Ms. Miller's English Class - Ms. Miller ~ English



Ms. Miller/English 9RName_______________________________ Per._____To Kill A Mockingbird Study Guide, Chapters 1-15 Preliminary Discussion Questions – Anticipating Theme:Respond to each of the following statements with Agree or Disagree:________________ 1. In America, everyone has the same chance to succeed as everyone else.________________ 2. A hero is someone who succeeds at whatever he or she sets out to do.________________ 3. Majority rule is the best way because most people do what is right.________________ 4. A model family consists of a father, a mother, and children.________________ 5. Girls should act like girls, and boys should act like boys.________________ 6. In America, we all know that a person is innocent of a crime until proven guilty in a court of law. If he or she is judged guilty, we know it is true.________________ 7. You can usually tell what kind of person is by how he or she looks.________________ 8. If someone stays away from people, he or she probably has something to hide. ________________ 9. Some words are so offensive they should never be said or written.________________ 10. Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words will never hurt you.Chapter One:The Facts - Comprehension:Describe Maycomb County, the setting for this novel. What do you think it looks like? What kinds of people live there? How do they make a living? What year does the story take place?Read carefully about the Radleys.a.)What does Mr. Radley do for a living?b)What is meant when it is said that Arthur Radley got in with the “wrong crowd”?c)Why would Mr. Radley think that it was a disgrace for his son to be sent to the industrial school?Work on the following characters on your character chart. Don’t worry if you can’t fill out everything now; you can add more information as the story progresses.a)Jem Finchb)The narrator (Jean Louise (Scout) Finchc)Atticus Finchd)Calpurniae)Dill (Charles Baker Harris)f)Mr. Radleyg)Boo RadleyWhat did Dill dare Jem to do?What does the children’s father, Atticus Finch, do for a living?From whose point of view will the story be told?Who is Calpurnia and what is she like?What ‘boundaries’ are set for Scout and Jem?What game does Dill invent?What did Arthur (Boo) Radley do (at age 33) that landed him temporarily in the county jail?According to Jem’s description, what does Boo look like?What act of ‘courage’ on Jem’s part ends the chapter?Thinking Questions:Answer two of the following questionsHow old do you think the narrator is when she tells us the story? List phrases from the chapter that helped you arrive at this conclusion.Atticus tells Scout that there are “other ways [besides chaining them to beds] of making people into ghosts.” What does he mean by ghosts? What “ways” might he have in mind? List several.Given what you know of Maycomb and of the Radley family, why don’t the Radley’s seem to fit in? How might Maycomb itself be responsible for the Radley’s strangeness?Review the information about Dill. What kind of person is he? List several of your conclusions. What do you know about his background that might account for these aspects of his character?RESPONSE SPACE:Chapter Two:The Facts: Comprehension:Name the things that Scout does that “annoy” Miss Caroline. Why do you think the teacher might feel that way? Have you ever had a teacher get annoyed at you for a reason you didn’t understand? Explain.Scout seems to be ahead of where Miss Caroline expects here to be in her academic skills. Scout knows how to read and write, and can even write in script, which is not supposed to be “learned” until the 3rd grade. Scout also is very outspoken and assertive. She does not understand conversational boundaries yet. In blurting out everything that comes to her mind, literally, she baffled Miss Caroline, who is having trouble relating to children of southern rural Maycomb County. What was Calpurnia’s fault?Scout needs someone to blame for her unsuccessful first day of school, so she blames Calpurnia for the fact that she got in trouble for knowing how to write. Calpurnia has taught Scout to write by having her copy the alphabet and copy verses from the Bible, to keep busy.“Until I feared I would lose, I did not love to read. One does not love breathing.” What is the significance of this statement from Scout? How could she “lose” her ability to read? Why does Miss Caroline make her afraid?What kinds of assumptions does Miss Caroline make about Walter Cunningham?On your character chart, write down what you know about:Miss Caroline FisherWalter CunninghamThe Cunningham Family (in general)Focus on Thinking:Choose one of the following:Given Miss Fisher’s first activity with the first-graders (reading about the cat family), what is ironic about her reprimand to Scout: “Let’s not let our imaginations run away with us, dear”?What do the “errors” Scout commits the first day have in common with one another? What does this tell you about Scout’s first six years of life?RESPONSE SPACE:Chapter Three “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view”The Facts: Comprehension:How does Scout solve her problem with Walter Cunningham?Scout thinks that “rubbing Walter’s nose in the dirt,” in other words, physical battle