Match the title, genre, and author 1st Semester To Kill a Mockingbird Oedipus the King Novel Play Harper Lee Sophocles 2nd Semester Romeo and Juliet Play William Shakespeare Of Mice and Men Novel John Steinbeck 1
Lennie kills Curley's Wife Conflict with Curley Candy asks to join the dream ranch Candy's dog is shot by Carlson Lennie runs back to the brush George gets Carlson's Luger Salinas Valley, CA 1930's/ Great Depression Exposition George shoots Lennie in the back of the head 2
Dreams do not always come true, but striving for them is essential. Making difficult decisions takes a brave and responsible person. Friendship/Companionship is vital to human happiness. Additional Literary Elements/Techniques: Foreshadowing: Candy's dog's death Symbolism: Incident in Weed, killing of mice & puppy American Dream 3
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Novel Important Characters: Scout: Atticus: Jem: Calpurnia: Bob Ewell: Mayella Ewell: 4
Tom Robinson: Boo Radley: Setting and its importance to the story Additional Literary Elements/Techniques: Flashback: Foreshadowing: Symbolism: 5
Examples of theme: Prejudice can lead to misconceptions and unfair treatment of innocent people. Courage means standing one's ground and rising above other's ignorance Experience and age expand a person's perspective and influence the way he/she sees the world. 6
Critical Lens Essay Introduction: Show me a hero and I will write you a tragedy. F. Scott Fitzgerald R = Restate the quote/lens Body Paragraph 1: E = Explain what the quote means A = Agree with the quote C = Cite the 2 texts you will use Body Paragraph 2: T = Thesis Statement Conclusion: 7
Introduction Lincoln once said, Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man s character, give him power. In other words, a man s true self is revealed based on how he reacts when put in a position of leadership. This is proven true in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. Atticus emerges as a moral leader in Maycomb County when he uses his power to defend the accused, while Curley takes advantage of his position as the boss's son and is cruel to the ranch hands. 8
First Body Paragraph In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus is given the power to save a man s life and reveals himself to be a dedicated and moral person. Atticus is looked up to as a respectable person in his community and many people turn to him when they have a problem. This is evident when he agrees to defend Tom Robinson after being asked by Judge Taylor. In doing this, Atticus is characterized as fair minded because he doesn't share the racist beliefs of Maycomb County. By appointing Atticus, it is known that he will do everything he can to ensure Tom has a fair trial. Unfortunately, many people are against Atticus' decision to defend Tom. This is seen when the angry mob arrives at the jail in an attempt to intimidate Atticus. Despite this conflict with the town, Atticus is still motivated to defend Tom because he knows it is the moral thing to do. Furthermore, Atticus believes that nothing should deny a man from a fair trial; he understands that it is his moral obligation to defend his clients to the best of his ability. 9
This is clearly depicted as he raises countless points in Tom Robinson s trial, such as the fact he has a physical handicap, in an effort to win this case. As a result, Atticus serves as a symbol of justice, as well as a mockingbird; his main purpose in life is to help others. Finally, Atticus is constantly driven to set a good example for his children in order to prevent them from growing up with the same racist beliefs as the rest of Maycomb. This is shown when he allows his children to stay at the court house and watch the rest of the trial instead of sending them home. His motivation to be a good role model is what makes his children understand the importance of Tom having a fair trial. In doing this, Atticus is exposing his children to the reality of the world, in an attempt to make them realize how important it is to stand up against injustice. When given the opportunity, Atticus takes a stand against racism and acts as a leader for the community. Taking on this powerful position is what allows him to be determined a moral and kind individual. Similarly,... 10