Chapters 24 & 25: Why do you think Chapter 24 is in the book?

Chapter 24 is in the book to demonstrate the utter hypocrisy in the fabric of adult society in Maycomb during a relatively hopeful but primitive and fearful period of American history.

The scene is a devout “missionary circle” consisting of the women of Maycomb meeting for tea at the Finch house. The author uses this Christian scene to underline the ingrained hypocrisy of their social behavior. While considering the plight of a far off African tribe, the Mrunas, the women were, in the same breath, denigrating the blacks in their very own community. “Mrs. Merriweather’s large brown eyes always filled with tears when she considered the oppressed [in Africa],” (308), yet Mrs. Merriweather says to Mrs. Farrow, “...There’s nothing more distracting than a sulky darky…Just ruins your day to have one of ‘em in the kitchen,” (310).

In joining the ladies in the missionary circle as part of Aunt Alexandra’s desire “to teach me to be a lady,” (307) Scout was being indoctrinated into preservation of the status quo. This is apparent as in the final scene after the news about Tom Robinson's death. In that scene, Miss Maudie and Aunt Alexandra act as though “…their only regret was the temporary domestic disaster of losing Calpurnia… ” (317). In suppressing their grief about Tom Robinson's death, Miss Maudie, Aunt Alexandra and Scout join together in keeping their poise in the face of tragedy. Scout appears to respect Aunt Alexandra, by saying, “After all, if Aunty could be a lady in times like these, so could I” (318). In taking this smug approach, they are not making waves, fulfilling their role in Maycomb. It is up to Atticus and the African Americans to lead social change for the next generation.

Question:
Do you think Aunt Alexandra may be like Atticus, but is afraid to show her true feelings?

Chapter 22-23: What Are The Four Kinds Of People Jem Says Exist In Maycomb County? Do You Agree With His Assessment?

When Aunt Alexandra calls Walter Cunningham "trash", Jem starts thinking about the types of people in Maycomb county. He categorizes them, saying, "There's the ordinary kind like us and neighbors, there's the kind like the Cunninghams out in the woods, the kind like the Ewells down at the dump, and the Negroes." (302). I disagree with his assessment; he lumps together the Atticus type with Mrs. Dubose and the Radleys, Mayella and Bob Ewell, Calpurnia and Lula. In doing so, he ignores the personalities and views of each individual but rather focuses on the overall rankings of power in society. The basic roles of "mockingbirds", victims, defenders, and assailants are the key parts that he is missing. This shows how he believes himself to be more mature than he is, as he says, "You know something, Scout? I've got it all figured out, now." (302). Once again, Scout shows her deeper understanding as she questions Jem's reasoning when he says, "I've seen Atticus pat his foot when there's fiddlin' on the radio, and he loves pot liquor better'n any man I ever saw -" (303) to which Scout responds, "Then that makes us like the Cunninghams" (303).

Another view Jem once had when he was Scout's age, is that "there's just one kind of folks. Folks." (304). A point he raises is that if everyone is the same, or equal, why can't they get along with each other? Here, both he and Scout miss how strong the segregation and discrimination is in Maycomb. Why does Jem go into a decline towards this part of the story? Why does Jem start categorizing based on social rankings as he grow older? Why is Scout not as affected yet?

Chapters 22+23 What do we learn happened to Atticus and how do we find this out? Are you surprised by his reaction?

In these two chapters, the trial between Mayella Ewell and Tom Robinson is over and the verdict is not the one Atticus expected. Inside Atticus feels that he has been cheated out of, what would have been one of the biggest steps toward unification between the two races, ever in the south. But later Atticus promises Jem that he will appeal the verdict and try to get Tom out of Jail ASAP.

In the day following the trial, Atticus was walking down the street, minding his own business, when a very familiar face approached him. It was Bob Ewell, the uneducated, mean, dirty, tobacco chewing, disgrace to Maycomb. As he Approached Atticus, he spit in his face and said he was going to kill him...his reaction was that of a Gentleman. Atticus politely wiped his face, told him he wasn't going to fight, and walked away. Scout receives this information fro Ms. Stephanie, who personally, i would not rely on for vital information like this. In my opinion, his reaction was not a surprise. After having discovered that his children secretly follow him, and setting a bad example with the gun, he truly acted as if the whole world was watching and were to follow his example . This scene was the true characterization on the parts of Atticus and Mr. Ewell in the way that this further backs up the facts Scout told us about the Ewells and sets it in stone. As for Atticus, it marks the rest of his stressful trial and the extreme regret he will soon feel for Tom Robinson if the appeal is rejected, or he loses it once again. I also believe that this is a sign of foreshadowing that Harper Lee uses to keep the reader interested. I think that it represents the outcome of the appeal trial if there ever is one. The reason for this is because Mr. Ewell says to Atticus that he will find a way to kill him, and by having Atticus and Ton Robinson lose, and having Tom go to the electric chair will truly KILL Atticus inside.

