To Kill a Mockingbird Discussion Questions

Transcription

1 Chapter 1: What do we learn about the historical context of the novel from Chapter 1? What details does Scout provide in the first chapter about the social, economic, cultural and political climate in Maycomb- and the United States during this time period? Reference specific details from this first chapter to support your assertions. Based on the your reading of Harper Lee s biography and details from Chapter 1, do you think the character of Scout is inspired by Harper Lee's childhood? Choose yes or no, then defend your answer with details from both the novel as well as Lee s biography. *Attach a PDF of Harper Lee s Biography In Chapter 1, Scout asserts, Jem and I found our father satisfactory: he played with us, read to us, and treated us with courteous detachment (Lee 10). Why do you think the children feel this way? How do you feel about the fact that Atticus regards them with courteous detachment? Why do you think Scout calls her father Atticus? Is this a reflection of their relationship? What are your parents strengths and weaknesses? How will you be similar to or different from your own parents when (and if) you have children of your own? Explain. What qualities, traits, duties, responsibilities, etc., do you feel a parent should possess? Why are these qualities so important? What makes a parent-child relationship healthy? How can you judge the success of a parent? Chapter 2: What do we learn about Scout, her classmates, her school, Maycomb s educational system and the community from her first day at school? What does the reader learn from Scout's interaction with Walter Cunningham? Use details from the book to support your statements. Did the events of Scout s first day of school shock you? What events during Scout's first day of school were most surprising? What is ironic about Miss Caroline s interactions with Scout on that first day?

2 Chapter 3: Climb Into Their Skin: Day-in-the-Life Creative Posting In Chapter 3 Atticus tells Scout, You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view--until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it. Choose one of the following characters and metaphorically walk around in their skin. Describe a typical day for your chosen character given the clues provided in the novel. What thoughts do they have about life, Maycomb, other residents of the town, racial relations, events that take place in town, etc.? Get creative and use sensory details (i.e. sights, sounds, feelings, tastes, and smells) to bring your depiction of this character s reality to life. After choosing your character and posting your day-in-the-life response, read your peers work and provide feedback on their character depictions. Do their narratives lack any vital information? Could they have added anything to make their writing stronger? Which sensory details are underdeveloped? Calpurnia Miss Maudie Atkinson Stephanie Crawford Atticus Charles Baker Harris/Dill Aurthur Radley/Boo Walter Cunningham Burris Ewell Multiple Choice Question Chapter 4: Take a deeper look at Boo Radley: Find 2 quotes from the novel (use your annotations) that describe Boo Radley. Share these two quotes with the class (Remember to include MLA citation). Then answer the following questions: Why do you think the kids are so fixated on Boo Radley? Do you think the kids description of Boo Radley is accurate? Why or why not? Do you think Boo Radley is an urban legend in Maycomb or does he exist? Explain your answer.

3 Choose a spooky place from your childhood memories to describe in detail. Were there people in this place or living in this house? If so, what were they like? Describe an encounter you had with the house and/or the people inhabiting the space. Write a word description of a haunted or spooky place you encountered in your childhood that is similar to Scout, Jem and Dill s experience with the Radley s house. Focus on incorporating sensory details to bring this spooky place to life (i.e. What did you see, hear, feel, taste, smell and touch when you encountered this place?) Make a prediction about who is leaving gifts in the tree knot for the kids. Why do you think this person is leaving these gifts? What is the symbolic meaning of their gifts? Use quotes from the text to support your predictions. Chapter 5: During the 1930s gender roles were more strictly defined than they are in today s society. How are gender roles evident in this novel? What is expected of girls (i.e. appearance, behavior, hobbies, etc.)? What is expected of boys? How does Scout challenge traditional gender roles? How does Scout s gender limit her ability to take part in Jem and Dill s activities? Use details from the text to support your answers. Chapter 6: In this chapter, Jem displays physical courage when he peeks into the Radley house. Harper Lee effectively builds the suspense and tension in this scene with her writing. Identify 3 aspects of her writing that helped create suspense for you, the reader. Use specific examples form the scene to support your answers. Vote and Suggest/ Chapter 7: What s eating Jem? He [Jem] had been on the verge of telling me something all evening; his face would brighten and he would lean toward me, then he would change his mind. He changed it again. Oh, nothing. What do you think Jem wants to tell Scout? What is Jem contemplating what he is hesitant to share with his sister? What is causing his hesitation?

4 Chapter 8: Carefully reread the description of Miss Maudie s house burning and identify the sensory details used to bring this moment to life. As a reader what do you: see? hear? smell? taste? feel? Is there any aspect of the description that needed further development? How do these details affect your reading of the chapter? Were there details that were particularly powerful for you? Chapter 9: Exploring Courage: What does courage mean to you? What are the differences between mental, emotional and physical courage? Describe a time when you witnessed or demonstrated each type of courage. If you have not personally demonstrated or witnessed one of these types of courage, then think of an example from a book or movie. Have you ever demonstrated courage even though you knew you would not "win" or the outcome of your courageous act would not be positive? Do you feel one type of courage is more challenging to demonstrate? Explain your answer. Compare and contrast Uncle Jack and Aunt Alexandra. How are they similar? How are they different? Include two quotes to describe each that support your comparison. Your explanation should include information about: appearance demeanor relationship with Atticus relationship with the children Chapter 10: Describe the shift in Jem s perspective of Atticus from the beginning of Chapter 10 to the end. Are you surprised that one event could so drastically change a child s perception of his or her parent? How did the incident with Tim Johnson-the mad dog-change Jem s estimation of Atticus as a father and man?

