“TOO SOON A WOMAN”
By: Dorothy Johnson
1905-1984
Dorothy M. Johnson was born in
McGregor, Iowa, but made Montana her
home after living in New York City for a
while. Three of her stories—”The Hanging
Tree,” “The Man Who Shot Liberty
Valance,” and “A Man Called Horse”—
were made into movies.
SKILLS FOCUS
Mood
Character Motivation
Character Traits
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
TOO SOON A WOMAN
BY
DOROTHY M. JOHNSON
TOO SOON A WOMAN
BY
DOROTHY M. JOHNSON
What if you were left in the middle
of nowhere
with children you hardly know
and nothing to eat?
TOO SOON A WOMAN
BY
DOROTHY M. JOHNSON
There is no game for hunting
no crop for harvesting
no food for sharing.
Even the fish won’t bite.
What would you do?
TOO SOON A WOMAN
BY
DOROTHY M. JOHNSON
It’s all up to Mary now. . .
and Mary alone.
Read how one young girl is forced to become “too soon a woman.”
ALLUSION
“Maybe Peter dozed that way at
Gethsemane as the Lord knelt
praying.”
If the narrator is comparing his dozing to Peter,
whom is he comparing Mary to?
Why would he make that comparison?
Hint: At Gethsemane, the Lord was preparing
to make the ultimate sacrifice for us. What is
Mary doing?
MOOD
“That was no covered Conestoga like
Pa’s folks came West in, but just an
old farm wagon, drawn by one weary
horse, creaking and rumbling
westward to the mountains…”
MOOD
“I remember my father’s sunken eyes
in his gaunt, grim face.”
MOOD
“I got plumb lost two or three times
and thought maybe I was going to die
there alone and nobody would ever
know it, but I found the way back to
the clearing.”
MOOD
“If I’d had Pa’s rifle, I’d have been
willing to kill her right then and
there.”
MOOD
“I was so scared that my
stomach heaved, empty as it
was…She said in a low voice, ‘I
don’t know how long it will be if
it’s poison. Just do the best you
can with the girls’...I slept after
awhile, with my chin on my
chest. Maybe Peter dozed that
way at Gethsemane as the Lord
knelt praying.”
MOOD
“The rain had stopped. My father
came plunging out of the woods
leading a pack horse-and well I
remember the treasures of food in
that pack…Mary came out of the
cabin then, walking sedately. As she
came toward us, the sun began to
shine.”
TOO SOON A WOMAN
LITERARY FOCUS: MOTIVATION
A character’s motivation is his or her
reason for displaying a behavior. It often
reveals a person’s character.
Motivation answers the question why?
We don’t all have the same
motivations for our actions.
If I fight with my brother it could be because I want:
My mom’s attention
Control of the T.V. remote
To get back at him for hurting my feelings
If I volunteer it could be because I want:
To make the world a better place
To feel good about myself
To help specific people/animals
To earn credit for school
Why do people work? Why are some people always honest?
Why do siblings fight?
Why do some people volunteer and help others?
Why do some people cheat?
Motivation
•At
the beginning of the story, why does Pa refuse
to talk to Mary?
•Why
does Mary refuse to give the children any of
the mushroom at first?
•Why
does Mary laugh and tell stories and play
games the day after she eats the mushroom?
•Why
does Pa ask about Mary when he returns?
CHARACTERIZATION
What kind of person is Mary? Compose a
paragraph in which you analyze Mary’s
character. In your character analysis, consider
the following aspects:
*How Mary responds to the conflicts in her life
*Why she makes the choices she does
*How people respond to her
*How she reacts to their responses
AFTER YOU READ
First Thoughts
1. Does Mary seem like a typical teenager?
Explain.
Thinking Critically
2. List three conflicts (internal or external) in
this story. Which conflict is the main one?
3. Think about the title of the story. In what
way is Mary “too soon a woman”?
EXTENDING INTERPRETATIONS
Most people would consider Mary a
hero because she risked her life for
others.
Do you think any teenagers today are
heroes? What have they done to show
their bravery?