To Kill a Mockingbird By Harper Lee
Honors English Summer Homework
Chapter 1-11 Summaries

Chapter 1 Scout, the main character, starts the story off by thinking back to the summer where her brother, Jem, had broken his arm. She looks back to all the things and events that lead up to this mishap. Scout introduces us to her home Maycomb, Alabama and some of its interesting townsfolk like her father Atticus Finch, Calpurnia, Dill, The Radleys, and other neighbors. Her father, Atticus, works in town as a lawyer and Calpurnia is the Finches African American housekeeper who also looks after Scout and Jem. Dill is from Meridian, Mississippi and visits his aunt every summer, Miss Rachel, who is also the Finches neighbor. The Radleys are
There they see Miss Maudie’s house engulfed in flames. Scout is so engrossed by the fire that she doesn’t even see Boo Radley kindly come up and put a blanket around her shoulders. The next morning Jem and Scout come outside shocked to see Miss Maudie in a great mood, only talking about how to improve her garden, as if acting like the fire was nothing at all.

Chapter 9 Scout and classmate Cecil Jacobs get into dispute when Cecil accuses Scouts father of “defending a nigger.” Although Scout is pushed to extreme levels of rage, she refrained from throwing her fist, remembering her promise to Atticus to stop her fighting. Its is now winter and the Finches spend their Christmas with their Uncle Jack, Uncle Jimmy, Aunt Alexandria, and their grandson Francis. During their holiday Francis begins taunting Scout, calling her father a “nigger- lover” multiple times, so Scout decides to ignore his offensive comment. After Francis’s constant name calling Scout cracks, punching him in the face. Scout is then punished for her ill-mannered behavior, without a chance to defend herself. As Uncle Jack talks to Scout she informs him of Francis’s name calling, asking him to promise not to tell Atticus. Late that night as Scout goes down for a glass of water she overhears Atticus and Uncle Jack talk about Tom Robinson’s trial. Chapter 10 Atticus is not like many other fathers. He is now just