Questions:

1) What do you think will end up happening with the appeal?

2) Do you think Mr. Ewell spitting in Atticus' face is really a sign of foreshadowing?

3)Would you ever have reacted the way Atticus did? What else can be interpreted by his actions?

CH.20-21 Why does Harper Lee keep repeating scenes showing the power of children?

Why do you think that the chapters closer to the trials scenes reflect more upon children willpower and the effect that they could have upon racism? In chapter 15- 16 a group of Cunninghams decided to become drunk and go down to the Maycomb jail to do whatever to tom Robinson inside the jail. This mob of angry "animals" were stopped in their tracks by Scout, Jem, and Dill just being kind and courteous to them. It showed that their is strong power in children that many people do not know about. As Atticus later says, 'So, it took an eight-year-old child to bring 'em to their senses, didn't it? That proves something- that a gang of wild animals can be stopped, simply because they're human.' [210] Another example is when in chapter 19-20, when DIll begins to cry because of the way Mr. Gilmer had addressed Tom Robinson as "boy" and of the demeaning way he talks. This shows that Dill being the youngest had not yet experienced racism as much as Scout or Jem or anyone else, and so he was not used to it. Since DIll was not used to racism he could easily recognize it, unlike everyone else who was used to racial slurs or desegregation. She added him crying to show how even more inexperienced he was.

Mr. Dolphus Raymond then confronts Dill and Scout outside of the courthouse in chapters 19-20 and explains how he agrees with the sickness Dill feels towards racism. When Mr. Raymond tells the children his deepest secret with the way he lives his life with colored people, he then says, 'Because you're children and you can understand it' [268]. This is ironic because usually grown-ups are the ones with the answers and who can understand things better than children do. I feel Harper Lee was trying to show that at the age of Dill and Scout children understand better than adults do that there is no large difference between white and black, and that peace between every culture and race is not hard to achieve. It shows that when children grow up close to racism the begin to believe everything that applies to it.

I feel some symbols in these few chapters are: children=innocence and a wider view of life

and (most) grown-ups/adults= guilt, racism, maturity, and a closed categorized view of life.

Are there any different view upon these symbols?

p.s.- sorry i didn't get to get this in earlier than 8. i had technical difficulties with blogger.com

Chapters 20+21 (free response) How is Dolphus Raymond's Coca-Cola a symbol?

Dolphus Raymond's Coca-Cola is a symbol; a symbol of the African-Americans of Maycomb. Everyone always thought that Raymond carried some sort of alcohol in that brown paper bag. No one would have thought otherwise because Raymond was looked at so lowly in society. The brown paper bag is a disguise in a way that lets people judge him. If he did not have the brown paper bag disguising the soda people would view it as normal. The same theory can be related to people. The citizens of Maycomb judge a person based on their outsides; not the insides. If everyone was the same color skin in Maycomb this may be different. The paper bag works in the same way that the African-American’s skin color does. It is a disguise of what is on the inside. Inside that paper bag could have been many things. It could have been what people assumed, what it actually was and any other type of drink. But as Jem said “…. It was just Coca-Cola.” Any white or African-American could be the same; nasty like alcohol or sweet like chocolate milk. I think that even today people are judged more on their outsides rather that their insides too. Though we have made improvement there is still more to be done. What is your opinion on how the world has progresed?

Chapter 18- Mayella's Testimony, are there consistencies?

I agree with a lot of the ideas Liam put out there answering this same question. I agree that Mayella is almost the complete opposite of what you would expect. Leading up to this testimony the idea of a young 19 year old getting raped is introduced multiple times, and an image is created in your mind. A small, delicate, beautiful southern woman getting sexually abused by Tom Robinson. The symbolism of the Geraniums only pushes this idea further. But instead of a delicate, womanly 19 year old, a "thick bodied," tough, souther woman "accustom to strenuous labor," (pg. 240) comes to the witness stand.

There are many inconsistencies in Mayella's testimony. A main inconsistency that jumps out to me is her answer to Atticus's question: "Do you remember him [Tom Robinson] beating you about the face?" (247) She changes her immediate answer of "No I don't recollect if he hit me," (248) to "I mean yes I do, he hit me." (248). Her multiple stutters and inconsistencies clearly show how Mayella Ewell is guilty, and Tom Robinson never raped her. Also, as her testimony moves on and on she becomes more and more comfortable with her recollection of what happened, suddenly remembering more of the event. She also adds more details to the story as the trial continues. All this clearly shows Mayella has put together a story to plead her case.

My feelings have completely changed about Mayella after her testimony. To me she is quite obviously guilty of making up as story that Tom Robinson raped her. Also it becomes very clear that Mayella can handle herself. She appears to be a strong, independent, hard-working woman who could handle herself, especially against Tom Robinson who is crippled. Now that it is clear Mayella made up the story of her rape it is also clear that she must be covering something up, something that has to do with Tom Robinson. Therefore the question arrises, what is Mayella Ewell covering up?

