Not What You Think

Mr. Dolphus Raymond is quite an interesting character. If i were Scout or Dill, when Mr. Raymond approached them, I would have proceeded with much more caution... or I wouldn't have proceeded at all. However, he sheds some light on a few things. First, he explains to the children that he lives the way he does simply because he wants to, but since this reason is not good enough for the townsfolk, he gives them a reason. He simply pretends to be a drinker. While I really don't think that is the most sensible way to go about this problem, it sure is a creative idea! In a different way, he shows the children how to be themselves and not care what others think, but if they don't think your reasoning is good enough, he shows them how to be courteous and give them a reason. While this isn't really a life lesson everyone NEEDS to know, it shows that Mr. Dolphus Raymond isn't so bad after all!

GUILTY GUILTY GUILTY

Ahhhh how sad. I could tell what the verdict was going to be as soon as Reverend Sykes says "'Now don't you be so confident, Mr. Jem, I ain't ever seen any jury decide in favor of a colored man over a white man. . . .'" (Lee 208). You just get kind of a sinking feeling in your heart when hear or read about an innocent man being sentenced for the wrong reasons. It's RIDICULOUS!

Growing Up

I think it's weird that Aunt Alexandra is so mean to Scout, but then she suddenly becomes a role model. Scout even says "After all, if Aunty could be a lady at a time like this, so could I." I guese it just shows how Scout is growing up and wants to be a lady.

Aunt Alexandra..

It's kind of crazy to think about how far women have come in the world. It used to be that women did nothing but run the house, they wore tight-laced corsets & dresses every day, and had virtually NO rights. This thought came from when Aunt Alexandra told Scout that she should be wearing dresses, and that she shouldn't be doing anything she can't do in a dress. Scout is a little girl, and Aunt Alexandra is expecting her to behave like an adult.

This is just odd to me, and I've been thinking about it a lot....

Does Aunt Alexandra do this because it's how she behaves, and it's just her way of controlling things, or is this the norm for little girls back then?

<3

Scout and Dill

Scout and Dill are apparently getting married when they get older, but I don't see much chemistry between them. They are almost as different as night and day. Dill is always hanging around Jem when he visits, and I just don't see the relationship going anywhere fast.

Fair? I think not

The trial has ended and Tom has been proven guilty. Personally, I don't think this is right. There was plenty of evidence that proved that he wasn't guilty. For example, how people's stories didn't match up. Also, Mayella was obviously beaten by someone who led with their left hand. Her own father even testified to have seen her with a black eye on the right side. However, the jury failed to take into account that Tom obviously couldn't lead with his left hand because he doesn't have one! But.... Mr. Ewell does write with his left hand, which was proven in the courtroom, and this also means he could have very easily beaten his daughter. So, even though the jury had plenty of evidence against the Ewells, they still sided with them. Yes, this is common of the times, but they are truly messing with someones life, and it really bothers me!

Jem and Scout

It seems like they understand more than anyone else that what is going on in the trial is not right. It brings Jem to tears which was impossibe. Scout tells her dad many times it isn't right and wants to know why they want him dead first, then they want him gone.

not fair!

This book is horrible. Well not horrible as in an oh-gawd.....i-hate-this-book way. Just as in a this-story-doesn't-add-up-and-is-really-not-fair way. It pretty much stabbed me in the heart when i heard Tom was guilty, but i was on the fifty yard mark of "innocent" and "guilty." I personally think Atticus did a really good job defending. Back then the best laywer couldn't really win a racial case- in that time period especially. One paragraph that really struck me was:

"He meant it when he said it," said Atticus. "Jem, see if you can stand in Bob Ewell's shoes a mintue. I destroyed hid last shred of credibility at that trial, if he had and to begin with. The man had to have some kind of comeback, his kind always does. So if spitting in my face and threating me saved Mayella Ewell from one extran beating, that's something I'll gladly take. He had to take it out on somebody and I'd rather it be me than that houseful of children out there. you understand?" (Page 218)

I really like the "sweeteness" in this paragraph, because that's how I am. I'd be willing to sacrafice what I have for someone else's happiness :/ but that's just me.
I haven't really finished the book yet but i'm looking forward to it.

Cheaters Never Win....

"Atticus says cheatin' a colored man is ten times worse than cheatin' a white man," I muttered. "Says it's the worst thing you can do."

Uh.... What?

