To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Study Questions
1. Why does Alexandra come to live with the Finch family?

2. What does the word amanuensis mean?

3. How does Maycomb receive Alexandra?

4. What does it mean when Scout says that Cousin Joshua “went round the bend”?

5. What is Atticus’ remedy for stomach problems?

6. What is Maycomb’s primary reason for being?

7. Why does Maycomb always remain about the same size?

8. What message does Alexandra ask Atticus to bring to the children?

9. What does Scout mean when she says that Alexandra has a preoccupation with heredity?

10. What does Scout mean when she says that Alexandra thinks that everybody in Maycomb had a streak?

Answers
1. Alexandra stays with the Finch family in order to give a feminine influence to Scout.

2. The word amanuensis means stenographer.

3. Maycomb welcomes Alexandra and includes her in its social life.

4. Scout means that Cousin Joshua had a nervous breakdown.

5. He takes some soda.

6. Government is Maycomb’s primary reason for being.

7. It grows inward. Because new people settled there so rarely the families intermarry.

8. Atticus asks the children to live up to their name, as per Alexandra’s instructions. She asks that they try to behave like a little lady and a little gentleman.

9. Scout cannot understand why Alexandra is so concerned with a person’s ancestry.

10. According to Alexandra, every family in town has some kind of habit such as drinking, fighting, or gambling.