1. “T OO S OON A W OMAN ” 1905-1984 By: Dorothy Johnson Dorothy M. Johnson was born in McGregor, Iowa, but made Montana her home after living in New York City for a while. Three of her stories—”The Hanging Tree,” “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance,” and “A Man Called Horse”— were made into movies.

2. S KILLS F OCUS Mood Character Motivation Character Traits

3. H ISTORICAL B ACKGROUND

4. T OO S OON A W OMAN B ACKGROUND In 1803, the Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the United States. Many people moved west into the newly purchased territories.

5. T OO S OON A W OMAN B ACKGROUND According to the Homestead Act of 1862, a settler could earn farmland just by living on it for five years and improving it: clearing it for farming and building fences and buildings.

6. People who couldn’t afford land back east hurried west to stake a claim, but the task was more difficult than most of them expected. T OO S OON A W OMAN B ACKGROUND Nearly 60 percent of the settlers failed.

7. T OO S OON A W OMAN BY D OROTHY M. J OHNSON

8. What if you were left in the middle of nowhere with children you hardly know and nothing to eat?

9. T OO S OON A W OMAN BY D OROTHY M. J OHNSON There is no game for hunting no food for sharing. Even the fish won’t bite. What would you do? no crop for harvesting

10. T OO S OON A W OMAN BY D OROTHY M. J OHNSON Read how one young girl is forced to become “too soon a woman.” It’s all up to Mary now... and Mary alone.

11. A LLUSION “Maybe Peter dozed that way at Gethsemane as the Lord knelt praying.” If the narrator is comparing his dozing to Peter, whom is he comparing Mary to? Why would he make that comparison? Hint: At Gethsemane, the Lord was preparing to make the ultimate sacrifice for us. What is Mary doing?

12. M OOD “That was no covered Conestoga like Pa’s folks came West in, but just an old farm wagon, drawn by one weary horse, creaking and rumbling westward to the mountains…”

13. M OOD “I remember my father’s sunken eyes in his gaunt, grim face.”

14. M OOD “I got plumb lost two or three times and thought maybe I was going to die there alone and nobody would ever know it, but I found the way back to the clearing.”

15. M OOD “If I’d had Pa’s rifle, I’d have been willing to kill her right then and there.”

16. M OOD “I was so scared that my stomach heaved, empty as it was…She said in a low voice, ‘I don’t know how long it will be if it’s poison. Just do the best you can with the girls’...I slept after awhile, with my chin on my chest. Maybe Peter dozed that way at Gethsemane as the Lord knelt praying.”

17. M OOD “The rain had stopped. My father came plunging out of the woods leading a pack horse-and well I remember the treasures of food in that pack…Mary came out of the cabin then, walking sedately. As she came toward us, the sun began to shine.”

18. T OO S OON A W OMAN L ITERARY F OCUS : M OTIVATION A character’s motivation is his or her reason for displaying a behavior. It often reveals a person’s character. Motivation answers the question why?

19. Why do some people cheat? Why are some people always honest? Why do people work? Why do some people volunteer and help others? Why do siblings fight? If I fight with my brother it could be because I want: My mom’s attention Control of the T.V. remote To get back at him for hurting my feelings If I volunteer it could be because I want: To make the world a better place To feel good about myself To help specific people/animals To earn credit for school We don’t all have the same motivations for our actions.

20. At the beginning of the story, why does Pa refuse to talk to Mary? Why does Mary refuse to give the children any of the mushroom at first? Why does Mary laugh and tell stories and play games the day after she eats the mushroom? Why does Pa ask about Mary when he returns? Motivation

21. C HARACTERIZATION What kind of person is Mary? Compose a paragraph in which you analyze Mary’s character. In your character analysis, consider the following aspects: *How Mary responds to the conflicts in her life *Why she makes the choices she does *How people respond to her *How she reacts to their responses

22. A FTER Y OU R EAD First Thoughts 1. Does Mary seem like a typical teenager? Explain. Thinking Critically 2. List three conflicts (internal or external) in this story. Which conflict is the main one? 3. Think about the title of the story. In what way is Mary “too soon a woman”?

23. E XTENDING I NTERPRETATIONS Most people would consider Mary a hero because she risked her life for others. Do you think any teenagers today are heroes? What have they done to show their bravery?