Chapters 20 + 21: Free Response. How is Jem acting naive in chapters 20 and 21?

Throughout the entire trial, Jem repeatedly says comments like, “…but don’t fret, we’ve won it” (279) and “…we’re gonna win, Scout. I don’t see how we can’t.” (270) Jem is naïve in believing that the verdict would be based solely on the facts and evidence. Living in a small racist town like Maycomb for thirteen years, he should have known that the results would most likely be based on skin color. The fact that he doesn’t realize this just goes to show that he’s not as old and mature as he thinks he is, and he’s not really an adult quite yet. The situation is ironic because Jem continuously tells Scout that she is too young and can’t understand life, when actually he is the one who doesn’t fully understand. In fact, Scout seems to understand the feelings of the people and the jurors in the courtroom better than Jem. She notices the looks on the jurors’ faces, and she is not surprised by the outcome of the trial.

The fact is that the Ewells won the case even though the majority of their town disliked and looked down on them. Each Ewell child went to school for only the first day. Their house was dirty and their father was constantly drunk and unemployed. Mayella couldn’t get her story straight and even forgot some facts, such as whether or not “Tom Robinson had attacked her in her face.” However, she was white and he was black, and the jury couldn’t see past the color of his skin.

Do you think Jem actually believed Atticus would win, and why? Do you think that Scout handled the trial scene more realistically than Jem? Also, do you think that it is a possibility that Jem had so much respect for his father that maybe he knew they were going to lose the case, but didn’t want to come to terms with it?

Chapters 18-19: What does Tom Robinson suggest happened the day of the rape? Do you think the jury will believe his version of events?

n chapter nineteen, Tom Robinson is called to the witness stand. He answers all of Atticus's questions, but his account of the day of the "rape" and his previous encounters with Mayella and the Ewell family, are much different from the accounts set forward by Mayella and Bob Ewell. He says that Mayella asked him to come in and then proceeded to kiss him, and that he resisted her advances and when Mr. Ewell came to the window and screamed at him, he ran.

One of the first questions Atticus asks Tom is about his previous encounter with the law. Tom goes on to recount the cause of his thirty-day jail sentence without hesitation. Jem said, "that Atticus was showing the jury that Tom had nothing to hide," (p. 255) and even though Tom never hesitates or stumbles, as Mayella does, I doubt that the jury will believe his testimony. This is because of his race. The story takes place in a highly prejudiced southern town, and throughout the book, Harper Lee does many things to show the various ways race plays a part in Maycomb’s soceiety. Even though Mayella is part of the Ewell family, she is still white, and therefore is given the huge advantage in the case. The problem with this is that Mayella's testimony did not match her father’s and she changed her story a lot as well. Tom Robinson's testimony was honest, and Scout says, "Atticus sometimes said that one way to tell whether a witness as lying or telling the truth was to listen rather than watch," (p. 257) and when Scout closes her eyes, she finds herself believing every word that Tom Robinson says. This shows the impact of Tom's skin color on his believability. Just the fact that he is black makes the jury much less likely to hear what he is actually saying, instead just focusing on the fact that he is not white. In most of the white people's minds, white equals trust and goodness, while black equals lies and evil.

Atticus makes a very good case, but Tom's race gets in the way of the truth. This relates to the larger themes of the story; race, rumors, and even maturity. The pre-conceived prejudices of the jury are what's going to keep them from believing Tom. This is just like if one goes into a situation, or is told something, while they already know what they believe and it stops them from seeing the truth, or even seeing anything the way it really is, instead of the way they want it to be. The jury, and the whites want Tom to be lying, because if he is telling the truth, and he did not rape Mayella, then they will be presented with proof that blacks can be good too, and that the whites are not always right. This proof would rock Maycomb to its core and would change the way the whites must think, and change is not something easily accepted in Maycomb. Also, one must be truly mature in their morals to be able to listen to Tom's testimony without prejudice and be able to truly take the case for what it is. Most of the jury, and most of Maycomb, is not so morally secure. My question is, do you think that Atticus will be able to "shed some light" on the situation, and make people see the case for what it is, even if that means that the whites are not right? Also, do you think that it can ever be a good thing that Maycomb goes into situations with prejudices? Do these prejudices ever help?

Chapters 18-19: What were the inconsistencies of Mayella's testimony? How did your feelings for her change throughout the testimony?

