Vocabulary
Textbook Stories
TKAM
Discussion Questions
Say What?/Grab Bag
100
"Stupid is as stupid does" is an example of...
Simile.
100
Name the character who wins in "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson.
Tessie Hutchinson
100
What significant event happens during Miss. Maudie's house fire?
Boo places a blanket on Scout's shoulders without her realizing it.
100
What is "colorism?" How does it relate to our story?
Colorism is a practice of discrimination by which those with lighter skin are treated more favorably than those with darker skin. This relates to our discussion of mixed race children within the text.
100
" 'I've been chewin' on it all afternoon and I ain't dead yet, not even sick.' " Speaker, Spoken to, Context?
Speaker: Scout Spoken to: Jem Context: Jem yells at Scout for chewing on some gum that she found in the knothole in a nearby tree. The gum is one of many gifts that Boo Radley leaves for the children, including a watch, a ball of yarn, and figurines of Scout and Jem carved out of soap.
200
Give an example of a metaphor
...
200
How is the lottery chosen in "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson? (I'm asking about the process here.)
Heads of households (the men) choose slips, and whoever receives the slip with the black dot on it then has to pull slips again amongst his family unit, until the individual family member is chosen.
200
When does TKAM take place and what was happening historically at that time?
1932-1935; this was during the Great Depression, therefore all of Maycomb is suffering from an economic downturn.
200
What does Jem say about "mixed children?" How does Scout say Mayella is like a mixed child?
Jem says mixed children are the saddest in the world because they don't belong in either the white or the black community. They are a the product of something very taboo in society, and are therefore shunned in a sense. Scout says Mayella is like a mixed child because she is also lonely and doesn't fit in anywhere. White folks won't accept her because her family is so low-class, and black folks won't accept her because it is considered taboo to befriend a white woman.
200
"Your father's no better than the n****** and trash he works for!" Speaker, Spoken to, Context? What event does this precede?
Speaker: Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose Spoken to: Jem & Scout Context: Mrs. Dubose is again yelling at Scout and Jem from her porch. This comment prompts Jem to ruin her garden and therefore he is punished to read to her every day.
300
What is personification? Give an example.
A literary device in which a non-human or non-alive object is given human characteristics. Example: "The wind howled."
300
Who kills the husband in "The Wife's Story?"
The pack descends upon him, but it is the narrator's sister who actually kills him by ripping his throat out.
300
What does A.C.E. stand for? Explain each step.
Answer, Cite, Explain. You answer the question, cite a quote to support your point, then explain the connection between your answer and your quote.
300
How do the Maycomb officials bend the rules for the Ewells?
They don't pursue legal action when the Ewells only show up for the first day of school. Also, they allow Bob Ewell to hunt out of season because they know that he spends all his money on alcohol and the game he hunts may be the only food his children receive.
300
What is the narrator's friend's name (the one who dies) in "The Seventh Man?"
His name is K.
400
What is situational irony? Give an example.
When the exact opposite of what someone would generally expect to happen happens.
400
What is the situational irony in Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery?"
The whole story centers around someone in town winning "the lottery." When a reader hears this, they automatically think the person will win something grand, like money. The opposite happens: the winner is murdered.
400
When was TKAM published and what was happening historically at this time? What did TKAM contribute?
The novel was published in 1960, during the Civil Rights Movement. TKAM helped to change public opinion about the racial divide, particularly amongst the white community.
400
Why does Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose keep the children in her home a few minutes longer each day?
She is trying to wean herself off of her addiction to morphine before she dies. Jem's reading to her is simply a distraction for her while she suffers from withdrawal symptoms. She keeps them a little longer each day so that she can be distracted and go that much longer without morphine.
400
"I reluctantly played assorted ladies who entered the script." Who is the speaker, who were they speaking to, and what is the context of this quote?
Speaker: Scout Spoken to: the reader Context: Scout, Jem, and Dill play make-believe games and Jem and Dill get to play the exciting, action-packed male roles and insist that Scout play the boring, domestic female roles. This is an example of sexism and gender roles in the novel.
500
Define "Idiom," give an example, and give a non-example.
Idiom: a combination of words in common use that have a figurative meaning.
500
What is the situational irony in "The Wife's Story?
The narrator of the story describes how her husband has been acting strange, going out at night during the full moon and coming home exhausted/smelling strange. From the details she gives, one would expect her husband to be turning into a wolf by the light of the full moon. In fact, the opposite is true: the wife is a wolf and her husband has been turning into his human form.
500
What is the social hierarchy of Maycomb, Alabama? Name a character from each level.
1. Whites (the Finches) 2.) Poor Whites (the Cunninghams) 3.) White Trash (the Ewells) 4.) Colored Folks (Tom Robinson, Calpurnia) 5.) Mixed Race (Mr. Dolphus Raymond's children.
500
4.) Why, according to Atticus, did Mayella throw her false accusation at Tom?
Mayella was ashamed that she'd broken a social taboo by hitting on a black man. She's also protecting her father, who really beat her and possibly actually raped her.
500
"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view...Until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." Speaker, Spoken to, Context?
Speaker: Atticus Spoken to: Scout Context: Atticus is giving Scout advice after her first day of school when she gets in an argument with Miss. Caroline. Atticus tells her to consider how Miss. Caroline felt on her first day at a new job with a complicated class. This quote guides Scout's development for the rest of the book.
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