Killing a mockingbird is a sin, as it has been said a few times in the book. So, what about Tom Robinson; wasn’t he a mockingbird? The story was that Tom Robinson tried to escape so they shot him, not once, but seventeen times. Now whose word could go against that? Tom was dead and the only people who had witnessed the event were criminals (who nobody would believe) and the people shooting Tom (who were probably racist anyway). Maybe Tom didn’t try to escape, maybe they just made up a tale for reasons unknown, but who would ever know? Throughout the trial, I believed Tom fit the mockingbird symbol: he didn’t do anything but sing (meaning, he only tried to help Mayella, but she took things further). This all together, the picture seems fitting because, well, it’s a dead mockingbird (thankfully without seventeen bullet holes, though). A lot is to be questioned now… Is he still a “mockingbird”? The world may never know.
picture credits: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/
This image represents all of the racism in Maycomb. The yellow gummy bear represents Tom Robinson, and the red gummy bear represents the townsfolk. The red gummy bears are gossiping, much like the town had been for ages before the trial actually began, but what did they really know? The yellow gummy bear didn’t do anything. Oh, but no, that doesn’t matter… he’s different. They dislike him just because he’s a different color… The Ewells, who never really even do anything, are more believable than somebody who’s helped Mayella Ewell many times without taking a cent? Oh, but throw in the fact he’s colored and everything changes. It’s sad, really.
image credits: http://muenzmann.deviantart.com
In Chapter 14 (page 185), Scout was afraid that there was a snake under her bed. When Jem came to the rescue, they realized it wasn’t a snake… it was Dill. My first reaction was that he was a creep for hiding there, but… where else would he go? This picture shows Scout’s initial thoughts about what was under her bed. You’d never expect to find one of your best friends hidden under your bed, so that’s why the picture portrays a monster. However, the girl in the picture seems very calm, just like Scout when she asked Jem for help.
At the beginning of chapter 13, Aunt Alexandra had come to stay. She was concerned about Jem and Scout’s behaviors, and decided they needed a proper role model especially with what was to come in the summer. Okay, okay, that’s all fine and it seems like all she’s doing is trying to help… but really, she needs to get her nose out of everyone’s business. Atticus is very well-mannered and tries not to argue too much with his sister, but I mean… if he’s well-mannered, shouldn’t she be? She just randomly appeared out of nowhere one day and acted as though she had been there for ages. Not only that, but she tries to completely change Jem and Scout’s ways. Sure, they aren’t as “proper” as other folk back then, but you only live life once. What was so wrong about what they were doing? They knew how to read. They asked questions and got advice. They were a bit curious, which also helps you learn. In all, they were a lot smarter (in my opinion) than any of the other children their age, and yet their Aunt Alexandra wasn’t pleased. She picked on Scout more than Jem because she needed to become a lady. Becoming a lady at 8…? Uh, what? How could you ruin somebody’s childhood by forcing them to grow up too fast? I think Aunt Alexandra needs to loosen up, because it’s just putting a lot more stress on their family, and I think Scout is smart to enjoy her childhood while she can.
At long last, the title of the book actually does make sense. “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” (pg 119) This picture is of a sad mockingbird. All the mockingbird tries to do is make somebody happy… anyone. However, the characters in the book (much like almost every human at some point) are too busy focusing on flaws of everything to actually stop and listen to the mockingbird’s song. It’s a sin to kill a mockingbird, and the mockingbird to me represents good intentions but ignorant people. It’s wrong to point fingers at people… to be judgmental without knowing the whole picture. Yet in the book, there are various cases of this ignorance (with Atticus, with Boo, and possibly with Tom Robinson). We’re all human, but sometimes we need to stop and think… there’s two sides to every story.
