TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD Chapter 12 (Pages 115 – 126)

GROUP #1 Presentation

GROUP LEADER:Group Members:

Zander Cruz

Grace Ryan, Wendell StampsLana Kane, Bayani del Rosario

CHAPTER 12 SUMMARYJem displays the normal signs of getting older, with

inconsistent moods and a short temper. Scout is told to leave him alone. The suffering that Jem undergoes while

maturing, is not fully understood by Scout, who misses his company as well as Dill’s. And her growing is evident too, when she finds kitchen chores to have interesting

prospects. When Atticus leaves for town on official business, Calpurnia takes the children for a religious

service to a all African American Church.

CHAPTER 12 SUMMARY (Cont)Their presence is acknowledged by all the members of the church, except for Lula, a troublemaker, but her stance is overlooked. Scout is amazed at the proceedings, especially at the lack of hymnbooks. She is later told that most of them are uneducated except for a few, including Calpurnia. The children’s time at the church serves an eye-opener for them. They realize how inherently different they are from African Americans and the heartfelt welcome given by the church members speaks a lot of their basic generous nature.

CHAPTER 12 SUMMARY (Cont)Calpurnia’s sudden switch to the colored folks’ way of talking, also surprises them, and they realize the somewhat dual life that Calpurnia has to lead. Although, she can speak like white folks, she hasn’t forgotten her origins. The preacher, REVEREND SYKES virtually commands the people to donate money for Tom Robinson’s wife and children. The reason behind Tom’s arrest is revealed, that he had apparently raped Bob Ewell’s daughter. J e m and Scout want to help Tom and donate from their own pockets. On returning home, they are disappointed to see their Aunt Alexandra who has come to stay with them. Her strong influence over the children, isn’t something that they like.

CHAPTER 12 CHARACTERSScout Finch Atticus’ daughter. An impulsive girl by nature, she keeps rushing into fights and is more emotional than her brother.

Jem Finch He is the son who is deeply motivated to follow his father's footsteps. The important idea of maturity is well depicted in his character as he has gains maturity by the end of the novel.

Atticus Finch A highly respected and responsible citizen of Maycomb County. He is the father of Scout and Jem. An attorney by profession, he is very particular about delivering justice. Tom Robinson

A young Negro laborer. He is honest and helpful but is unfairly convicted and even found guilty for crime he has not committed. The inequality towards blacks reaches a peak in the treatment given to him by the whites.

CHAPTER 12 CHARACTERSCalpurnia The family’s black housekeeper who has looked after the family since the children had lost their mother. Her presence has contributed to the molding of the children’s character to a great extent.

REVEREND SYKES As minister of First Purchase Church, Reverend Sykes is an authority figure in Maycomb's African-American community.Aunt Alexandra

Atticus’ sister who comes to live with them, since it seemed necessary that there should be some feminine influence in the house. Aunt Alexandra seems too stern and forbidding at the beginning, but later on, her soft-heartedness is revealed.

CHAPTER 12 - SETTING* Maycomb Middle School

* First Purchase African M.E. Church

* The Finch House

CHAPTER 12 - THEME

CHAPTER 12 – SYMBOLISM / IMAGERYThe terms "black" and "white" (when referring to people in the novel) are symbols because they are used to separate two groups of people and violate the lesser of the two groups' rights. When a black man says something and a white man says something, the words "black" or "white" determine the superiority of the person.

Author, Harper Lee focuses on the black community in Chapter 12, giving the children (Scout and Jem) a deeper understanding of how African Americans live in their town.

"An oppressive odor met us when we crossed the threshold, an odor I had met many times in rain-rotted gray houses where there are coil-oil lamps, water dippers, and unbleached domestic sheets"

The above is a great example of the imagery of the First Purchase African M.E. Church that appears in chapter twelve. The church looks to be beyond repair, damp and filled with mildew.

CHAPTER 12 QUESTIONS 1. What three things are perplexing (bothering) Scout at the beginning of the summer? 2. Where did Scout and Jem go with Calpurnia? 3. Explain what Scout finds unusual about Calpurnia’s manner of speaking at the Negro congregation? 4. What is the name of the Reverend at Calpurnia’s church? 5. Why does the Reverend order the doors of the church shut? 6. Why was Lula angry with Calpurnia? 7. Why does the congregation sing the hymns by “lining”? 8. What explanation does Cal give for talking “n*****-talk”? 9. Who is sitting on the Finches front porch?10. Why are the children reluctant to have this person live with them?

CHAPTER 12 VOCABULARY1) inconsistent - displaying a lack of consistency

2) indignant - angered at something unjust

3) altercation - noisy quarrel

4) diligent - quietly and steadily persevering especially in detail or exactness

5) frivolous - not serious in content, attitude or behavior

CHAPTER 12 LITERARY TERMS1) In chapter 12, Scout is having trouble coping with Jem’s

treatment of her. Scout says:“The Governor was eager to scrape a few barnacles off the ship of state; there were sit-down strikes in Birmingham..”

"Scraping the barnacles off the ship of state" is a metaphor that means the governor was trying to clean things up.

2) Calpurnia is getting the children ready for church. Scout says:“She had put so much starch in my dress it came up like a tent when I sat down.”This is a simile. The author is comparing the starched dress to a stiff "tent." 3) TKAM (p. 134) His curtness stung me… is an example of hyperbole – an exaggeration or overstatement.