Post 3: Ch. 25-31 and Scout, Atticus and Boo excerpt
For this post, you will receive an excerpt from Mary McDonagh Murphy's book Scout, Atticus and Boo: a Celebration of Fifty Years of To Kill a Mockingbird. Your post should include the following:
1. Your reactions, comments, thoughts, questions, etc. about the last third of the novel (Ch. 25-31).
2. Your response to the excerpt from McDonagh Murphy's book- do you agree or disagree with the writer? Is there something particularly interesting or insightful he or she said?
3. Your evaluation of the novel overall: Should it be America's "national novel" as Oprah Winfrey claims? Does it deserve its spot on The Great American Read list?
4. Textual evidence from To Kill a Mockingbird
3. Your evaluation of the novel overall: Should it be America's "national novel" as Oprah Winfrey claims? Does it deserve its spot on The Great American Read list?
4. Textual evidence from To Kill a Mockingbird
5. Textual evidence from Scout, Atticus and Boo
Then, respond to three classmates' posts.
Chapters 25-31
ReplyDeleteOctober 10
I was mildly shocked that Bob Ewell died. I mean he kind of did ask for it, by wrongly accusing Tom Robinson and for treating Atticus with extreme disrespect. He also did go after many innocent characters like Tom Robinson, Scout, and Jem. However I was still shocked because I thought he would’ve been caught by the sheriff and put in jail. When reading this I didn’t really understand that Boo Radley really killed him to save the kids I didn’t fully understand what happened in that scene. Once we discussed this in class I understood but during my first initial read of this I couldn’t understand it because of the vague details Scout gave, whom didn’t know what happened either. “Then they stopped. He was running, running towards us with no child’s steps… Something crushed the chicken wire around me. Metal ripped on metal and I fell to the ground… I felt Jems hand leave me… I ran in the direction of Jem’s scream and ran into a flabby male stomach. It’s owner said, ‘Uff,’ (Lee 300 and 301). This shows the limited visual evidence to understand what happened since Scout could not see through her costume though later there is evidence showing there was another knife at the scene of the crime. At first I wondered why the sheriff would say that Bob Ewell only landed on his knife and drove through his ribs with his weight. Which is possible, however it seems rather far stretched as a lie he would tell the county and the court. “‘Then all of a sudden somethin’ grabbed me an’ mashed my costume… think I ducked on the ground… heard a tusslin’ under the tree sort of… they were bammin’ against the trunk, sounded like”’(Lee 309). This shows from Scout’s view how vivid her memory is and how she couldn’t see what happened well. This implies that anything could’ve happened during the time she couldn’t see, like Bob Ewell landing on his knife and killing himself. I read the part for Mary Badham and how she talked about her views about this insightful book on race in America back in the 1930s. She was born in Alabama so I believe reading this book she could and would relate to this because she may have seen this type of discrimination when she was younger and for acting as Scout in the film. I wonder what it would’ve been like to act as this character and never had read the book which I find funny. I also love how she talked about what it was like behind scenes with the other cast members and how they messed around a whole lot. I also loved that she would call one of her friends her Atticus instead of his name. I believe this book should be on the list because it pressures and time period and it teaches many about race and discrimination along with parts of the American history. I believe this belongs on this list but as a learning tool for school as along with adults.
I did not totally understand how Bob Ewell died until our class discussion. Maybe I was not paying attention to reading or maybe the author did not explain clearly; I don't know. I agree, I found it odd that Mary had not read the book that was based of the movie she acted it. I think it could have been hard for her, but she also read the script, so that probably had helped her confusion. This book's topic can not be beat, so I also agree with your statement.
DeleteThomas LoGalbo
DeleteI think it was very intentional for Bob Ewell's death to be unclear and vague. The time was at night and Scout's vision was obscured by her costume. This means that our view of the events of the book (Scout's POV) doesn't fully know how everything went down during the attack. Not only this, but Heck Tate, the Sheriff tampered with the evidence on the scene and obscured elements of the crime from Atticus and Scout. This leaves the reader left to speculate from Heck's actions and words about the event to draw conclusions. I think that that was actually a really brilliant way to show the crime. It lets the reader speculate and it highlights that not everything is clear cut, there is always uncertainty in a criminal case.
