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To Kill a Mockingbird

by Harper Lee

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Why can't Atticus and Alexandra hear the kids in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Quick answer:

Atticus and Aunt Alexandra cannot hear the children yelling during the attack by Bob Ewell because both are listening to their radios. Atticus mentions that Aunt Alexandra asked him to lower the volume of his radio so she could hear hers better, which suggests that the noise from the radios drowned out the sounds from outside. This explanation, though somewhat contrived, serves to allow Boo Radley to intervene and save the children.

Expert Answers

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As Scout is describing to Mr. Tate the circumstances leading up to she and Jem being attacked by Bob Ewell, she mentions that she shouted something loudly to Cecil Jacobs, who was dressed up as ghost, and

—then Jem yelled hello or somethin’ loud enough to wake the dead—

At this point, Mr. Tate obviously is interested to know if Atticus and Aunt Alexandra heard the children shouting, as they were so noisy and not so far away. The implication is that if they heard their children yelling, they should have come out of the house to investigate the cause of the commotion.

Atticus explains that he was listening to his radio. He says that Aunt Alexandra was listening to hers as well. He explains he knows this because she asked him to turn his down so she could hear hers. The noise of the two radios drowned out any outdoor sounds of children yelling.

Is this a bit lame? Yes—but Harper Lee had to provide some sort of explanation for Atticus not intervening, which was necessary to leave the opening for Boo to save the day.

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