To Blog a Mockingbird Modern Social Inequalities : Homelessness

Historical Background

Homelessness is a problem that has been seen in America during Colonial times. The first recorded causes of homelessness was the King Philip’s’ War. After that, the Revolutionary War caused an increase in the homeless population. During The Great Depression, the homeless population to spike again. Homeless people became a common sight and the Vintage News describes the situation in the following quote : “Most large cities built municipal lodging houses for them, but the depression exponentially increased demand. The homeless clustered in shanty towns close to free soup kitchens. A “Hooverville” was a shanty town built by homeless people during the Great Depression”. While some of the occupants of these towns were removed, many were ignored or tolerated out of necessity.

Current Status

In 2007, there was about 647,000 homeless people. The overall homelessness decreased by 14.4%. There was a 34.3% decrease among veterans, 27.4% decrease of individuals experiencing chronic homeless by 27.4%, and a 24.6% decrease for people living in unsheltered locations from 2007 to 2018. While these statistics are going down, the issue still has not gone away. In Orange County alone, the homelessness population seemed to be at least 4,452 in 2017. And this number is continuing to increase. Many homeless in Orange County used to live along the Santa Ana River, before they started to be cleared out by authorities in January of this year.

Social and Political Status of Homelessness/Homeless People

In Orange County homelessness has been an issue in politics for a while. There have been many attempts to help give more money to and expand homeless shelters, but they have been restricted due to money concerns.

Many homeless people suffer from addiction or mental issues. The Windward Way describes drug abuse as “both a cause and a result of homelessness. More often than not, these issues appear after people have lost their homes and are trying to find different ways to cope with the situation and be accepted by their community”. However many others are just financially unable to afford a house. Many homeless do work, but are unable to make money to afford a home. “I was sleeping like that, outside of people’s tents, and then having to turn around and wake up 6, 7 o’clock in the morning and work at the Registrar of Voters”“I was sleeping like that, outside of people’s tents, and then having to turn around and wake up 6, 7 o’clock in the morning and work at the Registrar of Voters” said Bobby Austin, who is currently homeless. There are also many other things that homeless people deal with. “Poverty, Unemployment, lack of affordable housing, poor physical or mental health, drug and alcohol abuse, Gambling, family and relationship breakdown, domestic violence, physical and/or sexual abuse.” are issues listed by the Salvation Army for why some may homeless. For many homeless many want/need medical help and/or economic stability. Unfortunately there is social stigma against homeless. “Despite the fact that individuals who are homeless are perceived as struggling and in need of care and compassion (Kidd, 2004; Benbow et al., 2011; Shier et al., 2011), there is also evidence that homeless individuals are not perceived as fully human (Harris and Fiske, 2006)”. While people are homeless for different reasons, most are not homeless because of their own actions, and need help.

Opponents/Proponents

As of around a decade ago, Orange County officials have decided to move homeless people, that have already housed themselves along the Santa Ana River Trail, away, but without a place for them to go. LA officials have made plans during this time for the homeless people to have provided shelter or temporary homes for them.  If they do not come up with a solution to this, the District Judge will prevent cities in OC from administering their anti camping ordinances. Homeless people were allowed to camp out on the streets overnight until they get their shelter for them to live in. Some supervisors are proponents for this cause and have supported it by protesting that homeless people should not just be considered strangers and should be very welcomed into the city. “They know we are an affluent city with lots of immigrants, so they think we will automatically welcome other people,” was a quote stated by one Irvine local that shows how the city is not completely able to support their cause but there would be a benefit to do as much as they could for this. As seen in a UC Irvine study, it has shown that around 68% of homeless people in OC have lived their lived like this for around 10 years or longer; 90% of them are US born. During this study it is concluded that if Orange County provides the homeless with shelters, that OC could save around $42 million in healthcare and law enforcing. This sums up that the housing of these people will create a great benefit to the homeless people as individuals and the income of the county as well.

