Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
TKAM Questions 13-31
Questions for To Kill a Mockingbird
I did not give you very many questions for these chapters. Therefore, I expect you to be thorough with your answers. Show some effort. When a paragraph is not necessary, write in complete sentences.
Chapter 13
• Why does Aunt Alexandra come to stay with Atticus and his family? What is she like?
• Read the first two things Alexandra says when she comes to the Finch house. Are these typical of her or not?
• Alexandra thinks Scout is “dull” (not clever). Why does she think this, and is she right? Are all
adults good at knowing how clever young people are?
• How does Aunt Alexandra involve herself in Maycomb's social life?
• Comment on Aunt Alexandra's ideas about breeding and family. Why does Atticus tell them to
forget it? Who is right, do you think?
Chapter 14
• Comment on Atticus's explanation of rape. How suitable is this as an answer to Scout.
• Why does Alexandra think Atticus should dismiss Calpurnia? How does Atticus respond to the
suggestion?
• Why is Scout pleased when Jem fights her back? Why is she less pleased when he tells Atticus about Dill?
• What do we learn from Dill's account of his running away?
Chapter 15
• What is the “nightmare” that now descends upon the children?
• What was (and is) the Ku Klux Klan? What do you think of Atticus’s comment about it?
• How does Jem react when Atticus tells him to go home, and why?
• What persuades the lynching-party to give up their attempt on Tom's life?
• Comment on the way Scout affects events without realizing it at the time.
Chapter 16
• What “subtle change” does Scout notice in her father?
• What sort of person is Dolphus Raymond?
• How does Reverend Sykes help the children see and hear the trial? Is he right to do?
• Comment on Judge Taylor's attitude to his job. Does he take the trial seriously or not?
Chapter 17
• What are the main points in Heck Tate's evidence? What does Atticus show in his crossexamination
of Sheriff Tate?
• What do we learn indirectly of the home life of the Ewell family in this chapter?
• What do you learn from Bob Ewell's evidence?
• Why does Atticus ask Bob Ewell to write out his name? What does the jury see when he does
this?
Chapter 18
• Is Mayella like her father or different from him? In what ways?
• What might be the reason for Mayella's crying in the court?
• How does Mayella react to Atticus's politeness? Is she used to people being polite?
• How well does Mr. Gilmer prove Tom's guilt in the eyes of the reader (you) and in the eyes of the jury? Can you suggest why these might be different?
Chapter 19
• What made Tom visit the Ewell's house in the first place?
• Why does Scout think that Mayella Ewell was “the loneliest person in the world”?
• In your own words explain Mayella's relationship with her father.
• How does Dill react to this part of the trial? Why is this, in your opinion?
Chapter 20
• Scout says that “Mr. Dolphus Raymond was an evil man”. Is she right?
• In most states of the USA people who drink alcohol in public places are required to hide their
bottle in a paper bag. Why does Dolphus Raymond hide Coca-Cola in a bag?
• What, according to Atticus, is the thing that Mayella has done wrong?
• Explain, in your own words, Atticus's views on people's being equal.
Chapter 21
• What does Jem expect the verdict to be? Does Atticus think the same?
• What is unusual about how long it takes the jury to reach a verdict? Is the verdict predictable or
not?
• As Scout waits for the verdict, she thinks of earlier events. What are these and how do they
remind us of the novel's central themes?
Chapter 22
• Although Atticus did not want his children in court, he defends Jem's right to know what has
happened. Explain, in your own words, Atticus's reasons for this. (Look at the speech beginning,
“This is their home, sister”.
• Miss Maudie tells Jem that “things are never as bad as they seem”. What reasons does she give for this view?
• Why does Dill say that he will be a clown when he grows up? Do you think he would keep this
ambition for long?
• This story is set in the 1930s but was published in 1960. Have attitudes to racism remained the
same (in the USA) or have there been any changes (for the better or worse) since
then, in your view?
• Why does Bob Ewell feel so angry with Atticus? Do you think his threat is a real one, and how
might he try to “get” Atticus?
Chapter 23
• What do you think of Atticus's reaction to Bob Ewell's challenge? Should he have ignored Bob,
retaliated or done something else?
• What is “circumstantial evidence”? What has it got to do with Tom's conviction?
• What does Atticus tell Scout about why the jury took so long to convict Tom?
• Why does Aunt Alexandra accept that the Cunninghams may be good but are not “our kind of
folks”? Do you think that people should mix only with others of the same social class? Are class divisions good or bad for societies?