When Mayella Ewell testified against Tom Robinson, what she said not only didn't match what her father had said earlier, but she even changed her own story when Atticus sneakily wove his way around her lies. When Atticus asked her if her dad was easy to get along with, if he was good to her, she said: "He does tollable, 'cept when-" (p. 208) stuttering when she realized that that would poke a hole in her testimony. The next page when asked if he ever beat her, she said: "My paw's never touched a hair o' my head in my life," (p. 209) although she looked uncertain. Another instance of this was still on that page; Atticus asked, "Was this the first time you asked him to come inside the fence?" (p. 209) She jumped, startled. When asked the same question again, she said, "I certainly did not!" Yet three lines later, she said that she might have.

Before her testimony, i thought that Mayella would be a small, gentle girl, who would be completely rocked by this trial and the guilt of false accusation. A girl delicate enough to raise Geraniums in the hell of her own backyard, keep them vibrant and colorful through every single hardship, but when she was first physically described, i knew that she wasn't anything like the miniature, caring, hopeful girl that I had guessed she was. But then why did Harper Lee include the detail of the Geraniums if she is the polar opposite of Hope? Why is there the light of hope in the backyard of the Ewells if there is no one to help it survive?

To me, it is quite obvious that this is a typical southern trial, weighted almost 100% towards the white person, and even though Atticus has a better case by miles, the all white, all poor, all prejudice jury is going to vote unanimously for the Ewells. Mayella realizes this, and to even further her victory, stutters as is scarred by the 'rape' that Tom Robinson committed. The men of the jury are the stereotype of southern men, piece of wheat in their teeth, straw hat, and overalls. This is how they were raised, and they are afraid to change their ways, for fear of rumors and gossip. This has left Maycomb country in a racist time period, and the ignorant views will never change.

This reminds me of a non-fictional case of murder, with a trial with a similar amount of inequality. The case of Emmett Till. Emmett Till was a fourteen year old black boy living in Money, Mississippi, when one day, while walking into a convenience store, whistled at a white woman. Two white men around 40, didn't like this one bit. They kidnapped and beat him, gouging out one of his eyes, then tying a cotton gin fan to his leg with barbed wire, shooting him, and throwing him to the bottom of a local river. After a one day trial, the men were found not guilty. When the book was written, Harper Lee knew that people would have heard the heart-wrenching stories of trials like this, so was that her intention? To write a novel about how black people cannot be protected by the law? was that the point she was trying to make?

Emmett Till Site:

http://www.mindfully.org/Reform/Emmett-Till-Defender24sep55.htm

Chapter 16/17: Why is Dolphus Raymond in the book?

Dolphus Raymond is included in To Kill a Mockingbird because he provides a perplexing inconsistency in the traditions of Maycomb life observed by Scout. Scout is told “…he (Dolphus Raymond) owns all one side of the riverbank down there and he’s from a real family to boot.” (p.215), and acknowledges that despite his potential acceptance and prosperity with white people of Maycomb he makes a conscious decision to live with black people. The way Dolphus Raymond lives is completely contradictory to the traditions that Maycomb people tend to follow. Because Dolphus Raymond was a respectable man by Maycomb standards and chose to live with black people over white people shows Scout that there must be some appeal to black people. A well –off man from a long line of well-off men supposedly risked his marriage to have an affair with a black woman and after ruining his marriage went on to live with black people. If black people were truly inferior and a threat to a happy life why would this perfectly normal man go off and live with them? This question will inevitably come up in Scout’s analysis of Mr. Raymond’s situation and possibly force her image of black people to become less threatening and more familiar in addition to feeding her curiosity about the isolated peoples.
Aunt Alexandra’ s frequent ancestral stereotypes about Maycomb people also are contradictory to Mr. Raymond’s life. He came from ancestors who lived with Maycomb tradition consistently. As far as the reader knows, the Raymond’s do not have a drinking “streak” or a living with African-American people “streak”. However, Dolphus Raymond was not confined by his background and is drunk before 8 a.m. and lives with an African-American woman. With this understood, Mr. Raymond’s situation is important for Scout to have seen because it disproves Aunt Alexandra’s immoral stereotyping and proves that one individual can go against the crowd.
Dolphus Raymond clearly contradicts with the reality Scout had become familiar with. How, if at all, do you think this might impact her? Do you think Dolphus Raymond’s story is important for Scout to know?

Chapter 18: Describe the Ewell place. Why do you think there are geraniums in the yard?

The Ewell place is typically looked upon as a place of squalor, filth, and bluntness. The house is held up with spare parts of metal and tin, a "Negro cabin" (227), further explaining the situation that the Ewells are in, and how they live their lives. The information that can be pulled from this description is basically the fact that the Ewells do not care about themselves or anyone else, and are living by their own rules.

The geraniums in the yard are the most surprising to everyone of Maycomb. Here is this filthy shack made of salvaged tin and metal scraps, with trash and junk scattered around, and then there are these pots of bright geraniums on the corner of the yard. These are the only attractive things in the yard, bringing color and a warmth to it's surroundings. In a way, this represents Atticus, bringing knowledge and truth to Maycomb, while the filth that the Ewells live in represent Maycomb (like the lightbulb and the jail).

