So, okay. Here's your task. You need to consider things from a few points of view. You need to climb into the skins of a few of the characters and walk around in them for a bit. Ready? Read the following claims:
- Bob Ewell is a victim.
- Atticus is unfair.
- Scout should act more lady-like.
- The mob should have hanged Tom Robinson.
- Miss Maudie is a sinner.
Each of these claims is made by a character in the text. And yet, we as an audience automatically want to discount each as false. So, your task? Select two of these claims and prove that both are correct.
Both of your responses should be presented in a thoughful, thorough paragraph using (1) evidence from the text as well as (2) your absolute best effort to produce a convincing, thought provoking argument.
Good luck.
In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout should act more ladylike. Her father Atticus is working on a very stressful case for work, and Scout is worrying him because she keeps on getting into fights with Jem (Jeremy) and her classmates. Scout should act more ladylike so that her father would worry less about her, and focus more on the case that is consuming his time. Scout and Jem are in Jem’s bedroom when Jem says that Scout should not ‘antagonize Aunty” (Lee 137). Scout thinks that Jem is trying to tell her what to do, but all Jem is saying is that “[Atticus] has a lot on his mind now, without us worrying him” (Lee 137). So with Scout acting more ladylike, Atticus and Aunt Alexandra would have less to worry about. Should Scout act more ladylike, then she would also be getting in less trouble with fighting with children.
ReplyDeleteAlso in the book To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus is unfair. Scout, Jem and Dill are playing a game that is meant to be like the life in the Radley house. They get so caught up in the game that they do not realize that Atticus is watching them. Atticus asks what they are doing, and they say nothing. Atticus says that if it has anything to do with the Radley’s, and “[he] hopes it doesn’t” (Lee 40), that they should stop. This is unfair because they were not harming anyone, and no one saw them playing the game, and they were having fun. Not only in this matter is Atticus unfair, but with Scout’s Uncle Jack too. Uncle Jack spanks Scout when she tried to beat up her cousin Francis because of what he said about Francis. Uncle Jack did not hear Scout’s side of the story, and treats her unfairly as well. But instead of saying that, Atticus says that “[Scout] earned it, so don’t feel too remorseful” (Lee 87). Atticus knew that Scout had the right reason to beat up Francis, yet he still did not feel bad that she had gotten spanked by her uncle. So even though Atticus brings peace back into the home, he still is very unfair.
April Cronin
ReplyDeleteCowlin 6
Mockingbird Perspective Essay
“Licked Before You Begin”
(To Kill a Mockingbird Harper 112)
Scout should be more lady like for a couple of reasons. She’s getting older and needs to live up to her age. She needs to mature to help her have a good and well established future. She’s just going through a phase that many young girls go through but she’s hung on to that phase longer than most. Scout still dresses in shorts, pants, and overalls which aren’t expectable for young ladies anymore. Also most of scout’s friends are boys so she needs to become more lady like in order to have more female friends and become a fine lady when she’s older. Also Scout always got in fights which are defiantly not lady like Scout even said “I would fight anyone from third cousin upwards tooth and nail”,(To Kill a Mockingbird 119). The mob should have hung Tom Robinson was morally wrong but in another perspective was right. The mob feared of their, and children’s, safety and were scared that with one black guy going crazy could cause more to think that its alright. They wanted to kill the rapist before because more or worse harm in the town. Mr.Gibson pointed out to the town and jury that Tom Robinson was “strong enough to choke the breath out of a woman and sling her to the floor”, (To Kill a Mockingbird 263). This shows that Tom could be dangerous and gives a reason for the mob to hang Tom Robinson.
Miss Maudie is one of the most respected characters in the book. She is intelligent, caring, and unselfish. During the court trial, there is no doubt there were ideas shared of Miss Maudie being a sinner. Miss Maudie makes sure she has a clear statement on the right things to do, no matter what others think. Miss Stephanie was accusing scout and Jem for attending the court at such a young age, and settling in the colored balcony. Miss Stephanie started to question Jem, making her feel uncomfortable, but Miss Maudie made a deadly diction saying “Hush, Stephanie!” (Lee Page 287). This anger lead to her mentioning Atticus and the situation he was in. It is a sin to judge other people and especially to treat them of lesser value than you. Miss Maudie violates this by saying “There are some men in this world that were born to do our unpleasant jobs for us. Your father’s one of them” (Lee Page 288). Miss Maudie is against discrimination and the reason for it, but when she says “born to do our unpleasant jobs” she makes it seem that blacks and other races have no chance for civil rights. This leads to her being a sinner not because she is backstabbing her beliefs, but also she is lying to Jem’s face when she says this. And later on she explains to Jem that it was no accident she was waiting on the porch all night. Miss Maudie explains “Atticus Finch won’t win, he can’t win, but he’s the only man in this county that can keep a jury out so long in a case like that” (Lee Page 289). She is not lying or being sinful, she is just backstabbing her hope and her support with Atticus in the trial. Miss Maudie is becoming more intollerent and losing faith in things she had hope in. This all leads to her becoming a sinner by lying to those she gave most respect to and destroying her own beliefs.
ReplyDeleteScout without a doubt is a very interesting character. She is very smart, joyful, and creative. Scout try’s hard to be more mature than others and doesn’t settle to be a typical “girl”. Now a days she would be labeled a “Tom-Boy” because she doesn’t do things that most girls would even dare think about. Scouts imagination brought her to think she has the authority to take control of things that grown-ups do. This leads to her having too much imagination and confidence. Scout was invited to the trial and sat up in the colored balcony with Jem. Throughout the trial, many strong statements were said and were not intended for people for Scout and Jem to hear. For Scout being a girl back then, gives her less authority. The first person to approach her was Atticus, but he was to overwhelmed with the trial to tell Scout what he really thought. The first person to approach Scout was Miss Stephanie and she told Scout what she really thought. Miss Stephanie said “Did Scout understand all the -?” (Lee 287). Miss Maudie immediately stopped Miss Stephanie, but Scout got the point across. What was she doing at an event that her father was being accused, death sentence at the line, and she doesn’t understand most of the things being said. Scout needs to realize that she is better off not involved with these things and to become more lady like. If she really wants to grow up, she needs to stop her imagination and become a woman. That is why Scout should act more “lady-like”.