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“Is that tree dyin’?”
To Kill a Mockingbird - Extract 2
In this To Kill a Mockingbird extract, Nathan Radley blocks the knothole, and his short answers to Jem and Scout raise questions about truth, control and kindness.
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“Dear sir,” said Jem. “We appreciate the — no, we appreciate everything which you have put into the tree for us. Yours very truly, Jeremy Atticus Finch.”
“He won’t know who you are if you sign it like that, Jem.”
Jem erased his name and wrote, “Jem Finch.” I signed, “Jean Louise Finch (Scout),” beneath it. Jem put the note in an envelope.
Next morning on the way to school he ran ahead of me and stopped at the tree. Jem was facing me when he looked up, and I saw him go stark white.
“Scout!”
I ran to him.
Someone had filled our knot-hole with cement. “Don’t you cry, now, Scout…don’t cry now, don’t you worry” he muttered at me all the way to school.
When we went home for dinner Jem bolted his food, ran to the porch and stood on the steps. I followed him. “Hasn’t passed by yet,” he said.
Next day Jem repeated his vigil and was rewarded.
“Hidy do, Mr Nathan,” he said.
“Morning Jem, Scout,” said Mr Radley, as he went by.
“Mr Radley, ah — did you put cement in that hole in that tree down yonder?”
“Yes,” he said, “I filled it up.”
“Why’d you do it, sir?”
“Tree’s dying. You plug ‘em with cement when they’re sick. You ought to know that, Jem.”
Jem said nothing more about it until late afternoon. When we passed our tree he gave it a meditative pat on its cement, and remained deep in thought. He seemed to be working himself into a bad humour, so I kept my distance.
As usual, we met Atticus coming home from work that evening. When we were at our steps, Jem said, “Atticus, look down yonder at that tree, please sir.”
“What tree, son?”
“That one on the corner of the Radley lot comin’ from school.”
“Yes?”
“Is that tree dyin’?”
“Why no, son, I don’t think so. Look at the leaves, they’re all green and full, no brown patches anywhere — "
"It ain't even sick?"
"That tree's as healthy as you are, Jem. Why?"
"Mr Nathan Radley said it was dyin'."
"Well maybe it is. I'm sure Mr Radley knows more about his trees than we do."
Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird (Mandarin, 1989)
“Dear sir,” said Jem. “We appreciate the — no, we appreciate everything which you have put into the tree for us. Yours very truly, Jeremy Atticus Finch.”
“He won’t know who you are if you sign it like that, Jem.”
Jem erased his name and wrote, “Jem Finch.” I signed, “Jean Louise Finch (Scout),” beneath it. Jem put the note in an envelope.
Next morning on the way to school he ran ahead of me and stopped at the tree. Jem was facing me when he looked up, and I saw him go stark white.
“Scout!”
I ran to him.
Someone had filled our knot-hole with cement. “Don’t you cry, now, Scout…don’t cry now, don’t you worry” he muttered at me all the way to school.
When we went home for dinner Jem bolted his food, ran to the porch and stood on the steps. I followed him. “Hasn’t passed by yet,” he said.
Next day Jem repeated his vigil and was rewarded.
“Hidy do, Mr Nathan,” he said.
“Morning Jem, Scout,” said Mr Radley, as he went by.
“Mr Radley, ah — did you put cement in that hole in that tree down yonder?”
“Yes,” he said, “I filled it up.”
“Why’d you do it, sir?”
“Tree’s dying. You plug ‘em with cement when they’re sick. You ought to know that, Jem.”
Jem said nothing more about it until late afternoon. When we passed our tree he gave it a meditative pat on its cement, and remained deep in thought. He seemed to be working himself into a bad humour, so I kept my distance.
As usual, we met Atticus coming home from work that evening. When we were at our steps, Jem said, “Atticus, look down yonder at that tree, please sir.”
“What tree, son?”
“That one on the corner of the Radley lot comin’ from school.”
“Yes?”