is the answer to the problem. She needs someone to blame and channels her energy into physically taking it out on Walter. Again, Scout, at her age, takes things very literally. Life is in black and white. How does Jem solve Scout’s problem with Walter Cunningham?Jem is more mature and more rational with Walter. He tries to find out what happened, apologizes for Scout’s behavior, knowing that she acted irrationally, and that, of course, Walter is an innocent victim. Jem cordially befriends Walter and invites him to dinner (lunch) with the Finches. He tries to find a common bond with Walter (“my daddy know your daddy”), just as Atticus tries to make Walter feel comfortable by talking to him about something he knows about, farming. This is the adult thing to do. Why can’t Walter Cunningham pass the first grade?Walter cannot attend school long enough during the year to make any academic progress because he had to stay home and help his father with the farm. This is their livelihood and is the priority. He is forced into adult responsibilities at a young age and must sacrifice his formal public education. Realize, though, that he is being educated in other ways. What scared and shocked Miss Caroline? (Do you know another name for this creature?)Burris Ewell has bugs (possibly lice) because his hair and body are so dirty. Miss Caroline is not used to this, and doesn’t quite know how to handle it. What two mistakes did Miss Caroline make on the first day of school?Miss CarolineWhy didn’t the Ewell’s go to school?Burris Ewell get special exemptions from the town because his father is an irresponsible drunk and cannot take care of his children. The Ewell kids refuse to go to school because they do not see the value in education. As it is the law, they are forced to go the first day, but the state cannot force them the rest of the year. The rules are bent for the Ewell kids because their basic needs are put first. Ex.) Their father gets relief checks from the state to pay for the care and food for his children, and he spends them on whiskey instead of taking care of his family. The children’s mother is deceased, and they are too young to take care of themselves, so the state makes exceptions for them.No one had taught the children manners or educated them, hence Burris’ rude outbursts and lack of respect for his teacher. It is actually very sad. Describe Burris Ewell. How do Miss Caroline and his classmates treat him? How does he behave in return?“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his or her point of view- until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” What do you think Atticus means by this? Do you think he is right? What sorts of misunderstandings might have been avoided in chapter two if the characters had been able to do this?Scout and Miss Caroline would not have had conflict. Scout would not have been disciplined and embarrassed in front of the class. (ex. Reading, writing, Walter)Scout and young Walter would not have had conflict.Scout would not have embarrassed Walter at the table.Miss Caroline might have handled the Burris Ewell situation differently.Why doesn’t Atticus want Scout telling her teacher about their agreement to read together each night?Atticus knows “when to leave well enough alone.” He knows that knowing that Scout is going home at night learning from someone else might stress Miss Caroline or make her question or confuse Scout’s progress, he teaches Scout that everyone will be happier in this scenario if she doesn’t mention that she is reading at home. It cannot do harm, but only help Scout, and Atticus knows this. Atticus is empathizing with Miss Caroline, who is a young, new teacher who is very qualified, but has not yet learned the nature of Maycomb County children and their educational needs. At the same time, he is trying to make Scout happy and is empathizing with her. Scout seems devastated that Miss Caroline does not want her to read at home. This might also interfere with the comfort reading with Atticus gives to her. Thinking Questions:Select one of the following to respond to:1.When Scout questions Walter’s table manners, you learn something about Calpurnia and about her place in the family. What do you learn? Why might this surprise some citizens of Maycomb?2.What character traits have you noticed that are likely to make Scout’s life hard? Consider what you have learned from Scout’s interactions with Atticus, Walter, Calpurnia, and Miss Caroline.RESPONSE SPACE:Chapter Four “Grown folks don’t have hidin’ places”The Facts: Comprehension:What is the first gift that appears in the hollow tree? What other gifts do the children find?What new facts does Dill offer about his father?How has the Boo Radley game changed?When Scout rolls into the Radley front yard in the tire, what does she hear?Thinking Questions:Pick TWO of the following to answer:How is Jem changing? Give several specific ways.When Atticus reacts to Jem’s Boo Radley game, what do you notice about the way he disciplines his children? Again, list several principles in which you think he believes.In speaking of the Boo Radley game, Part II, the narrator tells us, “Jem was a born hero.” What traits does Scout have in mind? Dill’s and Scout’s roles change, too, in the Boo Radley