Questions for you to answer: How does Mr. Robert E. Lee Ewell's name play a part in who he is? Why do you think Atticus is repeating his questions?

Also, here is a trailer from the movie To Kill a Mockingbird. Note that this is an edited, not the original, trailer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ6_kA_KfP4

Chapter 16 and 17: Describe the Ewell place. Why are there geraniums in the yard?

In Chapter 17 of To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, the trial for Tom Robinson takes place, in which the readers get a glimpse of the Ewell place. The area is encompassed by "bits of tree-limbs, broomsticks and tool shafts, all tipped with rusty hammerheads," (228) which is a symbol of their lack of connection and relationship from the community. Furthermore, the filthiness of the fence shows that the Ewells do not care about their image and how they are perceived by Maycomb.

Although the Ewell place is a dirty environment, containing many unwanted items, there is a corner of the yard that differs from the rest. "Against the fence, in a line, were six chipped-enamel slop jars holding brilliant red geraniums," (228) which were supposedly cared for by Mayella Ewell. The geraniums flowers, within the Ewell yard, are properly take care of with love and tenderness, which is surprising to Maycomb County, being as the Ewells are not loving and passionate people. Therefore, the flowers are symbols of the good that exists within a person, no matter how corrupt one may be. The geraniums offer their beauty within the ugly and dark yard, much like the "good" in every human being. This also refers to previous chapters where Atticus emphasizes that everyone has good in them, for example when talking to Scout about Mr. Cunningham being a good man, even after he had attempted to hurt Tom Robinson in a mob.

A questions that emerges from the reading is: how does this reading and analysis effect your understanding of the Ewells and their life style?

Here is a picture of geranium flowers:

Taken from: http://houseplantsreviews.com/images/Geraniums.jpg

Chapter 14 &15: Write an 8-10 line poem about Dill.

Dill, oh Dill, a typical naive child, flees from Meridian to Maycomb,
Seeking attention and joyfulness.
His new father spoils him with toys to keep him out of the way:
"...now-you've-got-it-go-play-with-it..." (191),
And is treating him with lack of interest and disregard.
His parents appear to have become more serious, if not treacherous,
And Dill cannot stand it.
He flees to Maycomb to relive his happy childhood,
Role play as fiance with Scout, and be, as Scout says,
"...home." (187)
Home for these children is childhood, when everything was joyful.
The novel has taken a serious turn,
And though Dill seeks childhood in Maycomb,
Maycomb has progressed beyond his childhood.

Chapter 14/15 “What caused the mob to form/disperse?.. etc.

** sorry, I forgot page numbers on the last post so I re-posted it with the included page numbers

Chapter 14/15 “What caused the mob to form? To disperse? Why do people do things while part of a mob they would not do on their own? Why did Atticus respond to Jem the way he did?”

In Chapter 15, Atticus reads near the entrance to the Maycomb jail where he is approached by a mob. The mob’s purpose is to intimidate Atticus and hurt Tom Robinson. The men converse in front of the jail, “ “You know what we want,” another man said “Get aside from the door, Mr. Finch” --“You can turn around and go home, Walter,” Atticus said pleasantly.”” (p 202) In this scene, Atticus standing in front of the jail door symbolically represents his refusal to step down from his commitment to Tom Robinson and his moral standards. It is also interesting that Atticus stays calm in his resistance to the violent hatred. Atticus illustrates a moral courage as opposed to a typical symbol of combative courage. This scene corresponds with Atticus’ peaceful determination in the face of conflict throughout the book.

The mob feels obligated to act in a group because they feel intimidated by Atticus’ strength and resilience. This is supported when Scout comments “In obedience to my father, there followed what I later realized was a sickeningly comic aspect of an unfunny situation: the men talked in near-whispers”.(p 202) It is clear that the individuals in the mob are subconsciously anxious and easily subdued by Atticus’ firm position as they quickly obey Atticus’ command.

Later that night when Atticus and Jem walk home, Scout comments “Atticus and Jem were well ahead of us, and I assumed that Atticus was giving him hell for not going home, but I was wrong. As they passed under a streetlight, Atticus reached out and massaged Jem’s hair, his one gesture of affection.” (p 207) Despite Atticus’ superficial plea to send Jem home, Jem had stayed strong in the face of danger. Jem knew that it was important for him to stay and protect his father. Atticus was proud of Jem for standing strong in a strenuous situation. He recognizes that Jem was courageous to persist with his peaceful fight. Jem showed real courage; not just the ability to threaten with a gun, but sense of inner courage when it is not easy to act like a hero. The chapter concludes as Jem walks with his father alone on the street, a symbol of Jem’s maturity and coexistence with his father. It is clear that Jem has become mature enough to finally walk in the footsteps of his wise father.