• At the end of this chapter, Jem forms a new theory about why Boo Radley has never left his
house in years. What is this? How likely is it to be true, in your opinion?
Chapter 24
• Do you think the missionary ladies are sincere in worrying about the “Mrunas” (a tribe in Africa)? Give reasons for your answer.
• Compare the reactions of Miss Maudie and the other ladies when Scout says she is wearing her “britches” under her dress.
• What is your opinion of the Maycomb ladies, as depicted in this chapter?
• Explain briefly how Tom was killed. What is Atticus's explanation for Tom's attempted escape. Do you think agree with Atticus?
• How, in this chapter, do we see Aunt Alexandra in a new light? How does Miss Maudie support
her?
Chapter 25
• How does Maycomb react to the news of Tom's death?
• Comment on the idea that Tom's death was “typical”?
• Explain the contrast Scout draws between the court where Tom was tried and “the secret courts of men's hearts”. In what way are hearts like courts?
• Why did Jem not want Scout to tell Atticus about Bob Ewell's comment? Was this a wise thing to ask her to do?
Chapter 26
• In her lesson on Hitler, Miss Gates says that “we (American people) don't believe in persecuting
anyone”. What seems odd to the reader about this claim?
• Why is Scout puzzled by Miss Gates' disapproval of Hitler?
• Why does Scout's question upset Jem? Is there a simple answer, or any answer, to the question (“How can you hate Hitler an’ then turn around an be ugly about folks right at home?”)
Chapter 27
• What three things does Bob Ewell do that alarm Aunt Alexandra?
• Why, according to Atticus, does Bob Ewell bear a grudge? Which people does Ewell see as his enemies, and why?
• What was the purpose of the Halloween pageant? What practical joke had persuaded the grown ups to have an organized event?
Chapter 28
• Comment on the way this chapter reminds the reader of earlier events in the novel.
• Why does Jem say that Boo Radley must not be at home? What is ironic about this? (Is it true?
Does he really mean it? Why might it be important for him and Scout that Boo should not be at
home?)
• Scout decides to keep her costume on while walking home. How does this affect her
understanding of what happens on the way?
• Why had Atticus not brought a chair for the man in the corner? Who might this stranger be?
Chapter 29
• What causes the “shiny clean line” on the otherwise “dull wire” of Scout's costume?
• What explanation does Atticus give for Bob Ewell's attack?
• What does Heck Tate give as the reason for the attack?
• Do you think the sheriff's explanation or Atticus's is the more likely to be true?
Chapter 30
• Who does Atticus think caused Bob Ewell's death?
• Why does Heck Tate insist that Bob Ewell's death was self-inflicted? In what way is this partly
true?
• Is Heck Tate right to spare Boo then publicity of an inquest? Give reasons for your answer.
• How does the writer handle the appearance, at the end of the story, of Boo Radley?
Chapter 31
• How do the events of the final chapters explain the first sentence in the whole novel?
• Comment on the way the writer summarizes earlier events to show their siginificance.
• How does Scout make sense of an earlier remark of Atticus's as she stands on the Radley
porch?
• How much of a surprise is it to find what Boo Radley is really like? Has the story before this point prepared the reader for this discovery?
• At the end of the novel, Atticus reads to Scout. Comment on his choice of story. Does it have any connection with themes earlier in the novel and in its ending?
I did not give you very many questions for these chapters. Therefore, I expect you to be thorough with your answers. Show some effort. When a paragraph is not necessary, write in complete sentences.
Chapter 13
• Why does Aunt Alexandra come to stay with Atticus and his family? What is she like?
• Read the first two things Alexandra says when she comes to the Finch house. Are these typical of her or not?
• Alexandra thinks Scout is “dull” (not clever). Why does she think this, and is she right? Are all
adults good at knowing how clever young people are?
• How does Aunt Alexandra involve herself in Maycomb's social life?
• Comment on Aunt Alexandra's ideas about breeding and family. Why does Atticus tell them to
forget it? Who is right, do you think?
Chapter 14
• Comment on Atticus's explanation of rape. How suitable is this as an answer to Scout.
• Why does Alexandra think Atticus should dismiss Calpurnia? How does Atticus respond to the
suggestion?
• Why is Scout pleased when Jem fights her back? Why is she less pleased when he tells Atticus about Dill?
• What do we learn from Dill's account of his running away?
Chapter 15
• What is the “nightmare” that now descends upon the children?
• What was (and is) the Ku Klux Klan? What do you think of Atticus’s comment about it?
• How does Jem react when Atticus tells him to go home, and why?
