To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
“I wanted you to see what real courage is,
instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand.
It's when you know you're licked before you begin,
but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what."
- Atticus Finch
Review
Viewing Guide
After listening to the videos, complete the following questions:
1. Autobiographical: How does To Kill a Mockingbird parallel Harper Lee's childhood?
2. Genre: In the video, "Episode 10: To Kill a Mockingbird: Part I", gothic literature is defined as, "[relying] on
archetypes: grotesque monsters, innocent victims and heroic knights, to create dramatic tension and
[using] dark settings like medieval castles to heighten the emotional impact of the story. [When] the Southern
Gothic movement emerged...real, although still fictional people replaced those gothic archetypes". In connection
to the novel, provide examples of the southern gothic archetypes.
a) Southern Gothic Archetypes
- Reclusive Monster - Reclusive Monster(s):
- Potential Victims - Potential Victim(s):
- Heroic Knight - Hero Knight:
b) Another characteristic of the southern gothic genre was that: "...decaying buildings or bodies replaced the
medieval castle as the dark settings...". Which Maycomb inhabitants have "bodies that are broken, infected or
off-balance"?
3. Social Order/Structure: If Scout would have not invited Walter Cunningham Jr. to the house and adhered to Aunt
Alexandra's opinion of being "gracious to everybody, but [not inviting] him home" and refers to Walter as "trash",
how would the novel been different?
4. Characterization: How is Calpurnia an example of William Du Bois' "double consciousness"?
Kahoot (Comprehensive)
Comprehensive Exam (60)
In Class Essay #1 (60)