Connection to To Kill a Mockingbird

This connects to ¨To Kill a Mockingbird” because Tom Robinson and Boo Radley are the same as homeless people. Tom Robinson is judged and accused because of his race, African American. Bob Ewell, a white man, accuses Tom Robinson for raping his daughter, Mayella Ewell. During the testimony, Tom Robinson is asked to tell his own side of the story. He says that Mayella was the one seducing him. When Bob Ewell saw this, he yelled at Mayella and beat her up for kissing Tom Robinson, a black man. Tom Robinson, on the other hand, decided to run away from the house after hearing Bob Ewell screaming at Mayella. This relates to the theme, “Social Inequality.” Most people in the court believe that Tom is lying, as said in a quote from the book, “You know the truth, and the truth is this: some Negroes lie, some Negroes are immoral, some Negro men are not to be trusted around women—black or white…There is not a person in this courtroom who has never told a lie, who has never done an immoral thing, and there is no man living who has never looked upon a woman without desire.” This is like the homeless people because most people are quick to judge the homeless people because they think that they are too lazy to find a job. They don’t know what the homeless people have been through and some of them did nothing wrong and don’t have a choice. For example, a deformed man born in a poor family. He isn’t able to go to school because his family is too poor. Another reason is that companies won’t accept him because he didn’t go to college or high school and that he is deformed. This is just like the blacks. They are judged because the “whites” think that they are different just because of the skin color. The homeless people are like the blacks, and the regular people are like the whites. Overall, this is how the theme in To Kill a Mockingbird, “Social Inequality”, relates to homelessness.

                                 Ways to Help/What should we do

There are many ways to help homeless people. One these ways can be to volunteer and donate to charities. Many charities are in short supply for the resources they need to help the homeless, so help will always be appreciated. These charities are also in need of volunteers to help run the cause, so help will also be appreciated. Some charities that can be donated too are the organizations Back on my Feet and Rescue Mission. Another way to help homeless people is to bring awareness to this issue. If more people know about this issue, more people will be able to help.

 

Chapter 1: The Memories of the Past

This story is narrated by a girl named Jean Louise Finch who is often called as Scout.

She then starts talking about the past, about how Jem, her brother, got a broken arm, and about her ancestors. She then talks about her father, Atticus Finch, who is a lawyer.

She also talks about Jack Finch, Atticus’ brother, who is in the medical field in Boston. Finally, she talks about Alexandria Finch, Atticus’ sister, who is running the Finch’s Landing. Atticus was a successful lawyer, making a solid living. Atticus lives with Jem, Scout, and Calpurnia, their cook, who helps keep the house in check. Scout and Jem’s mother died when Scout was two, so she doesn’t really remember her mother, butJem remembers her clearly. In the summer of 1933, Jem is 10 and Scout is 6. That summer, they meet a boy named Dill.

One day, Dill comes with the idea to lure out Boo Radley, a man, who in rumors, stabbed his father with a scissor. Eventually, Dill dares Jem to touch Boo Radley’s house.

Jem agrees and touches Boo Radley’s House. There is no movement, but Scout thinks that she saw a shutter move slightly, like someone was peeking out.

 

Tyler

Chapter 2 : First Day of School

As summer closes, Dill leaves and goes back to his house. If summer closes, that means that school has just started. This is Scout’s first time going to school and she is super exciting and was waiting for this moment.

When she goes to school though, she finds out that her teacher, Miss Caroline, isn’t good with dealing with children. When Miss Caroline finds out that Scout knows how to read, she makes Scout feel “guilty” for knowing how to read. Scout feels like reading out of class is now a “sin.”  Miss Caroline tells Scout to tell her father to stop teaching her how to read. During recess, Scout complains to Jem, telling her about her experience, but Jem tells her that Miss Caroline is trying out a new method of teaching, the “Dewey Decimal System.” As school progresses, Miss Caroline and Scout’s relationship stays the same. One time, she asked everyone if they had a lunch or if they were going for home for lunch. Everyone raised their hand that they had a lunch except Walter Cunningham. Miss Caroline tries to offer Walter a quarter to buy lunch, but Walter refuses. We learn from Atticus that the Cunningham family pays Atticus by giving them hickory nuts and other goods.

Scout tries to explain the circumstances to Miss Caroline, telling her that the Cunningham’s won’t take anything they can’t pay for. Miss Caroline fails to understand Scout and instead of thanking her, she slaps Scout in the hand with a ruler. Then the bell rings, and they all go out to lunch.

