think so?
- Cecil Jacobs and Cousin Francis both repeat words they have heard from their parents. Neither of them really understands what the words mean. Are they responsible for the cruelty of what they say, or are the parents the ones who are really at fault? Make the strongest case for both sides.
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Vocabulary Builder
Item 1
Honest in a frank, open way without trickery or hidden meanings
Item 2
Similar to another thing in a way that allows useful comparison
Item 3
Strong displeasure caused by something thought to be unjust
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Critical Thinking
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