Maybe it's just me, but this doesn't make sense. In a time of such strong racism, why would Atticus (even though he is very tolerant for a white man in this time period) say this? Cheating anyone is bad, and saying something like "cheating people is one of the worst things you can do" would make sense. Anyone help me out with this?

<3

I'm awfully surprised to see that Mr. Ewell was smart (I guess you could say that) enough to take his case into court knowing the racial prjudices that would have won him the case. Had it not been for Atticus, that poor Tom Robinson definitely would have been senteced to prison or execution. The irony in the case, though, is Mr. Ewell's ignorance to see Atticus's points. I suppose it's ironic that Mr. Ewell brought his own case into court but is eventually the one to bring it down.

Aunt Alexandra

So I think that Aunt Alexandra seems like the cranky old women you see in movies. She really has it out for Scout too. I wonder what her problem is.

Times are Changing

Back then it seemed like going to court hearing was like going to today's movies. Jem and Scout always seemed excited about going to see their dad in action. It just shows how much the ttimees have changed since then.

Who's guilty???

Ok, so we know that the jury saw Tom Robinson guilty but between Mr. Ewell, Mayella, and Tom, someone must be lying. Each of their stories just don't add up.

Who do you think it is and why???

Personally, I think Mr. Ewell is the guilty one. The fact that he is left-handed (meaning he could have easily beaten the right side of Mayella's face) is pretty suspicious. And the fact that he wouldn't get Mayella any medical attention? What kind of father is he?? He just doesn't seem to really know what he's talking about. He seems very confused. Tom, on the other hand, seems very confident in his answers. He does not seem at all worried about telling the truth. He comes across as a genuine man of his word.
Just my opinion....

Feeble Atticus

"Atticus was feeble: he was nearly......Our father didnt do anything."(89) Why do Jem and Scout care so much about there father getting old? Atticus is a caring, loving father. Jem and Scout dont seem to appreciate this. They want Atticus to be able to do something cool. Like run fast, or jump high. It seems like Jem and Scout want to be able to brag about their father. When the children finally find out that Atticus used to be known as "Ol' One shot" they were suddenly proud of their father, and wanted to tell all their friends at school. Can someone please tell me why the kids feel they have to brag on their father?

HGKBAKLGBV GFHKAVNBNHGAKNHDBHVKENHG LHGVNHKEBGHRNKLVKFVHEKLNJK

Question?????????

I don't know if anyone has read chapter 19 yet, but if you have try and help me here. Mr. Gilmer asked Tom Robinson why he did chores for Mayella, and why he did them for no pay.
Mr. Gilmer smiled grimly at the jury. "You're a mighty good fellow, it seems- did all this for not one penny?"
" Yes, suh. I felt right sorry for her, she seemed to try more'n the rest of 'em-"
"You felt sorry for her, you felt sorry for her?" Mr. Gilmer seemed ready to rise to the ceiling.
And then it said that the witness (Tom Robinson) had realized his mistake. Why is that a mistake?

Falling apart at the seams

Despite the fact that I hate the Ewells, I am extremely amused by the trial thus far. While I do think that Atticus will lose the trial simply because of the time period that they are living in, he is tearing the Ewells case apart. Mr. Ewell is simply ignorant but his bull headed attitude just further emphasizes this. What do you guys think?

hmmmmm

I think it is interesting how as the children grow, they become less worried about the Radley's. I think that they are growing up and realizing that there really isn't that much to worry about, and understanding that they may have good reasons for staying in their house and being so secluded. They are starting to realize that the Ewell's are the real problem.

Did something happen in the past?

Atticus has shown us that he has a deadly shot, but why isn't he proud of it? Why didn't he tell his own kids how good he was? Or teach them how to shoot their new air rifles? He has a great talent and he doesn't use it. He could also use hunting as bonding time with Jem and possibly Scout. It's almost as if he is ashamed by it. I wonder if something happened when he was younger that made him dislike hunting. He makes it very clear to Scout that she is not allowed to point the gun at anyone...

One Tuff Nugget

Toward the end of chapter 9,when Scouts cousin(Francis) said that Scouts dad was a N****-Lover, aka a black-lover. Scouts took action. Scout really didn't known what Francis meant but she defended her dad again way. In the end, Scout puched Francis square in the mouth, with her fist. This explains Scouts character because she doesn't think before she acts, she not very lady like, and is always defends her family. In conclusion Scout is ONE TUFF NUGGET!!!

What do you think?

Where is it?

I am wondering what you guys are thinking about the theme so far...I haven't picked up oon anything but I have a feeling we are getting close. The fact that this book is a classic most likely excludes the broad range of universal themes. Tell me what you are thinking......