 

Tyler

Chapter 3 : Walter For Lunch

After they get outside for lunch, Scout throws Walter on the floor and rubs his head on the dirt. Jem comes into the fight and tries to stop Scout, but just keeps saying that Walter made Miss Caroline start school “on the wrong foot.”

Jem stops the fight and tells Walter that he can join them for lunch. Walter goes with Jem and Scout to their house. Atticus is pleased by Walter’s visit. Atticus and Walter talk about farming like “two real men.” Walter asks for the syrup, and to Scout’s horror, he pours it all over his meat and vegetables. Scout then criticizes Walter, but then Calpurnia calls her into the kitchen and scolds her telling her that Walter is her guest. Back at school, Miss Caroline is terrified when she sees something poking out of Burris Ewell’s Head. Burris, a member of the Ewell clan, says that it is just a “cootie” or what we call it, lice, and that it is regular for people to have it. Burris Ewell only comes to school on the first day, and then leaves for the rest of the year, making rude remarks to cause the teacher to cry. Scout goes back home and talks with Atticus. Atticus asks her if something is wrong. Scout says that she doesn’t want to go to school anymore. Atticus says that she has to go to school, scout responds that the Ewells don’t need to go to school, but Atticus tells her that if they had to go, they wouldn’t make a living. Scout also says that if she keeps going to school, she wouldn’t be able to read with Atticus anymore. In the end, Atticus and Scout make a compromise, Atticus promises that they will read every night like they have been doing, and that Scout will promise to continue to go to school.

 

Tyler

Chapter 4 : Gift from A Knothole

Chapter 4 starts out with Scout telling the reader that the remainder of her 1st grade year was the same as the first days. Scout leaves thirty minutes earlier than Jem and while passing the Radley Place, she spots two live oaks. In these live oaks, she sees some tinfoil sticking in a knot-hole. She then reached into the hole and found two pieces of chewing gum minus their outer wrappers. Scout then started to run home and when she reached her front porch, she sniffed it and smelled it right away. Then she licked it and waited a while. Eventually, when she found out that she was not dying, she ate it, and tasted Wringley’s Double-mint. When Jem came home, he found out that she was eating gum and asked her where she got it. After finding out where Scout got it, he told her to spit it out immediately and gargle it out or else he would have told Calpurnia, their cook, on her. Not wanting to deal with Calpurnia, she did what Jem told her. Eventually summer came, and Scout was mostly excited to be able to play with Dill again. As the days passed by, Scout would always point her finger towards the place she found the chewing gum, trying to make Jem believe that she got it there. Finally one day, Scout pointed to a tinfoil. Jem grabbed it and ran home straight away. Once home, Jem and Scout found a small box patchworked with bits of tinfoil collected from chewing gum wrappers. Once Jem opened the box, he found two scrubbed and polished pennies. They then found out that the pennies were from 1900 and 1906. Scout then realized that this knothole could have been a person’s hiding place. Then they came to the conclusion to keep them until school starts and then they would ask everybody if the pennies were theirs. Eventually Dill came over after helping the engineer for a while. Once Dill came, they started to begin playing their game, Tom and Sam and Dick. Dill wanted the Rover Boys because there were three parts for them to play. Scout, who played as Tom Rover, admitted that she didn’t want to play that game anymore and asked Jem to make up a new one. One day, Scout suggested that they roll in the tire. Scout then went to the garage and pulled the old car tire to the front yard. While playing their game, Scout bumped into a barrier. When she got up, she stared at the Radley’s Place in front of her. Jem told Scout to bring the tire back, but Scout argued and Jem had to take the tire. After Jem retrieved the tire, he told Scout, “See there? Nothin’ to it. I swear, Scout, sometimes you act so much like a girl it’s mortifyin” Calpurnia then appear and yelled, “Lemonade time!” Dill, Scout, and Jem all ran. After Jem gulped down his second glassful, he found out what they would play: Boo Radley. Dill asked him how they would play it. Jem told him that Scout would be Mrs. Radley, Dill would be Mr.Radley, and Jem would be Boo Radley. Scout hesitated at the game, but Jem said, “Smatter. Still Scared?” So, Scout gave in and decided to play their game. One day, Atticus saw them and asked them, “What are you all playing?” Jem lied and just simply said, “Nothing.” Atticus told Jem to give him the scissors and he asked Jem if it had anything to do with the Radleys. Jem responded with “No, sir.” Scout yelled at Jem and said, “J-em” because he had lied. Scout thinks that Atticus knows everything, but Jem just argues by saying that he would have said if he knew. At the end of the chapter, Scout decided that Atticus was the second reason that she wanted to quit the game. Her first reason was one day while passing the Radley’s Place’s front yard. During her walk she heard a sound, which sounded like someone was laughing inside the house.

