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 14 Recap, The Boy who Fled from Mississippi to Maycomb, Alabama

Scout and Jem went to town after the talk of their family and as they went to town, they heard more about their family. Within the town, they found people saying stuff like,”They c’n go loose and rape up the countryside for all of ’em who run this county care” (180). This shows that the town is racist against the black people since they automatically believe it is rape and not take second and think other possibilities. After they went to town, Scout asked Atticus what rape was and explained the trip to the church with Calpurnia. Scout asked if she could go to Calpurnia’s house, but their aunt, Alexandra, said no and she had to apologize to her for speaking up to her when Scout said,”I didn’t ask you!”

After that, Alexandra said to Atticus that “You’ve let things go on too long”(182). This quote is important since this shows that Atticus hasn’t been raising them right according to Alexandra. They later had a talk about having Calpurnia. After Scout and Jem went to their room, they talked about the Tom Robinson case and fought over later on because Jem is becoming more independent and angry. After Atticus seperated them, Scout asked what a snake felt like and said there might be one underneath her bed. Jem took a look under the bed and as he was looking underneath, Dill suddenly jumps out.

When Dill settled down, he told them that his new father chained him up and he broke loose in which he then goes to a small animal show for wash a camel in Mississippi. He then traveled with until he got to Abbott County which is just across the river from Maycomb in which he then walked all the way there. Scout then told Atticus Dill is here and he is fine with that. Dill was given food and a shower. Then Jem told Dills that he has to tell his mother since he went 300 miles without his mother knowing. Dills finally told them after he ate that he ran away since his family had no interest with him and that his family is better with out him. Also that they buy him everything he wants, but it is now “you’ve-got-it-go-play-with-it” or “I-got-you-that-book-so-go-read-it.”

Dills then tells Scout that he wants a baby and he says that babies come from a man who had a boat in foggy island where you can order babies, but Scout said,”But there’s this man, too— he has all these babies just waitin’ to wake up, he breathes life into’ em…”(192). This is an allusion since it is relating to God which is believed for some to breath life into people.

Finally when they were about to sleep, Scout asked,”Why do you reckon Boo Radley’s never run off?” and Dill responded,”Maybe he dosen’t have anywhere to run off to…” (192). This is important because they are finally thinking more clearly about Boo Radley. In this chapter, running away from your family is not always the solution and running away can hurt your family emotionally by being worried and yourself too.

Chris

Chapter 15 Recap: The girl who stopped a Mob using Words

Dill settled in with the Finches after he wrote a long letter and a lot of pleading on the telephone calls with Dill’s mother. One evening, Dill made a plan about Boo,”.. Dill had it upon a foolproof plan to make Boo Radley come out at no cost to ourselves (place a trail of lemon drops from the back door to the front yard and he’s follow it, like an ant)”(193). This is what Dill’s plan is which is also a simile since Boo Radley is being compared to an ant.

During the same time, there was a knock outside the door with some grown men outside and Atticus called the kids to stay inside, but they still came out. The crowd was telling Atticus that they will be moving him to the county jail tomorrow and the trial will probably be on Monday. Mr. Link Deas said,”You’ve got everything to lose from this, Atticus. I mean everything”(195). This shows that he is to discourage him and to persuade him since the defendant is black and the town has a lot of racism. Jem then interrupted them by saying the phone was ringing which caused the crowd to laugh and then Atticus told him to turn the light on which is a disgrace for them if the lights are not on.

On Sunday, Scout heard Atticus saying that Tom Robinson was moved to the Maycomb jail. Scout and Jem played football because they can’t shoot on Sundays. That night, Scout, Jem, and Dills sneaked out of the house at 10 o’ clock to see Atticus in his office. When they got there, he could see Atticus in his office with a mob outside of his office. The mob wanted to get Tom Robinson for some reason. When Atticus was possibly about to get jumped, Scout ran towards Atticus and Atticus’s eyes turned into a flash of fear. Atticus and Jem had a little arguement of telling each other to go home and Jem refused. One of the guy grabbed and lifted up Jem by the collar and Scout kicked the guy and he fell back in real pain. Scout started to talk to Mr. Cunningham about his son, him giving them hickory nuts, and asking his son to tell him hi.

After, she started talking about his entailments saying that,”Entailments are bad” which caused everybody to stare at Scout with fascination and some had their mouths half-open. Mr. Cunningham then said,”I’ll tell him you said hey, little lady,” he said, Then he straightened up and waved a big paw. “Let’s clear out,” he called,”Let’s get going, boys.” (206). This quote is very important because this shows that Scout got Mr. Cunningham in Atticus’s position causing Mr. Cunningham to have everyone to leave in peace which is the main objective of this chapter. The theme of the chapter is that you can end mobs and groups peacefully  by using words to make the other person to be in their place or shoes since Scout made Mr. Cunningham to stand in Atticus’s place for a second and he made the mob to end peacefully.

