Dear Martin​ by Nic Stone Name_________________________________

Before you read the excerpts from Dear Martin, answer the questions in the box below
“That was the one thing that made me think, well, this may be the shadow of a beginning. That jury took a few
hours. An inevitable verdict, maybe, but usually it takes ‘em just a few minutes.”-Atticus Finch

Using Atticus’s quote, why might the jury taking longer signify progress? Why does it normally “take(s) ‘em just a
few minutes”?

Think about our class definition of Justice; does it match up with how Atticus defines justice? Why or why not?

Atticus here seems to be advocating for ​social justice​, which is defined as “justice in terms of the distribution of
wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society”. Think about ​Go Set a Watchman​, and the characteristics we
see him exhibit there. How might this change the original meaning of his quote?

Plot of the novel: ​Dear Martin​ takes the point of view of a student, Justyce Mcallister, as he
attends a fictional prep school, Braselton Preparatory Academy, in Atlanta, GA. Justyce
attends the school on scholarship. Justyce wants to believe that modern American society
has “achieved equality” but media coverage of recent murders, treatment from some of his
classmates and old neighborhood friends, and a run in with a police officer one evening
after a party makes him question whether this is true. Later on in the novel, Justyce and his
friend Manny find themselves the victims of a tragic event that leads to a wide scale
investigation and court case, with Justyce at the center. ​Dear Martin​ situates itself right in
our present day issues of racial equality, and the conflicts that continue to make us question the status
quo.

Comprehension questions​: Answer these questions as you read along the first two chapters.

1. How does Justyce rationalize helping Melo get home? What does this say about his character?

2. Analyze the scene between Justyce and the police officer. How would you describe the officers actions?

3. The cop has already made his mind up about why Justyce was at Melo’s car that evening. Cite TWO lines
from the story that explain why he choose to arrest Justyce on sight.
a.

b.

4. Think about the shooting of Jordan Davis, why is it important for Justyce to “keep his anger in check?”
Look back on your notes on the shooting of Jordan Davis, why does Justyce have to be careful in this
situation?

5. Who does Justyce write his letters to? Why write letters about his struggles to this person?
 6. What is Jared’s reason for why there are some people “claiming there are still injustices” present in modern
day society?
7. Justyce barely speaks, but it is clear that he feels uncomfortable during the debate. What part of his body
does he focus on while Jared makes his claim about racial equality?

Analysis questions​: Answer these questions after your initial reading. ​Use your notes on the Jordan Davis shooting
and definitions for justice given to help answer these questions​.
The arrest is not only physically traumatizing to Justyce, but mentally so. How does the arrest challenge Justyce’s
worldview? Focus on Justyce’s descriptions of ​himself ​ when he is writing to Martin.

What is SJ trying to communicate to Jared about societal inequities in her quote that people “have to be able to
afford boots” before they can lift themselves up, “by their bootstraps”? Use your notes from yesterday!

“I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right,
temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.”- Martin Luther King Jr.

This quote frontlines the novel, and suggests that ''truth” and ''love” will prevail despite adversity. Despite this, the
novel is plagued with instances where actions are shadowed by differing narratives, implicit bias, and lies. Do the
events of TKAM support this quote, or disprove it? Why or why not?

Characterization of Justyce, Scout, and Atticus: We have made our own definitions of justice, but as we saw in class,
not everyone’s definition will be exactly the same. Our personal definitions are based on our experiences, something
that other people can hear about, but never know and understand the way we do. ​Using textual evidence from To
Kill a Mockingbird, Go Set a Watchman, and Dear Martin, you will create statements for what each character
defines justice as.​ Use the novel and scans from ItsLearning to find quotes for each character. The quotes do NOT
have to be lines of dialogue from the character, but any part of the book that reinforces their beliefs about justice.
Using your notes from the day before AND how to look for supporting quotations will prove beneficial for this
activity. ​You are expected to find AT LEAST THREE QUOTES for each character​.

Scout Justyce Jem

Justice: Justice: Justice: