To Kill a Mockingbird
Are you afraid of the boogeyman? Do you check under the bed before you go to sleep to make sure there aren't any monsters waiting for you?
Of course not. That's kids' stuff.
Well, what if we told you that being afraid doesn't go away when you get older? Turns out adults have irrational fears, too. Harper Lee's Pulitzer-prize winning novel To Kill A Mockingbird hones in on these fears and what they can lead otherwise sensible, grown-up people to do. Spoiler alert: not great stuff.
In this course, we'll watch our young narrator Scout grow up and face her own boogeyman as she navigates a world full of fear, hatred, and injustice:
- Via Common Core-aligned activities, you'll situate the novel within the history of America and the Civil Rights Movement.
- Through close reading lesson plans, you'll think about these memorable characters: Scout, Atticus, and of course, the always mysterious Boo Radley.
- With the help of lesson intros and guided readings, you'll think about all those big literary hitters: setting, symbolism, writing style, and the rest of the gang.
All that and a giant ham costume? It isn't considered a classic for nothin'.
Unit 1. To Kill a Mockingbird
A whole unit devoted to America's literary sweetheart: To Kill a Mockingbird. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and by the end, you'll probably want to save the world.
Sample Lesson - Introduction
Lesson 6: Hold Your Tongue
Sometimes, in your life as a reader, you encounter a literary jerk-face who just makes you cringe every time you see his or her name pop up on the page. We're talking Grima Wormtongue, here. Voldemort. Captain Hook.
And in To Kill a Mockingbird, enter Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose. She's one of those cantankerous old women who just says whatever pops into her mind. Atticus could be saying "Howdy-do," and she would still heap a string of curses and defamations of character upon him. That's how she is. There's no point in fighting it.
But does this make her a villain?
Because Harper Lee's such a master at writing intriguing characters, you can bet there are more levels to Mrs. Dubose than what originally meets the eye. Translation? Voldemort ain't got nothing on this old-timey Southern lady.
Sample Lesson - Reading
Reading 1.6: Morphine and Mrs. Dubose
Let's be real here—morphine addiction is serious business. It can make users say and do crazy things, including going into debt and breaking up families.
The good news? These days, there's treatment for such issues. If you or someone you know is fighting addiction, you don't have to go through it alone. Unfortunately, Mrs. Dubose didn't have the resources that are available to us today. What's worse, she was a stubborn old broad, and she decided to give it up cold turkey.
That's right—she quits without getting any help from a doctor after being addicted to morphine for her entire adult life. The withdrawal is brutal, and lucky for Jem and Scout, they have front row seats. Awesome, right? And all because Jem had to go and destroy her flowers. Granted, the woman had it coming after what she said to Atticus, but Jem might've found a more magnanimous way of telling her to hush her trap.
Frankly, Chapters 10 and 11 are sort of on the gross side. Mrs. Dubose's not a nice character, but she does make for great fiction. If you become distracted by how mean she is, head over to Shmoop and consult our summaries for any of the info you missed.
Sample Lesson - Activity
Activity 1.6a: Brave?
We don't know about you, Shmoopers, but Atticus' statement about Mrs. Dubose being brave left us feeling a little—skeptical. He's a lawyer, so he's known lawmakers, activists, and innocent people on trial for their lives, yet somehow he thinks that of all the people he's ever met, Mrs. Dubose is the bravest. We're just not too sure about that. We're going to have to think about this one.
We want you to do the same thing. Post 200 – 250 words about Atticus' idea of bravery on the discussion board. To do that, you're going to examine what Mrs. Dubose does that's so brave and what it means that she died free.
In your post, think about and respond to the following questions:
- Do you agree with Atticus' definition of bravery? Clearly, Mrs. Dubose isn't a knight slaying a dragon, and yet Atticus thinks Jem and Scout can learn a lot from her about the nature of courage. What does it say about Mrs. Dubose that she was willing to go through the pain of withdrawal?
- What does Atticus mean when he says that Mrs. Dubose died "free?" What does her idea of freedom entail, and how does it compare to the freedom other people in the novel have? You might say that Mrs. Dubose is like the Cunninghams in that she doesn't want to be beholden to anyone or anything, even an abstract thing like addiction.
We realize these are rather abstract concepts to write about—freedom, bravery—but by now you should be used to Atticus' way of thinking about things. Probably, you noticed that the novel has some high-minded ideas about race and class that we're going to keep exploring throughout the novel. For now, let's focus on Mrs. Dubose, but don't forget the lessons she taught you, and don't forget to include at least two pieces of textual evidence and a casual, conversational tone while still supporting your claims like a boss.
For example, Shmoop might start off by saying:
Mrs. Dubose is a complex character. On the surface, she appears cruel and vicious—but we learn that there's more going on than initially meets the eye. Atticus, who appears very knowledgeable and wise about many things in life, says that Mrs. Dubose has real courage and that his children could stand to learn a thing or two from her.
When you're finished, take a minute to read through what your classmates have posted to the discussion board. Select one post to respond to in 50 – 75 words, stating whether or not you agree with their assessment and expanding on or countering the argument. Use at least one example from the text in your response and try to keep it civil. Mrs. Dubose didn't, but then, she was an old woman struggling with some serious yuck.
What do we mean by civil? You might say something like:
What an interesting point you make about Mrs. Dubose needing to keep her pride as long as she could. She was so nasty, it was hard for me to like her, even after Atticus' explanation, but your post made me see things in a different way.
Get it? Got it? Good. Get to it.
Sample Lesson - Activity
Quiz 1.6b: Mrs. Dubose
- Course Length: 3 weeks
- Grade Levels: 8, 9, 10
- Course Type: Short Course
- Middle School
- High School
Just what the heck is a Shmoop Online Course?
Common Core Standards
The following Common Core Standards are covered in this course:CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.1