Bob Ewells death was supposed to be a mystery because if it was clear what had happened, then Boo goes to jail and everyone knows about him now. But since it wasn't clear, the sheriff was able to place his death against Bob himself, because he felt pity and sympathy for Boo. Also, Boo would be the hero and get even more attention if people had found out he killed Bob, and thats probably not what he wanted.
DeletePerspective is always a very important thing to consider when writing the book, and seeing as this book is told in the third person limited perspective, as Scout, it would definitely have been difficult for her to explain what happened as she was in a very restricting costume. It was certainly confusing at first, but reading into it later it's a bit easier to understand.
DeleteI love it when people get into character and stay into character. A movie is a fun production, and so I love how Mary is able to retain those connections even outside of script. And as for your final opinion, I wholeheartedly agree. It's a book that brings up some very good, very controversial points.
For criticism, all I ask is that you use more transition punctuation like commas and colons. It makes it easier to understand, and really allows the reader to breathe. Otherwise, nice response.
Going with what you said about Bob Ewell dying I think it would have been nice to have more information about what really happened to him because in the story it wasn't really clear what happened. Also I agree with you that it would be a good learning tool for it to be on the list.
DeleteI really had a feeling that Bob Ewell was going to die. I could tell because the book did not end right after the trial. I thought, "Tom will end up getting justice or revenge on the Ewells." And that only makes sense when you see how Bob acts for the rest of the book. Since the beginning of the book, we could see the Ewell's were scum and were going to try and throw Maycomb for a loop. However, he was never able to achieve this because of the Finch's and Boo, the protagonists.
DeleteI did not see the fact Bob Ewell was going to die. I figured after the trial, something would happen to him, but I did not expect for him to do. When the kids were getting attacked, I had a suspicion it was Bob Ewell. Also, I was shocked when Atticus believed Jem had killed Bob Ewell. I did not think he could think of his kids doing such a thing.
DeleteA lot of events took place in the last third of the novel. The death of Bob Ewell was one of these. Justice is served for the destruction he had caused throughout Maycomb. In reality, Boo (Arthur) Radley killed Bob. Bob Ewell had attacked Jem and Scout as a way to get back at Atticus for destroying Bob’s last shred of credibility at the trial. Huck Tate knew that Boo had killed Bob, but he didn’t want to “kill a mockingbird”, so he said that Bob fell on his own knife. Boo Radley was a mockingbird because he never did anything to harm anyone, all he did was save two innocent children from their attacker. Huck Tate said that if everyone knew that it was Boo who killed Bob Ewell, “‘...all the ladies in Maycomb includin’ [his] wife’d be knocking on [Boo’s] door bringing angel food cakes’” (Lee 369). Boo wanted to remain isolated in his house, and by announcing that he had killed Bob, it would almost be like a punishment. This is why Huck Tate stuck with the statement that Bob fell on his knife. I think that it is interesting how Harper Lee organized the novel. It began eight years in the future with Scout describing to the reader Jem’s injury. Then, the story jumps back and explains the events leading up to Jem breaking his arm. I like how Lee used a full circle ending to wrap up the story.
ReplyDeleteI read Mary Badham’s excerpt from McDonagh Murphy's book. Mary said that at the end, it is evident that Scout has picked up on a lot of the lessons that Atticus has taught her. Mary Badham says, “You don’t get a chance to have a film and a book that makes that kind of impact. The messages are so clear and so simple. It’s about life, getting along, and learning tolerance.” This is a very true statement. The fact that a six year old girl, Scout, was able to understand the lessons Atticus taught her and apply them to life shows how simple these lifelong morals are. I found it interesting that Mary had played her role as Scout without ever having read the book. Mary, having lived in Birmingham, Alabama, knew the struggle of blacks in the South, and she was better able to understand the feel and tempo of the story. She was very similar to Scout because of this. She grew up in a family of boys so, like Scout, she was not very girly. Mary explained how since she was not a very experienced actress, she encountered many difficulties while filming. One of these times was when filiming a scene when Scout was crying. Mary could not get herself to cry, so the crew resorted to blowing onion juice in her eyes to help.
