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Fiction 2 Constructed Response

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Compare/ContrastScout’sreactiontoMissCaroline with that of Atticus’s reaction to Miss Caroline. Based onthewayScout and AtticusreacttoMiss Caroline, what conclusions canbedrawnabout eachcharacter?(Your response should be one paragraph in length

In this excerpt from To Kill a Mockingbird, the main character, Scout, has spent her first school day with her new teacher, Miss Caroline. Miss Caroline is upset that Scout can already read – and is concerned she has learned to read the “wrong” way. Miss Caroline tells Scout she is no longer to read with her father Atticus, since Atticus does not know how to teach reading. Scout also tries to be helpful in explaining a student’s family situation, for which she gets in trouble as well. At home now, she is feeling down about her experience.

I was weary from the day’s crimes.

After supper, Atticus sat down with the paper and called, “Scout, ready to read?”

The Lord sent me more than I could bear, and I went to the front porch. Atticusfollowed me.

“Something wrong, Scout?”

I told Atticus I didn’t feel very well and didn’t think I’d go to school any more ifit was all right with him.

Atticus sat down in the swing and crossed his legs. His fingers wandered to hisWatchpocket; he said that was the only way he could think. He waited in amiablesilence, and I sought to reinforce my position: “You never went to school and youdo all right, so I’ll just stay home too. You can teach me like Granddaddy taughtyou ‘n’ Uncle Jack.”

“No I can’t,” said Atticus. “I have to make a living. Besides, they’d put me in jailif I kept you at home—dose of magnesia for you tonight and school tomorrow.”

“I’m feeling all right, really.”

“Thought so. Now what’s the matter?”

Bit by bit, I told him the day’s misfortunes. “-and she said you taught me allwrong, so we can’t ever read any more, ever. Please don’t send me back, pleasesir.”

Atticus stood up and walked to the end of the porch. When he completed hisexamination of the wisteria vine he strolled back to me.

“First of all,” he said, “if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lotbetter with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until youconsider things from his point of view-”

“Sir?”

“-until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”

Atticus said I had learned many things today, and Miss Caroline had learnedseveral things herself. She had learned not to hand something to a Cunningham,for one thing, but if Walter and I had put ourselves in her shoes we’d have seen itwas an honest mistake on her part. We could not expect her to learn allMaycomb’s ways in one day, and we could not hold her responsible when sheknew no better.

“I’ll be dogged,” I said. “I didn’t know no better than not to read to her, and sheheld me responsible—listen Atticus, I don’t have to go to school!” I was burstingwith a sudden thought. “Burris Ewell, remember? He just goes to school the firstday. The truant lady reckons she’s carried out the law when she gets his name onthe roll-”

“You can’t do that, Scout,” Atticus said. “Sometimes it’s better to bendthe law a little in special cases. In your case, the law remains rigid. So to schoolyou must go.”

*amiable- having a friendly and pleasant manner.

*dose of magnesia- a dose is an exact amount of medicine, Magnesium is a medicine used for an upset stomach

*wisteria vine- a lavender color flowering plant that grows like a vine, up trees, walls, or other supports

*dogged- having strong determination, stubborn

*rigid-strict, not flexible

Fiction 2 Constructed Response Question:

Compare/ContrastScout’sreactiontoMissCaroline with that of Atticus’s reaction to Miss Caroline. Based onthewayScout and AtticusreacttoMiss Caroline, what conclusions canbedrawnabout eachcharacter?(Your response should be one paragraph in length

OPTIONAL ORGANIZER!!Your paragraph CR response must be submitted, but this is optional to help you organize support for your answer!

Gather information before writing:

Character: / Reaction to Miss Caroline: / Cite Evidence of each character’s reaction: / INFER: Conclusions about each character:
Scout
Atticus

Writing Guide:

Write your response here! 