To Kill A Mockingbird Feb 16

Agenda:

Plot questions 2 – 5

Revelation of characters (Boo + Atticus)

Silent Reading Chapter 6

Discussion Guardian Angels/Childhood pranks

H/W Chapters 7 + 8

Why was school a terrible disappointment to Scout on her first day? Why did she continue to be bored?

Why did Scout tell Miss Caroline about Walter Cunningham?

Why do you think Miss Caroline seemed distraught after punishing Scout?

What evidence was there that Atticus, in contrast to Miss Caroline, had respect for Walter’s country manners?

What advice about human nature did Atticus give to Scout?

How do you think the gum and the pennies got into the knothole in the oak tree? Do you think they were meant for someone special or that the tree was someone’s hiding place? Explain.

How did the children amuse themselves during Dill’s second summer in Maycomb? If you were their parents, would you allow them to play this game? Explain.

How did Jem and Dill cause Scout to become closer to Miss Muadie? What message was she trying to convey to Scout about Boo Radley?

Why do you think the neighbors concluded it was a black person in Mr. Radley’s collard patch?

Why was Jem willing to risk danger and ignore Scout’s warning in order to retrieve his pants?

Boo Radley –

Initial Description:

· Ghost, malevolent phantom

· Never seen, always inside

· Scar/creepy

· Violent

· Insane

Inferred in Chapter 4+5:

· from Miss Maudie and Atticus, the kids learn –

· he was a nice boy

· if he wanted to come out, he would. He chooses to stay inside because there’s nothing worth going out for

· from events the kids do –

· he leaves them presents in the oak tree

· he stitches and folds Jem’s pants that get caught on the fence

· when Scout hits the house with the tire, she hears Boo laughing

Atticus introduction by Harper Lee:

· Well educated lawyer

· Will do what he wants, and not what others expect

· Moves forward, away from traditional thinking and old philosophies

· He’s a family man putting family first

Taught to the children by Miss Maudie:

· He’s the same person all the time (doesn’t wear masks)

· At his worst, he’s better than most

How do the children think of Atticus:

· They know Atticus is smart and is on to them

· They look up to him

· He’s old and strict…not too much fun

Discussion –

1) discuss a time when you did what you thought was a simple little prank that resulted in something dangerous?

2) Do you ever get the feeling that someone/something is looking out for you? How does this relate to the children?

Chapter 8

This is the climax of the Boo Radley storyline. The initial conflict was Dill arriving and him enticing Jem and Scout to see Boo/get him out of the house. The story up to Chapter 8 has been teaching the kids that Boo is not how he has been perceived in the public’s eye. This teaches the reader to look beyond social stereotypes…to judge a person by their actions and what you see.

What we learn about Boo in chapter 8:

That he is a guardian angel for the children. He has been looking out for them, and enjoyed the attention/productions on the front lawn. When Miss. Maudie’s house burns down, Boo leaves the house to put a blanket on Scout, showing that for the right reasons, he will leave the house if it means protecting the children.

The reader’s attention will now shift to the Tom Robinson trial. The reader is expected to take the lessons learned from the first 8 chapters through the actions of the children and adapt it to Tom’s trial. Harper Lee is attempting to show that through a child’s innocence, the world can become a better place; that the adults are the ones that need to see the world through a child’s eyes.