Chapter 8

I. Study Questions

1. Who dies in Chapter 8?

2. What is the Rosetta Stone? Why does Scout think Mr, Avery gets his information from it?

3. Why do Jem and Scout feel guilty when Mr. Avery tells them that children who disobey parents, smoke cigarettes, and make war on each other can cause a change in the seasons?

4. Jem and Scout do not have enough snow to build a snow figure. What else do they use?

5. What does Scout ask Atticus after he returns from the Radley Place after Mrs.Radley died?

6. Jem is able to make a snow person without enough snow to build one. What is Atticus's first reaction? His second reaction?

7. How is Miss Maudie able to take an interest in Jem and Scout when her house has just burned?

8. Before the children begin the snowman, what do they borrow from Miss Maudie?

9. Why does Jem not want Scout to walk in the snow or to eat it?

10. Why does Atticus take the children out of the house at 1:00 a.m.?

II. Whom do the following utterances belong to? Say how they characterize the speaker and what circumstances they were made:

1. "No it ain't, it's so cold it burns. Now don't eat it, Scout, you're wasting it. Let it come down."

2. "Mr. Avery's sort of shaped like a snowman, ain't he?"

3. "I don't care what you do, so long as you do something."

4. "Now listen, both of you. Go down and stand in front of the Radley Place. Keep out of the way, do you hear? See which way the wind's blowing?"

5. "Thank you sir, but you've got a job of your own over there."

III. Explain the meaning of the following words:

Aberrations (n.); azaleas (n.); cannas (n.); caricatures (n.); flue (n.); meteorological; morphodite (n.); near libel (adj. + n.); prophets (n.); quelled (vb.); roomers (n.); switches (n.); taffeta (n.); unfathomable (adj.).

IV. Give synonyms for the following words from the chapter:

got;		braided;		sensitive;
high;	carried out, committed; groan;
warm and friendly;	embankment.

V. Find in the chapter the English equivalents for the following words and word combinations and remember the situations they were used in:

Прищуриться; слякотная работа; буркнуть; все, что на виду, делал сам; поубавить брюшко; поражена талантами; топить печь; не вертеться под ногами; огонь пожирал дом; уткнуться под мышку; с места не сходить; сойти с ума; выбалтывать секреты; закутать в одеяло; озорная искорка; мигом раскидать ч.-л.

VI. Explain what the following allusions mean:

1. Appomattox;

2. Bellingraths;

3. Lane cake;

4. Rosetta Stone.

VII. Give analysis of the quote

"Thank who?' I asked. 'Boo Radley. You were so busy looking at the fire you didn't know it when he put the blanket around you.'

My stomach turned to water and I nearly threw up when Jem held out the blanket and crept toward me. 'He sneaked out of the house-turn 'round-sneaked up, an' went like this!"

VIII. Suggested Essay Topics

1. Describe Miss Maudie's reaction to her home burning. Tell why she was able to behave in this way.

2. Describe the colors of the snowman/woman. Tell how the colors relate to Maycomb. Describe the outward appearance of the snow person and how it changes. Describe the interior of the snow person. Is there symbolism relating to gender bias here? Why, or why not?