Chris

Chapter 29: The Unexpected Neighbor who saved Scout and Jem.

Atticus kept asking about Mr. Bob Ewell and Mr. Tate said that he won’t hurt these children again and that he is dead. Atticus’s age began to show by his strong line of his jaw now melted into creases. Aunt Alexandra began to say it was her fault, but Mr. Tate told her,”You go ahead, Miss Alexandra, I know it’s been a shock to you. And don’t you fret yourself about anything- why, if we followed our feelings all the time we’d be like cats chasin’ their tails”(359). This quote is a simile from Mr. Tate. Miss Alexandra went with Atticus and told him,”Atticus, I had a feeling about this to night-I-this is my fault”(359). This quote shows that their aunt cares for them a lot. Scout then explained that she thought Cecil Jacobs were behind them, since he scared them once already that night, and she called out “Cecil Jacobs is a big fat hen”.

Then she said she said hello very loudly. Atticus didn’t hear them since he had the radio on and Aunt Alexandra had hers going in her bedroom. Then she explained her costume of a ham with a shiny paint on her costume. When Mr. Tate looked at her costume, he realized that Scout had lived because of her costume which had a wire that blocked the knife.

 

Scout then said she was under a tree and she said that the floor is cooler which means they were under a tree and that someone grabbed her costume which later on, Jem hollered with pain, and Mr. Ewell was yanked down. Mr. Tate then sharply asked to continue in which Scout said that someone was staggering, panting, and coughing.Then Scout pointed to someone to a man in the corner and realized that pointing was rude and stopped. The man had sickly white hands. “His face was as white as his hands, but for a shadow on his jutting chin. His cheeks were thin to hollowness; his mouth was wide; there were shallow, almost delicate indentations at his temples, and his gray eyes were so colorless I thought he was blind. His hair was dead and thin, almost feathery on top of his head… His lips parted into a timid smile, and our neighbor’s image blurred with my sudden tears. “Hey, Boo,”I said”(362), This quote is a simile that shows that Boo Radley is old and he is the neighbor that saved him. This shows that heroes can be any age, any gender, and etc. The theme of chapter is that heroes can be anybody since Boo Radley, an old man, saved them which shows that even old people can be heroes.

Chris

Chapter 31 Recap: Scout’s understanding of Boo Radley

Boo Radley sat in the living room coughing and a little shaken. Scout described his movement as,”Every move he made was uncertain, as if he were not sure his hands and feet could make proper contact with the things he touched”(371) which is a simile. Scout realizing that Boo Radley was sitting next to her was incredible to her since he didn’t make a sound at all.

Scout lead Boo Radley where Jem was lying down asleep after Jem broke his left arm when Scout and Jem got attacked. Scout held Boo’s hand and led him towards Jem. Boo examined Jem with curiosity and Boo petted Jem on the hair. Scout started to begin to learn his body language and walked him home when Boo asked her to. Boo went to his house and was never seen again and Scout was sad since he gave them a borken watch and chain, two soap dolls, a pair of good-luck penniess, and our lives and they gave him nothing.

Standing on the porch, Scout stood in Boo’s shoes and remembered from Atticus,”One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them”(374) which is a metaphor. This also represents the main objective of this chapter because Scout has finally know who Boo is and she now knows how to know a person know without making any first impressions. As scout returned to her house, Jem was still sleeping and decided to stay next to Jem. Atticus read one of Jem’s book which was “The Gray Ghost”.  Scout wanted him to read it, but Atticus said you had enough scaring for a while when Scout said that the book is real scary. Then Scout argues that she wasn’t scared and that nothing’s real scary except in books which Atticus finally read the book to her. After some time, Scout slowly fell asleep and Atticus changed her to her pajamas and put her into bed while Scout was muttering about the story. Atticus then stayed in Jem’s room waiting all night and he would see Jem waking up in the morning. The theme statement of this chapter is that the judgement of the people you see at first could be wrong because you don’t really know them at all until you fully understand that person.

Chris

Atticus Character

Atticus is one of the main character of the story who is the father of Scout and Jem who is part of the Finch’s family. Atticus’s role is a lawyer who is the only one who defended every race including black and to change the town by trying to remove racism. He believes what is right even if it is not popular. The racism in the town has been going on for a long time and most of the people in the town is used to racism and they want to change it because, “Why change?” They said. Atticus is also a person who doesn’t encourage violence and he is the person to walk away from things when people spit on him or when people start talking trash at him.