• What persuades the lynching-party to give up their attempt on Tom's life?
• Comment on the way Scout affects events without realizing it at the time.
Chapter 16
• What “subtle change” does Scout notice in her father?
• What sort of person is Dolphus Raymond?
• How does Reverend Sykes help the children see and hear the trial? Is he right to do?
• Comment on Judge Taylor's attitude to his job. Does he take the trial seriously or not?
Chapter 17
• What are the main points in Heck Tate's evidence? What does Atticus show in his crossexamination
of Sheriff Tate?
• What do we learn indirectly of the home life of the Ewell family in this chapter?
• What do you learn from Bob Ewell's evidence?
• Why does Atticus ask Bob Ewell to write out his name? What does the jury see when he does
this?
Chapter 18
• Is Mayella like her father or different from him? In what ways?
• What might be the reason for Mayella's crying in the court?
• How does Mayella react to Atticus's politeness? Is she used to people being polite?
• How well does Mr. Gilmer prove Tom's guilt in the eyes of the reader (you) and in the eyes of the jury? Can you suggest why these might be different?
Chapter 19
• What made Tom visit the Ewell's house in the first place?
• Why does Scout think that Mayella Ewell was “the loneliest person in the world”?
• In your own words explain Mayella's relationship with her father.
• How does Dill react to this part of the trial? Why is this, in your opinion?
Chapter 20
• Scout says that “Mr. Dolphus Raymond was an evil man”. Is she right?
• In most states of the USA people who drink alcohol in public places are required to hide their
bottle in a paper bag. Why does Dolphus Raymond hide Coca-Cola in a bag?
• What, according to Atticus, is the thing that Mayella has done wrong?
• Explain, in your own words, Atticus's views on people's being equal.
Chapter 21
• What does Jem expect the verdict to be? Does Atticus think the same?
• What is unusual about how long it takes the jury to reach a verdict? Is the verdict predictable or
not?
• As Scout waits for the verdict, she thinks of earlier events. What are these and how do they
remind us of the novel's central themes?
Chapter 22
• Although Atticus did not want his children in court, he defends Jem's right to know what has
happened. Explain, in your own words, Atticus's reasons for this. (Look at the speech beginning,
“This is their home, sister”.
• Miss Maudie tells Jem that “things are never as bad as they seem”. What reasons does she give for this view?
• Why does Dill say that he will be a clown when he grows up? Do you think he would keep this
ambition for long?
• This story is set in the 1930s but was published in 1960. Have attitudes to racism remained the
same (in the USA) or have there been any changes (for the better or worse) since
then, in your view?
• Why does Bob Ewell feel so angry with Atticus? Do you think his threat is a real one, and how
might he try to “get” Atticus?
Chapter 23
• What do you think of Atticus's reaction to Bob Ewell's challenge? Should he have ignored Bob,
retaliated or done something else?
• What is “circumstantial evidence”? What has it got to do with Tom's conviction?
• What does Atticus tell Scout about why the jury took so long to convict Tom?
• Why does Aunt Alexandra accept that the Cunninghams may be good but are not “our kind of
folks”? Do you think that people should mix only with others of the same social class? Are class divisions good or bad for societies?
• At the end of this chapter, Jem forms a new theory about why Boo Radley has never left his
house in years. What is this? How likely is it to be true, in your opinion?
Chapter 24
• Do you think the missionary ladies are sincere in worrying about the “Mrunas” (a tribe in Africa)? Give reasons for your answer.
• Compare the reactions of Miss Maudie and the other ladies when Scout says she is wearing her “britches” under her dress.
• What is your opinion of the Maycomb ladies, as depicted in this chapter?
• Explain briefly how Tom was killed. What is Atticus's explanation for Tom's attempted escape. Do you think agree with Atticus?
• How, in this chapter, do we see Aunt Alexandra in a new light? How does Miss Maudie support
her?
Chapter 25
• How does Maycomb react to the news of Tom's death?
• Comment on the idea that Tom's death was “typical”?
• Explain the contrast Scout draws between the court where Tom was tried and “the secret courts of men's hearts”. In what way are hearts like courts?
• Why did Jem not want Scout to tell Atticus about Bob Ewell's comment? Was this a wise thing to ask her to do?
Chapter 26
• In her lesson on Hitler, Miss Gates says that “we (American people) don't believe in persecuting
anyone”. What seems odd to the reader about this claim?
• Why is Scout puzzled by Miss Gates' disapproval of Hitler?