I came to the same conclusion about the conflict. I am seeing a general man vs. society conflict developing but was curious if anyone saw anything deeper yet.

Figment of Your Imagination

In chapter 8 or so of To Kill a Mockingbird, Miss Mausie'd house burns down. Scout and Jem are standing out on the side walk of their street watching the commotion. When the two go back inside of their own house, one of them notice that Scout has a cover over her. Her father, Atticus says, " I thought I told you to stay put."
" Why, we did. We stayed-"
" Then whose blanket is that?"
"Blanket?"
"Yes ma'am, blanket. It isn't ours (p. 71)."
Right here nobody knows who's blanket it is and where it came from. So, Jem comes out with the idea of it being Boo Radley's. He says that he crept up behend Scout when they weren't looking and covered her up.

In my opinion, I think that this whole blanket thing is a figment of Scout and Jem's imaginations. I think that they are so scared of the Boo Radley stories, that whenever something weird happens they blame it on Boo. But they are little kids so maybe its just a way with dealing with their fears. Blame them on something else.

Friend or Foe?

So what do ya'll think about Boo?

Friend or Foe?

Does he serve a purpose > > > if so what is it?

Does he symbolize anything?

Lemme know what you think about him.

:)

Nothing but trouble

thankfully we are finally getting close to seeing the main conflict in this book. The no surprise there but the Ewells are the ones responsible. Although it hasn't showed what the case is about I am really excited for it to begin. Anybody else notice the pick up in action in the book? I did and i am loving every bit of it....Scout is turning out to be pretty fun after all

TKAMB blog 1

Okay now the thirty or so pages were very confusing to me. I had no idea what was going on. At about chapter 4 though, I kinda got it. now tell me, is Boo Radley black? Well better yet who is black and who white? I know Scout is the main chracter. Scout, I take it, is a girl and white. Jem is Scout's brother. Atticus is thier father, and Calpurnia...I'm not reallly sure who she is. All I know is that she's black and lives with Scout's family. It started making sense when I read about Scout going to school for the first time. For now, my favorite character is Walter Cunnigham. I like the quiet personality of him. Walter and that one mean, poor kid can be very much compared and contrasted. Between the two kids Walter is the protagonist and the other is to me is the antagonist. I kinda stopped at there. I haven't read that much of the book only to the part where they find thie things in the tree...I know I'm a bad kid...(laughs quietly to self). I can ketchup though, (Get it? Catch Up?). Okay, I'm done now. PEACE!

Miss Maudie

Miss Maudie is a really optomistic person! I thought it was strange when her house burned down and her reaction was "Always wanted a smaller house, Jem Finch. Gives me more yard. Just think, I'll be able to have more room for my azaleas now!" (73) I guese she was just looking for the silver lining, but shouldn't she be a little sad since it just happened?

Rollin' In the Mud!

Through out the first 6 or so chapters I've noticed that Scout doesn't realy want to be a girly kind of girl. She wants to play with Dill and her brother, Jem. She likes to role in the mud you might say.
Iv'e also noticed that she is very smart. She's only in the first grade and she has intelegent conversations with her neighbor Miss Maudie. On page 45 when Scout and Miss Maudie are talking about Boo Radley. " What happens in houses behind closed doors, what secrets-"
"Atticus don't ever do anyhting to Jem and me in the house that he don't do in the yard," I said, feeling in my duty to defend my parent.
I see here that she is very intelectutal for a first grader.
Whenever Scout and Miss Maudie are talking together I think that Miss Maudie calls her by her real name so that Scout can feel somewhat feminine. Scout is always hanging with the guys so I feel that Miss Maudie seems to be sort of a motherly figure to Scout.

Is it just me?

I hope it is not me going crazy, but while reading dialogues, do you find it hard to understand who is talking? I get so mixed up sometimes about "wait, who was that? I thought it was [insert name here] but that doesn't make sense for that character." Then I have to go back and reread it S-L-O-W-L-Y to realize who is who. It could be that the quotes are too close together (just my opinion), or maybe I am just reading them too fast.

Is it just me??



:]

Oh Dill....

