Chapter 23

I. Study Questions

1. What humorous remark does Atticus make when Ewell spits in his face?

2. What is the Atticus's response when the children ask him to borrow a gun?

3. What is Atticus's response when he was asked if he is afraid to fight?

4. The jury contained white males from outside Maycomb. What are some missing groups?

5. Scout believes that Aunt Alexandra wants to help her choose something. What is this?

6. Do you think Tom could get a fair trial with a jury of white males from outside Maycomb? Why?

7. Atticus says that one type of person is trash. Who was this?

8. Why could Miss Maudie not serve on a jury?

9. What does Aunt Alexandra call Walter Cunningham that angers Scout?

II. Find in the chapter the English equivalents for the following words and word combinations:

и глазом не моргнуть; ругаться; проявлять мало интереса; в чьей-либо шкуре; не сомневаться; быть слишком строгим с кем-либо; изо всех сил; решительно воспротивиться; перенимать привычки.

III. Explain what the words and word combinations in bold type mean in the following sentences from the chapter and translate them into Russian:

1. Atticus assured us that nothing would happen to Tom Robinson until the higher court reviewed his case, and that Tom had a good chance of going free, or at least of having a new trial.

2. "If he loses his appeal," I asked one evening, "what'll happen to him?"

3. "He'll go to the chair," said Atticus, "unless the Governor commutes his sentence.

4. "You know rape's a capital offense in Alabama," said Atticus.

5. He said he didn't have any quarrel with the rape statute, none what ever, but he did have deep misgivings when the state asked for and the jury gave a death penalty on purely circumstantial evidence.

6. He glanced at me, saw I was listening, and made it easier. "–I mean, before a man is sentenced to death for murder, say, there should be one or two eye-witnesses.

7. The one place where a man ought to get a square deal is in a courtroom, be he any color of the rainbow, but people have a way of carrying their resentments right into a jury box.

8. "If we'd had two of that crowd, we'd've had a hung jury."

IV. Why does Aunt Alexandra accept that the Cunninghams may be good but are not "our kind of folks"? Do you think that people should mix only with others of the same social class? Are class-divisions good or bad for societies?

V. Comment on the following quotation of Scout:

"Naw, Jem, I think there's just one kind of folks. Folks."

VI. At the end of this chapter, Jem forms a new theory about why Boo Radley has never left his house in years. What is this? How likely is it to be true, in your opinion?

VII. Retell the chapter as if you were:

1. Jem;

2. Aunt Alexandra;

3. Atticus.

VIII. Speak on:

1. What were the four kinds of people in the world according to Jem? According to Jem's grouping system, where would Little Chuck Little who helped calm Miss Caroline when she saw the cootie be placed? Do you agree with Jem that the Finch family in Maycomb was in a different group than the Ewell family? Why?

2. Mr.Ewell spat in Atticus's face. What were some reasons Atticus did not fight back? Which man had greater courage?