Question: Do you think it is symbolic that Atticus is reading in front of the church? How does Scout differ from Jem? Is Jem still on the verge of maturity or has he completely embraced his independence?

Chap.14/15 What caused the mob to form/disperse?... etc.

Chapter 14/15 What caused the mob to form? To disperse? Why do people do things while part of a mob they would not do on their own? Why did Atticus respond to Jem the way he did?

In Chapter 15, Atticus reads near the entrance to the Maycomb jail where he is approached by a mob. The mob’s purpose is to intimidate Atticus and hurt Tom Robinson. The men converse in front of the jail, “ “You know what we want,” another man said “Get aside from the door, Mr. Finch” --“You can turn around and go home, Walter,” Atticus said pleasantly.” In this scene, Atticus standing in front of the jail door symbolically represents his refusal to step down from his commitment to Tom Robinson and his moral standards. It is also interesting that Atticus stays calm in his resistance to the violent hatred. Atticus illustrates a moral courage as opposed to a typical symbol of combative courage. This scene corresponds with Atticus’ peaceful determination in the face of conflict throughout the book.

The mob feels obligated to act in a group because they feel intimidated by Atticus’ strength and resilience. This is supported when Scout comments “In obedience to my father, there followed what I later realized was a sickeningly comic aspect of an unfunny situation: the men talked in near-whispers”. It is clear that the individuals in the mob are subconsciously anxious and easily subdued by Atticus’ firm position as they quickly obey Atticus’ command.

Later that night when Atticus and Jem walk home, Scout comments “Atticus and Jem were well ahead of us, and I assumed that Atticus was giving him hell for not going home, but I was wrong. As they passed under a streetlight, Atticus reached out and massaged Jem’s hair, his one gesture of affection.” Despite Atticus’ superficial plea to send Jem home, Jem had stayed strong in the face of danger. Jem knew that it was important for him to stay and protect his father. Atticus was proud of Jem for standing strong in a strenuous situation. He recognizes that Jem was courageous to persist with his peaceful fight. Jem showed real courage; not just the ability to threaten with a gun, but sense of inner courage when it is not easy to act like a hero. The chapter concludes as Jem walks with his father alone on the street, a symbol of Jem’s maturity and coexistence with his father. It is clear that Jem has become mature enough to finally walk in the footsteps of his wise father.

Question: Do you think it is symbolic that Atticus is reading in front of the church? How does Scout differ from Jem? Is Jem still on the verge of maturity or has he completely embraced his independence?

The following link is the url of a youtube video made by some teenagers. It's a very poor but slightly amusing reenactment of Chapter 15.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-FEkgNgh6Q&feature=related

"Once Aunt Alexandra comes to stay with her brother’s family, in her mind she is doing the right thing. She appears to be taking over her brother, niece and nephew’s life with new rules and a strict attitude.
At first it is a surprise to Scout and Jem, but now has become their everyday life.
From the first time we met her, and up until this point, Aunt Alexandra has represented the tough influence that Scout, Jem and Atticus have never experienced. But I believe that the further you explore this subject the more you will find. For instance, a deeper representation of their aunt is similar to the challenges that they will face as they progress in life. She is just one of the obstacles that Scout and Jem will have to deal with, which relates back to the ultimate theme in this book which is the children’s progression through life, maturity.
But the influence of a traditional southern woman will impact young minds to a great extent. Aunt Alexandra represents a force to be reckoned with mentally and physically for Scout and Jem. The daily routines of Atticus, Jem, and Scout are effected by their aunt in many ways. One is when Scout and Jem play outside during the summer. They now rarely come inside for breaks because they were dirty from playing and did not feel like being yelled at for making fools of themselves in front of her guests, which ties into the southern woman mentality. As for Atticus, she is constantly criticizing him for the way he feels is the best way to parent, this is showed when Atticus replies to one of her comments with “Sister, I do the best that I can with them!”(108) shows the characterization of Aunt Alexandra and that eventually lead to Aunt Alexandra staying with them, beginning in chapter twelve."

Hey guys, I was having problems with my computer. It would not let me copy and paste it in the blog from a word document. So what I'm going to do is post my post in the class conference and you guys can comment on it through this post.

Sorry for the inconvenience.
Nik

Chapters 12 &13:Explain The Last Line of Chapter 13.

In the last line of chapter thirteen Scout says, “I know now what he was trying to do, but Atticus was only a man. It takes a woman to do that kind of work.” (pg 179) In the scene leading up to this statement, Atticus was influenced by Aunt Alexandra to teach his children the “facts of life.” He proceeded to do so by the standards of Maycomb County, where people are stereotyped by their last name, and expected to act accordingly.

Atticus, though could not keep up this front that Aunt Alexandra had set for him. This is because his character is a symbol of what the future of Maycomb County and of mankind should be. “Atticus did not drive a dump-truck for the county, he was not the sheriff, he did not farm, work in a garage or do anything that could possibly arouse the admiration of anyone.” (pg 118) Today, being a lawyer and standing up for what you believe in, like Atticus does for Tom Robinson is commendable; much more so than driving a pick up truck.