Atticus impacts the theme of racism by a lot since he wants to defend Tom Robinson with all he had which Tom Robinson is black and by trying to remove racism. In the text, Atticus stated,”… you gentlemen would go along with them on the assumption- the evil assumption- that ALL Negroes lie, that ALL Negroes are basically immoral beings, that ALL Negro men are not to be trusted around our women, an assumption one associates with minds of their caliber. Which, gentlemen, we know is in itself a lie as black as Tom Robinson’s skin, a lie I do not have to point out to you. You know the truth… One more thing, gentlemen, before I quit. Thomas Jefferson once said that all men are created equal… In the name of God, believe him.”(273-275). This quote shows that he is really trying to defend him and to remove racism because he said that all the terrible stuff about black people is a lie and that everyone is created equal. He also even said at the end to believe in him which really shows that he wants to defend Tom Robinson. Atticus was the only white person who actually tried to defend a black person.

Chris

 

Mrs. Dubose’s Dignity and Courage

During chapter 11, Jem and Scout passed Mrs. Dubose house everyday and she would always be rude to them. They could do nothing to please her. One day, Mrs. Dubose started saying stuff about their parents and Atticus and Jem went mad, but Atticus said to keep his head high and be a gentleman. Atticus usually compliments Mrs. Dubose when passing by even when she said bad things toward him. Mrs. Dubose eventually went crazy with words against Scout and Jem everyday by saying terrible stuff about Atticus. Eventually, Jem went mad with his temper and grabbed a baton. He ran on Mrs. Dubose property and started smashing every camellia bush Mrs. Dubose had and then snapped the baton in half.

Atticus the next day yelled at Jem and told him to go to her house instantly and apologize. Mrs. Dubose told Jem to read out loud to her every afternoon after school and Saturdays for a month. Jem continued to read to her out loud every afternoon and Saturdays with Scout and near the end of the month, but Mrs. Dubose said for them to read one more week. Scout realized that each day they came, they had been staying a little bit longer than the previous day. When it was the last day, all she said was “And that’s all”. In the spring, Jem asked Atticus where Mrs. Dubose was since he hasn’t seen her in a month and Atticus responded that she was dead. Atticus told Jem that she was a morphine addict and she had a little time to live. Then Atticus said that she had one more thing to do and that was to “… leave this world beholden to nothing and nobody. jem, when you’re sick as she was, it’s all right to take anything to make it easier, but it wasn’t alright for her. She said she meant to break herself before she died, and that’s what she did”(148). That means that all the fits she had was because of this. Atticus then said she died free as the mountain air and Atticus gave Jem a candy box from Mrs. Dubose before she died. The candy box was surrounded by wads of damp cotton, was white, waxy, perfect camellia, and it was a Snow-on-the-Mountain.

Jem then yelled,”Old hell-devil, old hell-devil!” he screamed, flinging it down. “Why can’t she leave me alone?”(148). Jem then bursted into tears and Atticus said that this was her way to say that everything’s all right. Atticus then said that she was a great lady and he wanted Jem to see what real courage is which is,”It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what”(149). Atticus then said that Mrs. Dubose won, all ninety- eight pounds of her and from her view, she died beholden to nothing and nobody and that she was the bravest person he ever knew. Jem threw the candy box in the fire after and went to bed.

This moment is a highlight because this chapter shows what real courage is and one of the only person in this book who has a lot of courage. The pivotal message of Harper Lee is that even if you are prejudice, you can also be full with courage. This chapter reveals the theme of dignity which on society, the black people was seen to have little dignity and the white was seen to have a lot of dignity back then where there was a lot of racism, but now, it is different because every race have equal dignity now since there is less racism from before. Another theme that was revealed was courage since she fought against the addiction of Morphine and now in society, people back then didn’t have the courage to change the ways about racism. Now, there are laws and amendments that states that everyone has equal rights which took courage from people to make those laws and amendments.

Chris

How does one’s knowledge affect one’s loss of innocence? TKAM

How does one’s knowledge affect one’s loss of innocence? Well, the more knowledge you have the less innocence you have since Scout for example, has no knowledge of what some things are like rape which makes her very innocence since she knows nothing about the bad stuff. In the story, it tells us,”Which reminded me that I had a question to ask Atticus. “What’s rape?” I asked him that night…. “Well if that’s all it is why did Calpurnia dry me up when I asked her what it was?”(180-181). The second sentence shows us that Scout doesn’t really understand it since she still doesn’t know why Calpurnia dry her up. Another quote of her innocence of her lack of knowledge is,”A n-lover. I ain’t very sure what it means, but the way Francis said it-tell you one thing…”(114). This shows her innocence a lot since she lacks a lot of knowledge about the terrible stuff in the world. Finally, another quote from the story is,”Uncle Jack?… What’s a w-lady? Uncle Jack plunged into another long tale about an old Prime Minister who … I guess he was trying to answer my question, but he made no sense whatsoever”(115). Clearly, this shows that one’s knowledge affects one’s loss of innocence since Scout’s knowledge is low which makes her innocence high. Babies for example, is a good example since babies knows literally almost nothing in this world which tells us that babies have very little knowledge. Also some adults for example knows a lot about this world and knows what a lot of stuff is which tells us their knowledge is high. The difference between them is of course their knowledge and their innocence and when you compare them to each other, you can find that the more knowledge you have, the less innocence you will have since you have lost your innocence.