 

Tyler

Chapter 5 : Miss Maudie

Chapter 5 starts off with Scout Convincing Jem to back off on the Radley game, a game that Jem made up. Dill then asks Scout if she would like to marry him. Even though Dill and Scout have bond, Dill still plays with Jem and neglects Scout. So, Scout starts to start to hang out with their neighbor, Miss Maudie.

Miss Maudie was a childhood friend of Atticus. Miss Maudie tells Scout that Boo Radley’s father was a  foot washing Baptist, a more “hardcore” version of a regular baptist. Miss Maudie also tells Scout that Mr.Radley’s footwashers told her that her flowers were going to burn down to hell. They said that “time not spent on reading the bible is time spent on sin.” Miss Maudie also tells them that Mr. Radley is “so busy worrying about the next world they’ve never learned to live in this one.” Scout then goes back to Jem and Dill and learn that they are trying to use a fishing pole to give Boo a note. Atticus then shows up not looking pleased. he tells them to stop bothering Boo. Atticus then tells them to stop playing their game. Jem then argues that they weren’t making fun of the Radley’s, revealing to Atticus that they were actually pretending to be the Radley’s.

 

Tyler

Chapter 6: Gambling Pants

The chapter begins with the Jem and Dill playing at Dill’s aunt’s house on Dill’s last day in Maycomb this year. Dill, wanting to just go for a walk, ends up sneaking over to the Radley place with Jem and Scout, who does not like the idea of it. The three of them hears a loud noise, a shotgun, after peering through the window of the house and run away from a shadowed man. As they escape by crawling through the fence, Jem’s pants get caught in them and is forced to kick it off to get out.

When they get home, Atticus asked where Jem’s pants were; they gave the excuse that Dill won it in a game of strip poker, which doesn’t come through, but that they were playing with matches instead. Also, Mrs. Maudie informed the kids that the sound they heard was supposedly the gunshot of Nathan Radley, Boo’s older brother, shooting at an African American in his yard.

Scout tries to stop Jem from leaving to retrieve his pants later that night but he goes anyways and returns it without a sound of gunshot heard, which Scout was worried for.

This chapter can signify the beginning of being ignorant since Mrs. Maudie assumed something bad was happening when they were off at the Radley house.

Ethan

 

Chapter 7 Recap: The Unexpecting Items that lies inside The Tree.

As Scout woke up, Jem stayed moody and silent throughout the entire week. This is also when school started for Scout and Jem. Scout is now in second grade and she says that second grade was as bad as first grade because they were not allowed to read or write still. This is ironic, since in second grade, you should already learn how to read and write. The only thing Scout liked was getting out of school at the same time as Jem so they can walk home together. While they were walking out, Jem told Scout that he found his breeches on the fence folded, and sewed back together messily not like how a lady sewed them. “When I went back,they were folded across the fence… like they were expectin’ me… They’ve been sewed up. Not like a lady sewed ’em, like somethin’ I’d try to do. All crooked.” (78). This shows that Boo Radley sewed it up because it was on his property.

As they continued to walk, they found a knot-hole in the tree with a ball of gray twine in it. They decided to not pick it up until a few days later in which they considered anything in the knot-hole is there property now.

Scout and Jem found 2 carvings of them in soap days later in the knot-hole. One in a figure of a boy, wore a crude dress. “They were almost perfect”. They thought it might be Mr. Avery at first since he carved wood. After finding the soap, they found a watch that would not work with a chain attached with an aluminum knife.

