Chapters 9-11 Analysis

Key Events and Plot Development

Rising Action

• Tom Robinson, a black farm worker, is accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a young white woman.
• Atticus Finch agrees to defend Tom in court, despite opposition from the town.
• This decision creates tension in Maycomb, especially for Scout and Jem, as they face insults about their father.

---

Themes

Racism

• Scout wants to fight Cecil Jacobs when he insults Atticus for defending a black man.
• She does fight Francis, her cousin, when he calls Atticus a "n****r lover" (Chapter 9).

Courage

• Atticus bravely shoots a rabid dog, proving his skill (Chapter 10).
• Mrs Dubose shows moral courage by stopping her morphine addiction, despite the pain (Chapter 11).

---

Tone

• The tone is angry and threatening, with frequent violence or the threat of violence.
• Scout is tempted to fight Cecil Jacobs and later attacks Francis.
• Tension and fear rise when Atticus faces the rabid dog, but there is also relief once it is dead.

---

Chapter Summaries

Chapter 9

• Scout wants to fight Cecil Jacobs after he insults Atticus.
• Atticus explains to Scout and Jem why he is defending Tom Robinson.
• Atticus gives air rifles to Scout and Jem but discourages them from using them.
• At Finch's Landing, Scout fights Francis for insulting Atticus.

Chapter 10

• Scout notices that Atticus is different from other fathers—he dislikes sports.
• Atticus tells the children not to shoot mockingbirds because they are harmless and bring joy.
• Miss Maudie explains that this means harming the innocent is wrong.
• Atticus proves his marksmanship by shooting a rabid dog, impressing Jem and Scout.
• Jem understands that Atticus does not boast about his abilities.

Chapter 11

• Mrs Dubose, an elderly neighbour, insults Atticus for defending Tom Robinson.
• Jem destroys her camellia flowers in anger.
• As punishment, Jem must read to Mrs Dubose every day for a month.
• She dies shortly after, and Atticus reveals she was battling a morphine addiction.
• Jem receives a camellia flower from Mrs Dubose as a sign of forgiveness.

Key Themes in Chapters 9-11

1. Moral Education: Atticus teaches Scout and Jem about empathy and justice.
2. Prejudice & Racism: The Finch family faces criticism for Atticus' defence of Tom Robinson.
3. Courage: True bravery is shown through moral strength, not physical power.
4. Growing Up: Scout and Jem begin to understand complex adult issues.

---

Important Quotes

• "It's a sin to kill a mockingbird." (Chapter 10) – Symbolises innocence.
• "The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience." (Chapter 11) – Shows Atticus' strong morals.

---

Key Vocabulary & Definitions

Chapter 9

• Ambrosia (noun): A dessert made of fruit, nuts, and coconut.
• Analogous (adjective): Comparable or similar to something.
• Attire (noun): Clothing.
• Bawled (verb, past tense): Cried noisily.
• Bluff (noun): A broad, flat cliff.
• Catwalk (noun): A narrow, raised walkway, often for fashion shows.
• Changelings (noun): A child believed to have been secretly swapped for another.
• Compensation (noun): Something that makes up for a loss or lack.
• Constituted (verb, past tense): Made up of or consisted of.
• Croon (verb, past tense): To sing in a low, gentle tone.
• Deportment (noun): Behaviour or manner of walking.
• Dim (adjective): Unclear; not strong.
• Don (verb, past tense): Put on (clothing).
• Douse (verb, past tense): To pour liquid over something or someone.
• Evasion (noun): Avoiding or dodging a question or situation.
• Fanatical (adjective): Showing excessive enthusiasm beyond reason.
• Gallantly (adverb): Politely and kindly (often describing male behaviour towards women).
• Gastric (adjective): Related to the stomach.
• Gravitate (verb, past tense): To be drawn towards something.
• Guilelessness (noun): Innocence or lack of craftiness.
• Harbour (verb, past tense): To hold in the mind.
• Hookah (noun): A pipe with a flexible tube used to smoke tobacco.
• Impaired (adjective): Weakened or damaged.

Chapter 10

• Alist (adjective): Tilted to one side.
• Articulate (adjective): Able to speak clearly and expressively.
• Attributes (noun): Characteristics or qualities.
• Bout (noun): A fight (often in boxing).
• Erratically (adverb): In an irregular or unpredictable way.
• Feeble (adjective): Weak; frail.
• Gingerly (adverb): Carefully and cautiously.
• Inconspicuous (adjective): Not attracting attention.
• Jubilantly (adverb): Very happily.
• Mad dog (adjective + noun): A rabid dog behaving dangerously.
• Mausoleum (noun): A large stone tomb for important people.
• Peril (noun): Danger.
• Providence (noun): The care of God.
• Rudiments (noun): The basics of a subject.
• Tartly (adverb): Sharply.
• Vaguely (adverb): Not clearly.

Chapter 11

• Apoplectic (adjective): Extremely angry, as if having a stroke.
• Arbor (noun): A shaded area under trees or vines.
• Bedecked (adjective): Decorated.
• Camellia (noun): A shrub with glossy leaves and rose-like flowers.
• Cantankerous (adjective): Bad-tempered.
• Decreed (verb, past tense): Ordered officially.
• Degradation (noun): A state of dishonour or disrespect.
• Escapade (noun): A reckless or adventurous act.
• Essence (noun): The most important quality of something.
• Infuriated (verb, past tense): Greatly angered.
• Interdict (noun): A prohibition or restraint.
• Oppressive (adjective): Unpleasant or harsh.
• Palliation (noun): The act of lessening pain or anxiety without curing it.
• Passé (adjective): Outdated; old-fashioned.
• Philippic (noun): A bitter verbal attack.
• Propensities (noun): Natural tendencies or inclinations.
• Rectitude (noun): Moral correctness.
• Relic (noun): An old object of historic interest.
• Skulked (verb, past tense): Moved in a secretive or cowardly way.
• Tirade (noun): A long, angry speech.
• Tranquil (adjective): Calm.
• Umbrage (noun): Offence or resentment.
• Undulate (verb): To move in a wave-like manner.
• Viscous (adjective): Sticky.

---

Other Useful Information

Chapter 9

• Confederate veteran: A soldier who fought for the South in the American Civil War.
• General Hood: A Confederate officer, Lieutenant-General John B. Hood.
• House of Commons: The lower house of the British Parliament.
• Let the cup pass from you: A biblical reference to Jesus asking to avoid his fate, used by Uncle Jack to show Atticus' reluctance to defend Tom Robinson.
• Lord Melbourne (1779-1848): British Prime Minister during Queen Victoria's early reign.
• Missouri Compromise (1820): A law allowing Missouri to be a slave state but banning slavery in new western territories.
• Mount Everest: The world's highest mountain (29,028 feet) in Nepal/Tibet.
• Ol' Blue Light: A reference to Confederate general Stonewall Jackson.
• Prime Minister: The leader of a parliamentary government, like in Britain.

Chapter 11

• Confederate Army: The Southern army in the American Civil War.
• CSA (Confederate States of America): The group of Southern states that seceded from the U.S.
• Dixie Howell: A famous American football player in the 1930s.
• Ivanhoe: A historical novel by Sir Walter Scott (1819).