|
Activities |
| symbolism
of objects |
|
1
|
Explain the ways in which the following
function as symbols in To Kill A Mockingbird:
(a) the mad dog
(b) the treehouse
(c) camellias
(d) the gun
(e) the cemented hole in the tree
(f) columns on buildings
(g) Atticus' pocket watch
(h) the fire that burns down Miss Maudie's house |
| symbolim
of the mockingbird |
|
2
|
The title of Lee's book is alluded
to when Atticus gives his children air rifles and tells
them that they can shoot all the bluejays they want, but
"it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." At the end
of the novel, Scout likens the "sin" of naming
Boo as Bob Ewell's killer to "shootin' a mockingbird."
Is Boo the only innocent, or mockingbird, in this novel?
Identify and explain all the characters in the novel who
can be liken to the mockingbird symbol. |
| symbolism
of names |
|
3
|
Atticus's name is a reference to
the district (Attica) of ancient Greece in which Athens
was located. As an ancient civilisation, Athens was renowned
for its wisdom, rational approach to life, and its belief
in justice. In some ways Atticus' rational approach to
life is similar to that of ancient philosophers. You might
look up the views of the Stoics; their philosophy has
a certain resemblance to Atticus' type of southern gentleman. |
|
|
(a) Throughout the novel,
there are many examples where Atticus illustrates the
qualities or values of wisdom, rational approach to life,
and belief in justice. Find at least ONE example for each
(remember to include page references.) |
|
|
(b) Now, work out what the
following names symbolise and provide at least one example
for each character:
• Finch (the characters' surname)
• Scout
• Jem
• Dill
• Tom Robinson
• Boo Radley |
| other
symbols |
|
4
|
Particular flowers are frequently
mentioned in the novel. Analyse these. With whom are these
flowers associated, and how? In each case, what meaning
do the flowers seem to have? |
|
5
|
Why do you think the scene in which
Jem and Scout build a snowman was included in the novel?
Explain. |
|
6
|
Because the courtroom is so crowded,
Scout and Jem watch Tom Robinson's trial from the "Coloured
balcony" with the Reverend Sykes and the rest of
Maycomb's black community. Why would Lee place them there?
What is the symbolic significance of Scout and Jem viewing
the trial from this perspective? |
|
7
|
Some readers think that Jem's broken
arm symbolizes the wound that the system of segregation
inflicted on white southerners. What do you think of this
idea? What evidence can you find in the story to support
this idea? |
|
8
|
What else might Jem's broken arm
symbolise? |
|
9
|
How do prisons, imprisonment and
boundaries or barriers function as symbols in the novel? |
|
10
|
What is the symbolic significance
of works of literature mentioned throughout the novel?
Trace all the references to other works of literature,
making note of when and where they occur in the narrative.
What parts do each play in the action or major ideas of
the novel? |
|
11
|
What might the Halloween pageant
symbolise? |
