Miss Maudie's Rear End

Are Jem and Scout playing around with their new guns whenever they attempt to shoot Miss Maudie in the rear? That part really shows their age because I can definitely see that happening.

Mayella

I didn't really like Mayella too much. She was kind of rude in a way and it just got annoying how she would say Atticus kept mocking her.

Crying Dill

I don'y reallly understand why Dill started to cry during the case.
Anyone have any ideas?

Nigger Lover??

Why does everyone attack Atticus and call him a "Nigger Lover?" I don't understand why people think it is such a big deal if your skin is a different color. From his kids being judged at school to even members of his own family being rude about it, Atticus cannot seem to escape the prejudice. However, I do applaud him for taking it so lightly and not changing his heart because of other's opinions, but I feel bad for Jem and especially Scout because you can tell that it bothers them a lot.

I just don't get why you would call someone a "Nigger Lover." Is Atticus more than fair and places negroes above everyone else, or is this just straight prejudism?

The BEST page of the whole book!

So Olga and I read the book before the quiz and we discovered that the best page so far was page 91. This page consisted of Scout and Miss Maudie talking about the age of Atticus and how Miss Maudie thinks that Scout and Jem benefit from their father's age and how their life would be different if he was like thirty years old. Scout thinks that her life would be more interesting because she thinks her father can't do anything, meaning like any hobbies. Miss Maudie informs them that Atticus is good at checkers, but Scout said that Jem and her win all the time. Miss Maudie believes that he lets them win and continues on to tell them that he can play the a Jew's Harp. Scout doesn't find this exciting. There is where it starts to get good. Its good because of the word choice the author uses. It starts of with Scout arriving home. " I went to the back yard and found Jem plugging away at a tin can, which seemed stupid with all the bluejays around. I returned to the front yard and busied myself for two hours erecting of a complicated breastworks at the sife of the porch, consisting of a tire, and orange crate, the laundry hamper, the porch chairs , and a small U.S. flag Jem gave me froom a popcorn"(Lee 91).
It goes on describing how Atticus found Scout "crouched down aiming across the street" and how he saw her "generous target beinding over her bushes" (Lee 91). He askes her what she is aiming at and she responds that she is aiming at Miss Maudie's rear end. You may not think this is too funny because you are too mature, but just use Russian and Kenyan accents and it will be amazing! =)

Court Case

Ok, so i think that starting in chapter 19 the book has gotten very intresting. Atticus is providing some great information for his case, and i think Tom's innocent. I don't understand why Dill started to cry during the case? Well it irritates me that Gilmer keeps turing around Atticus's information and facts, but i know that's just his job. I think that it was the girls dad who beat her, not Tom. What do u guys think?

Ewell vs. Robinson

Atticus is providing some VERY good information in his case against the Ewells, especially the fact that Tom Robinson is crippled! However, I just can't imagine Atticus winning the case that easy; it would end the book. Who do you think will win the trial? The Ewells or Tom Robinson?

The Meaning Behind the Title

The title 'To Kill a Mockingbird' symbolizes discrimination against innocent people. Miss Maudie explained to Scout why it is a sin to kill a mockingbird when she she said, "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 they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." Basically what she is saying is that it is a sin to kill them because of their innocence. The book shows many different aspects of discrimination, including race (the black man on trial), age (Atticus), economic status (Walter Cunningham), and social rejection (Boo Radley). This book is very powerful because we still deal with these issues today. Even after the Civil Rights Movement, there is still lots of racial discrimination in the United States and all around the world. Many senior citizens are judged by their wrinkles, not their wisdom and experience. Many kids are rejected in school because they cannot afford the most in-style clothes. There are also many people who are rejected simply because the are a little bit different than everyone else, and others choose to magnify that difference. These people are all "innocent mockingbirds" who do not deserve to be distinguished from everyone else based on these things.

Sorry guys, i havn't read that far yet...

Mumbo Jumbo

Maybe I'm the only one with this problem but all the characters are starting to run into one another for me. There are too many to keep up with! Don't get me wrong, I love the way each one is different (Lee did an excellent job in creating diverse characters) but I've always been horrible with names.......I'm getting a little lost.......Anyone having this problem?

P.S- To explain the picture- Have you ever played the video game Banjo-Kazooie? Well, this is the little guy is in the game, his name is "Mumbo Jumbo" which is the title of my post! ;)

Mrs. Dubose

I know she was a couple of chapters ago, but I thought she was pretty hilarious.

