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To Kill a Mockingbird

by Harper Lee

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Identify three exciting events that took place before the climax of the novel To Kill a Mockingbird.

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The Nighttime Raid: In Chapter 6, Jem, Dill, and Scout attempt to peek into the Radley home to get a look at Boo. However, Nathan Radley hears them and thinks that someone is trying to break into his home. The children have to run out of the yard and narrowly escape as Nathan Radley begins shooting in their direction.

Maudie's House Fire: In Chapter 8, Atticus wakes his children up in the middle of the night and tells them to stand in the Radley's front yard because Miss Maudie's house is on fire. Scout and Jem watch from a safe distance as the neighbors rally together in an attempt to save Maudie's possessions. The men narrowly escape from Maudie's home before the house eventually collapses.

The Mob Scene: In Chapter 15, Atticus travels to the Maycomb jailhouse to sit outside of Tom Robinson's cell as a precaution. The Old Sarum bunch then arrives to lynch Tom Robinson. Atticus refuses to leave, and Scout, who was hiding with Jem and Dill, runs into the middle of the group of men. Atticus then tells Jem to leave the scene and take Scout and Dill with him, but Jem refuses to leave his father in the dangerous situation. Fortunately, Walter Cunningham is able to see the situation from Atticus' perspective and tells the mob to disperse.

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