My English Blog

Blogging on this book was interesting. To Kill a Mockingbird was a good experience for me. It showed me different aspects of discimination and prejudice. To hear about how people thought about others was something that made me think about society. Blogging on this book showed me how things like this still happen today. However, it showed me how we’ve made strides in society. I really enjoyed blogging on this book.

The word prejudice itself is horrible to me because I know what it stands for. It’s discriminating against people because of their race, sex, religion, beliefs and all that good stuff. I have been discriminated against and I’ll you right now it hurts. You feel like you are being looked down upon just because you happen to be different from the next peron. I really don’t understand the ignorance of people who look at somebody that is different and think of them as inferior. That’s just something I don’t get! The same happens in this book. Tom Rodinson was a black man that was at the wrong place at the wrong time, and he gets convicted! The evidence was so obvious! But as they said in the book, it was a black person’s word against a white ones. In this book you got different aspects from different people. People like Atticus and Scout didn’t see color, they just saw people. Then there were people like Mr. Ewell who saw black as an animal you could kick around. I enjoyed Scout’s curiosity. Like when she beat down Francis for calling her father a “nigger lover.” She had no idea what it meant, she just like how she fealt after the fact. This book is a prime example of how we all need to grow and come together as a people and not let things like this get in the way. We can’t change the way we look. We can, however, change the way we think about the person next to us.

Reading through chapter 24, I realized that Scout was becoming a woman. Like when Aunt Alexandria’s freinds were over for brunch I think. “You’re might dressed up today Jean louise.” At the beginning of the book I would have expected Scout to ever wear a dress. I thought that the talk about democracy was a little confusing. She said that she hated Hitler, saying that what he did was wrong. But at the trail she said it about time someone taught them a lesson. Was she referring to Tom Robinson? The Ewell’s? What was with Tom dying? That was a complete shock to me. I believe Atticus said,”He was tired of white men’s chances and preferred to take his own.” I guess I could understand why Tom would say something like that, considering the situation he was in. I personall think that Mr. Ewell got what he deserved. There was just so much hate in his heart I didn’t reall feel sorry for him. “Atticus, Bob Ewell fell on his knife.” Did he reall? I don’t know. I do know that I had many thoughts and a great experience reading this book.

 It didn’t really surprise me about the outcome of the trail. No matter how great a lawyer Atticus was, all the jury could see was a black man accused of raping a white woman. When those kinds of odds are against you, I can only assume that he was going to get convicted. I do, however, admire Atticus’ speech near the end of the trial. “I am confident that you gentlemen will review without passion the evidence you have heard, come to a decision, and restore this defendant to his family.”- page 205. It seemed like Atticus was confident that the jury would let Tom Robinson go. Does Jem feel that it is Atticus’ fault? He seemed very confident that the trial was won. “He’s not supposed to lean, Reverend, but don’t fret, we’ve won it.” How did he feel after the fact? Mr. Gilmer is not my favorite person after the way he treated Tom when asking him questions. “Then you say she’s lying, boy?” It was the ‘boy’ part of that sentence that really got to me. How does this affect Scout. Will this change her? Although this trial wasn’t surprising, I think it was a great effort

 It didn’t really surprise me about the outcome of the trail. No matter how great a lawyer Atticus was, all the jury could see was a black man accused of raping a white woman. When those kinds of odds are against you, I can only assume that he was going to get convicted. I do, however, admire Atticus’ speech near the end of the trial. “I am confident that you gentlemen will review without passion the evidence you have heard, come to a decision, and restore this defendant to his family.”- page 205. It seemed like Atticus was confident that the jury would let Tom Robinson go. Does Jem feel that it is Atticus’ fault? He seemed very confident that the trial was won. “He’s not supposed to lean, Reverend, but don’t fret, we’ve won it.” How did he feel after the fact? Mr. Gilmer is not my favorite person after the way he treated Tom when asking him questions. “Then you say she’s lying, boy?” It was the ‘boy’ part of that sentence that really got to me. How does this affect Scout. Will this change her? Although this trial wasn’t surprising, I think it was a great effort.

My reading stragety is kind of all over the place. Basically the part of the chapter that sticks out most in my mind tells me that it must be the most important passage. However, sometimes I have to go back and read the chapter because the impaotant passage didn’t really stick out. To Kill a Mockingbird is pretty easy because just when you start to get bored, something exciting happens. Like the beginning of the trial. I really didn’t expect that to happen.