' If I said as sunnily as I could "hey, Mrs. Dubose," I would recieve for an answer, "Dont you say hey to me, ugly girl! say good afternoon, Mrs. Dubose!" She was vicious'

' "where are you two going at this time of day?" She shouted. "playing hooky, I suppose. I'll just call up the principal and tell him!"
"Aw, It's saturday, Mrs. Dubose." said Jem.
"Makes no difference if it's saturday." She said obscurely. '

She is probably my favorite character, even over francis and aunt alexandra.

Auntie

I'm just going to go ahead and say that Aunt Alexandra is my favorite. She's a snobby, old-fashioned, high-strung lady. I love it. The only purpose she seems to serve in the story is to reform the Finch name by making Scout into a lady. That's a real laugher.

Francis

In To Kill A Mockingbird there are a lot of weird and stupid characters. Although, by far the worst is Francis. That kid is only in one chapter in this book so far, but that is one chapter too many. He has no personality, and is just a jerk to Scout. I really thinks he serves no purpose on this Earth. He is a waste of air.

Reading chapter nine was a struggle for me. Francis had so much stupid nonsense going on that I could hardly stand it. One example is when Scout and him are sitting on the back porch talking after dinner and they get in a fight about Atticus taking the case to defend a black man. He says, " 'Grandma says it's bad enough he lets you all run wild, but now he's turned out a nigger-lover we'll never to be able to walk the streets of Maycomb agin. He's ruinin' the family, that's what he's doin' ' "(Lee 83). Earlier in the chapter they tell you that Francis is eight years old. Any kid with that kind of attitude and mouth deserves to get rocked by Scout. I wish Uncle Jack would have said something so she could get some slack and get off the hook. If you have anything else to say about Francis let me know.

Noe

Does anyone know exactly why Scout says "nome" instead of nope, or no? It's obviously slang but I have never heard it before, and she says it atleast five times all the way to chapter 12. I'm thinking its a short form for "no ma'am."

Killing Mocking Birds

Maybe the anwser is somewhere in the book, or in some hidden "theme" of some sort, but I do not see the relevance of killing mocking birds, to racisim or children growing up in the south. If you know the anwser, or you even think you know the answer respond!

Title revealed

The title of the book has finally come out in the book. The characters say that is a sin to kill a Mockingbird. The birds to nothing to harm humans and they just pleasure us with their songs.

Atticus

Why do you guys think that Atticus hid the fact that he is a great shooter from his kids?

Francis

I was reading and I honestly couldn't stand the character of Francis. He is just a jerk and serves no purpose in this book, or on the planet for that matter. " He's ruinin' the family, that's what he's doin'" (Lee 83). In that passage he was talking about Atticus defending the black man. Personally I am glad Scout put him in his place. Even though Uncle Jack does not tell Atticus what Scout said I wish he would have. The more Francis comes up in this book the more I can't stand it. If you have any feelings about him let me know, and if you like him I will be more than happy to enlighten you.

So, first of all Atticus is kind of on the weird side, but i think that he seems to be a good dad. I dont understand why he knows he going to lose the case and its ok with him?In chapter 8 he says "Atticus, are we going to win it?", "No honey.", "Then why-", "Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us no to try to win." Atticus said(76). I Don't understand this part because she says hes not going to win, but then he says there's no reason for us not to try to win?

Mrs. Dubose...Yuck!

Mr. Radley didn't scare me and neither did Mrs. Caroline or Calpurina, but Mrs. Dubose is crazy! If i was Scouts age, or probably even mine, I wouldn't pass by her house either. I totally understand where her and Jem are coming from when they don't want to read to a mean, old, grumpy lady. But it is kind of sad when she dies in the end. and another thing is Atticus liked her a lot, like he admired her courage. The way the author describes Mrs. Dubose and her house is absolutely disgusting!! The place reeks of nursing home smell and she drools all the time! I feel sorry for her care taker, Jessie. At the end of chapter 11, she dies because she was like a morphine addict and she was trying to break herself of the addiction i think. If i am wrong please correct me because i wasn't very clear on why she died. Atticus really admired her for that and he wanted his children to know her. To me, as a kid, I think that is a strange parenting strategy. I don't ever want to put my kids through that kind of torture!

I thought we had to read through chapter 11 last night so some of you might not know who I am talking about.