game, Part II. How have they changed and what does this tell you about the children?RESPONSE SPACE:Chapter Five “His name’s Arthur and he’s alive.”The Facts: Comprehension:1.What does Scout admire about Miss Maudie?2.What do you learn about Uncle Jack?3.What new plan do the boys devise to get Boo to come out? Why doesn’t it work?4.What does Dill say that causes Scout to accuse him of lying?5.What direct order does Atticus give the children?Thinking Questions:Answer two of the following questions:Explain Miss Maudie’s statement: “…sometimes the Bible in the hand of one man is worse than a whiskey bottle in the hand of – oh, of your father.” Can you imagine an instance (or think of an instance in your experience) when this might be true? Describe it.In response to Scout’s question about whether Boo is crazy, Maudie says: “If he’s not he should be by now. The things that happen to people we never really know. What happens in houses behind closed doors, what secrets – “ What is she suggesting has happened to Boo? What kinds of secrets in general might she be referring to?What do you know about Dill that might explain why he wants Boo to come out and “sit a spell with us” in order to “feel better”? Why, too, is it understandable that Dill lies so often and so well?RESPONSE SPACE:#1:#2:Chapter Six “It was then, I supposes, that Jem and I first began to part company.”The Facts: Comprehension:How do the children plan to spend Dill’s last night in Maycomb?What goes wrong with the children’s escape plan?At whom does Mr. Nathan think he has fired his gun?How do the children claim to have spent the evening?What makes Jem decide to return to the Radley yard that night?After the incident, Jem’s real desire is not just to recover his pants but to keep on good terms with Atticus. What does this tell you about Jem’s relationship with his father?Thinking Questions:Choose ONE of the following to respond to:During the scene in which the neighbors gather to discuss the gunshot and in which Jem and Dill tell their cover-story, many of the assumptions of the adult community are revealed. Reread the scene and list several assumptions that you notice.What makes Jem and Scout begin to “part company”? Define their two separate ways of looking at the situation. What has Jem learned that Scout is still too young to see?RESPONSE SPACE:Chapter Seven “As Atticus had once advised me to do, I tried to climb into Jem’s skin and walk around in it.”The Facts: Comprehension:1.What does Jem tell Scout about “that night” at Boo Radley’s?2.What new gifts do they find in the knothole? (There are five.)3.What ends the knothole gifts? Why?Thinking Questions:Choose one of the following to respond to:Why do you think Mr. Nathan Radley filled in a knothole in a healthy tree?2.Why do you think Jem cries at the end of this chapter?RESPONSE SPACE:Chapter Eight “…the coldest weather since 1885.”The Facts: Comprehension1.Who dies this winter?2.What “aberration of nature” frightens Scout?3.What method does Jem devise to make a snowman?4.When Maudie’s house begins to burn, what other possibility is the Finch family worried about?5.Why doesn’t Atticus help carry out Maudie’s furniture? 6.Whom will Scout someday want to thank for keeping her warm on the night of the fire?Thinking Questions:Answer one of the following to respond to:When Scout comes home with the mysterious blanket wrapped over her shoulders, “Jem seemed to have lost his mind. He began pouring out our secrets right and left…” What is it that Jem is trying to get Atticus to understand?2.Given what you know of Miss Maudie, explain her reaction to the loss of her house.RESPONSE SPACE:Chapter Nine “…the beginning of a rather thin time for Jem and me.”The Facts: Comprehension:1.Who is Tom Robinson?2.What gift does Uncle Jack give the children?3.What new habit has Scout picked up that bothers Uncle Jack?4.What does cousin Francis tell Scout about Dill’s homelife?5.Why does Scout fight her cousin after the Christmas dinner?6.What is “Maycomb’s usual disease”?Thinking Question:1.Look closely at the reasons Atticus gives Scout for defending Tom Robinson. Also look at his statement, “every lawyer gets at least one case in his lifetime that affects him personally. This one’s mine, I guess.” What is it about this case that strikes so deeply at what Atticus believes?Response Space:Chapter Ten “Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.”The Facts: Comprehension: In Scout’s eyes, what is Atticus’s chief fault?What reasons does Uncle Jack give for Atticus’s unwillingness to let the kids shoot?What crisis shows the children a surprising skill their father possesses? What is Atticus’s old nickname?Who is Heck Tate?Miss Maudie says, “I think maybe he put his gun down when he realized that God had given him an unfair advantage over most living things. I guess he decided he wouldn’t shoot till he had to, and he had to today.” What other advantages does Atticus have? Does he use them when he doesn’t “have to”? Miss Maudie also says, “People in their right minds never take pride in their talents.” Is this true?Why is it a sin to kill a mockingbird? What is the larger principle involved here? By the way, what’s a sin?How is the mockingbird a symbol?Thinking Questions:Pick two of the following