A central theme of this novel is that a person should strive to see things from the other person’s point of view. Think about a person you know that you have a difficult time getting along with. This could be a classmate, parent, sibling, coach, teacher, team mate, coworker . . . pretty much anyone in your life that you have constant interaction with. How can you learn to walk in this person's shoes? What difficulties might this person be facing? (If you can avoid it, please don’t use names, or send your response to me in a private message -- chances are we all know who you’re talking about!)
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The next story we’re going to read in literature class is told by a woman reflecting on her childhood days and some of the important lessons she learned. The narrator’s voice lapses into a childlike perspective about life as she describes her frustrations, questions, and fears. In chapters 2 and 3 she describes her first experiences with school. What were your “first days” of school like? Think about your earliest school experiences and compare them to Scout’s.
Did Papa do the right thing in starting the fire? Defend your answer using details from the novel and examples from history/life.
At one point, Papa tells Cassie that “there’ll be a whole lot of things you ain’t gonna wanna do but you’ll have to do in this life just so you can survive… But, there are other things, Cassie, that if I’d let be, they’d eat away at me and destroy me in the end… There are things you can’t back down on, things you gotta take a stand on. But it’s up to you to decide what them things are,” (ch. 8, p. 175-176). What does Papa mean by this? How should a Christian person go about deciding what things to “let be” and what things to take a stand on?
On Christmas the family gathers around the fire and tells stories from their youth. They eventually start talking about some sad and scary things, and Mama is hesitant about the kids hearing these stories. Papa says, “These are things they need to hear, baby. It’s their history.” Is he right? At what age should a child start hearing about the sad and scary things of the past? Is it better for parents to protect their children from the harshness of life or to let them see reality for what it is? How did your parents handle that with you when you were growing up?
In chapter six, Mama hits on an important theme in this novel when she tells her daughter, “Baby, we have no choice of what color we’re born or who our parents are or whether we’re rich or poor. What we do have is some choice over what we make of our lives once we’re here.” Explain what Mama means by this, and how you’ve seen this lesson play out in your own life (or in the life of someone you know).
In chapter one of Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, Mrs. Logan (Mama) says that although children do have to learn “how things are,” as Miss Crocker said, “that doesn’t mean they have to accept them . . . and maybe we don’t either.” What does Mama mean by this? When in your life have you been called on to NOT accept the “way things are” (if you can’t think of a personal anecdote, think of an example you know from history)?
A little more than a century ago, many young men and women your age were getting married, having children, working full-time jobs, and even commanding naval ships (this actually happened in the 19th and early 20th centuries!). Do you think the expectations society has for young people today are too high, too low, or about right? Remember to explain your response with examples and explanations for why you think the way you do.
This unit we have talked a lot about round characters (that is, characters who are morally complex -- a mixture of good and bad). Choose a character from another story or a person from history whom we could also consider “round.” What makes that person complex? Be sure to give detailed examples to illustrate what you mean.
Mark Twain’s novel pokes fun at society and how fickle it is (look up the word “fickle” if you’re unsure what it means!). In chapter 24, the narrator says regarding the town’s treatment of Muff Potter after he is exonerated, “As usual, the fickle, unreasoning world took Muff Potter to its bosom and fondled him as lavishly as it had abused him before,” (p. 157). Later, in chapter 33, the narrator describes the petition that many in the town signed to pardon Injun Joe: “Injun Joe was believed to have killed five citizens of the village, but what of that? If he had been Satan himself there would have been plenty of weaklings ready to scribble their names to a pardon-petition, and drop a tear on it from their permanently impaired and leaky water-works,” (p. 211).
Many towns no longer have a “town square” or a place to gossip, exchange information, and belittle others. However, we have the Internet. In what way is our society (with social media platforms like Twitter) similar to the way the narrator describes Tom Sawyer’s “fickle” and “unreasoning” town of Hannibal, Missouri? Many people argue that The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is too controversial to be published as is. They believe the book should be banned or the racial epithets should be edited out. Others argue that a book like Twain’s should be preserved because it captures a period in American history that should not be forgotten (after all, if we erase the past we can’t learn from it and are likely to repeat it…). What do you think of this? Do you find the racial prejudices portrayed in this book upsetting? What should society do about books and movies that contain such elements?
As we discussed in class this week, characterization is the process by which we get to know a character in a story. We pay attention to what they do, say, think, and to what others say about them. What character in literature (this includes books, movies, or TV) do you find interesting? What is it about that character that captures you? Describe him/her and, without giving away too much about the plot, what it is about that character that you find so compelling. Remember to fully explain your response with specific examples and details from the story.
“Then they began to lay their plans. Joe was for being a hermit, and living on crusts in a remote cave, and dying, sometime, of cold, and want, and grief; but after listening to Tom, he conceded that there were some conspicuous advantages about a life of crime, and so he consented to be a pirate,” (p. 94). Even though this story has a humorous tone to it, Tom is actually dealing with some very adult problems. Life can be brutal, especially when you are young and have little control. Have you ever wanted to run away? How did/do you deal with the frustrations of life?
One of the themes of this novel has to do with the expectations of society and the hypocrisy of adults. Mark Twain used the perspective of a young man to point out many of the silly rules and expectations that society holds. Do you see this reflected in our society today? What rules or expectations do you find silly, hypocritical, or just plain dumb? Remember to explain your answer with examples and details.
In our next novel (The Adventures of Tom Sawyer), we are introduced to a society that holds a lot of superstitions. A superstition is “any belief or practice that is considered irrational or supernatural: for example, if it arises from ignorance, a misunderstanding of science or causality, a positive belief in fate or magic, or fear of that which is unknown.” For instance, the main character in this story, Tom, believes that Fridays are bad luck. Do you consider yourself (or do you know anyone who is) superstitious in any aspect of life? What superstitions exist in our society today?
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Composition: 7th GradeGuidelinesThe whole purpose of this assignment - whether you're reacting to an idea, sharing your own story, or analyzing the reading - is to discuss the ultimate issues of life. With that in mind, make sure that you: Archives
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