This week we started with a look at the various themes that are present in the the novel TKAM.
Notes:
The theme of a story is the story's main idea. The theme of a fable is its moral. The theme of a parable is the lesson it teaches. The theme of a novel is what it tells us about life and the ways people behave. You can figure this out by looking at the characters, what they do and say, and what happens in the book. The theme is the TRUTH the author wishes to show.
In TKAM, there are many themes: stereotyping, racism, gender bias, etc.
Think of these themes and write down an incident, person or plot point in the novel that illustrates it.
Ex. Gender bias - The jury for the trial is made up of only males. Women, in Southern Alabama during the 1930s, were considered to be too delicate to handle a rape trial. Even Atticus, who has consistently upheld the need for social change in regards to fair treatment of all individuals, voices a prejudicial option against having women serve in the jury.
Your theme group will break into two smaller groups (3-4 people). List various events, people and points in the novel where your theme was evident. Have one person record these ideas.
Pick out your main three points and together write out a five paragraph essay on this theme and how it relates to the novel.
Remember to use the appropriate 5 paragraph essay format. For guidelines check the Handouts section.