• Why does Scout's question upset Jem? Is there a simple answer, or any answer, to the question (“How can you hate Hitler an’ then turn around an be ugly about folks right at home?”)
Chapter 27
• What three things does Bob Ewell do that alarm Aunt Alexandra?
• Why, according to Atticus, does Bob Ewell bear a grudge? Which people does Ewell see as his enemies, and why?
• What was the purpose of the Halloween pageant? What practical joke had persuaded the grown ups to have an organized event?
Chapter 28
• Comment on the way this chapter reminds the reader of earlier events in the novel.
• Why does Jem say that Boo Radley must not be at home? What is ironic about this? (Is it true?
Does he really mean it? Why might it be important for him and Scout that Boo should not be at
home?)
• Scout decides to keep her costume on while walking home. How does this affect her
understanding of what happens on the way?
• Why had Atticus not brought a chair for the man in the corner? Who might this stranger be?
Chapter 29
• What causes the “shiny clean line” on the otherwise “dull wire” of Scout's costume?
• What explanation does Atticus give for Bob Ewell's attack?
• What does Heck Tate give as the reason for the attack?
• Do you think the sheriff's explanation or Atticus's is the more likely to be true?
Chapter 30
• Who does Atticus think caused Bob Ewell's death?
• Why does Heck Tate insist that Bob Ewell's death was self-inflicted? In what way is this partly
true?
• Is Heck Tate right to spare Boo then publicity of an inquest? Give reasons for your answer.
• How does the writer handle the appearance, at the end of the story, of Boo Radley?
Chapter 31
• How do the events of the final chapters explain the first sentence in the whole novel?
• Comment on the way the writer summarizes earlier events to show their siginificance.
• How does Scout make sense of an earlier remark of Atticus's as she stands on the Radley
porch?
• How much of a surprise is it to find what Boo Radley is really like? Has the story before this point prepared the reader for this discovery?
• At the end of the novel, Atticus reads to Scout. Comment on his choice of story. Does it have any connection with themes earlier in the novel and in its ending?
Monday, November 22, 2010
Types of Bravery & Social Codes
DUE my Monday 11/29
Also, read up through chapter 15 by the time you come to class.
Also, read up through chapter 15 by the time you come to class.
Part A:
Looking back over the novel thus far, consider types of bravery you have seen in the novel.
1. List different types and define them.
2. Give at least one example of each type WITH page #s.
Part B:
1. List the various social codes in Maycomb.
2. Describe those who benefit and those who are hindered by them.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Intro and conclusions
Intro
Work from a general statement to your thesis...
Authors can use symbols to reflect characters’ behavior or emotional response. Often readers will find a broken-down house that portrays a character’s emotional state. Harsh weather is also frequently used to allude to a character’s sorrow. In The Lord of the Flies...
Conclusion
Write about how civilized behavior is lost as the novel progresses. The symbol’s change is used to intensify our understanding of the boys’ changes.
As The Lord of the Flies progresses, the behavior of the boys changes greatly. The symbols in the story show this change by showing the evolution of the characters’ respect for the object....The symbol’s change is used to intensify our understanding of the boys’ changes.
Work from a general statement to your thesis...
Authors can use symbols to reflect characters’ behavior or emotional response. Often readers will find a broken-down house that portrays a character’s emotional state. Harsh weather is also frequently used to allude to a character’s sorrow. In The Lord of the Flies...
Conclusion
Write about how civilized behavior is lost as the novel progresses. The symbol’s change is used to intensify our understanding of the boys’ changes.
As The Lord of the Flies progresses, the behavior of the boys changes greatly. The symbols in the story show this change by showing the evolution of the characters’ respect for the object....The symbol’s change is used to intensify our understanding of the boys’ changes.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
LOTF Paper Assignment
Pick a symbol below and follow its development throughout the novel:
1. Cohesiveness and flow of ideas
The objective for this paper is not to come up with some amazing new perspective. You are to simply follow the symbol throughout the novel without summarizing.
2. Thoughtful Concrete Details
You need to select relevant and thought-provoking concrete details.
3. Commentary
This needs to be informative and cohesive. In other words, it needs to connect the CD to your topic sentence and thesis.
STEPS: Post all of these steps on your blog AND bring a hard copy to class.
1. Outline with concrete details (Due Friday Nov 5th)
2. Draft your body paragraphs (Due Wednesday Nov 10th)
3. Add Intro and Conclusion (Due Friday Nov 12)
4. Final draft (Due Monday Nov 15)
- Clothing
- Hair
- Face paint
- Fire
- The beast
- The conch
- Spear
- Piggy's Glasses
1. Cohesiveness and flow of ideas
The objective for this paper is not to come up with some amazing new perspective. You are to simply follow the symbol throughout the novel without summarizing.
