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Lesson 1 (from Section I, 1 - 25)

Objective

The first twenty-five pages of Child of God establish Lester Ballard as a social outcast and malcontent. The narrative passage illustrates his antagonistic relationship with the rest of the world, and the remainder shows his separation from humanity.

The objective of this lesson is to examine the character of Lester Ballard as a man apart, a modern hermit.

Lesson

1. For class discussion: Have the class choose short passages from this section that provide descriptions of Lester Ballard. Write specific nouns, adjectives, and phrases used in the text on the board.

2. McCarthy's work is often described as Biblical in its cadence. Divide the class into groups and give each a Bible page portraying a hermit or outcast from scripture (Jeremiah, John the Baptist, etc). Have the groups compare this person to the description of Ballard and have each present the comparison to the class.

3. For class discussion...

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