Atticus proceeded to dismiss what he had said because he had given the impression that the Finch’s are better than most people in Maycomb, but realized that that was not the sense the he wanted to portray. And so, in the last line where Scout reflects on this conversation it becomes apparent that Atticus is more open minded than Aunt Alexandra, and that women in Maycomb County are heavily influenced by class difference. Mostly, this is a sarcastic statement, which portrays women as being gossips and petty, and Atticus as unable to “stoop” to that.

My question is: What, if anything does Atticus symbolize?

Chapters 12 and 13 What effect does Aunt Alexandra have on the routines of Atticus, Jem and Scout? Why?

Chapter 13: Explain the last line of Chapter 13

         In chapter 13, Aunt Alexandra comes to live for a while in Maycomb County.  Atticus had asked that she come and instill a lady's influence over Scout so that she may grow up as a girl should.  With an every growing wall of gender separating Jem and Scout, both Atticus and Aunt Alexandra felt that it was time to help Scout know what ladies should act like.  This was an unfortunate turn of events for Scout, as Aunt Alexandra began asking of change from both Jem and Scout's personalities. 
         After Atticus was confronted by Aunt Alexandra, he began asking of the children to change their personalities in an uncharacteristic way, saying, "'She asked me to tell you you must try to behave like the little lady and gentleman that you ar.  She wants to talk to you about the family and what it's meant to Maycomb County... so you might be moved to behave accordingly,' he concluded at a gallop.  Stunned, Jem and I looked at each other, then at Atticus, whose collar seemed to worry him.  We did not speak to him." (177-178)  What Atticus said went against his beliefs, because he encouraged his children to not follow the town's sway.  In the end, Atticus gave up, realizing he could not tell his children to do this.  The very last paragraph of the chapter says, "I know what he was trying to do, but Atticus was only a man.  It takes a woman to do that kind of work." (179)  Scout knew that this was not a type of discussion a father like Atticus, with his morals so strong in believing that being different does not matter.  That only someone like Aunt Alexandra and the stereotypical mother or father could ask of them.  Aunt Alexandra may have fit into Maycomb, but not within Atticus' home. 
         This refusal of Atticus to tell his children to follow the stereotypical kind of life style could relate to his beliefs in racism.  Not only did Atticus let his children be different and accept them lovingly as a father, he never told them how to live their lives.  How do you think Atticus' struggle with his children could have related to his case with Tom Robinson?

Chapter 10: Why does Atticus consider it a sin to kill a mockingbird but okay to kill a mad dog?

“Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird,” says Atticus on page 119. Scout later asks Miss Maudie about what her father said. “‘Your father’s right,’ she said. ‘Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.’” (119)

As the reader knows, Atticus hates killing animals as his preference was for Jem to shoot at tin cans instead. When pressured to shoot Tim Johnson, Atticus was faced with a choice—to kill him, or to let him possibly kill or harm others. Unlike mockingbirds, which solely try to please people by singing, mad dogs could potentially be dangerous and life-threatening. A question that I still have is, do you think Atticus was hesitant to kill the dog because he didn’t want Jem and Scout to see him? Also, Scout mentions that this was the first time Atticus ever explained something as a sin. Why is this significant/symbolic?

(Also, you can hear what a mockingbird’s “music” sounds like: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_mockingbird/id.)

Chapter 10 -Why does Atticus consider it a sin to kill a mocking bird, but okay to kill a mad dog?

Atticus says it is sin to kill a mocking bird because that is what he believes in. A mockingbird is beautiful and well loved by everyone in Maycomb. A mad dog however is ugly and hated by everyone in Maycomb. It would be a sin to shot a white. You would be sent to jail and looked at as a murderer. If you shot a African-American most people wouldn't think anything of it. They were so low they were considered animals in society. This could be directly related to the racial issues in Maycomb County. As Scout says,”I thought mad dogs foamed at the mouth, galloped and lunged at throats, and I thought they did it in August. Had Tim Johnson behaved thus, I would have been less frightened.” (125). This thought is stereotypical and based upon little fact. The same way there was such heavy stereotype and hatred of African-Americans in this era. Blacks were far lower in society that whites. They were mistreated and regarded as animals. They were considered not worthy of the things whites had because of their outer appearance. If a mocking bird had been slowly yet elegantly passing by, no one would have caused a commotion. However because it was a mad dog so hated and low in the minds of people, it was shot. The fact that Jem and Scout are so proud of their father also says something This also relates backs to another theme in the book “Don’t judge a book by its cover”. This quote is also showing Scout's youth. She is learning the ways of the world. It makes me wonder why Atticus would say such a thing? He seems to be respectful of African-Americans. He is just so brainwashed by year after year of everyone thinking so lowly of them. The same way everyone has thought so lowly and lowly of mad dogs. The fact that they also call them mad dogs is intriguing. They aren't rabid dogs they are mad dogs. They use disrespectful terminology for them. The same way whites called African-Americans blacks. Also at the end of the quote when Scout says "Had Tim Johnson behaved thus, I would have been less frightened." This also shows that when the African-Americans changed their ways and started to rebel not following the stereotype of them, white got scared. They got scared for their lives sometimes but still persisted in their own ways and got more and more violent. This also shows how the residents of Maycomb are scared of change. They are scared of the unknown just because it is different. Difference = fear in the lives of these people. People are scared of the Ewells because they are different too.

