STRUCTURAL OUTLINE FOR CRITICAL LENS ESSAY
According to _______________________, “_____________________________
________________________________________. This means that ________________
_____________________________________. This idea is clearly shown in ________
_________________ (include both authors and titles) __________________________________
___________________________. In both works _______________________________
________________________________________________________________________
In Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus Finch is a “brave
individual” whose courage gives him the strength to follow his “conscience” and defend
Tom Robinson, a black man on trial for ________________________________. Set in
_____________ ________ (include city and state) during the ________________________
(include time period), the novel is structured in ____________ parts. The setting is
important because ____________________________________________________.
Part I of the novel focuses most on _______________________ (include an important
character), and provides examples of how the children begin to develop their
understanding of courage. Narrated by ___________________, one example in which
she and her brother Jem learn of courage is when a mad dog is approaching their house
on a quiet day in _____________________ include month of year). The mad dog is
dangerous because_______________________________________________________
and he symbolizes________________________________________________________.
Since the town’s safety is at risk, Heck Tate requests that Atticus shoot the dog, as he
used to be known as “___________________________”(include Atticus’s nickname).
At first Atticus refuses to act, but when he sees how dangerous the situation is, he realizes
he must use his courage to do what is best for his children and town: ________________
____________________________________________________ (explain what Atticus does).
Since Atticus is able to stop the mad dog from spreading his disease, this
foreshadows how ________________________________________________________.
______________________________ (explain how Atticus will show most courage concerning
“Maycomb’s disease” during part II in the novel) in part II of the novel.
Throughout the novel, Atticus often explains to his children how many people
disagree with his decision to defend Tom Robinson. Scout experiences problems because
of this at school with ________________________________ and on Christmas Day with
her cousin, _____________________________. Both boys ________________ Atticus
for what he is doing, causing Scout ___________________________. Even Jem loses his
temper when____________________________________________________________
(explain what happens with Mrs. Dubose).
However, Atticus has the courage to remain true to his _________________________,
and explains to his children that he could not __________________________________
if he didn’t take this case. Before the night of the trial, he has the courage to protect Tom
Robinson by ____________________________________________________________,
and throughout the case, he works hard to show the jury that it was impossible for Tom to
have raped __________________ because of _____________________________. Even
though the jury finds Tom Robinson guilty, it still takes them over an
________________ (include time frame) to ______________ (use a vocab word!) its verdict.
As Miss Maudie says, Atticus is the “only man in these parts who can keep a jury out so
long in a case like this.” This shows that even though Atticus knew he would lose, he
_______________________________________________ (refer back to the ideas of the
critical lens), and even made some progress, helping the people in Maycomb to take “baby
steps” towards being a little less _________________________.
Directions: Now using the structural outline created for the purposes of To Kill A
Mockingbird, continue the next body paragraph using one of the following topic
sentences:
“Similarly in Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men, George has the courage to follow his
“conscience” by saving his best friend Lennie from further suffering by shooting him at
the end of the novel.”
OR
“Similarly in Shakespeare’s tragic play, Romeo and Juliet, both protagonists have the
courage to follow their hearts and “consciences” to marry one another despite their
families’ long-standing feuds.”
On a separate sheet of paper, write the body paragraph using your chosen topic
sentence. Be sure to follow the order set forth by the structure, such as mentioning
the setting, the structure of the work, and building up your examples to show how
these characters proved themselves to be the “bravest of individuals.”
THE CONCLUSION:
It is quite clear that Clarke’s assertion that ______________________________
___________________ is clear. Atticus Finch is a perfect example of _______________
____________________________________.
(In a similar manner, George must be brave in order to…) OR
(Similarly, Juliet and Romeo are brave enough to pursue their love for one another
despite…)
________________________________________________________________________
From both works one can understand the importance of ___________________________
________________________________________________. Reading about characters
such as Atticus and ____________________ serve as role models and help the reader to
understand the importance of ____________________________.