After founding those objects, they decided to write the person who put the items in the knot-hole a letter saying,”Dear sir, We appreciate the – no, we appreciate everything which you have put into the tree for us. Yours very truly, Jem Finch, Jean Louise Finch”. They went to put the letter in, but in their sadness, the tree was filled with cement by Mr. Nathan Radley who said that the tree was “dying”. Jem and Scout went back and asked Atticus if the tree was dying and Atticus responded saying,”That tree’s as healthy as you are Jem. Why?” This is a simile because it is comparing the tree to Jem. In this chapter, we can learn that you can not judge someone based on your little knowledge of them since they thought Boo as a bad person, but Boo is the one giving them gifts, fixing their clothes, and possibly watching out for them.

Chris

Chapter 8 : Miss Maudie’s House and a Mysterious Overseer?

Maycomb, Alabama

The weather in Maycomb has been at its coldest since 1885. Mrs, Radley had also died during this time, but her death did not effect many. During this time it had also snowed, which had caused school to be cancelled. At first Scout thought the world was ending, but Atticus explained what it was.

Jem took this opportunity to make a snowman. Although there was not enough snow in their yard to construct a snowman they were able to take snow from Mrs. Maudie’s yard as well. Instead of the whole thing being made of snow it was constructed with the center being made up of dirt and mud, while it’s outside was covered in snow. The snowman ended up being shaped in the image of Mr. Avery. Atticus told them to make it different, as so Mr. Avery wouldn’t get mad at them. This prompted him to take Mrs. Maudie’s hat.

Later that day, during the night, Mrs. Maudie’s house catch on fire. Atticus escorted Scout and Jem to move to the Radley yard as a precaution while other tried rescuing what was left in Mrs. Maudie’s house. Mrs. Maudie’s house ended up burning down but many of her possessions were saved, and she was set to live in Ms. Stephanie Crawford’s home.

Later that night, as Atticus was making hot chocolate for the kids, he realized that Scout had a blanket on that wasn’t theirs. They suspected Boo Radley put it on her as they stood in his yard, but they decided to keep it anyways. However, Jem ended up telling Atticus about all the things they found in the Radley’s tree, but he did not mind it either. These gifts and the gift of the blanket could be seen as a foreshadowing of Boo’s involvement with the children. Atticus even said “Scout can thank him for covering her up”.

The next day as they were talking to Ms. Maudie, as they did not have school revealed she was not grieving for her house and she was actually thankful because now she would have more room for her flowers. Jem and Scout even offered to help, but Ms. Maudie declined. Jem ended up saying , “That was just Ms. Maudie”.

The theme of this chapter is that at its best, a community can come together to do good.

By Brian Pham

 

Chapter 9: The Racist Case

In this chapter, Scout and Atticus are being called names having to do with Atticus working with an African American during this case. Cecil Jacobs and Francis are two people that have named called Atticus. Francis, who Scout despises, nearly gets knocked out by Scout after name calling Atticus and getting on Scout’s last nerve. Uncle Jack had scolded Scout for doing what he did to Francis but did not consider hearing Scouts explanation. He then listens to what Scout had to say and sends her to wash her bloody fists. Later, Scout overhears a conversation between Uncle Jack and Atticus taking about how Atticus did not want to be involved in a case that he is in. The case was to defend the African American, Tom Robinson, that was accused of raping a white woman. Tom Robinson is supposed to be innocent according to Atticus but the white jury would still accuse him guilty because he is a black man.

The theme in this chapter could be courage since Scout stands up for her father after Cecil Jacobs and Francis name calls him. Although Atticus has tried to encourage Scout to use her mind and words to deal with a fight instead of physically, it does not turn out like that when Francis called Atticus. Scout threw her fists at Francis instead of calmly settling it by talking. She had the courage to fight him to defend her father. There was one point in the chapter where Atticus would “wear me out” according to Scout if he ever heard Scout fighting anymore. This can be kind of hypocritical because Scout is forbid from creating a fight although the punishment insists that Atticus will do physically beat Scout if she doesn’t comply.

Ethan