To Kill a Mockingbird
1. Chapter one introduces readers to the town of Maycomb, its inhabitants, and the particular attitudes of many of its people. Reread chapter one and find a sentence or a paragraph which illustrates each of the following attitudes/ideas. Then discuss how the passage fits into the attitudes/ideas of the town.
a. pride in ancestry and “tradition”
b. pride in conformity and distrust of those who are different
c. awareness of difference in social class
2. Calpurnia lectures Scout on manners when Scout criticizes Walter’s manners and Atticus supports Calpurnia’s views. What does this tell you about Calpurnia and Atticus’s attitude (mind-set) toward other people? (Give background context of the situation, and discuss the following: equality, hospitality, and manners!)
3. Burris Ewell, Walter Cunningham, and Chuck Little are all from extremely poor families. However, there are great differences between them in appearance and in attitudes, particularly between the Cunninghams and the Ewells. What are those differences, and why do you suppose they exist?
4. Why does Atticus say that the law is rigid for “common folk,” but it is bent in certain ways for the Ewells? (In your discussion, also explain why the town “turns a blind eye” to Burris Ewell’s hunting and trapping out of season.)
5. In chapters three and four, the narrator criticizes public education. What are some of the criticisms made, and do you think those criticisms are still valid today? This is a question that most students do not spend enough time thinking about. You must go back through the chapters and look at ALL of the criticisms the narrator makes.
6. In chapter five, we meet Miss Maudie. Based on the description of Miss Maudie and her conversation with Scout, write a brief character analysis of Miss Maudie. Provide evidence from the text to support your
a. pride in ancestry and “tradition”
b. pride in conformity and distrust of those who are different
c. awareness of difference in social class
2. Calpurnia lectures Scout on manners when Scout criticizes Walter’s manners and Atticus supports Calpurnia’s views. What does this tell you about Calpurnia and Atticus’s attitude (mind-set) toward other people? (Give background context of the situation, and discuss the following: equality, hospitality, and manners!)
3. Burris Ewell, Walter Cunningham, and Chuck Little are all from extremely poor families. However, there are great differences between them in appearance and in attitudes, particularly between the Cunninghams and the Ewells. What are those differences, and why do you suppose they exist?
4. Why does Atticus say that the law is rigid for “common folk,” but it is bent in certain ways for the Ewells? (In your discussion, also explain why the town “turns a blind eye” to Burris Ewell’s hunting and trapping out of season.)
5. In chapters three and four, the narrator criticizes public education. What are some of the criticisms made, and do you think those criticisms are still valid today? This is a question that most students do not spend enough time thinking about. You must go back through the chapters and look at ALL of the criticisms the narrator makes.
6. In chapter five, we meet Miss Maudie. Based on the description of Miss Maudie and her conversation with Scout, write a brief character analysis of Miss Maudie. Provide evidence from the text to support your