TKAM BLOG 7

In my opinion, so far this book is about racism. This book is also about Classes. I will explain why.

I believe it's about racism because the book is constantly bringing it up. Tom Robinson, for example. As mentioned in the book, it would be shameful and a disgrace to take side of a Negroe. This has to do with racism because without knowing the person, or trying to understand them, they're judging them by the color of their skin. It made perfect sense that Tom Robinson was in reality innocent, but because he's black, they would not allow him to win the case.

This book also has to do with classes. The entire town is split on to a scale. From rich to poor. Even Jem says that there are different type of people in their town. There are the Negroes, whites, ordinary people like them, Cunninghams, and the Ewells. The Negroes are on the bottom of the scale. The reason that it has to do with classes is because each group only hangs out with eachother. The Negroes with Negroes, ordinary with ordinary, and so on.

C. How do you think the story (what you read so far) would have changed if Scout and Jem had a mother present in their lives? Would it change for the better or for the worse? Explain your thoughts.

There are many reasons why it would have been good for the children to have a mother present, but also reasons why it would have gone for the worse if they did. I think that if Jem and Scout had a mother present, they would have someone to look out for them more, and would have someone to talk to more. Atticus is usually reading, and doesn't interact with the kids much. In a recent chapter, we see the first time that Atticus really shows affection towards Jem. As well as the mother being there for Jem and Scout, a change in the story would be that the Finch’s wouldn't need Calpurnia. Even if the family did have Calpurnia, they might not need her as much. This is because Calpurnia does the things that the mother would have done if she was there. If Calpurnia didn’t work for the Finch’s to begin with, then maybe Aunt Alexandra wouldn’t have come. That was one of the reasons she went to help the family. Because she doesn’t want a colored person helping them.

A mother is an inspiration to her daughter right? Well that’s one of the reasons that Aunt Alexandra came as well. To give Scout a feminine-influence. If Scout had a mother present, then Aunt Alexandra wouldn’t have come for that either. So basically, if they had a mother, Aunt Alexandra wouldn’t have come at all. Along with that, the Finch’s might not have had Calpurnia. Jem and Scout are like their father and don’t see a difference between the blacks and whites. Calpurnia is black, so that’s one of the reasons they feel the same. If they didn’t have Calpurnia, they wouldn’t have has as much exposure to colored people. Which might have lead them to think differently about them.

These changes could be for the better or for the worse. I think that overall, even though it would have been great for the children to have a mother, it would come for the worst. If Jem and Scout didn’t have Calpurnia around, they might not understand Atticus as well about how he feels about blacks. They treat Calpurnia the same, but if they never had Calpurnia, then the story would have been completely different. Jem and Scout wouldn't have sat with the blacks at the court for example. There are many reasons why it would have been good for the children to have a mother present, but also reasons why it would have gone for the worse if they did.

Journal Entry #5 Chapter 12-15 Perspective: Scout

Dear Diary,

Jem is beginning to mature more, and even Atticus jokes around by saying that he has tapeworms. Since he is beginning to mature more, he starts doing more things that I don’t want to do. Or he simply just wants to hang out with other boys. I don’t like it, because it’s boring without him. Along with that, Jem is also becoming wiser, and sometimes I don’t understand anything he explains to me. This summer, to my disappointment, Dill didn’t come. He sent us a letter saying that he has a new family and father. He said that he’s gonna be preoccupied building a fishing boat with his dad. It made me sad that Dill didn’t come. We’re engaged, and I won’t see him for this entire summer.

Since Atticus is not with us because he’s in Montgomery for the Tom Robinson case, Jem and I are with Calpurnia. On Sunday, she took us to colored people church! I met a lady named Lula, who did not quite welcome Jem and I to the church. When at church, I noticed that Calpurnia talks differently with colored people. I asked her why she would make herself sound less knowledgeable. She explained to me that she didn’t want to aggravate the others. But I still don’t understand. At church Jem and I also came to discover that Calpurnia has a son named Zeebo. She also happened to be the one to teach Atticus to read.

When Atticus came back, Calpurnia stopped helping us. Why? I have to say unfortunately because Aunt Alexandra came to visit and is going to stay with us for a while. I felt antagonized by her. I observed that she immediately fit in with the neighborhood, she’s always talking with the neighbors. She talked to us about the ancient Finch’s and about our reputation. I’ve overheard her talking to Atticus, and they’re always fussing about me. And abour how defending Tom Robinson is a disgrace to our name. Every time that Jem and I walk around town, people always whisper and stare at us. Only because of our father defending a black man!

You know how I told you that Dill didn’t come this summer? Well, while I was about to go to bed, when I set my foot down, I stepped on something. I thought it was a snake.I couldn't acquire what it was. But when I came back from telling Jem to come, Dill comes out from under my bed! I have to say that I was joyful. He explained to me that he ran away because he feels like he wasn’t needed and felt extracted by his family.

