Eng. 81 To Kill a Mockingbird Blog
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