So dill is really a very.... colorful character. He is quite the spunky little thing, and i think it's funny how he wanted Scout to marry him. However, aside from him being "cute" at times, he is a downright mischievous kid. I mean sure boys are curious creatures, and he keeps the story interesting. But, I sure don't like how he is starting to separate Scout and Jem. They were so close. Then when Jem met Dill, they started doing things like pretend to be the Radley's, or even do something as silly as go to the back yard to try to see inside!! Jem obviously know that this bothers Scout..... at least he should because she tells him over and over. It just bothers me that Dill's crazy schemes are starting to take a toll on Scout and Jem's relationship..... :(

Don't know where it's going to go from here!

The story SO FAR is ok, it will probably get better later on, but when? The story just rambles on about the kids, and nothing is really developing. For example, chapter 7 (I think), the whole chapter it talked about how it snowed in Maycomb, the kids got the day off, and they built a snowman that resembled Mr. Avery. It wasn't until Miss Maudie's house burned down that the chapter had some meaning. I mean the first part where it was just talking about what the kids did in the snow, it seemed kind of pointless. The chapter finally started to get interesting when the house was burning down and when Atticus mentioned to Scout and Jem that Boo Radley came over and put a blanket around them for warmth. The kids didn't even know that Boo put the blanket around them! The book so far just seems kind of boring and pointless, the story is not getting anywhere, and I'm starting to wonder when something big is going to pop up! I hope soon!

SLICK WILLY

Hey boyz and girlz. This book is honestly pitiful for the most part. I do not understand what is really happening. Nothing seems to be really happening. Yes, its cute for a while how the children Dill, Jem and Scout play wild games during the summer, but it quickly gets old. They go to school, come home, play outside. BAM! Theres the story so far. They sneak into the Radleys backyard which i have to admit is an amusing part of this book. The old man with the shotgun is absolutly hilarious. "Shot in the air. Scared him pale, though. Says if anybody sees a white nigger around, that's the one." (55) This part really cracks me up and was pretty entertaining. Other than that, i really have been bored..up to chapter 8. Maybe it will get better. Peace.

"What happens behind closed doors"

Do you remember this Quote: " 'You reckon he's crazy?' Miss Maudie shook her head. ' If he's not crazy he should be now. The things that happen to people we never really know. What happens in houses behind closed doors- what secerts-"(46). Miss Madudie is very wise, because people's home lives no one really knows what happens. You can't really judge someone unless you walk in there shoes or (as Scout says) jump into someones skin.

Boring

So far, this book has been quite boring and unrealistic. There hasn't been any action in the first 4 chapters, and in my opinion there should be some by now. I think it is unrealistic because i highly doubt someone would be scared of a house. Usually stories like that are for cheezy scary movies about ghosts and haunted houses. So, I really hope this book starts to get better real soon.

Y'all talk funny

Is it just me or is anyone else annoyed by southern diction used in this book? Living in Missouri has exposed me to a certain extent but this is too much for me. I noticed it in There Eyes Were Watching God as well and it bothered me just as much then. I think it helps establish the setting and time period to a certain extent but does the author go a little overboard with it? It groups all the characters together under a certain stereotype, which may help in the beginning, but i personally enjoy diverse characters much more. My thoughts in a nut shell, tell me what you think....

Chapter 1

The first chapter seemed a little weird and confusing at first because of the southern style of writing. Towards the end of the chapter it became a little bit more easier to comprehend. Scout, the narrator, is immature, in my opinion, but that's probably just because she's young. For example, she asked Dill why he doesn't have a father and if his father was dead. Jem, Scout's older brother, looks after Scout. Atticus, the father of Scout and Jem, seems like the wise one, and sets an example for how to behave be nice to other people. When Jem asked Atticus about the Radley's, he would always tell Jem to mind his own business. I really can't tell what's going to happen later on in the book.

That's odd...

Okay... so as I was reading chapter one, I noticed something very ironic. On page 4 it talks about Simon and how he stopped practicing medicine because he was afraid of being tempted into doing something against the glory of God. While I think this is good, it is odd that the next few sentences go on to say that Simon went and bought three slaves and established himself on the banks of the Alabama River. What I wonder is: why does he think that practicing medicine, and possibly helping people, could be unholy, while buying slaves is fine..... WEIRD! I do understand that this period is a time when owning slaves was common, but really, this is just very ironic. So, that's my insight... hope you enjoy it!

How old is Scout?

Scout is the narrator of the story, and her diction very sophisticated for a little girl. So how old is she and what clues are there to her age?

What's in a Title?

To Kill?
a Mockingbird?

Can you gather anything from the title?

How many ways can you kill something? Kill a person, kill an idea, a dream, a spirit...

Mockingbird? What does that have to do with anything?