This Tom Robinson case is bringing a lot of troubles with our family. Mr. Heck Tate and some other men came to our back yard to talk to Atticus about the case. They’re afraid that there will be a riot and that a mob will try to hurt Tom Robinson. That night, Atticus left in his car. He never uses his car. Jem was curious to where he was going, so he decides that he’s going to follow him. I tell Jem that I’m going to come, and I don’t let him think that I’m going to stay. We bring Dill along. When we follow Atticus, we find him at the jail, sitting outside reading a newspaper. We just watched for a while. Nothing peculiar happened, but right when we were going to turn back, we change our mind. We sawa couple cars coming slowly. They stopped in front of the jail, emerged and surrounded Atticus. That’s when I had decided to back up my father. When I looked at the men, I only recognized one. Mr. Cunningham. I decided to try to connect with him, maybe make him feel bad. After talking to him, him and his mob left us alone.

Sincerely,
Scout.

Journal #4 Chapters 10, 11, & 12 Perspective: Mrs. Dubose

Dear Diary,

Recently, there was a mad dog on the lose. He was walking sickly by the Radley House, and was spotted first by the Finch children. I got a call from Miss Eula May, warning to close our doors and windows. I’m glad that Atticus was able to isolate and kill the mad dog, who knows what diseases it could bring? I heard from neighbors that Atticus had never told his children about his talent and weren't acquainted. I neither would be proud of such “talent,” but I would have told my children…however I would never consider having them to begin with.

I insulted the Finch children to their faces for the first time. Jem, and Scout adjacent to him. Normally I would have done it to Atticus, but at the time I had to get it out. It’s shameful that Atticus is defending Tom Robinson, and I see no problem in giving the children my opinion. I told Jem and Scout that their father isn’t any better than the niggers and trash he works for. Jem obviously couldn’t take the criticism and blew up with anger. In return to my criticism , Jem decided to take Scout’s baton and chop up all my bushes! That was absolutely unacceptable. In the end, it didn’t matter to me because Jem was punished. He had to come to my house every day and Sunday to read to me. But Scout came with Jem every day anyways, and I always saw how terrified she was inside. Of course they both didn’t know that I wasn’t listening even half of the time. They didn’t know that I had a Morphine addiction. And they wouldn’t know until I was gone. I knew I was to leave this world soon, so I entrusted Jessie in making a thank you gift for Jem. This gift was ingenuous and consisted of a box with a white camellia inside. After everything, I felt bad, and wanted to thank him, so that when I was gone, he would know what was happening the entire time.

I'm now officially dead. My spirit roams Maycomb. I've missed out on some events so far...while I was in the 'nigger' church, I saw Jem and Scout with Ms. Calpurnia. I was not surprised. First Atticus defends that man, and now Jem and Scout are at the wrong church. A woman named Lula was not happy to see them there with Calpurnia, but if I was her, I wouldn't have been happy either. I forgot to mention, Scout was wearing a dress! Finally learning to be a girl. During church, Jem and Scout noticed that their church did not have any hymn books. Instead they did something called, Linin'. That's when everyone repeats after the preacher. The reason that they have Linin' is because one, the church can't afford them, and two, only 4 people out of the church can read. Calpurnia being one of them. A man named Reverend Sykes was asking for money, like they would in a usual church, but this time he was forcing everyone to give enough money so that they could reach 10 dollars. This was for a woman named Helen, who has a baby. Her husband is in jail because he was accused of raping Mr. Bob Ewell's daughter.

Jem and Scout are wondering why Calpurnia actually talks like one of her kind when she's at church, and she simply explains because she doesn't want to aggravate the others.

That's enough for now Diary,
Mrs. Dubose.

Journal Entry #3 Chapter 8&9 Perspective: Atticus

Journal Entry #3
Chapter 8&9
Perspective: Atticus

Dear Diary, It has snowed for the first since 1885. Mr. Avery thinks that it's snowing because of my children disobeying and tormenting adults. He claims that's what is written on the Rosetta Stone. Scout had never seen snow before, which led to her waking up screaming in tirony telling everyone that the world was ending. The kids didn't have school that day because of the snow. They asked how to make a snowman, and I honestly only knew as much as they did. Their snowman looked a lot like Mr. Avery. I suggested that they changed the stove wood to a broom, and to add an apron onto the snowman. Instead, they decided to out a sunhat and put hedge clippers in the hand of the snowman.

