Literary Elements #4 To Kill a
Mockingbird Name:
___________
1.
What literary element is this? “There’s a lady in the moon in Maycomb.
She sat at a dresser combing her hair.” (p.50)
What
does it mean?
2. Scout says, “What in the sam
holy hill did you wait till tonight? (p.51) Why did the boys wait until that
particular night to try to look at Boo through his window?
3. Scout says, “What in the sam holy hill did you wait till tonight? (p.51) “Sam holy hill” is a euphemism for something. Can you guess what it is? [A euphemism is a nice way of saying something not so nice.]
4. On p. 52, find an ironic
statement Jem makes in reference to his sister.
[Irony occurs when the opposite of what you would expect happens.]
5. In what way was Scout’s response to Jem’s insult ironic, too?
6. Find example of hyperbole on p. 52. [Hyperbole is a great exaggeration.]
7. Find a simile on p. 53 that describes the shadow Scout sees as it moves across the porch. [A comparison using like or as.]
8. On p. 54, find a metaphor referring to Nathan Radley’s gun. [A metaphor is a comparison w/out using like or as.]
9. What do you think this metaphorical statement means? “Matches were dangerous, but cards were fatal.”
10. On p. 55, find the metaphor
about insects. [A metaphor is a comparison w/out using like or as.]
11. Explain what this passage means: “…we shouldn’t have done that tonight, Scout.” It was then, I suppose, that Jem and I first began to part company. Sometimes I did not understand him, but my periods of bewilderment were short-lived. This was beyond me.” (p. 56)
12. Find the simile that refers to Jem’s shirt on p. 57. [A comparison using like or as.]
13. What does this metaphorical expression mean? (p. 57) “As Atticus had once advised, I tried to climb into Jem’s skin and walk around in it.”
14. On p. 58, find a simile that indicates how Jem dismissed Scout’s words, “You never told me anything about that night.”
15. On p58, find an example of personification that refers to Jem’s pants. [Giving human characteristics to objects or animals.]
16. Jem discovers his pants had been sewn up and folded over the fence—like somebody knew he would return for them. He says to Scout, “Can’t anybody tell what I’m gonna do lest they know me, can they Scout?” What does this imply?
Why does it bother Jem? p58
17. The children had been finding small treasures in the tree hole. What do they find that confirms the gifts were meant for them? (p. 60)
18. Who puts closes the hiding place in the tree with cement?
Why do you supposed he did that?
What does this tell you about the identity of the gift giver? (p62-63)