2. Thoughtful Concrete Details
You need to select relevant and thought-provoking concrete details.
3. Commentary
This needs to be informative and cohesive. In other words, it needs to connect the CD to your topic sentence and thesis.
STEPS: Post all of these steps on your blog AND bring a hard copy to class.
1. Outline with concrete details (Due Friday Nov 5th)
2. Draft your body paragraphs (Due Wednesday Nov 10th)
3. Add Intro and Conclusion (Due Friday Nov 12)
4. Final draft (Due Monday Nov 15)
Monday, October 25, 2010
Bonus Blog
Worth 10 Points Due 10/27
1. Go to http://docs.google.com and create a presentation for the rules for one of the following:
a. Comma usage (include at least 5 rules and YOUR OWN examples)
b. Semicolon usage (include all uses and YOUR OWN examples)
Rules:
You must embed it into your blog (I will show you how to do it in class if you ask).
It must be embedded by your class on the 28th.
Rock on!
1. Go to http://docs.google.com and create a presentation for the rules for one of the following:
a. Comma usage (include at least 5 rules and YOUR OWN examples)
b. Semicolon usage (include all uses and YOUR OWN examples)
Rules:
You must embed it into your blog (I will show you how to do it in class if you ask).
It must be embedded by your class on the 28th.
Rock on!
#2 Comma Usage Examples
Go on a professional writing site (nytimes.com, for example) and collect 4 DIFFERENT examples of comma usage.
DUE 10/26
The click here to read about the origin of punctuation.
Friday, October 22, 2010
#1A Second draft
Take your completed paragraph (completed for assignment #1) and redraft it. Try a completely different angle (like I did with my two example drafts).
Due 10/23
Due 10/23
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
#1 Select Passages
Whenever you complete an assignment for me, us the same number in my title in your title. That way I am certain as to which assignment you completed. Not doing so will result in a 20% loss of points for that assignment.
Section 1
Below I have modeled a response to a quote. There are two drafts of the same response below. Notice how I organize them. Try to recognize how I changed them. They are not in the S.E.L.E.C.T. order, but all of the elements are present.
Your assignment (to be completed in the comment box on MY post):
- Write a paragraph about the changes I made between the two drafts.
- What did you like?
- What got better?
- What didn't?
- How would you have changed it?
- What elements were/were not strong?
"'I cut the pig's throat," said Jack, proudly, and yet twitched as he said it. 'Can I borrow yours, Ralph, to make a nick at the hilt?" (69).
Draft 1
This is an important quote in the novel because it shows how Jack struggles to adapt to this wild environment. Though Jack is explaining that he cut the pig's throat, the narrator discloses that the boy boasts of this "proudly, and yet twitched as he said it." This shows that Jack is proud that he is able to perform this violent act, but he still had an emotional response against it. With an insistent tone, Golding is trying to emphasize the battle between instinctual and civilized behavior. All in all, however, this quote is beginning to unravel the tapestry of civilization to show that at heart, humanity is violent. This is further emphasized as Jack asks to borrow Ralph's weapon so he can make a tally mark on his, an action that records his number of kills and the change he has made.
Draft 2
Just before this quote occurs, Jack has killed a pig; just after it, he records his kill on the hilt of his weapon. These are actions that compliment each other; they show how violent he is becoming and how much he has changed. Though Jack "proudly" boasts of his kill, he still "twitched". Even though he wants to show he is able to shed blood, he is still affected by the idea, just as he was he let the pig get away on his first expedition up the mountain. By juxtaposing his pride with his reaction, Golding emphasizes the fact that humanity is always struggling on the edge of remaining civilized.
I will have more drafts later.
Section 2
THE REST OF THE ASSIGNMENT (to be done on your own blog)
Pick ONE quote below. Mimic my paragraph above by playing around with the order of S.E.L.E.C.T. to make it flow in a cohesive paragraph. Be sure to look for literary devices AND/OR important language. Also, be sure to include all other elements of S.E.L.E.C.T.
Ralph was annoyed and, for the moment, defeated. He felt himself facing something ungraspable. The eyes that looked so intently at him were without humor (37).
When roger opened his eyes and saw him, a darker shadow crept beneath the swarthiness of his skin; but Jack noticed nothing. He was eager, impatient, beckoning, so that Roger went to him (62).
He was the only boy on the island whose hair never seemed to grow (64).
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