That night, I woke up to the sound of fire. I woke Jem and Scout up, Scout was so tired she had trouble putting on her slippers. Once my children realized what was happening, they asked me who's house it was. I told them gently that it was Ms. Maudie's house. I was trying to keep them from panicking, and told them to go in front of the Radley house. While they were hanging out at the Radley house, I helped getting out the furniture by saving Ms. Maudie's rocking-chair. Mr. Avery also was helping and had to escape the house off of the teetering roof. After all the commotion and we got him, I offered Jem and Scout some hot cocoa. There faces were like chameleons, looking confused and desguised. But one thing just didn't look right...when I looked at Scout, she was wearing a blanket that did not belong to us. Scout started babbling when I asked her if she stayed put next to the Radley house. Jem started babbling nonsense about Boo Radley, which of nothing I understood.

One night, Scout asked me if I defended 'niggers.' I told her that I did, and to not call colored people 'niggers.' She told me that a boy named Cecil has been teasing her about her father defending 'niggers' and has been malignant. That night Scout and I talked about me defending a slave named Tom Robinson. She doesn't understand why I'm defending him. It was tough for her to undertand why. But she's young, it's harder for her. This case affects me personally, which is one of the reasons that I explained to Scout. I'm not going to win this case, but that's okay.

That's it for now,
Atticus.

Journal #2- Chapters 4-7 Perspective: Scout

Dear Diary,

It’s summer, and Dill is with us. The last time we saw him was last summer. He looks the same, except for the fact that he got chubbier. We were all so bored, that Jem made up a game called, ‘Boo Radley.’ We basically mocked the Radley’s. I was forced into this game, and Jem kept calling me a girl. Atticus finally found out, and he told us to stop. I didn’t want to play the game anymore, and Jem and Dill kept leaving me out of things they were doing. So instead, I decided to hang out with Ms. Maudie. Miss Maudie talked to me about Boo Radley. She says that he is still alive.

Dill and Jem are getting a bit carried away. They decided to write a note for Boo Radley, because they want to see him come out of his home. Dill and Jem, once again, forced me into one of their crazy ideas. So that night, we went to leave a note on the Radley’s shutters. Boo Radley heard a ‘nigger,‘ and he shot his shot gun. However, we thought he shot it because we made a sound and thought he heard us. When we went to the front of the house, there was a lot of commotion. The thing is, Jem left his pants, so he had to get them back. Jem told everyone that he was playing strip poker and that’s why he didn’t have his pants.

There is a suspicious oak tree near the Radley’s house. I was walking home from school, and the first thing I notice when I’m walking by, is a piece of tin-foil in a tree branch. When I opened it, inside was gum. I decided to eat it, and oh my, did Jem get angry. Next thing we find in that tree, are two pennies. The most suspicious object, were two soap carvings. Of Jem and I. Whoever has been leaving gifts in the tree, knows us. We know this because they’re like exact replicas of us.


Sincerely,
Scout.

Journal #1 Chapters 1-3 Perspective of Jem

Journal #1
Chapters 1-3
Perspective of Jem

Dear Diary,

Today Scout went to school for the first time. She did not like it, actually she was quite irritated. Scout believes that her teacher Ms. Caroline is very Malevolent. According to Scout, Ms. Caroline did not understand her. Why? Well, Scout failed to explain to Ms. Caroline that Walter was a Cunningham. A Cunningham is one of the people that don’t take what they can’t pay back. Once, Walter’s dad was a client of my father’s, but he couldn’t pay in money. Instead, he paid back by doing favors for our family. For example, we found stove wood in our backyard. The reason they can’t pay back is because they’re poor. Scout failed to explain to Ms. Caroline why Walter won’t take the lunch she’s offering him. Ms. Caroline didn't understand that the Cunningham's were a very eccentric family. Ms. Caroline also Made a pronouncement that the way the class was going to be run is different than how it was run before.

Since she was really mad, she decided to ‘rub’ his nose in dirt. As soon as I saw her, I came over as fast as I could. This really irked me so I told her to stop, she’s better than that. I also told him that Scout wouldn’t fight him anymore. At first I didn’t know why she was so angry, but Scout explained it all to me. Who cares if Scout was mad at him? I was inviting him to dinner! Scout agreed, and as we walked away, Walter persevered after us and told us he’s going to come to dinner.

The next day at school, was a crazy one. Ms. Caroline went berserk when she saw a cootie! The cootie was coming out of Burris Ewell’s hair! Scout said that he refused to go home and wash up, or even sit down. This time, Scout did not get in trouble for explaining one of the students to her. She told Ms. Caroline that the Ewell’s come to school the first day of every year, and then leave and never come back for the rest of the year. Ms. Caroline told Burris to leave. I heard he was so mad, that he made Ms. Caroline cry and the class had to comfort her.

Next Saturday, I spent all day in the tree house. I would have stayed over night if it weren’t for Scout not coming up and down anymore.


Talk to you later Diary,
Jem.