5 Chapter 11: Do you think Mrs. Dubose is a courageous character? Why or why not? If so, what type of courage does she demonstrate? What adversity (def: distress; affliction; hardship) does she face? If not, why do you think her actions fail to be courageous? Justify your position with details from the novel. Use specific examples and/or quotes to support your ideas. Metaphorical Mockingbirds: Analyzing the Title Watch this clip from the 1962 film version of To Kill a Mockingbird where the title is mentioned for the first time. Why is it a sin to kill a mockingbird? How are mockingbirds different from other birds? After analyzing the meaning of Atticus' statement about mockingbirds, choose a character from the novel you believe may be a metaphorical mockingbird. Support your explanation with evidence from the novel. Forum/ *Include an embedded YouTube video for this question Chapter 12: That Calpurnia led a modest double life never dawned on me. The idea that she had a separate existence outside our household was a novel one, to say nothing of her having command of two languages (Lee 125). What are the different roles Calpurnia plays in the novel? In Chapter 12, Calpurnia plays a different role when she is at church compared to the role she plays when she is at the Finch house. In one paragraph, analyze the different roles Calpurnia plays. In a second paragraph, discuss the various roles you play in your own life. Do you act the same around your friends that you would act around your parents? Your teacher? Your employer? Explain in detail two different roles that you play in your own life. Chapter 13: Do you think Aunt Alexandra s decision to move in with Atticus and the kids will benefit the children?

6 Describe the ways in which Aunt Alexandra s presence in the Finch household changed the kids daily lives. Why do you think she decided it was time to move in? What motivated her decision? What is she hoping to accomplish by living in the same house as the children? Chapter 14: Why reasonable people go stark raving mad when anything involving a Negro comes up, is something I don t pretend to understand I just hope that Jem and Scout come to me for their answers instead of listening to the town (Lee 88). To Kill a Mockingbird presents a poignant commentary on prejudice in the post-depression South. Describe in detail a time when someone demonstrated prejudice against you. What caused the prejudice (i.e. age, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, etc.)? How did you react to this kind of treatment? How did this experience affect you? Have you ever demonstrated prejudice against a particular person or group of people? What caused this prejudice? How did you feel about your actions after the fact? Do you know or love someone who harbors prejudice? How do you deal with this person s particular prejudice? Do you agree or disagree with their ideology? If you disagree with them how do you handle this difference of opinion? Chapter 15: The scene when Atticus sits in front of the Maycomb jail, where Tom Robinson is being held, is a tense yet important moment. Rewrite the scene from the perspective of one of the following characters. Select your character then write a first person narrative from his point of view. Your description of the scene should include your character s thoughts on the trial, a reaction to Scout s actions in front of the jail, and feelings about the conclusion of the scene. Please incorporate sensory details, dialogue from the text and information about the characters into your creative writing to bring it to life. Atticus Tom Robinson Mr. Cunningham Mr. Underwood Jem Multiple Choice Question

7 Chapter 16: Sweet Irony: The Trial Begins Tom Robinson's trial begins at the Maycomb Courthouse and the entire town is abuzz. There are several moments in this chapter that are ironic. Choose a moment from this chapter that demonstrates irony. Describe the moment and why you think it is ironic (note: you can focus on verbal or situational irony). Please read your peers postings before writing your own to ensure you are not repeating information already presented. Read the lyrics or listen to an audio recording of a song (YouTube). Example songs: You ve Got to Be Taught or I, Too, Sing America How does this song relate to the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird? Discuss similarities and differences between the song you have chosen to analyze and the novel. Focus on similarities in differences in themes, social atmosphere/historical context, and events/ situations. Use specific information/ examples from the novel, as well as quotes from the song to support your ideas. *Attach PDF lyrics or embed a YouTube recording of the song. Chapter 17: Circumstantial Evidence vs. Direct Evidence Circumstantial evidence is indirect evidence- facts offered as evidence from which other facts are inferred. Direct evidence is evidence of a witness who testifies to the truth of a fact. Make a list of all the circumstantial versus direct evidence presented in the case thus far. Then based on that information explain which lawyer is presenting a stronger case. Read the attached song lyrics. Example songs: The South or Strange Fruit What is this song saying? What is the message of the song writer/poet? Describe the historical time period you believe this song was written in based on the lyrics. Use quotes to support your answer. Identify one theme present in the song. Use quotes from the song to support your assertion that the theme is present. *Attach PDF lyrics or embed a YouTube recording of the song.