Below is a link to a funny video I found. A couple of teenagers reenacting chapter 10. Some parts are random but it is quite hilarious.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHGFFGu9Gg4

Chapter 11- Explain Atticus's Definition of Courage

When Jem questions whether Mrs. Dubose is a ladylike person, Atticus calls her as being "the bravest person (he) ever knew"(pg 149). He relates to her struggle fighting her illness and shows his admiration for her courage in doing so. He quotes, "I wanted you to see what real courage is ... it's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what"(pg 149). In this sense, his definition of courage is supporting what you believe in even when you know the odds are against you. His idea in mind is to teach Jem that courage isn't just facing death or plain fighting, but that it's when you experience the fear of failure and defeat yet you still go on.

In relation to Mrs. Dubose fighting her illness, Atticus could also be refering to the fight against racism. It is the fight to not give in to segregation but to rid yourself of that disease and support equality, even though segregation is already firmly planted. Examples of this are shown in the previous chapters; even though Atticus and his children are mocked for his role in defending a "nigger", Atticus continues to defend his client the best he can. He still supports his belief of equality, and pushes his children to do the same through acting with strong morals. How do you think Atticus's sense of courage relates to his morals?

Chapter 9- Discuss Atticus' explanation for the case Scout. What does it mean?

In the ninth chapter of To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Atticus talks to Scout about his new case that he will be taking on. He tells her that he will be defending a man named Tom Robinson, who is a colored man living in the colored part of town in Maycomb County. Scout asks if they will win the case only to hear Atticus' response of: no. Atticus then explains to Scout that, 'Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win.' And so the question is: what does Atticus mean by this?
This quote is explaining to Scout and the readers that even though Tom Robinson had already lost the case just because of the color of his skin, it was still worth trying to win. In the eyes of a child such as Scout this does not make sense and seems illogical, with support from Scout, 'If you shouldn't be defendin' him, then why are you doing it?' (86). Scout takes the racist slurs like "nigger" referring to people of color from the streets and school yard and puts it into her private life, as do everyone else in Maycomb County. To Atticus though, as a lawyer finds it as his civic duty to defend someone who needs help and in this case Mr. Robinson. His explanation to Scout it describing to her that even though the colored race was put back in humanity and already treated as criminals, trying to do the right thing is worth the effort. And so brings up another quetion to think about: Why does Harper Lee put we in Atticus' explanation instead of they? What is she trying to show?

Chapter 8- How did Scout end up with a blanket around her shoulders and why is this scene included?

In the eighth chapter of To Kill A Mockingbird a fire strikes the town of Maycomb and Miss Maudie's house is burnt to the ground. While everyone in the town rushes to her aid Atticus instructs Jem and Scout to wait by the gate of the Radley's house, where they will be safe from the fire. While Scout is sucked into the commotion someone slips behind her and lays a brown blanket on her shoulders. Considering everyone is helping out or watching the fire the only person who could have laid the blanket on Scout's shoulders is Boo Radley.

Harper Lee is trying to show the changes of Scout and Jem as they grow older. Considering that To Kill A Mockingbird is a "coming of age" novel Harper Lee's job is to show the changes in Jem and Scout's maturity. One way she does this is she makes Boo Radley more and more real changing Jem and Scout's views about Boo. Through this scene Harper Lee makes Boo Radley frighteningly real to Scout. A way she makes Boo Radley real is she has Atticus acknowledge Boo's existence and recognize how close Scout was to him. He says on pg. 96 "You ought to thank him.... Boo Radley. You were so busy looking at the fire you didn't know it when he put the blanket around you." This scene is extremely crucial in the development of Boo Radley's character and Scout and Jem's Maturity. One question emerges from the passage though, why do you think Boo Radley put a blanket on Scout?

Rossiter's Blog- English 85

Welcome to Mr. Rossiter's To Kill a Mockingbird blog! This blog will allow us to explore Harper Lee's famous novel in an interactive way. We will all learn from each other. As we discussed in class, I hope you will approach your posts and comments seriously, but also take advantage of all the different ways that blogging can enhance literary analysis and discussion. It will also allow you to work on sharpening your analytical writing.