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I have to present a discussion to my class about chapter 29 from To Kill A Mockingbird and I need some good questions from that chapter that are...

One question that can inspire lively debate has its roots in an earlier chapter when Tom Robinson is convicted of raping Mayella Ewell. Jem had been thoroughly convinced that based on the evidence presented and his complete faith in his father's prowess as a lawyer that Tom would be acquitted. When Tom was convicted, it was an attack on everything he believed: that his father was unbeatable; that the legal system was fair; that innocent people were not convicted of crimes; that his friends, neighbors, and acquaintances in Maycomb were good and fair people. Jem lost his faith in the humanity of humans. Because Jem remains unconscious at the end of the novel, we do not get to hear any last revelations from him. But how might the actions of Boo Radley  to save Jem and Scout have helped to restore some of Jem's faith in humanity, and why?

Another question that begs to be asked centers on another quote by Mr. Tate, but it, too, has a parallel in an earlier chapter when Bob Ewell is testifying about Tom Robinson's alleged behavior with Mayella. Here, Mr. Tate and Atticus are discussing Bob Ewell's attempt to kill Jem and Scout, and while Atticus can't bring himself to understand how a man could try to kill a child, Mr. Tate responds, “Mr. Finch, there’s just some kind of men you have to shoot before you can say hidy to ‘em. Even then, they ain’t worth the bullet it takes to shoot ’em. Ewell ‘as one of ’em" (Lee, 1960, p. 273). How does this quote reveal Tate's mindset about Ewell that is similar to Ewell's mindset about Tom Robinson?


Another couple of questions that can be considered in light of the action in this chapter is how Boo Radley and Tom Robinson are similar characters and how their characters differ. You could look both at their personal characteristics and personalities as well as their treatment at the hands of the townspeople, including Jem, Scout, and the other kids.


Chapter 29 on its own is not rich with action, but if you consider the statements made in it in light of previous chapters, there is much to be debated.

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