The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter
Teacher's Guide - Schedule / Lesson Plans

Introduction

Schedule/Lesson Plans

Capstone Project Ideas

Essay Topics

Additional Resources

NCTE Standards

Credits

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This is a suggested teaching schedule for a 10 class study of Carson McCullers' The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter. Lesson plans and handouts can be downloaded individually by clicking on the name of the file in the schedule below. Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view these files.

The CD Audio Guides are available only for the communities participating in The Big Read. If your community is participating, contact the lead community organization to receive a free Audio Guide. If your community is not participating, encourage a local organization (such as a library, museum, literary center, arts council, or similar non-profit organization) to apply.

DAY ONE

FOCUS: Biography
Day One Lesson Plan [58K]
Activities: Listen to the Big Read CD. Write an essay on why McCullers might have chosen to begin the novel with a strong portrayal of companionship.
Homework: Part One, Chapters 1-3 (pp. 3-53). *

DAY TWO

FOCUS: Culture and History
Day Two Lesson Plan [60K]
Activities: Read Handout One. Discuss how radio might have affected the social, political, and cultural climate of the 1930s.
Homework: Part One, Chapters 4-5 (pp. 53-90).
Handout One [51K]

DAY THREE

FOCUS: Narrative and Point of View
Day Three Lesson Plan [57K]
Activities: Discuss McCullers’ use of multiple points of view. Rewrite the beginning of the novel from first-person point of view.
Homework: Part One, Chapter 6 and Part Two, Chapters 1-2 (pp. 90-134).

DAY FOUR

FOCUS: Characters
Day Four Lesson Plan [60K]
Activities: Read Handout Two. Discuss the ways that The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter can be considered a Southern Gothic novel. Write an essay on a secondary character who serves as an antagonist to Mick Kelly or John Singer.
Homework: Part Two, Chapters 3-5 (pp. 135-181).
Handout Two [50K]

DAY FIVE

FOCUS: Figurative Language
Day Five Lesson Plan [49K]
Activities: Describe music that sounds like “little colored pieces of crystal candy.” Write a paragraph examining how the title of the novel serves as a metaphor.
Homework: Part Two, Chapters 6-7 (pp. 181-223).

DAY SIX

FOCUS: Symbols
Day Six Lesson Plan [57K]
Activities: Analyze the symbolism of Mick’s violin, the radio, and Willie’s harmonica.
Homework: Part Two, Chapters 8-10 (pp. 223-263).

DAY SEVEN

FOCUS: Character Development
Day Seven Lesson Plan [56K]
Activities: Read Handout Three. Discuss the actions, reactions, and body language of each person visiting Singer’s room. Examine the use of epistolary writing. Write a letter from one character in the novel to another.
Homework: Part Two, Chapters 11-13 (pp. 264-305).
Handout Three [52K]

DAY EIGHT

FOCUS: The Plot Unfolds
Day Eight Lesson Plan [49K]
Activities: Discuss the major turning points in the novel. Examine the ways McCullers integrates the lives of the characters in order to create a fictional world.
Homework: Part Two, Chapters 14-15 (pp. 305-326).

DAY NINE

FOCUS: Themes of the Novel
Day Nine Lesson Plan [53K]
Activities: Discuss themes of isolation, racism, and communication.
Homework: Part Three. Begin working on essays.

DAY TEN

FOCUS: What Makes a Great Book?
Day Ten Lesson Plan [54K]
Activities: Explore the qualities of a great novel.
Homework: Work on essays.

* Page numbers refer to the 2000 Mariner Books edition of The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter.