A lecture on personal response to the novel To Kill A Mockingbird.
The definition of Personal Response and examples given. Also tutorial task for students.
3. Page 3
A personal response is an essay in
which you describe and analyze your
own thoughts and feelings about a
reading. The personal response is
usually one of the first assignments in a
beginning writing course. It teaches you
to think about what you are reading and
then ask yourself why you feel that way.
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4. Page 4
In a personal response to text
essay the writer may choose to
keep the format of the essay critical,
in which the pieces of literature
presented are analyzed. The writer
will also relate their own experience
as it relates to the material provided
using emotional and sensory detail.
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5. Page 5
A personal response essay
emphasizes your opinion about a
piece of literature, movie, article,
speech or other types of media. While
your response is the focus, you also
need to support that opinion with
elements from the original source. A
personal response is not a recap or
summary of the story.
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6. Page 6
The purpose of a response to literature is
to state an opinion about a character's
traits, the setting, plot, theme, or moral of
the story. ... Many responses include
connections to other stories, the world, or
the reader's own experiences, as well as a
personal reflection that reveals how the
story impacted the reader.
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7. Page 7
To Kill a Mockingbird explores the questions of innocence and harsh
experience good and evil from several different angles. Tom Robinson’s trial
explores these ideas by examining the evil of racial prejudice and its ability
to poison an otherwise admirable Southern town and destroy an innocent
man and its effect on young Jem and Scout. Because the point of a trial is to
discover guilt or innocence, Tom’s trial serves as a useful mechanism for Lee
to lay out the argument against racial prejudice in a dramatic framework
suited to the larger themes of the novel.
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8. Page 8
Atticus presents a solid case that leaves virtually no room for
doubt: Tom Robinson is innocent and if he is found guilty, then it
is only because of the jury’s racism. The black community in
Maycomb is quite idealized especially in the scenes at the black
church and in the colored balcony during the trial.
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9. Page 9
• Lee’s portrayal of the black community isn’t
unrealistic or unbelievable it is important to
point out, however, that she emphasises all
of the good qualities of the community
without ever pointing out any of the bad
ones.
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10. Page 10
An underlying theme in this book is that we as humans are
responsible for acting according to our conscience. We
should try to use the law when we can, but we also have a
higher imperative; we have to follow our conscience and if a
child such as Scout living in a 1930s society can learn to
overcome such deeply held prejudices and come to
understand the individual worth of a person then surely
people living in today’s society can too
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11. Page 11
TUTORIAL
In groups, discuss the following:
1. Why does Atticus Finch risk his reputation, his friendships, and his career to
take Tom Robinson's case? Do you think he risks too much by putting his
children in harm's way?
2. What elements of this novel did you find funny, memorable, or inspiring?
Are there any characters whose beliefs or actions impressed or
surprised you? Did any events lead you to revisit childhood memories or
see them in a new light?
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