image credits: http://sahallquist.wordpress.com/
The main thing that stood out to me about this section was the mad dog scene. When I began reading I remember thinking, “What does any of this random talk about other people’s fathers have anything to do with anything?” To Kill a Mockingbird does jump topics pretty quickly after all (not saying it’s bad, seeing as it all relates eventually). It surprised me that Atticus was the one to take down the dog, especially with one shot. I also liked how Scout wanted to brag, but Jem told her not to. Jem was right in saying that Atticus would’ve told them if it was that important, although I don’t exactly think he should’ve hid it from them. The scene did sort of disappoint me in a way though… I mean, couldn’t it have been just a little more dramatic? THE MAD DOG LUNGED TOWARD ATTICUS, AND WITH A SINGLE FIRE FELL LIFELESS TO THE GROUND. Sure, it wouldn’t make that much of a difference, but reading about how a dog was half-limping snail slow only to be finally put out of its misery isn’t exactly “exciting”. Having some crazy foaming-at-the-mouth dog would’ve been about just as relevant as the boring snail-slow dog, seeing as the main point of the scene was to show Atticus’ hidden “gift”. Oh well. That was just what I thought.
In the last few chapters, Scout and Jem found more things in the tree’s knothole. Instead of immediately assuming it was theirs, they left it a few days. When it was still there, they concluded that anything found in the knothole was theirs. Who was leaving them these “gifts”? I think it was Boo Radley (after Miss Maudie told Jem and Scout how Boo wasn’t all bad. He only wanted to have fun, but his parents were “foot-washing” Baptists and didn’t let him live life.) This could have been Boo’s way of trying to teach them that he meant no harm.
The picture shows a haunted house with a tree in front of it. Even though the house seems dark and depressing, the tree gives off light. The knothole was a gift to Scout and Jem, but Mr. Radley covered it with cement after they decided to thank the stranger giving them gifts.
pic credits: puhilitschols.blogspot.com & minor editing by me
I personally thought it was really funny when Scout woke up screaming that the world was going to end, only to find out that it was snow. The author really does a good job at giving her character. What I didn’t exactly understand though was what Mr. Avery meant by “It’s bad children like you that makes the seasons change.” (pg 87) Sure, it’s not like Vegas, but I know a lot of people that are happy for the snow. Plus, why would you not like it? (Unless of course you were Miss Maudie or her azaleas.) Change is good every once in a while. The snow didn’t even last very long.
Jem and Scout liked it, though. I thought it was very creative making the insides of the snowman out of dirt and then adding snow to the outside. I also thought it was really funny how they made the snowman look like Mr. Avery. The scene also showed how racist things were back then. I mean, a second grader saying “I ain’t never heard of a nigger snowman”? She said it so plainly too, probably not even thinking much about what she said. Thankfully it isn’t as bad nowadays.
This picture relates to the Radley house story to me. I’ve never read the book before, but there has to be two sides to every story, especially considering the fact that most of the stories were basically rumors. The left half of the picture represents what people have come to think of the Radley home (even though Boo Radley isn’t a girl). The left side looks almost like a ghost, and gives off a negative image. It doesn’t look very happy or pleasing. The right side of the picture, however, could represent a happier side of the story. After all, the Radleys never leave their house… just because they’re closed off from society doesn’t mean that they’re necessarily bad people (although that is implied).
image courtesy http://pheonix2009.deviantart.com
When reading, I wasn’t exactly sure what to think. What stood out a lot to me, though, was the Radley home. It seems to have so much background going on, and it really makes you wonder… what really did happen? There were several characters that claimed to know what was going on, but what’s the true story? At the beginning, both Jem and Scout seemed too afraid to even enter the gates around the house, but in the summer Dill was very curious. After Dill dared Jem to go and touch the door, he acted high and mighty. But what was he proud of; touching a house? Were they that worried about a Boo Radley? Scout still stayed afraid.
Then again, she seemed to have valid points. The Radleys remained so mysterious. Boo Radley couldn’t be the only crazy one. The “stories” Jem and Scout told to Dill made it seem like the Radleys were hiding something, and in my opinion, I don’t think it would be Dill. After all, sure, you’d want to keep somebody who wasn’t exactly the safest person to be around inside, but even so, Mr. and Mrs. Radley hardly ever went outside. There has to be something more to it, because at the very end of chapter four, Scout said she heard laughing from inside the house. To me, the possibly haunted house left a lot to be wondered (not necessarily in a bad way).
