True Grit
Chapters 1 and 2


Grit: Noun. Firmness of character 


synomyms: courage, determination, fortitude, resolve, guts, mettle, nerve, pluck, backbone, spunk, tenacity, toughness, willpower


In choosing a book for this summer, we settled on a book that represents a characteristic we think any student should aspire to. Grit.

People who have this quality may never achieve notoriety, but they will achieve success.

However, some people have achieved some measure of fame because they possessed grit. Michelangelo battled Pope Julius II (one of the most powerful men in the world), and spent years on his back 50 feet in the air, but painted the Sistine Ceiling 

Steve Jobs was forced out at Apple, but eventually worked his way back into the company's leadership and oversaw the creation of the iPod, iPhone, and iPad, which you may have heard of, making Apple Inc. the world's most profitable company.

Lance Armstrong was diagnosed with cancer, nearly died,  and survived several brain surgeries before winning the Tour de France seven times.

These are just a few. For your first Dinner Table Discussion (DTD), ask your parents how they define "grit" and who exemplifies it for them.


As you begin reading, pay attention to the language. Mattie, Rooster, LaBoeuf, and all the other characters speak a distinctive type of English. It is both formal and direct at the same time. Portis's novel has been acclaimed for his mastery of the Western Dialect.

Chapter 1 ends with the following quote from Proverbs: "'The wicked flee when none pursueth'" (Portis, 17). Do you agree with this statement? Why would someone run when no one is chasing them?

What kind of person is Mattie Ross? How do you know?

She views the hangings in the town square with no real reaction. This is very different from the way "justice" is handed down in our culture? Are there advantages to public punishment? What are the disadvantages? Why do you think our society has rejected this type of public execution?

Compare Mattie's description of Tom Chaney and Yarnell Poindexter. They are both of similar social classes (poor), but they seem to have vastly different natures. What are the qualities Yarnell has that Tom Chaney is lacking?

Enjoy the book. This blog is here to help, so ask questions if you have any.

Chapters 3 and 4

Mattie engages Colonel Stonehill in negotiations at the beginning of Chapter 3. What do you learn about her from the way she handles herself? Are you impressed by her, or do you find her pushy and annoying? What kind of person is she?

"You must pay for everything in this world in one way and another. There is nothing free except the Grace of God. You cannot earn that or deserve it" (40). Mattie's worldview is neatly summed up here. Does this help explain her desire to avenge her father's murder?

Rooster Cogburn is described as an "old one-eyed jasper that was built along the lines of Grover Cleveland" (43).

What does Rooster's testimony indicate about the kind of U.S. Marshall he is? Why do you think Mattie chooses him to pursue Tom Chaney?

The trial scene takes place in Judge Parker's courtroom. Visit the useful links section to learn more about the "hanging judge."

Rooster kills a rat on page 64. Before he kills it, he tries to serve it a writ to force it to stop stealing. This seems like a little thing, but it says a great deal about Rooster's view of the law and how best to enforce it. What do you think about his actions here?

The central question Chapter 3 forces us to consider is this: what is the difference between justice and vengeance? And, which one is Mattie Ross after?

DTD
Ask your parents what they think "justice" is. Try to come up with examples that highlight the difference between a legal action and one that represents justice. 


Chapter 4 introduces us to LaBoeuf, the Texas Ranger. What do you think of him when you first read about him? Is there a difference between the way he seems to see himself and the way the author portrays him?

DTD
LaBoeuf chides Mattie for being disrespectful to him, saying, "The youth of Texas are brought up to be polite and to show respect for their elders" (76). Do you think this is still true for your generation? What does this look like? 

Chapter 5

Malaria:
"a mosquito-borne disease caused by a parasite. People with malaria often experience fever, chills, and flu-like illness. Left untreated, they may develop severe complications and die. In 2010, an estimated 216 million cases of malaria occurred worldwide and 655,000 people died, most (91%) in the African Region"(Webmd.com). Interestingly, this makes the mosquito the world's deadliest animal. The quinine Mattie suggests is a common preventative medication for the disease.


"If you don't have schooling you are up against it in the country..." (84). Rooster is describing the difficulty people like him have in the world. Do you agree that the lack of education puts people in much more difficult circumstances?


The confrontation between Mattie and Rooster about whether or not she will go along on the hunt for Tom Chaney includes the famous lines, "I aim to get Tom Chaney and if you are not game I will find somebody who is game. All I have heard so far is talk. I know you can drink whiskey and I have seen you kill a gray rat. All the rest has been talk. They told me you had grit and that is why I came to you. I am not paying for talk" (87). Does she have some of the "grit" she is looking for in Rooster?


Think about Rooster and LaBoeuf's attempt to rid themselves of Mattie. What do they learn about her from her persistence? Does she earn their respect?


DTD

Ask your parents about the value of persistence. What are the experiences in their lives that have taught them about maintaining effort in a difficult situation. 

Chapter 6


F. Scott Fitzgerald, one of the greatest American authors, once said, "character is action." In order to understand someone, according to Fitzgerald, you must see what they do, rather than what they say, or how they look. What kind of character is Rooster? Look at his actions so far, especially when he sees the two boys torturing the mule.

Mattie is intent on proving that she is not a "tenderfoot" (113). From the context, what do you think this means? Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you felt you had to prove yourself to someone who doesn't believe in your ability to perform? How did you respond?

"You cannot judge by looks.  The most villainous-looking pony is often your gamest performer" (119). Does this statement apply to Rooster and LaBoeuf? Do you find this to be true in your life?

Rooster mentions Frank and Jesse James several times in this chapter. Follow this link to learn more about the James Gang. What does it say about the culture Portis is writing about that Jesse James was a hero to many during this time?