“Is that tree dyin’?”
“Why no, son, I don’t think so. Look at the leaves, they’re all green and full, no brown patches anywhere — "
"It ain't even sick?"
"That tree's as healthy as you are, Jem. Why?"
"Mr Nathan Radley said it was dyin'."
"Well maybe it is. I'm sure Mr Radley knows more about his trees than we do."
Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird (Mandarin, 1989)
1 .
What is the immediate context for this passage?
Atticus has just been assigned the defence of Tom Robinson
Miss Maudie's house has caught fire
Dill has just gone home after his first summer in Maycomb
Jem and Scout have just received an old pocket watch in the knot-hole
Jem begins to suspect that Boo Radley is the secret leaver of chewing gum, trinkets and gifts
2 .
What immediately follows this passage?
Aunt Alexandra arrives
It snows in Maycomb County and Miss Maudie's house catches fire
Jem is caught trying to leave a message in Boo Radley's window
Jem and Scout attend church with Calpurnia
Boo Radley does a secret kindness for Scout when he wraps a blanket over her shoulders while she watches the fire being put out. Jem is provoked into confessing everything they know about Boo Radley to Atticus
3 .
What does this passage bring to an end?
Jem's childhood
The children's attempts to make Boo Radley come out of his house
Scout's desire to follow Jem's lead
Boo Radley's quiet friendliness towards the Finch children
Mr Radley's cementing of the hole brings the children's plan to an end, although it does not stop Boo Radley from leaving the house later
4 .
What is the significance of the word "our" in the phrase "When we passed our tree"?
Jem and Scout feel possessive towards the tree
Jem and Scout believe that the tree was originally their own
The tree is in Jem and Scout's yard
The word "our" is a mistake
The knot-hole in the tree has become a familiar part of Jem and Scout's daily routine. They feel possessive towards it because they pass it daily and because of the little gifts left there for them
5 .
Scout is the narrator of the novel. She recounts events she remembers as well as her thoughts and feelings at the time the events took place. This passage displays another aspect of her narration. Which?
Her memories are hazy
She is observant of detail
She tells the story with no empathy for herself or her brother
She is an unreliable narrator
Scout is not very active in this passage. Instead she observes Jem's actions and reports the dialogue in detail. Later she observes the signs that Jem has been crying, even though she had been unable to hear any sound from him
6 .
Jem tells Atticus that Mr Radley said the tree was dying. What does Atticus's response tell the reader about his character?
Atticus always believes adults rather than children
Atticus forbids his children to question adults
Atticus's first instinct is to trust in people's words, although he also weighs up the evidence
Atticus is too trusting
The evidence tells Atticus that the tree is healthy, but his instinct is to believe that Mr Radley is telling the truth. Unlike Jem, he is not aware that Mr Radley might have a motive for lying
7 .
Which of the following best describes Mr Radley's manner of speech?
Curt
Courteous
Friendly
Aggressive
Mr Radley does not waste words when speaking to Jem and Scout. His father, the former Mr Radley, did not even speak to the Finch children
8 .
Why does Jem sign his letter with his full name?
He is following custom
He wishes for people to stop using his nickname
Atticus has asked him to sign the letter with his full name
The letter is very informal
The custom, in Scout's and Jem's environment, is to begin with formality. Only friends and family would use someone's nickname. Scout points out that the anonymous gift-giver won't know their nicknames
9 .
Scout is portrayed in this passage as following Jem's lead. In which of these phrases is she shown differently?
I ran to him
I signed, “Jean Louise Finch (Scout),” beneath it
I followed him
He seemed to be working himself into a bad humour, so I kept my distance
Jem is very much Scout's hero, yet when she signs the letter with both her full name and her nickname, she is using her own judgement about the best course of action
10 .
What does this passage show us of Jem's character?
His constant bad temper
His recklessness
His callousness
His vulnerability
Jem, who is old enough to remember his dead mother, mourns at the enforced loss of their secret friend
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