In this part of the novel you got to know more about the title.
Jem and Scout were given air riffles as a christmas gift, and they were really enjoying themselves. They often shot at cans in their back yard. But soon Jem wanted to go after birds and then his oncle Jack stopes him. He said "Shoot as many bluejays as you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird."( p. 99 line 34-36)
Scout started to wonder why it was a sin to kill a mockingbird so she asked their neighbour Miss Maudie. Miss Maudie explained to her that mockingbirds do nothing but make lovely music, that they sing their hearts out and never destroy your garden or enything. That is why it is a sin to kill a mockingbird.
One day in February when Jem and Scout were out playing in the woods, Jem spoted something down the path. They try to get closer and they notice that it is a dog. But there was something wrong with it, like it was very sick or had gone mad. They quickly ran back to the house to tell their father Atticus. Calpurnia started to call all the neighbours and Atticus called on the sheriff.
Sadly since the dog was crazy they knew they would have to shoot him. The sheriff gave the gun to Atticus and told him to shoot since he is the better gunman. Atticus said he had not handled a gun in 30 years. When he walked up to the dog, he droped his glasses and took the gun to he's arm. And he pulled the triger.
Jem and Scout were stunned. Miss Maudie brought them to her house and told them about their father. Jem who had been almost paralyzed sudenly spoke " 'd you see him Scout? 'd you see him just standin' there? ... 'n' all of a sudden he just relaxed all over, an' it looked like the gun was a part of him... an' he did it so quick, like... I hafta aim for ten minutes 'fore I can hit somethin'..."( p.108 line 15-19)
Miss Maudie told them that when Atticus was young he was called "Ol' One-Shot" and that he was the deadest shot in Maycomb. Scout asked why he never goes hunting and Miss Maudie answered that Atticus is not proud of his talent, and that if he had wanted them to know he would have told them already.
One of their neighours, Mrs Dubose, were not a very nice old lady. Jem decided one day to trash her beloved camellias and he were being punished by reading for her every afternoon at her house. When the clock rang he was allowed to go. He bruoght Scout with him for moral support, but what they did not noitice was that they stayed a little longer everyday. When he had read everyday for one month he was dismissed.
A few days later Mrs Dubose died, Atticus were with her when she died and she had a gift for Jem. "Jem opened the box. Inside, surrounded by wads of damp cotton, was a white, waxy, perfect camellia. It was a Snow-on-the-Mountain."( p. 124 line 7-9)
This were her own way of showing that she had forgiven him. This was a very sweet way of saying 'I am happy to have known you'.
A Sunday morning Calpurnia, the house maid, brought Jem and Scout to her church. Since Calpurnia is black they went to her church where Scout and Jem had never been before. They were very surprised that it was a bit different. In the black church they did not have hymn books, and they collect money for a person not to the church. The people visiting the church were not released until they have raised the money. But they gathered to praise God just like white churches.
The beginning of this part of the novel is alot about growing up. Jem grows up too fast for Scout to keep up. He turned out to have a big intersest in sport and he did not want to play with Scout any more.
Jem started to spend a lot of his time alone, reading. He has always said that he wants to become a lawyer, but he were not so sure any more. Calpurnia even started to call him 'Mister Jem' since he now was counted as a grown-up in the family. You can clearly see that he had become a teenager, but some times he were a bit rude to Scout.
Scout was also starting to grow up. She was still a tomboy and refused to wear dresses, even if her aunt almost forced her, she says no. But she had stopped fighting and she were starting to see the world more as it was.
Atticus had not really changed but you get to know more about him. Like he was a gun man and that he was more than just an old man.
One evening Atticus drived off to town alone, what he did not know was that Scout and Jem were following him. Atticus were argue with some men Scout and Jem did not know. It turned out these men wanted to know where Tom Robinson were. Atticus told them that the sheriff might be there any minute, one of the men said no he was not coming.
In the end of this part they were in the middle of the trial. Mr Ewell which daughter had been raped and beaten up, they say, by Tom Robinson has told their side of th story and Atticus asked them questions. They were very ordinary questions but he seemed to get out a lot of information from the Ewells.
" 'Who beat you up? Tom Robinson or your father?' No answer. 'What did your father see in the window, the crime of rape, or the best defence to it? Why won't you tell us the truth, child?'"( p. 207 line 14-18)
Was it really Tom who had done the crime, or was it her father?