Chris

Strange Fruit Connection

Strange Fruit

Written by Abel Meeropol

Performed by Billie Holiday

1937

Southern trees bear a strange fruit
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root
Black bodies swingin’ in the Southern breeze
Strange fruit hangin’ from the poplar trees

Pastoral scene of the gallant South
The bulgin’ eyes and the twisted mouth
Scent of magnolias sweet and fresh
Then the sudden smell of burnin’ flesh

Here is a fruit for the crows to pluck
For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck
For the sun to rot, for the tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop

In this poem, it talks about black people being hanged in public by people by racism. Also the poem shows how much the person suffers since their eyes are bulging out and the mouth is twisted. Finally, they see the body as a crop not a body and they let the body rot to bones. This poem relates To Kill A Mockingbird since the people are both racist and they both killed a person unjustly since they died by people who are filled with racism. They both also show that black people are being discriminated on and that they don’t care about their deaths.

 

Character Symbolism

To Kill a Mockingbird Character Symbolism

Scout Symbolizes as a

Scout  is symbolized as a mocking bird

Mockingbirds sings beautifully most of the time and that is innocence in its own way. Scout is also innocent since she doesn’t really know that much bad stuff in the world. They both are aggressive sometimes. For example, Scout gets aggressive when people make fun of her and insults her and the mockingbirds gets aggressive when people go near their nest. Basically, they both get aggressive when they are agitated and they both are willing to attack if they want to. One quote that shows Scout’s aggressiveness is, “Let him go,Scout. Why? He didn’t have any lunch, I said, and explained my involvement in Walter’s dietary affairs” (30). This shows that Scout fought him since she was agitated of being make fun in class because she tried to explain what a Cunningham is just like how a mockingbird being agitated when someone goes near the nest. A quote that shows Scout’s innocence is,”…I had a question to ask Atticus. What’s rape? I asked him that night”(180). This shows how innocent is Scout which is as innocent as mockingbirds peacefully singing.

Picture Explanation

The bird in the picture is a mockingbird peacefully singing which is innocence and the danger sign is to warn people to not go near the nest or else you will get attacked because it agitates the bird just like agitating Scout, which means by making fun of her, you will get attacked.

Chris

 

Calpurnia can be symbolized as a door.

“How’d you and Mister Jem like to come to church with me tomorrow” (Lee, 156).

In To Kill a Mockingbird Calpurnia serves as a “doorway” to another “world” that Scout and Jem do not know about. Calpurnia takes them to her church, which is predominately African-American. When they do to her church they notice things about it that are different then the church they usually go to. Scout notices that the church doesn’t have hymn books. Jem also notices that they sing their hymns differently, Calpurnia tells them that hymn books wouldn’t do them any good. ” ‘They can’t read’ ” (Lee, 164). (They referring to the people who go to her church). Scout and Jem also realize that Calpurnia speaks differently at her church, and they say that she had a “modest double life”. Scout  even says “That Calpurnia led a modest double life never dawned on me”(Lee, 167). This quote shows Scout is learning about Calpurnia’s other lifestyle/world is becoming more apparent to her and that she is realizing what Calpurnia and other’s lifestyle is like.

 

Character Symbolism : Tom Robinson as a Mockingbird

 

Tom Robinson can be symbolized as a Mockingbird. Mockingbird, as Atticus says, “don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy… that’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” Tom Robinson is innocent, but people are racist and call him guilty. This is like killing a mockingbird, they are killing the inocent people. They are accusing an innocent person who did nothing but help Mayella out. This is just like mockingbirds. Mockingbirds do nothing but sing for us. Tom Robinson and mockingbirds are both great people and animals that help others. Tom Robinson was not accused for his character, but for his appearance. Harper Lee tells us something, when Atticus let’s Jem shoot blue jays. This is like how Heck Tate lets Boo Radley go with the fact that he killed Bob Ewell.

 

Tyler

Character Symbolism: Boo Radley as a fox

Boo Radley could be symbolized as a fox because he is very sneaky and slick when he shows up to do certain actions. Like when Jem and Scout were being beat, Boo was there to save them like he knew it was already going to happen. Also, putting gifts in the knothole in the tree without letting the kids know it was him can be mysterious and sly. Although Boo is emotionally damaged, due to his cruel father, he is still incredibly intelligent. All these traits relates to the slyness of how a fox conducts and completes his own tasks.