8 Chapter 18: Do you pity Mayella Ewell? Why or why not? What do you learn about her education, home, friends, hygiene and family from her testimony? Chapter 19: What is the tragic irony behind Mayella s accusation that Tom Robinson raped her? What really happened the day Mayella said Tom attacked her? How did Mayella feel about Tom? Chapter 20: Do you agree with Dolphus Raymond's decision to give Maycomb a "reason" for his lifestyle? Why or why not? Do you think Dolphus Raymond should have allowed the people of Maycomb to think he was a drunk? Why did he think the people of Maycomb needed "a reason" for his life and choices? How did this decision impact the town? How did his decision impact his own life? Do you think Dolphus Raymond is a courageous character? Is his lifestyle courageous during this time period? If you think he is courageous, what type of courage is he demonstrating? What adversity does he face? Justify your answer with details from the novel. Chapter 21: What was your emotional reaction to the verdict of the Tom Robinson's trial? Describe how you felt when you read the verdict of the trial. Is it what you expected? Why or why not? Were you surprised to discover that the Tom Robinson trial in the novel was inspired by an actual trial from the early 1930s? Did anything about the PBS special describing the Scottsboro Trial surprise you? What were the similarities and differences between the two trials? Explain. *Attach a video clip of the PBS documentary about the Scottsboro Trial.

9 Chapter 22: I waited and waited to see you all come down the sidewalk, and as I waited I thought, Atticus Finch won t win, he can t win, but he s the only man in these parts who can keep a jury out so long in a case like that. And I thought to myself, well, we re making a stepit s just a baby-step, but it s a step (Lee 219). Analyze the deeper meaning of Miss Maudie s conversation with Jem. What is she saying? What are the larger implications of what she is saying in this quote? How does it connect to a central theme in the novel? Chapter 23: Do you think rape should be a capital offense punishable by death? Why or why not? Justify your position with a strong explanation. Please be respectful of opinions that are different from your own. Do you agree with Aunt Alexandra s statement that When a man says he s gonna get you, looks like he means it? Do you think Mr. Ewell will take revenge on Atticus in an attempt to get back at him? Why is Mr. Ewell so angry even though he won the court case and Tom Robinson was found guilty? Chapter 24: Hypocrisy is defined as a pretense of having a virtuous character, moral or religious beliefs or principles, etc., that one does not really possess (dictionary.com). Identify the hypocrisy present in the Women s Missionary Meeting. Specifically reread the discussion of the poor Mrunas and the ladies desire to help them. How does Tom Robinson s death make him a metaphorical mockingbird? What was shocking about his death? Chapter 25: What is the deeper significance of Jem telling Scout not to mash the roly-poly? What does the roly-poly represent on a deeper level? What does this tell the reader about Jem? How has he changed? What caused this change?

10 Write an editorial (def: an article presenting the opinion of the publisher, editor, or editors) for a newspaper about a senseless killing in our society. Describe a current event (who, what, when, where, why) in detail that you consider an example of a senseless killing or murder. (Please choose an event from the last 6 months.) Then provide your commentary/opinion about why you think the death of this person is also an example of a metaphorical mockingbird being shot. Chapter 26: Why do you think the kids begin talking about Boo Radley again after such a long time? Why hasn t he been the object of the kids fascinations for several chapters? What has changed? Why are the kids fixated on him again? What is ironic about Miss. Gate s discussion of Hitler? How is the class s reaction to the discussion of Hitler s unfair treatment of the Jews also ironic? Why does Jem react so emotionally to Scout s questions about Miss. Gate and hating others? What does this tell the reader about Jem? Chapter 27: How does Link Deas demonstrate courage in this chapter? What kind of courage does he display? What adversity does he face? Identify one moment of foreshadow in this chapter. Include a quote where a clue or hint is provided (Remember to use MLA citation). Then predict what you think this quote is foreshadowing. Please be specific in your response. Chapter 28: Harper Lee uses sensory details to bring the attack on Scout and Jem to life. Scout s senses are impaired by her cumbersome costume, yet the scene is full of rich description. In one paragraph identify the sensory details used by Lee and how they enhanced your reading of the scene and understanding of the events taking place. In a second paragraph describe what you think took place based on the sensory details provided.

11 Chapter 29: Does it surprise you that Bob Ewell attacked Jem and Scout, intent on killing them? Why or why not? Why would he go after the kids instead of Atticus? What does this reveal about his character? Yes or No Question Chapter 30: What really happened? Atticus and Heck Tate have a tense conversation on the porch about how Mr. Ewell died. What does Atticus say he thinks happened? What does Heck Tate insist happened? What does Heck Tate actually believe happened? Why wouldn t Heck Tate want Maycomb to know the truth? Chapter 31: Choose the moment from the last four chapters (28-31) that you found most surprising. There are many surprising moments to choose from, so be creative! Clearly identify the moment that surprised you most. Explain why this moment surprised you. Find two quotes from previous chapters that foreshadowed this event. Please follow each quote with MLA citation. Briefly explain in 2-4 sentences how each quote foreshadowed the event you found surprising. Vote/Suggest Question