questions to respond to:1.Why is it a sin to kill a mockingbird? What is the larger principle involved here? 2.Consider vision symbols in the opening scene of this chapter and the shooting scene. When does Atticus see well? What reason(s) can you think of that Harper Lee might have had for having him break his glasses in the mad-dog scene?3.What do the children learn in this chapter? List several things.RESPONSE SPACE: (more on next page)Chapter Eleven “I wanted you to see what courage is…It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what.”The Facts: ComprehensionWhat makes the children hate and fear Mrs. Dubose?What two comments specifically infuriate Jem to the point that he can’t control his temper?What does Jem do to get revenge? What is his punishment?What did Mrs. Dubose vow to do before she died?Why does Atticus say he has to defend Tom Robinson?Why does Atticus say that Mrs. Dubose was “the bravest person I ever knew”? Explain. (112)Thinking QuestionsChoose two of the following to respond to:1.Explain Mrs. Dubose’s use of the alarm clock.2.What type of courage does Mrs. Dubose teach the children? What other events in the novel can you compare and/or contrast to this act of courage?3.What doesn’t Atticus tell the children about Mrs. Dubose’s motives before her death? How might Jem have behaved had he known – and what would he have failed to learn as a result?Response space is on next page…RESPONSE SPACE:Chapter Twelve “It’s not necessary to tell all you know. It’s not ladylike – in the second place, folks don’t like to have somebody around knowin’ more than they do.”The Facts: Comprehension:Why doesn’t Dill plan to come to Maycomb this summer?What the purpose of this Sunday’s collection at First Purchase African Methodist Episcopal Church?Why are Jem and Scout so welcome in this church?Why can’t Helen Robinson get work?What do the children notice about Calpurnia’s behavior in her church community? Why does she do this?What is ‘linin?’Thinking Questions:Choose one of the following to answer:1.What meaning of the cartoon in the Montgomery Advertiser doesn’t Scout understand? Why does Harper Lee keep inserting these incidents where Scout misses the full meaning of an event she witnesses or a remark she hears?2.Why does Cal speak differently at First Purchase? The narrator concludes that Cal “lives a doulbe life”; is such a life justified? Defend your answer.RESPONSE SPACE:Chapter Thirteen “For no reason I felt myself beginning to cry, but I could not stop. This was not my father.”The Facts: Comprehension:Why has Aunt Alexandra come to stay at the Finch house?What do we learn about the origins and nature of Maycomb County? (131)Describe the “caste system” in Maycomb County. (131)“Aunt Alexandra fitted into the world of Maycomb like a hand in a glove, but never into the world of Jem and me.” Explain.Why is Aunt Alexandra obsessed with heredity (genetics)? How does she tend to think about people?Atticus and Alexandra disagree about how to deal with the children. How does Atticus handle the situation? (Include the importance of what Atticus’ conversation with Jem and Scout on p.133-134)Thinking Questions:Choose one of the following to respond to:1.As in the incident with Uncle Jack, Scout teaches an adult something in this chapter. What do you think Atticus learns?2.The last line in Chapter 13 is: “I know now what he was trying to do, but Atticus was only a man. It takes a woman to do that kind of work.” Explain the quotation, then argue its truth or falsity. RESPONSE SPACE:Chapter Fourteen “From rape to riot to runaways.”The Facts: Comprehension:When Aunt Alexandra finds out that Jem and Scout have attended Cal’s church, what does she want Atticus to do about it?Find an example of Jem “walking in someone else’s shoes.” (183)“Then [Jem] rose and broke the remaining code of our childhood.” What new violation causes Scout to make this comment? What earlier breach of the childhood can you remember?What solution does Atticus offer to the problem of Dill’s presence?Thinking Question:1.What do you think of Atticus’s rule: “You mind Jem whenever he can make you”? What problems might it cause? What advantages does such a rule have?RESPONSE SPACE:Chapter Fifteen “A nightmare was upon us.”The Facts: Comprehension:Why have the neighbors gathered in the Finches’ front yard?Who is Mr. Underwood?Where do the children find Atticus at ten o’clock on Sunday?What is the mob’s intention?How does Scout manage to end the danger?At the end of the chapter, who do we hear from for the first time in the novel?What has Mr. Underwood been doing during the mob scene?Thinking Questions:Choose TWO of the following to respond to:1.Analyze Atticus’s conversation with his neighbors. What verbal ‘weapons’ does he try to use?2.What’s really happening when Atticus moves back toward the porch and the crowd draws in? What is Jem thinking at this point? What is Atticus thinking? What is the crowd thinking?3.Atticus gently reminds Jem, “No son, those were our friends.” What error is Jem in danger of committing that Atticus refuses to commit? What does the whole episode foreshadow about the “nightmare” ahead?Response Space on next page…RESPONSE SPACE: ................
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