To Kill a Mockingbird Discussion Points

Thanks Tori and Rachel for sharing some of your insights and favorite quotes from To Kill a Mockingbird. Any of you who have decided to read with us this month should be well into the book by now and have highlighted some of your own favorite quotes. Please share!

I'm sure that when I read this book the first time, back in high school, I didn't get much out of it beyond the story line. This time I want to go a little deeper. I went on line and found some discussion points that should help me get more out of it this time around. I thought they might be of help to you too as you read. And then as you receive any significant insights we hope you'll share.

DISCUSSION POINTS:

• How does Jem and Scout’s views of Boo Radley change during the book? Why does Jem cry when the hole in the tree is filled with cement? 

• Atticus tells the children several times that they need to walk in someone else’s shoes before judging the person. Describe times when Atticus, Scout or Jem walk in someone else’s shoes. How does this change how they view the situations? What role does this advice play in sympathy and compassion? 

• What do you think of Aunt Alexandra? Did your opinion of her change during the book? Can you understand why she was concerned with Atticus’ parenting? 

• How do you think Atticus managed his role as a single parent? 

• Why does Calpurnia speak differently around other black people? Why does Mr. Raymond pretend he is drunk to help people cope with his mixed marriage? 

• How does the trial and everything surrounding it change the town? Change Jem and Scout? Did it change you? 

• At one point Jem describes four kinds of “folks” in Maycomb County:”our kind of folks don’t like the Cunninghams, the Cunninghams don’t like the Ewells, and the Ewells hate and despise the colored folks.” What does To Kill a Mockingbird teach us about how people cope with issues of race and class? Do you classify people in your world as different “folks?” Do you see those sort of distinctions today? 

• Who is your favorite character and why? 

• At the end of the book, Scout says that telling people Boo Radley committed the murder would have been “sort of like shootin’ a mockingbird.” What does that mean? Do you agree that Boo is like a mockingbird? 

• In the last few lines of To Kill a Mockingbird Scout says, “he was real nice...” and Attiucus replies, “most people are, Scout, when you finally see them.” Do you agree that most people in the novel are nice once you see them? How is Atticus able to see the good side of people despite all he has experienced? Can you?

Love, 

Aunt Louise

Welcome to "Reading with Grandma"

Happy Mother’s Day... and welcome to “Reading With Grandma”!  This should be a fun adventure, hopefully one that will turn into something really special for the entire family.

I’ve asked Grandma Mary to supply us with a list of all her favorite books...ever.  These are divided into categories and are listed in the sidebar for easy reference.  We will plan to read one book per month. Some of the books on Grandma’s suggested reading list date back to her youth, and some are very current. Some are light reading and some will require a bit more “concentration”. So prepare yourself for a rich variety of subject matter. 

That said, we understand not all of us have the same taste in literature, and we don’t want anyone to feel obligated to read with us every month. Whether you read with us or not, one of the most important elements of this book club and blog will be your comments. We want to hear from you and grow closer as a family.

My vision for this blog is a bit limited as I have never been part of a book club before, and certainly not one on-line. And because I am less than tech savy I will of necessity have to keep things pretty simple.  But I am open to your suggestions and want your help in making a success of this endeavor.  To begin with Grandma Mary will decide which books to read when, we'll put that info on the blog along with why Grandma likes this particular book?  We could post that info on the first Sunday or Monday of each month, give us all a month to read, then those with comments about it could try to post them by the end of the month.  

Some additional things I might like to include on the blog, and ask for your input on would be: your own lists of great reads, pictures of you and/or your families, a list of your names with e-mail addresses and any other contact info you want to add, some family news – keeping in mind this isn't intended to be a full fledged newsletter, maybe favorite recipes, and how about favorite memories of Grandma Mary and Grandpa Wendell?

OKAY!  Grandma Mary's choice for our first book is To Kill A Mocking Bird!   A Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Harper Lee published in 1960. It was instantly successful and has become a classic of modern American literature. One critic wrote, "In the twentieth century, To Kill a Mockingbird is probably the most widely read book dealing with race in America, and its protagonist, Atticus Finch, the most enduring fictional image of racial heroism." Grandma says this is one of her favorites because..."it shows the importance of families, honesty and integrity. Also it shows what conditions are/were really like down south."

Happy Reading!

Love, Aunt Louise