To Kill a Mockingbird, Chapter 17 quiz

Questions and answers

1. 1

   Question 1. Who is the first witness to testify at Tom Robinson's trial in Chapter 17?

   • Correct answer: Heck Tate
   • Mayella Ewell
   • Tom Robinson
   • Bob Ewell

   Sheriff Heck Tate is called as the prosecution's first witness. He recounts being summoned to the Ewell house on the night of the alleged assault.

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2. 2

   Question 2. What critical omission does Atticus establish during Heck Tate's cross-examination?

   • No official report of the arrest was filed
   • No neighbors were interviewed as witnesses
   • No fingerprint evidence was collected
   • Correct answer: No doctor was called to examine Mayella

   Atticus presses Tate until Judge Taylor notes he has answered the question three times: no one called a doctor or carried Mayella to one, a glaring gap in a case alleging rape and assault.

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3. 3

   Question 3. On which side of Mayella's face were her injuries predominantly located?

   • Her forehead
   • The left side
   • Correct answer: The right side
   • Both sides equally

   Heck Tate testifies that Mayella's black eye and most severe bruising were on the right side of her face, which is consistent with being struck by a left-handed person.

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4. 4

   Question 4. How does Atticus reveal that Bob Ewell is left-handed?

   • He asks Ewell directly if he is left-handed
   • Correct answer: He asks Ewell to write his name for the court
   • A previous witness mentions it
   • He asks Ewell to demonstrate how he struck Mayella

   Atticus asks Ewell to write his name, and when Ewell complies, the courtroom sees that he writes with his left hand—linking him to the left-handed blow that caused Mayella's right-side injuries.

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5. 5

   Question 5. Why is Bob Ewell's left-handedness significant to the defense?

   • Correct answer: It suggests he could have inflicted the right-side injuries on Mayella's face
   • It contradicts Heck Tate's testimony about which eye was blackened
   • It proves he lied about seeing Tom Robinson through the window
   • It shows he was too intoxicated that night to remember what he really saw

   A left-handed person would naturally strike the right side of someone facing them. Combined with Mayella's right-side injuries, Ewell's left-handedness points to him as a possible attacker.

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6. 6

   Question 6. Where do Scout, Jem, and Dill watch the trial?

   • From the hallway outside the courtroom doors
   • From the front row of the main courtroom floor
   • From the witness chairs inside the railing
   • Correct answer: From the colored balcony with Reverend Sykes

   The children sit in the colored balcony of the courthouse alongside Reverend Sykes, the only seats available in the packed courtroom.

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7. 7

   Question 7. How does Bob Ewell behave on the witness stand?

   • He refuses to answer any questions
   • He is nervous and soft-spoken
   • Correct answer: He is crude, hostile, and vulgar
   • He is calm and cooperative

   Ewell is combative and uses foul language on the stand, forcing Judge Taylor to repeatedly admonish him. He treats the trial as a performance and shows open contempt for the proceedings.

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8. 8

   Question 8. What does Bob Ewell claim he saw when he arrived at the house?

   • Tom Robinson carrying kindling past the Ewell property
   • Correct answer: Tom Robinson assaulting Mayella through the window
   • Tom Robinson forcing entry through the back of the cabin
   • Mayella arguing angrily with Tom Robinson on the porch

   Ewell testifies that he heard Mayella screaming, ran to the house, and saw Tom Robinson through the window assaulting his daughter.

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9. 9

   Question 9. How does Jem react after Atticus reveals Ewell's left-handedness?

   • Correct answer: He is excited and confident the defense has won
   • He is skeptical that it will matter to the jury
   • He is confused about its significance
   • He becomes frightened for Atticus's safety

   Jem pounds the balcony rail softly and whispers "We’ve got him." Scout is less sure: she reasons that Tom Robinson could be left-handed too and thinks Jem is counting his chickens.

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10. 10

    Question 10. Why does Reverend Sykes urge Jem to take Scout home during Bob Ewell's testimony?

    • He expects violence among the angry colored spectators
    • He worries Scout is too restless to tolerate the long trial
    • He thinks Judge Taylor will clear the courtroom of children
    • Correct answer: He believes Ewell's words are not fit for Miss Jean Louise to hear

    After Bob Ewell's crude accusation sets off an uproar, Reverend Sykes tells Jem the testimony is not fit for Miss Jean Louise or the boys either. Jem refuses to leave, insisting Scout doesn't understand it.

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11. 11

    Question 11. Who is the prosecutor questioning witnesses for the state?

    • Link Deas
    • Judge Taylor
    • Correct answer: Mr. Gilmer
    • Mr. Underwood

    Mr. Gilmer serves as the prosecuting attorney, conducting the direct examination of both Heck Tate and Bob Ewell.

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12. 12

    Question 12. What injuries does Heck Tate describe finding on Mayella?

    • A fractured arm, cut hands, and scratches along her cheek
    • Correct answer: Bruised arms, a black eye, and marks around her neck
    • A split lip, bruised ribs, and a badly swollen ankle
    • A lacerated scalp, a sprained wrist, and a bloody nose

    Tate describes finding Mayella with bruising on her arms, a blackened right eye, and finger marks around her neck consistent with choking.

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13. 13

    Question 13. What is the primary contrast Lee draws between Heck Tate and Bob Ewell as witnesses?

    • Tate is uncertain while Ewell is precise
    • Tate is young while Ewell is elderly
    • Correct answer: Tate is professional and calm while Ewell is crude and hostile
    • Tate supports the defense while Ewell supports the prosecution

    Tate delivers his testimony with professional detachment, while Ewell is vulgar, combative, and theatrical—highlighting the prosecution's reliance on an unreliable witness.

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14. 14

    Question 14. According to Scout, what was the only thing that made Bob Ewell any better than his nearest neighbors?

    • His family had lived in Maycomb County for generations
    • Correct answer: His skin was white, if scrubbed with lye soap in very hot water
    • He could read and write well enough to sign his relief checks
    • He was named for the famous Confederate general Robert E. Lee

    Scout says all Bob Ewell had over his Black neighbors, whose cabins looked neat and snug, was that his skin was white once scrubbed with lye soap. Lee shows how race alone props up the status of a family the town otherwise looks down on.

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