Chapter 9

Key Events/Ideas 

• Atticus is called a "nigger-lover" which angers Scout  
• Atticus explains why he is defending Tom 
• Uncle Jack comes to stay and tells Scout off for cussing 
• Jem and Scout get air-rifles for Christmas 

Key Quotations  

• "Don’t say nigger Scout. That's common" 
• "If I didn’t I couldn’t hold up my head in town, I couldn’t represent this country in the legislature, I couldn’t even tell you or Jem not to do something again." 
• "simply because we were licked 100 years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win" 

• "I suppose I should include Uncle Jimmy […] but […] I never saw any reason to take notice of him. Neither did Aunt Alexandra" 
• "Aunty was a good cook" 
• "perhaps received a Crawford rather than a Finch" 
• ""you want to grow up to be a lady don't you?" I said not particularly. "of course you do"" 
• "Jem felt his age and gravitated to the adults" 

• "he's ruinin' the family" 
• "when a child asks you something, answer him" 
• "maycomb's usual disease" 

What is the cause of Scout's outburst at the start of the chapter 

• Atticus is called a nigger-lover 
• Scout is getting bullied because of Atticus' job 

Why shouldn't Atticus defend Tom Robinson? 

• HIs children are getting bullied for it 
• He will lose 

• All the white families will see it as a form of betrayal 
• The Ewells are almost above the law 

Why then does he choose to do so? 

• Morally upstanding