Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Plot summery

Dill, Jem and Scout go to the Radley’s house hoping to see Boo. While Jem was glancing in the window of the house, he sees someone coming and runs away. When he makes it to the others in the collard patch on their way out, they get shot at and run away as fast as they can. In the midst of all this Jem loses his pants when they get caught on the wire fence. When the three meet up with the adults (who came out at the sound of the gun), everyone questions why Jem wasn’t wearing any pants. Dill makes up a lie saying that Jem lost his pants in a game of strip poker. That night Jem goes back to the fence to retrieve his pants, which has Scout terrified that he will get shot at again, but he returns safely.

Major changes and developments

The main characters (Jem, Scout, and Dill) get to know one another better when put in a serious situation such as being shot at by Mr. Radley. There is one new character introduced in this chapter. His name is Mr. Avery. Mr. Avery is one of the Finches neighbors. There were both internal and external conflicts in this chapter. An example of an internal conflict was when Scout was trying to decide whether or not to follow Jem and Dill when they went to see if they could catch a glance at Boo. She resolved to follow them because they teased her about being a girl. An example of an external conflict is when Jem got his pants caught on the barbed wire by the collard patch and goes back later at night to retrieve them. He is scared to go back, but he is even more frightened of his father’s reaction to the lost pants. Another example of an external conflict is when Mr. Radley shot at the children, mistaking them for thieves in his collard patch, and they resolved that by running away as fast as they could. A new internal conflict in this chapter is that Scout is beginning to feel separated from Jem. She is baffled by his decision to return for the pants, risking his life by doing so.

Significant Quotations

“We’re gonna miss you boy.” (Lee 67) This shows that Dill plays a great roll in the fun during the summer and that when he leaves things would go back to normal and boring.

“I admired my brother. Matches were dangerous, but cards were fatal.” (Lee 73) This quote shows the strong beliefs that the people of Maycomb had. They believed strongly that gambling was evil and even more dangerous than playing with fire. The children were aware of this belief and clever enough to use it to their advantage.

Literary Elements

“Shot in the air. Scared him pale, though. Says if anybody sees a white nigger around, that’s the one.” (Lee 72) This short excerpt shows irony because they are calling a black person white.

Vocabulary

Kudzu: An eastern Asian vine having compound leaves and clusters of reddish-purple flowers.

Prowess: Superior skill or ability.

Critical Thinking

What new trouble will the three get themselves into when Dill returns?

Will the kids ever get to see Boo Radley?