Harper Lee, the author of To Kill a Mockingbird, didn't create chapter titles; she simply used numbers to order her work. Her reasoning for this is unclear, but after reading the novel, we can create our own titles based on the important events in each chapter.
There could be many interpretations depending on what you personally deem important. Lee packs several main ideas into each of her chapters, which means each chapter can have overlapping narratives and multiple conflicts. For example, chapter 8 has the first snow, the snowman, and the fire at Miss Maudie's. The chapter also contains an encounter with Boo Radley. It's up to you to decide what to focus on. Here is one list of possible options for chapter titles.
- Welcome to Maycomb
- First Day of School
- Walking in Another Person's Shoes
- The Tree, the Radley Lot, and the Game
- Miss Maudie's Take
- Close Call
- Truth Hurts
- The First Snow
- The Case
- One-Shot Finch
- Courage Comes in Many Forms
- Cal's Church
- Aunt Alexandra Comes to "Help"
- Monster Under the Bed
- The Angry Mob
- And So it Begins: The Trial
- Testimony: Sherrif Heck Tate and Bob Ewell
- Testimony: Mayella Ewell
- Testimony: Tom Robinson
- Dolphus Raymond and the Secret Coca-Cola
- The Verdict
- The Aftermath: Tears, Treats, and Taunting
- lntegrity and Racism
- Tea with the Missionary Circle
- A Trip to the Robinson Home
- Hypocrisy in Maycomb
- Odd Happenings
- The Halloween Pageant and the Attack
- The Real Boo Radley
- Who Killed Bob Ewell?
- The Gray Ghost and Other Legends
Harper Lee did not name each of the chapters in her book To Kill a Mockingbird; however, it would be interesting to know what she would have named them. Chapter headings usually give some clue into the purpose or theme found therein, so one would have to read them first in order to know how to name them appropriately. The following are a few possibilities:
1. The Finches and the Radleys
2. Scout's First Day of School
3. Considering a Different Point of View
4. The Secret Knothole
5. The Radley Game
6. "Where're Your Pants, Son?"
7. More Gifts from the Knothole
8. Winter Snow and Fire
9. Defending One's Honor
10. Atticus to the Rescue
11. Mrs. Dubose: The Bravest Lady Atticus Ever Knew
12. Be a Girl!
13. Aunt Alexandra Comes to Stay
14. Dealing with Aunt Alexandra and Runaway Dill
15. Scout to the Rescue
16. Maycomb County Appears for the Trial
17. The Trial Begins
18. Mayella Ewell's Testimony
19. Tom Robinson's Testimony
20. Closing Arguments
21. The Verdict
22. Jem's Turn to Cry
23. Bob Ewell, Old Family, and Boo Radley
24. Tea Party Revelations
25. The Dust Settles: Maycomb's Response
26. A Lesson about Democracy and Nazis.
27. Halloween in Maycomb: Mysterious Rumblings
28. The Halloween Pageant and an Unlikely Hero to the Rescue
29. The Aftermath of the Attack
30. Meet Mr. Arthur
31. The Gray Ghost
1: Where It All Begins2: A Rough First Day3: Lunchpails & Cooties4: The Giving Tree5: Conversations With Miss Maudie 6: The Radley Raid7: The Mysterious Hemmed Jeans & Knothole Presents8: Fire & Ice9: Unhappy Holidays 10: Never Judge A Book By...
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Its Cover11: Courage & Camellias12: Visit To First Purchase African M.E.13: Life With Aunt Alexandra14: Stepping On Human Snakes15: Close Calls With Old Sarum16: Maycomb Gathers 17: The Good & The Bad 18: Mayella's Red Geraniums19: Truth20: Atticus's Final Arguments21: The Verdict & Loss of Innocence 22: Maudie Makes The Best Cakes23: Atticus Elaborates 24: The Missionary Circle of Holy Hypocrites25: Maycomb's Racist Reaction To Tom's Death26: Maturation & Current Events27: Ewell's At It Again28: Scout & Jem's Longest Journey Ever29: Hey, Boo30: It's Like Shooting A Mockingbird31: Boo's Porch & The Grey Ghost
The chapters in To Kill a Mockingbird are simply numbered. There are no titles. However, for quick reference, I have my own "titles" that I use so I can find things quickly when I need to. It may not be what you want, but I hope it helps.
1=Background on Maycomb and the characters
2=Scout vs. Miss Caroline (first day of school)
3=Walter for lunch and meet Burris Ewell
4=gifts in the tree and rolling up on Radley's porch
5=meeting Miss Maudie and Atticus wants them to leave Boo alone
6=The shotgun porch scene
7=Jem's fixed pants and more gifts/cement in the tree
8=the first snow and a big fire
9=Finch family Christmas and mentioning the trial
10=Mockingbird chapter and Atticus as a Hero
11=True courage and Mrs. Dubose
12=Jem grows apart from Scout/church with Calpurnia
13=Aunt Alexandra comes to stay
14=a fight with Jem and Dill's surprise
15=The mob scene at the jailhouse
16=Dolphus Raymond and beginning of the trial
17=Heck Tate and Bob Ewell on the stand
18=Mayella on the stand
19=Tom on the stand
20=more about Dolphus Raymond and why he lives like he does
21=the verdict
22=a "baby step" in the right direction
23=Atticus vs Alexandra on the Cunninghams
24=the missionary circle and Tom is shot
25=Reaction to Tom's death
26=reflection on Boo and Miss Gates is a hypocrite
27=the pageant and Bob's trouble in town
28=the attack on the kids and the rescue
29=meet Arthur Radley
30=discussion on what really happened under the tree with Heck/Atticus
31=last discussion of the mockingbird symbols