Life Death

right to save the life of the fish? Explain why or why not. Was what Mae did right? Why did she do what she did? What would have happened if she hadn’t?

Enrichment: The Ethics of Life and Death How do we know what’s right and what’s wrong? Most people, for instance, would agree that killing is wrong, but if you asked them if it was all right to kill during a war, there would be some disagreement. Many would say that, yes, it’s all right to defend yourself. Some would say that it was right to kill people—as long as they were different from you, while still others would say that under no circumstances was killing ever right. What if someone asked you about capital punishment or eating meat? What would you have to say about killing then? Whenever people discuss what’s right and wrong, what’s fair and not fair, they are discussing ethics. To help them answer these questions, people often rely on their cultural traditions. For instance, the killing of a slave just a few hundred years ago was not illegal; slaves were regarded as property, not people. If you had grown up in a different time and place, what would you have thought was right? Religion also provides people with a framework for making moral decisions. The Jains of India are so opposed to killing that not only are they vegetarians but they also use screens to strain their drinking water so they will not accidentally ingest and kill small insects. And of course, in all different times and places, there are people like Winnie Foster who listen to the teachings of their own hearts. When philosophers consider an ethical dilemma concerning a particular action, they first examine the motivations or intentions behind that action. In our own society, for example, we judge killing differently based on the intentions of the murderer. There is a difference in the American judicial system between accidental and premeditated, or planned, killing. Then the ethicist considers the moral consequences of the action. Can a bad action produce a good result? Can a well-intentioned action sometimes lead to terrible consequences? What do you think about the actions of the characters in Tuck Everlasting? Was Winnie

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L it e rat u

r e Re sp o n se J o u r n a l

Name ______________________________________ Date _______________________

Tuck Everlasting

Before Reading the Book Reading Strategy: Titles A writer often spends a long time thinking of a title for a book. Because they are the very first words we read, titles can have a powerful influence on what we think about a book or whether we will even read it at all.

Writing in Your Literature Response Journal A. Write about one of these topics in your journal. Circle the topic you chose. 1.

Tuck Everlasting. Take a minute to think about that title before you begin to read. What does it remind you of or make you think about? How does the word everlasting make you feel, and why?

2. Imagine you could live forever. Would you want to? Tell why or why not. What would you do with your time if you were immortal? 3. Write about a time when you thought about running away from home. What made you want to leave? Where did you want to go? What kept you from running away? 4. How have you changed since you were little? What kinds of experiences have made you change?

❒ Prediction

❒ Question

❒ Observation

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❒ Connection

Literature Circle Guide for Tuck Everlasting • Scholastic Professional Books

B. What were your predictions, questions, observations, and connections about the book? Write about one of them in your journal. Check the response you chose.

Group D iscussion

Name ______________________________________ Date _______________________

Tuck Everlasting

Before Reading the Book For Your Discussion Group A Death is a topic that often makes people uncomfortable. We may feel embarrassed or afraid to talk about what we believe and what we think about the subject of death. Yet Tuck Everlasting is a book that asks readers to think deeply about the meaning of life and death. As you begin to talk together as a group, make sure you respect how difficult it can be for people to discuss this topic. Remember, too, that people with different religious backgrounds may have different opinions about the subject. A Begin by having each group member share an experience he or she has had with death. Perhaps it was the death of a friend or relative, or a pet, or an event seen from a distance that affected him or her deeply. As each person shares, listen closely. This is a time for listening only, not for making any comments. A As a group, talk about the following questions: Is death always bad? Why do we die? Is there anything that doesn’t die? What is the purpose of our lives? (These are questions that keep philosophers and religious thinkers busy. The purpose of this conversation is to find out what different people think, not to convince them of the rightness of any one person’s opinion.)

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Literature Circle Guide for Tuck Everlasting • Scholastic Professional Books

A After a discussion as deep and philosophical as this, you may find that you have new questions to wonder about. Write them down in your journal, and continue to think about them as you read the book.