Ch. 7-8 TKAM

In chapters 7-8 of “To Kill a Mockingbird”, by Harper Lee, there were a few things that confused me and made me think. For example, when Jem asked Nathan Radley about why the hole was covered with cement, Mr. Radley said, “Tree’s dying. You plug ‘em with cement when they’re sick. You ought to know that, Jem” (Lee 62). This quote made me wonder why he actually plugged the hole, because Atticus said that the tree didn’t look very sick to him. I think that he might have plugged the hole because he found out that Boo was giving Scout and Jem gifts. He probably didn’t want his brother to get in trouble or to get accused of doing something wrong if anyone found out.

Another quote that got me thinking was when Atticus, Jem, and Scout realized that someone put a blanket over Scout, Jem said, “We did exactly as Atticus told us, we stood down by the Radley gate away from everybody, we didn’t move an inch” (Lee 71). Jem realizes that it must have been Boo Radley that put the blanket on Scout, which leads me to believe that Boo doesn’t mean any harm. I think that Boo is trying to gain Scout and Jem’s trust by leaving them gifts in the tree and by giving her a blanket. Since everyone in town thinks that Boo is bad, he is probably trying to prove to them that he isn’t.

Chapters 5-6 TKAM

Throughout this book there have been many things that have came as a shock to me. For example, when Scout and Miss Maudie are talking about Boo Radley, Miss Maudie says, "Wouldn't you stay in the house if you didn't want to come out?" (Lee 44). This shows that Miss Maudie isn't a judgmental person because she believes there must be a reason for everything. If Boo Radley stays in his house all day, then he must just not want to come out. This quote also reminded me of Atticus's views on other people because Miss Maudie, as well as Atticus, respect other peoples privacy. Everyone else in town bashes on Boo Radley, just because it is so easy to, but Miss Maudie can only find nice things to say about him. 

Another thing that came to a shock to me was when Jem, Dill, and Scout came back from running away from the Radley house, and Atticus, Miss Crawford, and Miss Maudie inform the kids that "Mr. Radley shot at a Negro in his collard patch" (Lee 54). This quote surprises me because to them, a person being shot doesn't seem to come as that much of a shock. The reason it isn't so shocking is probably because of the time and the fact that the person shot was black. 

If something like that were to happen today it would be much more of a deal. Even Atticus didn't seem to phased by this, not because he thinks its okay, but because he is probably just used to black people not being treated the same. 

These Boots are Made for Walking

I wake up bright and early to make sure I can reach the top in time for sunrise. I make sure to wake up my dog Murphy too, since he is really my only companion lately. I'm a hiker, and this takes motivation and determination to keep pushing myself to reach higher points everyday. 

I whistle for Murphy and call for him to eat some breakfast before we leave, since I don't expect we will be home for a while. Murphy is young so he wont have any trouble catching up, the one who may have trouble would be me, since I'm pushing 64 next month. Im almost out the door when my friend Thomas calls me, who is also an early riser. We talk for a few minutes before I interrupt, realizing that if I don't move quickly then Murphy and I might not make it in time to see sunrise. 

"You're still set on that goal of yours?" Thomas says. 

He is referring to my goal of reaching it to the top of the Appalachian Mountains and surely but slowly I'm getting there. I have been living near the Appalachian Mountains for years and one day I decided that I would make it my mission to make it to the top. After I explain to him that it isn't just a phase and that I'm actually going to achieve this goal of mine, he happily says "Bye Rob" and our call is disconnected. My full name is Robert John Smith, but my friends call me Rob. 

Murphy and I head up the mountain and luckily make it up right as the beautiful colors of sunrise are sinking into the sky. This is one of the main reasons why I love being retired so much. Working as a businessman in an office everyday wasn't how I had pictured my life when I was a kid. I dream of someday taking my grandchildren up this mountain with me, but after my kids moved to California three years ago I haven't heard much from them since. 

Everyday I hike. Its my way of clearing my mind and forgetting about all the pain I have faced in life. After my wife died I have felt alone and empty except for when I'm up on that mountain. When I'm that close to the sky I feel as if she is with me, and I forget all about the way I felt when she left me. 

I stay up until the sun is completely up in the sky and the world around me is bright again. Since I'm an adventurous kind of person I decide that I will do some exploring today. Murphy however doesn't seem to have the same idea, and he refuses to move off the trail. Which is a good thing I guess, because knowing me we would probably become very lost very quickly. We decide to keep on traveling up the trail and once we have set a new record for ourselves, we decide to start heading back. After a snack break and hours of walking we are finally back. Every night I make sure to get to bed early, so that I can wake up in the morning without being tired. Before climbing into bed I untie my hiking boots and put them into the closet, so they will be ready for tomorrows hike. 

