Reading Guide

Main Difficulties You Face… keeping track of characters understanding which details are relevant understanding how individual events relate to the plot understanding the language used (‘It’s boring’ or ‘the back of the book lied to me’ aren’t problems I can fix – they require you to be more open-minded as readers.)

5W 1H method Easy way to keep track of events in the book Also a useful skill to have when it comes to debates, expository essays and functional writing – hold on to it! A good way to a) identify components (of an argument; stakeholders in a situation) and b) to ‘zoom in’ on what’s relevant

Questions to ask… Who are the main characters in this chapter? What are the key events/conflict(s) in this chapter? When do they take place? (Applicable in cases like flashbacks etc.) Where do they take place? (i.e. looking at the setting for these key events) Why might these events be significant (to plot/character/theme etc.)? How do these events link to wider concerns (within the book / connections to the real world)?

Along the way… You should be flagging (with Post-its etc.) or annotating key passages, with the same depth of analysis we used to discuss “A Rose for Emily” in class. You should be looking up words you don’t understand – if you’re still unsure, check with me in class.

Let’s try it! Chapter 1

Who? (Character) Scout (do we see two ‘Scout’ personas?) Jem Dill Calpurnia Atticus Boo Radley (and family) When you list characters, remember to focus on what we learn about them; flag relevant parts of the text with post-its and/or annotate key sections in your text.

What? (Plot) Background to the Finch family Scout and Jem meet Dill and spend their summers together Dill gets the idea of making Boo Radley come out Background to Boo Radley Jem touches the Radley place Which of these are most important?

When? (Setting) Do we see events taking place in different periods of time? When isn’t always the most useful question here, but can help you differentiate between past/present/future events, flashbacks, etc. It’s also a useful tool for later chapters, so that you can differentiate between similar events (e.g. there are multiple instances involving the Radley home – you need to know what happens when!)

Where? (Setting) The Radley place Characteristics? Descriptions? Whose descriptions of setting do we hear?

Why? (Significance / Analysis) Why the focus on Finch family history? Why is Dill’s introduction important? Why is Boo Radley such a fascination to the children? Why is Jem’s action significant? The why question should ultimately generate an answer that tells you something about plot, character, or theme.

The 5Ws also involve: Key lines/passages You should, additionally, be able to highlight/zoom in on lines or passages which provide us important information: consider what this extract tells us about the two Mr Radleys, Calpurnia, and Scout: ‘There goes the meanest man God ever blew breath into,’ murmured Calpurnia, and she spat meditatively into the yard. We looked at her in surprise, for Calpurnia rarely commented on the ways of white people. (13) […] The only difference between him [Nathan Radley] and his father was their ages.

Our first raid came to pass only because Dill bet Jem The Grey Ghost against two Tom Swifts that Jem wouldn’t get any farther than the Radley gate. In all his life, Jem had never declined a dare. Jem thought about it for three days. I suppose he loved honour more than his head, for Dill wore him down easily. […] Dill got him on the third day, when he told Jem that folks in Meridian certainly weren’t as afraid as the folks in Maycomb […] This was enough to make Jem march to the corner […] Jem wanted Dill to know once and for all that he wasn’t scared of anything […] Besides, Jem had his little sister to think of. When he said that, I knew he was afraid. Jem had his little sister to think of the time I dared him to jump off the top of the house. ‘If I got killed, what’d become of you?’ he asked. Then he jumped, landed unhurt, and his sense of responsibility left him until confronted by the Radley place. [14-15]

How? (Significance / Analysis) How does the first chapter set up what is to follow? How successful is the first chapter in setting the mood/atmosphere of the novel?

Your turn!