I personally think that something bad might happen since Aunt Alexandria moves in with the Finches. She migh possibly do something that will be make Scout respond in a bad way

 I never thought that I would get so shaken up in my life! But I had to prove to Dill that I was not scared. But I have to tell you, touching the Radley house was not an easy task. It was strange having Scout at school with me. I told not to play with me during recess. But when she jumped on the Cunningham kid, I was shocked! What was she thinking? I am pretty curious to know who is leaving stuff in the tree. Scout found gum and ate it! I demanded that she spit it out as soon as I saw it. Then Scout found a pocket watch. It looked pretty valuable. I just couldn’t understand who was leaving these things, valuable things in tree. The there were those soap carvings! I had never seen carvings so fine! I should have never gone over to the Radley house. I almost got shot! Luckily, Mr. Radley thought was a black boy who was trying to sneak in. Who folded up my pants? Who set Miss Maudie’s house on fire? I could have been just an accident, but I doubt it. I  have to say that I was shocked Boo came out to put a blanket over Scout. Why was Miss Maudie so happy that her home had been burned down? I don’t what’s going on here, but I hope to find out, even if it means sticking another note into the Radley house. I don’t know why Atticus got so mad. I was just curious to see what they were like.

 I never thought that I would get so shake up in my life! But I had to prove to Dill that I was not scared. But I have to tell you, touching the Radley house was not an easy task. It was strange having Scout at school with me. I told not to play with me during recess. But when she jumped on the Cunningham kid, I was shocked! What was she thinking? I am pretty curious to know who is leaving stuff in the tree. Scout found gum and ate it! I demanded that she spit it out as soon as I saw it. Then Scout found a pocket watch. It looked pretty valuable. I just couldn’t understand who was leaving these things, valuable things in tree. The there were those soap carvings! I had never seen carvings so fine! I should have never gone over to the Radley house. I almost got shot! Luckily, Mr. Radley thought was a black boy who was trying to sneak in. Who folded up my pants? Who set Miss Maudie’s house on fire? I could have been just an accident, but I doubt it. I  have to say that I was shocked Boo came out to put a blanket over Scout. Why was Miss Maudie so happy that her home had been burned down? I don’t what’s going on here, but I hope to find out, even if it means sticking another note into the Radley house. I don’t know why Atticus got so mad. I was just curious to see what they were like.

We recently discussed potential symbols in the book To Kill a Mockingbird. I thought that the letter to Boo Radley might be a symbol. A class-mate said that would represent curiosity. Calpurnia represented the kids restrictions, and also a learning source. Walter Cunningham would be a symbol of people’s trials. Although there was no black guy who got shot, I thought that rumor might represent either discrimination or Jem being too nosy with the Radley house

The person that has currnetly caught my eye the most is Scout, or Jean Louis. I have noticed a few things about her. She has been given a fairly hard time by her teacher, Ms. Caroline, on the first day of school because she reads well. Usaully this would be a good thing if someone was starting the first grade. However, Ms. Caroline believes that Scout has been taught wrong. I thought it was pretty funny the she wanted to quit school the first day. I noticed that Scout wasn’t that graceful towards Walter Cunningham. Was it beacause he was poor? I’m not sure. I do know that Calpurnia set her straight though. Why does Scout hate Calpurnia so much? It could be because she was so young. For some reason, Scout was affraid of that somebody was in the Radley house. When was going through her mind when she was in their yard? It seems like scout is very stubborn towards certain things also ( I just happened to get that vibe when she was ragging on Walter). I seems that scout is effected by the people around her in a good way, and also a bad way. Atticus is a positive influence on because he teaches her how to read. Culpurnia may be a little hard on Scout, but she is simply giving Scout discipline. I am curious to see what happens in the game that Scout is playing with Jem and Dill. Will they get caught? Are they being watched from the Radley house? I’m not sure, but I am very excited to find out!

I have just discovered just how big blogging is. We recently visited a website that was a kind of outlet to other blogs. Personally, I thought it was crazy! Were so many subjects that were being  blogged I could not believe my eyes! Anything from basketball to Playboy! I did think that it was pretty nice to see how other people wrote on certain things, even if I didn’t agree. For example, I was reading a blog that questions Lebron James’ leadership skills. This blogger was claiming that just because he was smiling after a loss that he was only concerned with individual numbers and not the most  important stat, the win. Now i completely disagree with that. Just because you smiling and shake hand with and opponent after a loss, doesn’t mean that you don’t care about winning. I believe that he was giving respect to his opponent and leaving everthing on the court. But still, it was nice to see another person’s opinion on a subject that I happen to like.