I agree with Oprah Winfrey in saying that To Kill a Mockingbird should be America’s “national novel”. It tells the story of our past, and shows, through characters like Atticus Finch, how we overcame those mistakes. The story also teaches a lot of valuable life lessons. It appeals to people of all ages through its narrator, Scout. The novel definitely deserves to be on the Great American Read list. It makes its readers aware of a time of discrimination and racism in our country. George Santayana once said, “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it”. We can not avoid this part of American history. I am not proud of that past, but I am proud of the America that the past has created. Everyone should read To Kill a Mockingbird at least once in their life because it depicts an important time in our country’s history.
The author using a full circle ending was genius I think too. It's interesting that you bring this up because it's interesting to think that when first reading this book, a large commotion starts it off, with Jem breaking his arm, slowing down throughout the book, just to have a fascinating ending tie everything back to the start. I also agree with you that Boo is seen as the Mockingbird since he shows his innocence by saving Scout and Jem, and by announcing this to Maycomb, he would be forced out of the shadows, which he doesn't want, in a sense, connecting him back to the title. It's actually really amazing that Mary played Scout without every reading the book. After all, she did do a great job. It just goes to show how well she truly did connect with Scout, which is also pretty cool. Finally, I also agree with you in the fact that this should be the "national novel". It really does emphasize America's past mistakes and overcoming them, teaching the reader a lesson. It also is odd to think how many lessons Scout absorbs throughout this novel, yet she's so young.
DeleteI think that the full circle ending in the book was a great idea, and that it makes everything make more sense. The symbolism of Boo being the mockingbird is very important to the message of the book, and it also adds to the full circle ending. I also think that it is interesting that the actress who played Scout never read the book. I wonder if the movie, particularly Scouts character, would have turned out differently if she had read the book. While I do also think that To Kill a Mockingbird has important messages, I do not think that it should be on the list of America's national novel.
DeleteBringing up the beginning of the novel and stating the injury, you realize that the book has gone full circle and you also realize that this book was placed in the past tense and that Scout wasn't living this in the moment. Which were things that I didn't notice about the book until it was pointed put to me. Harper Lee had one small detail about Jem's arm in the beginning and then the rest of the story is explaining all of the events that lead up to Jem's injured arm.
DeleteComment by Mason Kacmar
DeleteI agree with you Alyssa, I think that the book “ To Kill a Mocking” a Mockingbird”, should be on the Great American read List and be the nations novel. As I talked about in my post I think that the story shows a lot about racism and people not being treated equally and it really hurts and it really shows you even more about what life was like at that time period. I also thought it was very interesting when Heck Tate almost protects Boo Radley from Boo losing his isolation that he enjoys. I don't know if it's heck being afraid of Boo or out of all this mystery of him he just feels like he deserves his time being alone. I definitely agree that Boo’s entrance was very weird and how the town reacted with him being there
I agree with you when you say that if Heck Tate told the city that Boo killed Bob, his privacy would be invaded. I think it was risky for Heck Tate to lie but it was the right thing to do as Boo was a shy and cut off guy and people would be invading him. I also read from Mary Badlham's writing and I agree with you when you say that since she lived in the South, even though she didn't read the novel she related to Scout so well and understood what she was going through and how hard things were as a child growing up in the deep South.I agree with you that this should be America's novel and that it deserves a spot on the Great American Read list as it talks about America's history and informs people of the hardships people faced.
DeleteI agree with your writing. I think this novel should be on the list because of it's topic of racism and prejudice since this can teach many on how their views could kill someone. I think Heck Tate should've told the truth, but testify and say that he did it to protect them. I would like to think everyone would understand he likes privacy and would leave him alone, but many would probably want to thank him. It was the right thing to lie over that since he did it for good but he did lie.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI agree with what you are saying in your writing. Your reasoning for why the book should be on the list was well written, and I completely agree with what you said. this book was very informative to give you a look into what prejudice, and racism were.
DeleteI agree that Scout picks up on the lessions throughout the story. In fact, I would dare to say that Atticus is even necesarry to Scout or else she would end up like a Ewell. Had Atticus not been in Scout's life, she would have no real person to help her get through life like a civilized person, keeping composure and staying the same to everyone.
