Thursday, May 5, 2011
"Hitler is the Government"-- A Resemblance to the Case
Scout Has Matured!
Because To Kill A Mockingbird is set over several seasons, we have experienced many characters growing up. Throughout the book, there have been examples of Scout maturing. “I sometimes felt a twinge of remorse, when passing by the old place, at ever having taken part in what must have been sheer torment to Arthur Radley – what reasonable recluse wants children peeping through his shutters, delivering greetings on the end of a fishing-pole, wandering in his collards at night?” In this passage you can tell Scout has become more mature because she understands that the way she acted with the Radley’s was wrong. A while back when she was younger she didn’t quite get why tormenting Arthur was so bad. Scout thought it was fun to play around the Radley’s house and the sneaky feeling of doing it was exciting. Now she has realized how sad and lonely he must feel by being shut in his house for his life and getting tormented by little children. Although Scout has matured, she is still only a little girl. She still needs Atticus to guide her through her life when something becomes hard to deal with. Scout has grown up and become more mature as the book progressed.
Emma
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
A fair man- Atticus Finch
“Depends on how you look at it,” he said. “What was one negro, more or less, among two hundred of ‘em? He wasn’t Tom to them, he was an escaping prisoner.” This passage shows and adds to the readers sense of fairness towards Atticus. Atticus was defending Tom Robinson, putting his reputation of the line to make sure he is set free and he still talks highly about the people who killed Tom. In Atticus’s mind everyone has a reason for what they do. This is a reappearing theme throughout the book. He knows why Mrs. Dubois was so wicked, he understands why Bob Ewell spat in his face. He puts himself in the other person’s shoes, much like he told Scout to do regarding Walter Cunningham. Atticus’s great understanding of people assists him in raising Scout and Jem to be respectful children. They often come to him mad about something or someone and Atticus simply explains the other persons side of the story or says “put yourself in their shoes.”
Two Different Worlds
Tom Robison was in such a difficult position when he stepped foot inside the Ewell home because he went where no one had gone before. He went in god-forsaken territories in the eyes of a black man out of pure goodness and he wanted to help Miss. Mayella Ewell. For a black man, even stepping foot on a white mans property was unheard of, but the fact that Tom Robinson took it a step farther and help Mayella perform tasks on a daily basis and even dared to venture into their house was considered my many suicidal. Furthermore he did it for no reward expect self-fulfillment. On page 200 Mr. Gilmir says, “You did all this chopping and work from sheer goodness, boy” and Tom answers, “Tried to help he, I says.” This shows that even though Tom ventured into the Ewell property on a daily basis to help Mayella was out of goodness, but no one held a black man to be credible for anything. In most white peoples eyes at the time in Maycomb County, Alabama a black person was never right if opposed by a white person.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Next Step Into Manhood
Zach
Empathy
Sunday, May 1, 2011
The God of the Courtroom
“Miss Jean Louise, stand up. Your father’s passin’.” Reverend Sykes’ has to ask Scout and Jem to stand as a sign of respect for their father. As Atticus is walking out of the courtroom after losing the case every Black person stands for him. Scout and Jem, on the other hand, have to be told. Atticus’s children love and respect their father but they have never really understood what he has done by taking on Tom Robinson’s case. At that moment they finally do. Scout and Jem realize that their father is all the things he has always tried to teach them to be: strong, kind, fearless, and just.
When Jem and Scout go to church with Calpurnia, one women stops them and asks what white children are doing in her church. Calpurnia answers, “it’s the same God, ain’t it?” The gathering of Black people in the courtroom to watch Atticus Finch defend Tom Robinson is the same as the white children (Jem and Scout) going to church with Cal. They are all there to show respect to Atticus and support for Tom. In Calpurnia’s church there is a God to worship. In the courtroom, it is Atticus’s church and justice is his God.
Emma
Response From Innocent Minds and Races
Friday, April 29, 2011
Assignment Sheet #3
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Sympathy and Understanding
"That old Mr. Gilmer doin' him thataway, talking so hateful to him...It was the way he said it made me sick, plain sick" This quote shows Dill's strong understanding of how Mr. Gilmer was talking to Tom as if he was lower than him. It shows Dill's strong sympathy toward Tom and how much Dill can't stand to see it.
When Scout took Dill outside, they talking with Mr. Dolphus Raymond. Mr. Raymond was white and married a black woman. He had a different way of living and so that people could understand his unique style, he let the people believe that the coke a cola he was drinking was alcohol. He let them believe that he couldn’t help the way he lived because he was always half drunk. I think Dill can also connect to this character. Mr. Raymond never really fit in with anybody, just like Dill who was tossed around from relative to relative. Dill never assimilated with or felt at home with anybody. While they were talking, I, as a reader, could sense that they both understood each other and had a strong connection.
Overall, I think Dill began to cry because he understood what Tom Robinson was going through. Dill also understood Mr. Raymond and his different ways of life.
What is the significance of this line?
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Racial Favorites
The different stories were obvious between Mayella Ewell and Bob. The different takes on the incident leaves suspicion about whether the facts are true or not. Mayella narrates that her father ran in, without knowledge of the raper. Bob says that he runs in to find Mr. Robinson on top of Mayella. Although the suspects seem guilty, because of the racial profiles, Mr. Robinson is still being accused. Mr. Robinson is left handed, making the bruise on Mayella's eye hard for him to injure. Mayella exclaims “That nigger yonder took advantage of me an’ if you fine fancy gentlemen don’t wanta do nothin’ about it then you’re all yellow stinkin’ cowards.” Mayella is a sister of 7, and her mother is dead, Mayella is probably looking for attention and because whites have more power, she probably feels that accusing a black, it would be easier to get away with.