Rooster served in the Civil War with a man named Quantrill. Rooster's personal history is interesting to say the least and he seems to have been a criminal. Do you think this makes him a more effective U.S. Marshall?

Chapter 7
You're almost there. Before you begin this chapter, take a second to compare reading this book to others you've read. How does True Grit stack up to your favorite book of all time?

Let's begin by thinking about Mattie's confrontation with Tom Chaney at the river bottom. Do both characters behave as you would expect them to?

We meet Lucky Ned Pepper in this chapter and his behavior toward Mattie is interesting. He seems to have some sense of honor with regards to her. Do you find this odd? Here is a criminal: a robber of stage coaches and killer of men, but he is true to his word. How is he different from Tom Chaney? Do you think Rooster respects him more?

I'm sure I don't have to tell you this, but the scenes involving Rooster, Mattie, LaBoef and Little Blackie at the end of the book are the most famous. How does each character (including the horse) exhibit the "grit" that gives the book its title?

DTD
Talk to your parents about these characters. What does it mean to be "tough" in your family? Rooster possesses some form of physical courage, but Mattie's toughness seems to be different from his. Are they both "tough?"

What do you think about the remainder of Rooster's life? Why do you think he ended up the way he did? Mattie winds up rich and alone, is this fitting for her character? Why do you think so?

Curious students might read Tennyson's Ulysses and compare the experience Odysseus has after coming home to Ithaca to Rooster and Mattie's experiences after their adventure.

One Book, One School Year

Now that the 2011/2012 school year has begun, we are transitioning from a summer reading program to an extended study of Season of Life.

It seems like we had pretty good participation from our students this year. Their buy-in for next year is largely contingent on our commitment to the book in our classes though.

We can all build lessons around the book, or use it as a platform for discussion. We can also learn from one another. Let's try to add our activities in the comments section so other teachers can access them and maybe employ them in their own classrooms.

Chapter 1

Your reading begins in the locker room before a football game. But, while this book is about a football team, it is more centrally focused on life and how to live it. If you’re looking for confirmation, check out what the boys are yelling about as they prepare to play. It’s not the message you expect, that playing football, or doing anything of value, is about love for the people you are with.

Gilman’s football team is different because the men leading it don’t view themselves as football coaches, but as teachers. They coach football to help boys become men, not to win games.

Chapter 3

What kind of person is Joe Ehrmann at this point in the book? He really seems to be enjoying his life, he’s young, a professional football player, fairly wealthy, he’s got it all. Are those things the most important facets of his personality? Put more simply, what does the author remember about him?

Look at the lessons Marx learns as a ballboy for the Baltimore Colts. Are any of them specifically about sports?

DTD Ask your parents about the most important lessons they have learned. Where did they come by these lessons? Chances are, the most important lessons you learn about how to behave won’t be taught in a classroom. Where do you think you have learned something important outside of school?

Chapter 4

Joe’s life changes forever in chapter 4. After his brother’s death, Joe asks himself, “What is the purpose of life? Where does meaning—real value—come from?” (Marx, 20). This question drives Joe’s founding of the Ronald McDonald house in Baltimore.

He is obviously different from the person you met in chapter three. He isn’t nearly as happy, but is he better?

What can you take from Joe’s response to a personal tragedy? If we all responded to terrible events the way Joe does, by trying to make a difference in the lives of others, would the world be a better place?

Chapter 7

Here we get to the central point of your book. The problems of society, according to Joe, are caused by our collective failure to teach boys how to become men. This is an uncomfortable topic for many of us, and one that seems to be focused on half of the population. However, it is valuable, and it impacts all of us because we aren’t talking about masculinity, we are talking about humanity.

From the book:
"In the NFL, what you have is fifty-three men—black men and white men, men from the inner cities, from the suburbs, from the farmlands of America—and they’re able to come together every year and kind of set aside their own personal goals, wants and ambitions, in order to put the team first. And I think that’s the challenge, really, facing us in this society, is how we learn to come together, across all racial, economic, and geographical divisions, to make this society a much better place.”

You are attending a public high school in America which means you are here with everyone who lives within our attendance area regardless of race, economic situation, background, religion, sexual orientation or belief system. How can we work together to erase the divisions between us?

Joe also tells the story of his upbringing in this chapter. What kind of relationship did he have with his father? What is your reaction when you read his story?

Chapter 8

“The way we measure greatness is the impact you make in other people’s lives” (Marx, 48).

DTD Ask your parents how your family measures greatness. Ask them to think about people who they consider great and why. Is your definition of great person similar to Coach (Biff)Poggi’s?

The Gilman football team has a rule that no member of the team will allow anyone at school to eat lunch alone. Is this a tradition we should seek to implement at Mountain Range? If we were to not allow anyone to feel isolated at school, would we come closer to being the “team” from chapter 7?

Why is it so important to the coaches for every member of the team to play in the first half of every game? Are they more concerned with building a team or with winning games? Are they right?

This chapter brings to mind George Orwell's Such, Such Were the Joys. Do you see any similarities in Orwell's experience at boarding school and the discussion of shame and masculinity in this book?

Chapter 9

Mike’s story is interesting. He suffers a huge consequence, and returns a better person. Why? What allows him to improve?

Gilman loses to DeMantha, but would you rather be on Gilman’s team or DeMantha’s? This season is long over, which group of young men is still benefitting from it?

Chapter 10

False Masculinity is based on the following concepts: athletic ability, sexual conquest and economic success.

What is the flaw with each of these methods for defining a man? What would Joe replace them with and why?

Think carefully about the social world you inhabit. Is Joe Ehrmann at least partially right? If so, what can and should we do about it?

The text is really about societal priorities. Note the messages Joe talks about on page 73, our media promote a great deal of poisonous ideas, one of them being this false masculinity Joe is discussing here.

DTD Read this chapter with your parents, do they agree?