Lesson objective: Students will be able to draw parallels between names of characters in To Kill A Mockingbird and the characters themselves to gain insight.
Something I like to do as an introduction or briefly into the novel is list the names of the characters in the book on the white board and then field questions as to the quality or qualities associated with that name.
For example, what quality or qualities would you associate with “Scout”? Someone who is loyal, trustworthy, brave, adventurous, smart, etc.; For “Jem”? Someone or something that is admirable, cherished, radiant, polished, etc.; For “Boo”? (That one seems pretty obvious, doesn’t it? For “Dill”? Someone or something that is not ponderous or heavy, but is very distinct or peculiar; For “Atticus”? (This may be somewhat reaching, but doesn’t the name conjure up an association with formalism, rationalism, heroism?). And there is still Calpurnia, Heck Tate, Alexandra, etc.
I write these qualities/associations after the names, and then ask the question: “Are these names intentionally selected by the author to help guide us in understanding the characters, or are they just random names used by the author?
I think the activity helps students along in their path to knowing the characters, and also reveals yet another device of the writer in presenting their characters and plot.
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2 comments:
I am so glad to see a project listed for a book I am using now. I think I may try to use this at the end for one of my project choices at the end of the novel. Thank you for sharing this.
This name exercise goes along with the journal entry topic for week six. Names are important, and students like to think about names.
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