DeleteThere were many important events in chapters 25-31 but one small encounter between Jem and Scout seemed,to me, very important. In school someone brings a newspaper with Adolf Hitler in it and Scout was kind of confused. She asked Atticus and she was kind of shut down so she goes to Jem. She told him
ReplyDeletehow Mrs. Gates (the teacher who talked about it in class) really hated Hitler for persecuting the Jewish people. Scout tells Jem she heard Mrs. Gates say as she was leaving the courthouse that black folks were getting way ahead of themselves and soon they might think they can marry white people. Then Scout asks Jem "How can you hate Hitler so bad an' then turn around and be ugly about folks right at home."(Lee 283) Jem then screams at her and she leaves. This question is a very good one for the whole south in the early 1940's. If everyone thought about this paradox then segregation and racism could have ended much earlier. Scout's child mind allows her too see this thing that most adults don't see. This contributes to the idea supported by Dolphus Raymond that children can sometimes see and understand better than
adults.
I read the excerpts from David Kipen a famous book reviewer for the San Francisco Chronicle. I both agree and disagree with his stance on the book and writer. One of his main points is that it is a very moral book and it is. Many different lessons can be pulled from the book about both life back then and now. Another point he makes which I disagree with is that he thinks she should have published more books. He says "it doesn't seem like an only book"(Murphy 101) I think this is a perfect only book because it does not really push towards a series with a big cliffhanger ending. Also she most likely still wrote but just didn't publish. This was a very good only book.
I don't think this book deserves to be America's national novel. Maybe it would have been when it was published but now it is not relevant enough to our current times. It still carries a powerful message that everyone should understand but deep racism towards african-americans is not as prevalent in today's world. The book does deserve to be on the "Great American Read" list though because of the messages it spreads and the quality of the book. Its humor and wisdom through the eyes of a young child make it a classic. It should be used in high schools as it is today and in the future. In conclusion "To Kill a Mockingbird" is a great book that should be read by all.
You made a lot of good points, however I disagree with what you said about To Kill a Mockingbird not deserving to be America’s national novel. You said that it was irrelevant to the present time, but it carries messages that are applicable to any time. It is also important to learn about the past in order to fully understand the present and make a successful future. I agree that the novel is a good “only book”. I feel that if there were more stories, not everyone would have read To Kill a Mockingbird. The story sends so many powerful messages, and I think that making it into a series would take away from the story. I find it interesting that you chose to discuss the encounter between Jem and Scout in chapter 26. People sometimes don’t connect simple ideas. At that time, people were so focused on hating African-Americans that they didn’t realize they were acting in a very similar way to Hitler, a man they despised. Children, such as Scout, were able to see this connection because they had not been pre-programmed against blacks. You said that the book should be used in high schools. I agree, but there are many arguments against that claim. People say that it should be banned because of the use of inappropriate language and discussion of rape. I think that without those factors, the story would not have be authentic and correctly portray the setting of the novel.
DeleteI compleatly agree with your whole response.I think it is very interesting that you found the part about Adolf Hitler and showed how it connected to Scouts mind.I never though of that part as important but you have definitely changed my mind.I also agree that this part must have been put in to emphasize the point Dolhpus made about children and I think this contributes to the point of view.I think that the author chose Scout because of how innocent and uncorrupted she was.And I think that this is used to show that the only way to see the problem of race is to look at it with unbiased and level eyes.
DeleteThomas LoGalbo
DeleteI agree with your stance on "To Kill a Mockingbird" being a "perfect only book". The story is very much wrapped up with no loose ends that come to mind. Harper Lee has only one other published book, "Go Set a Watchman". I haven't read it, but it was written before "To Kill a Mockingbird", but was published afterward as a sequel in 2015. It is more commonly believed to be a first draft of its much more famous predecessor. I also think that the book was fine as a stand alone novel and covered its message just fine on its own
I agree with the segregation and prejudice comment. Another instance of this was when Scout asked Jem why the Cunninghams were less than the other town folks. I disagree as well that it is a perfect "only book". Every good book doesn't need a sequel. I feel like a sequel would have somehow made the story... less. I don't know if that makes sense. But I agree it shouldn't be America's national novel. Even though it is relevant to racial injustices today, it isn't to the extent of the book, where a good man is put to death. The racism is much less now and I think it would wrongly sum up our country.
