First Impressions
I really enjoyed the first twelve chapters of the book and I am looking forward to reading more. The way the book was written from Scout’s perspective looking back on her past makes for a much different experience as a reader and is unlike anything else I have read. I suppose that is why this story is read by so many people and taught in schools today. The story also has a very clear cut message it tries to address, namely racism. It makes us think about what we are doing to other people in a system influenced by racism because it forces many characters to justify their actions to Scout. Needless to say, most of these answers are along the lines of “that’s just the way it is.”
Scout
Scouts character is very naive but smart at the same time. She doesn’t know much about things like racism or how to navigate a potentially dangerous or risky conversation, as you can see from her careless request to Aunt Alexandra to stay at Calpurnia’s house for a time She makes quite a few blunders and is quick to temper, but she starts to develop into a more knowledgeable and reasonable person as time goes by. This is seen when instead of Scout lashing out at Mrs. Dubose, it was instead Jem who broke first.
Important Quote
“Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One doesn’t love breathing.” -Scout
This quote is made after Scout’s teacher is telling her that she should stop having her father teach her how to read. It makes Scout think that she will forget how to read until the third grade where it was taught as part of the Dewey Decimal system. This terrifies her because, although she had never previously treasured her ability to read and write, she uses it everyday as a necessary part of everyday life. Losing it would create great change for Scout, and people are often affected negatively by change, so the fact that it is threatened is enough to make her protect it no matter what. This leads to her deals with her father to make sure he would keep teaching her in return for her good behavior concerning the upcoming court case.
Literature Circle
During our literature circles and Socratic seminar many things were discussed. We looked at Atticus’ hesitance to use a gun, the reasoning behind filling the tree with cement, and a possible metaphor/ foreshadowing for the court case. I wish to focus on what I talked about in the lit. circle, the metaphor for the trial. This is after the quote “To kill a Mockingbird is a sin,” as they do only good things for us. I thought that the book might be hinting at the Tom Robinson’s innocence by comparing him to a Mockingbird. This would also lead to a slight bit of foreshadowing, since the quote also talked about killing the Mockingbird. One way that the Mockingbird, Tom, could be killed is if the trial finds him guilty and he is sentenced to death. While this is only my theory, it would also fit in with the theme of racism since even the most innocent of people can be killed because of the word of a white person.
Predictions and Questions
- Atticus Finch and Tom Robinson will lose the court trial
- Boo Radley will make an appearance and become a major player later on
- Scout will visit Calpurnia’s home against Aunt Alexandra’s orders
- Will Calpurnia’s church play an important role in the near future?
- Will Tom be found guilty, and if so what will the sentence be?
- Will Boo Radley be sane if and when he finally leave the house?
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