Eliza
Testimony Contradictions
Zach
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Aunt Alexandra
"It takes a woman to do that kind of work." (Last line of Ch. 13)
Scout and Jem still are unable to accept her and are detached from her strong traditional southern views. As a result Atticus receives many criticism the way he brought up his children and is forced to act. 'Our Father was actually fidgeting. "No, I just want to explain to you that--your Aunt Alexandra asked me...son you know you're a Finch, don't you?" (p.177) However Jem and Scout notices this and become resentful towards the changed Atticus. Atticus also finds this uncomfortable and later tells his children, "I don't want you to remember it. Forget it."
Scout realizes her father's struggle dealing with carrying on the Finch's name, being a parent that lives to the expectations of his family, and still believing in his own separate views. "I know what he was trying to do, but Atticus was only a man. It takes a woman to do that kind of work." (p.170) However she also knows that instilling manners and acting as the motherly figure was the role of a woman, during that time period.
Mr. Dolphus Raymond
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
What is True Courage?
At the end of chapter eleven (p149 in student books), Atticus explains to Jem that courage is not just the stereotypical "man with a gun in his hand", but it's about someone seeing through a bad situation, continuing on, and holding their head up high. The initial reason for Atticus having to share his thoughts with his son is because of a recent death in the neighborhood. Mrs. Dubose just passed away from an illness. She was addicted to the pain killer, morphine. Mrs. Dubose made a promise to herself that "she was going to leave this world beholden to nothing and nobody", and "she wanted to break herself of it before she died". So the only way for her to accomplish her goal was to slowly wean herself off of the medication. Because Jem ruined Mrs. Dubose's yard, he was ordered to read to her two hours a week, for a month. Little did he know he was helping distract the old woman from rousing with another dose of morphine. Once Mrs. Dubose was free, and Jem was no longer required to provide her company, she met her end.
Before she died, she asked Jessie, her house assistant, to fix Jem a box to show thanks. Inside the box were Snow-on-the-Mountain flowers, which were the flowers Jem killed in Mrs. Dubose's yard. Jem was infuriated with the gift and thought it was an insult. It was then that Atticus went to Mrs. Dubose's defense. Atticus explained that she was a great lady. Jem immediately disagreed with his father's statement because she had enormously offended the Finch Family. But Atticus continued on to say that Mrs. Dubose was courageous. He wanted to open up Jem's mind and make him see that not just men can have courage, but women too. Their neighbor had won a battle against herself, and not against someone else. Atticus also added, "She was the bravest person I ever knew".
Even though immediately after Atticus explained true courage to his son, Jem went right on as if he wasn't listening to a word he just said, and threw the present in the fire. Meanwhile, “Atticus was reading the paper”. This whole passage explains a few traits about Atticus. It shows that he is wise because he oversees the entire situation. It also shows that he is not a pushy father, that he gives his children freedom to create their own path, and that he doesn’t follow the norm. It shows that Atticus lives by his own self, and that he will only share and preach what is necessary.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Cal and Her Community
Tynan
Monday, April 18, 2011
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Items in the Tree
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Folded Pants
Chapter 7: The Truth Behind Jem's Retrieval of his Pants
This brings us to the Radley's tree, a tree on the property of the Radley's, a place where people are afraid of going near. So far in this book we have seen that Jem and Scout have been receiving gifts such as Indian coins, gum, and gray twine, from an unknown person in the hole of the tree. They also receive a gift of whittled soap, meant to represent themselves and a watch, still not knowing who is leaving these gifts for them. "He had been on the verge of telling me something all evening; his face would brighten and he would lean toward me, then would change his mind..."Here let's write a letter," I pushed a tablet under his nose. "Okay. Dear Mister..." (p.82) Something has clearly been on Jem's mind throughout this chapter, most likely about who keeps leaving him the gifts and who had folded and 'mended' his pants. When writing a letter to the stranger that had been giving Scout and Jem gifts, his thoughts accidentally slip out by revealing that he believes it's a man. Perhaps he doesn't want to share his thoughts that this stranger could be Boo Radley with Scout, because he didn't want to frighten her knowing how much Scout didn't was afraid of him. But it slowly reveals Jem's new found respect of Boo Radley.
On the following page on their way to school Jem discovers something, "Someone had filled our knot-hole with cement. "Don't cry now Scout...don't cry now, don't you worry--" he muttered at me all the way to school." (p.83) Although it isn't clear whether Scout was actually upset about the hole being filled with cement; it is obvious that Jem is. And coming to a conclusion that it is Boo Radley who keeps leaving the gifts, Jem is beginning to think that those rumors of him were false. With the tree still in mind he goes and asks Nathan Radley why he had filled the hole of his tree with cement, which Nathan replies, "Tree's dying. You plug 'em up with cement when they're sick." (p.83) Still not convinced, Jem asks Atticus's opinion about the tree, and it is revealed that the true looks healthy. This is implied that Nathan lied about the reason to Scout and Jem, and the real reason is most likely because he doesn't want Boo Radley to continue giving gifts to the children. (Throughout the book it is implied that the Radley family lives in an abusive household.)
Jem cries at the end of this chapter at this realization.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Calpurnia vs. Scout
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
A Confirmation of Dill's Courage
“I admired my brother. Matches were dangerous, but cards were lethal.”
Tynan
To Kill a Mockingbird- Last Paragraph
Monday, April 11, 2011
What do you make of the last line of Chapter 4?
Felix