DeleteI definitely agree with Alyssa; the times were not as bad as they were back then, but the theme is still very relevant. However, if this theme was irrelevant in today's times, it would still be important to learn about the history of America. It would still be important to make sure we never make the same mistake we did in the times of the Finches. I think the talk about Hitler goes to show how we can't be blind to the injustices that might happen inside our own country.
DeleteI agree with with your points, however, I still believe this novel belongs on The Great American Book Read because it teaches us a life we have never seen and that how your perspective on the way of life could result in someone's death, like how Tom Robinson died.
DeleteEven though I do not agree with your statement that the book should not be on the list I do think your argument was well thought out, and your opinion was well supported. I like that you pointed out how the book is not relevant to today's time because I would have never thought of that f you hadn't said it.
DeleteI agree with everything you said in your response. I thought it was extremely interesting that you chose to write about the mention of Hitler in the book. I laughed it off more than anything, but you kind of opened up eyes. Also, I agree with your view on how this book shouldn't be a national novel and I even brought up some of your same points in my comment.
DeleteI agree with your response that the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, should not be America's greatest novel and you really backed up your thoughts while still proving that the novel is very inspiring and well written. I also enjoyed reading about the small excerpt about Adolf Hitler because I feel like many people would not see this part of the novel as very important but you talked about it really well.
DeleteIn the last chapters of the book, I found the true Boo Radley to be quite different from what I thought he would be. Furthermore, the questions I had about Boo were never answered even after the character was truly portrayed. For one, I still do not understand why Boo never comes out of the house, though I could make inferences and I thought there would have been some underlying reason to it but there never was. Secondly, I thought Scout would have reacted much differently than she did when she finally met Boo Radley. ¨His lips parted in a timid smile, and our neighbors image blurred with my sudden tears. ¨Hey, Boo,¨ I said" (Lee 310). I believe she began to get teary because of her realization of who Boo Radley really was and maybe it was shocking to her as her ideas on him were not at all accurate. I did not imagine the last few chapters to include the events and end the way it did. Although the novel certainly did not have a bad ending, I think it could have included different events and reveal more answers than it did.
ReplyDeleteI agree with a lot of what the writer stated in McDonagh Murphy's book. There were many insightful things the author explained and it was interesting to read about this authors viewpoint on the whole novel. Something that I think was important that the author explained was the topic of family, friends, and understanding. When most people read the novel, "To Kill a Mockingbird," they think about racism and prejudice as the main lesson learned or takeaway from the book. But what the author included, and what I also think is important, is that the writer talked about the novels many included aspects of family and friends. "I think the novel is about children and families and parents and understanding - basically, how people find a better way of understanding other people" (Murphy 52). I feel as though this is truly an important takeaway one could have from "To Kill a Mockingbird" and it is an idea I hadn't even considered until reading the excerpt from McDonagh Murphy's book. Racism and prejudice are both very evident and important topics of the book but family, friends, and understanding was also maybe even more so evident and can be related to most people's lives today whereas racism is less evident now than it was previously.
I do not think the novel should be ¨America's national novel" for various reasons. However, I feel as though it does deserve to at least be within the top 50 on the list. One reason I do not think it should be America's national novel is because I, myself, did not enjoy it nearly as much as I have other novels. Although this book conveys a truly moving and meaningful message about prejudice and racism, it does not appeal to me in general. The conflicts, I think, were not well tied in together and I feel as though the events could have been better chosen and answers could have been better shown and included. To me, it is almost like there are holes in the novel but it shows a great message and I do think it deserves to be on the list and read by people to show the past horrors of racism. The novel did a great job of including aspects that mostly everyone can relate to like family, friends, a child's curiosity and innocence, and I feel as though that is one of the main reasons, at least in my opinion, that this novel should at least be on the list.
Also the excerpt I read from the McDonagh Murphy's book was by Mary McDonagh Murphy.
DeleteI thought the same thing about Boo Radley. I felt that the author did not do a good job explaining who he actually is. I was not a fan of the ending either. I guess we were both let down. Yes, this book is all about understanding other people's lives. Your quote you cited reminded me of Atticus telling Scout that you can never judge someone until you crawl into their skin. I also agree with you about the book not being very interesting. If a book is interesting, I would want to keep reading it. I did not feel like that when reading To Kill A Mockingbird.