Scout Character Analysis

The character that has impacted me the most so far in the novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee so far is Scout. Scout is the narrator of the book and by the things she says, she shows how independent and curious she is. Some questions I have about this character are how will her being a tomboy impact the way she is treated throughout the book? Will people give her trouble for not wanting to dress girly? Scout is motivated by the support of her father, Atticus. Atticus sees everyone as equals and some of his qualities have rubbed off on her. Atticus supports her with her reading which also helps her stay motivated, but it also makes school very boring for her since she is already ahead of the rest of the class. 

Scout doesn't care how other girls dress or act because she is independent and wants to do her own thing. When I was little I was similar to her because I was a little bit of a tomboy too. I used to play with frogs and other animals that I would find in my yard, but I have grown out of that. A strength that Scout has is that she is very strong willed. She always stands up for what she believes in and puts up a fight. This is also a weakness of hers though, because she doesn't know when to stop, which could get her in trouble when talking to adults. She is also very good reader which is a strength and a weakness. It is a strength because she is more educated and has developed a skill that will help her later on in life. This is also a weakness too though because Scout won't be learning in school since there is nothing to teach her. 

I predict that later on in the novel Scout will somehow get involved with Boo Radley. Scout is very curious and I think she will in some way try to meet him. I predict that Boo will end up not being so bad and they will become friends. I doubt the other people in the town will be very accepting of this because of all the rumors about him. I don't think Atticus will be very happy either since Atticus believes everyone should be able to have their own privacy, and he will probably assume that Scout is invading Boo's. 

Black Dogs and Bony Mules- Ch 1&2

A quotation that stood out to me was when Scout was describing Maycomb she said, "In rainy weather the streets turned to red slop; grass grew on the sidewalks, the courthouse sagged in the square. Somehow it was hotter then: a black dog suffered on a summers day; bony mules hitched to Hoover carts flicked flies in the sweltering shade of the live oaks on the square"(Lee 5). The author chose to add this quote because it gives an image of what Maycomb is like and sets the mood of the book. I notice that the description makes the town seem run down and sad, and I think that that was the message the author was trying to get across. The way that Harper Lee compared a hot summers day to a black dog and a bony mule added imagery to the book and made me really understand what it was like there. From reading this quote I can already tell that the author describe scenes in detail and really make the readers think.

Another quote that stood out to me was "'Your father does not know how to teach. You can have a seat now'"(Lee 17). The author added this quotation to show the type of person that Miss Caroline is, and even shows a little bit of what Atticus is like as a father. Miss Caroline seems like an arrogant person since she doesn't want Scout to learn from her dad, only from her. I don't understand why Miss Caroline doesn't want Scout to learn from her dad though. This quote shows the type of father that Atticus is because one can tell by reading the quote that Atticus wants his children to be educated. He also wants Scout to be ahead in school since he taught her how to read ahead of time. According to though Scout, she was born knowing how to read and Atticus didn't teach her.

Walter Younger's impact on his family

Walter made many mistakes and bad decisions that had a negative impact on him and his family. He never deliberately tried to harm anyone in his family, but his selfishness got in the way and he ended up doing things he regretted later. For instance, when Walter is telling Mama what happened to the money he says, "Mama...I never...went to the bank" (129). Walter was supposed to put the money straight in the bank but instead he mistrusted it with a friend. He made a decision to not be as cautious as he could be with the money, and that resulted in the entire family losing everything. In addition, when Travis notices that Walter is in a good mood he says, "What's the matter Daddy? You drunk?" (107). Travis is so used to seeing his dad upset and stressed about money, that when he sees him in a good mood he automatically assumes that he is drunk. Walter's decisions to act the way he does and to do the things he does causes his family to feel like they have to tip-toe around him to make sure they don't get on his bad side. Walter never thought that anything he could do would negatively impact his family, but in the end he is the head of the house and every decision he makes leads back to his family somehow.

Nightmares by Water Younger

Often times I am quite mean

Stressing so much over money

Which to some is actually funny

My strong love for my family is not always seen

 

My dreams are very out of reach

Like a pig learning to fly

My hopes are very slim and dry

I feel as though my happiness is being sucked out of me like a leach

 

I really want to support my family

Except I have no support or encouragement

And now my wife is pregnant

Owning a liquor store seems like the best option for me

 

Although the thought of having dreams may give one ambition

You need to face the obvious truth

That not all dreams come true, and I'm proof

The overall outcome may put you in a bad position

 

I believe that if you want something you need to be persistent

One can't give up because he thinks he has no hope

Even though it's easy to just sit around and mope

If one doesn't try his dream will become very distant