Atticus shooting Tim Johnson, the rabid dog symbolizes his attempt to destroy the similarly

dangerous and contagious disease that is racism. When Jem, Scout and Cal first see the mad dog,
they call Atticus and Mr. Tate, who rush to the assumption that the dog needs to be killed. Scout
narrates, Atticus pushed his glasses to his forehead; they slipped down, and he dropped them in
the street...Tim Johnson had made up what was left of his mind. He had finally turned himself
around, to pursue his original course up our street...The rifle cracked. Tim Johnson leaped, flopped
over and crumpled on the sidewalk in a brown-and-white heap (110). This quote reveals how Tim
Johnson is a symbol of racism in Maycomb. When Scout refers to Tim Johnson as a brown and
white heap, it draws more attention to how the dog relates to race, using stereotypical skin colors
of brown and white. The dog cant help being brown and white, or having rabies, just how people
can't help the color of their own skin. This successful experience leads Atticus to believe that when
the time comes to end racism, he follow through with it. This deepens Scouts understanding of Tom
Robinsons trial and helps her realize why Atticus was hesitant about shooting Tim Johnson. When
Judge Taylor was announcing the verdict of Tom Robinsons case, Scout enters a dreamlike stage
and says,I saw something only a lawyers child could be expected to see, could be expected to
watch for, and it was like watching Atticus walk into the street, raise a rifle to his shoulder and pull
the trigger, but watching all the time knowing that the gun was empty(240). This quote
demonstrates how Atticus was trying throughout the whole case to stop racist stereotypes. Scout
automatically feels a link between this situation and the situation in which Atticus shot Tim
Johnson, as she describes both situations in the street where Atticus was trying to kill something
relating to racism. When Scout says knowing that the gun was empty, it represents how when
Atticus shoots Tim Johnson, he is killing the physical stereotype of racism, but when he actually
tries to kill the abstract thing, or win Toms case, he isnt able to follow through with it. Harper Lee
includes this comparison to remind readers that racism continues to be an issue today, and that it
takes more than one person to end it.

Criteria

Sophisticated

Capable

Evolving

Arriving

Main
argument
(topic
sentence)

The paragraph has a

clear main argument
(topic sentence) that
goes beyond making
a basic claim to
asking and
answering
why/how/so what?

The paragraph
has a clear main
argument that
attempts to go
beyond a basic,
more obvious
claim.

The paragraph
has a main
argument, but
main
argument
does not go
beyond basic
plot elements.

The paragraph
attempts to
answer the
prompt, but
lacks a clear
argument; or,
argument is
unclear to
reader.

Paragraph
contains relevant
evidence that
supports the
argument. The
writer leads into
each quote or

Paragraph is
not yet fully
persuasive
because there
is insufficient
evidence OR
some quotes

Paragraph
features general
summary that
lacks the
specificity
needed to prove
the arguments

(9/10)

Evidence
(5/5)

Topic sentence goes

beyond the obvious
and demonstrates
originality and
complexity.
Paragraph includes
relevant, specific,
and persuasive
evidence that
supports and furthers
the argument. The
writer leads into each

Misunderstandi
ng
Paragraph is offtopic, with a lack
of any unifying
ideas.

Evidence is
completely
lacking or clearly
unrelated to the
arguments.

Commentar
y (analysis
after
evidence)

quote or example
effectively (rather
than simply dropping
in a quote as its own
sentence).

example
effectively
(rather than
simply dropping
in a quote as its
own sentence).

Each piece of
evidence has been
clearly discussed and
connected to the
main argument.

Each piece of
evidence has
been clearly
discussed and
connected to the
main arguments.

(4/5)

Guiding
Your
Reader
(Organizati
on and
Context)
(4.5/5)

Convention
s
(5/5)

Analysis of
quotations is
thoroughly
developed and
demonstrates
complexity of
thought.
The paragraph is
clearly organized and
has hints of
creativity and style.
The writer has
offered context for
her argument and
evidence throughout
the paragraph.

The paragraph is
clearly
organized.
The writer has
offered context
for her argument
and evidence
throughout the
paragraph.

and examples
do not clearly
support the
arguments.
Quotes or
examples may
not be led into
effectively.
The evidence
presented in
the paragraph
is just thatpresented. It
is not clearly
connected to
the argument
offered.

presented in the
paragraph.

The evidence
presented in the
paragraph is
incorrectly
explained or is
discussed
inaccurately,
showing a
misunderstandin
g of the text
overall.

The evidence is
presented as a
summary of the
events that took
place in the text,
without any
discussion of the
meaning
connected to that
evidence.

The writer has

made an
attempt at
organization,
but lacks
understanding
of the purpose
of one or
more parts of
the paragraph.

The writer has

failed to include
any discussion
of the context of
her argument
and evidence,
and her
paragraph lacks
clear
organization
overall.

The paragraph is
unclear and
difficult for the
reader to follow.

The conventions
exhibited by the
writer are
lacking in
quality. There
are excessive
errors in the
writing and the
writer is lacking
a sense of style
in her
vocabulary and
sentence
structure.

The writer seems

to lack an
appropriate level
of attention to
detail. There are
excessive errors
in the writing and
the writer is
lacking a sense
of style in her
vocabulary and
sentence
structure.

Transitions between
ideas in the
paragraph are fluid
and varied.

Transitions are
present.

The writer
may lack
context for
her argument
and evidence.

The conventions
exhibited by the
writer are of top
quality. There are
essentially no errors
in the writing itself,
and the writer has
exhibited a fine
sense of style in the
varied nature of her
vocabulary and
sentence structure.

The conventions
exhibited by the
writer are of
high quality.
There are
occasional errors
in the writing
itself, and the
writer has
exhibited an
emerging sense
of style in her
vocabulary and
sentence
structure.

The
conventions
exhibited by
the writer are
lackluster
quality. There
are multiple
errors in the
writing and
the writer is
lacking a
clear sense of
style in her
vocabulary
and sentence

structure.
General Comments:
Amna,
This is a focused paragraph that demonstrates strong close reading skills on your part. This paragraph also
represents strong progress in your ability to form a more nuanced argument. In order to make this
paragraph even more convincing, I would love to see further commentary that compares the two scenes:
why exactly cant Atticus shoot in the end? Why cant he kill the dog at the end? Whats different
between the first and second instance? In what ways is the lone rabid dog different than the racism of the
Tom Robinson trial? I can see that you have begun to contemplate this difference, and Id now like to see it
fleshed out even further in order to prove your argument more thoroughly. Nice work!

Final Score: 27.5/30