DeleteScout’s reaction to Boo Radley was not what I had expected either. I had expected a bigger reaction from Scout. I wonder if Jem will believe Scout when she tells him about Boo, and, if he does, what will be his reaction? Harper Lee left a lot of the reader’s questions unanswered, but I feel like she did this so the reader could interpret the unsaid parts for himself/herself. I agree that the theme of understanding people is relevant to a lot of the story and can be applied to our lives today. Atticus explains to Scout how to understand people better and how that will help Scout throughout life: “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view...until you climb into his skin and walk around in it” (Lee 39). Scout refers to this advice many times throughout the story. I disagree with your statement on how the conflicts were not tied in together well. I think that many small messages and ideas were shown through small conflicts in the story. Those messages all contributed to the overall themes of the novel. The story being told through the perspective of Scout allows the reader to see the point of view of many characters and how that conflicts with the morals Atticus has taught Scout. I feel that every part of this story has a meaning, and that is one of the reasons I disagree with you about To Kill a Mockingbird not deserving the title of America’s national novel.
DeleteI agree with what you are saying about Boo Radley, this was my second time reading this book but I honestly don't understand the point of his character. To me he was an unnecessary character and didn't add much to the story. However when you said that the book should have revealed more answers about Boo, I personally believe that Harper Lee didn't include those answers because she didn't know them herself.
DeleteI agree that the reveal of Boo was confusing and that it left out a lot of answers. I also agree that it should not be out national novel. The events were weird and they didn't make a lot of sense or contribute much to the overall theme. I think that the events should have been better connected and that we should have gotten more answers.
DeleteI also think that Boo's reveal was a little confusing and lacked answers to the questions I had about him. I thought that Scout's reaction to seeing Boo for the first time was a somewhat odd as well. The ending of the book also surprised me, especially how things happened so suddenly with Bob. I agree with you and I do not think that it should be America's national novel.
DeleteI agree with two points you made, one being that the author didn't do a great job with the character of Boo Radley. She could have given a few hints that led into people believing that he was coming back instead of a quick re-introduction. I also was not interested in the ending of the book. it seemed rushed and not thought out.
DeleteI agree with your point on Boo Radley I thought he wouldn't even want to be near more people because of his isolation besides being around his brother. I thought that he might just stay a legend in Scout and Jem's mind and that he would just be symbolism; however I also hoped he would be in the ending but in a different way. Not killing someone, though it was to protect Scout and Jem. I thought he would send them a letter on how he was grateful that they were curious about him or something similar,
DeleteI agree on how different Boo turned out to be. I knew many of the rumors were not true but his existence and real depiction was very shocking. Even Scouts reaction. I thought she would have been much or surprised or shocked but she just welcomed him calmly after a terrible event. He did save both her and her brothers life though which was very heroic.
DeleteI have to disagree with you Nicole, even though you present an interesting argument. A common theme I am seeing in the responses, and also shown here. People are questioning the end of the novel because not all of their answers are being answered, mainly why Boo Radley stays in the house. Jem says something on this matter at the end of chapter 23, which I believe Harper Lee to have us accept this as the answer to the question; I’m beginning to understand why Boo Radley’s stayed shut up in the house all this time … it’s because he wants to stay inside” (Lee 259.) If this were the case, the answer to your question is answered by Boo’s reclusive nature and his dislike of the town. This seems to be the main question that people ask that ruins the book for them. The responses I see who ask this question normally have negative reviews of the book, and their reason being is their questions not being answered about Boo at the end of the book. If this theory by Jem is accepted as fact, most of the loose ends at the end of the novel are tied up.
DeleteI completely agree. I also think that the last third of the book had many surprises. I also think that Boo’s brother may be a possible reason for him always staying inside the house. I also found Scout’s reaction to seeing Boo for the first time was very different than expected. I thought that she would have been startled, but she seemed more relieved to see him. I agree with what you mentioned about this novel being included in the Great American Read list but not considered America’s “National novel”. I think that your reasons support this claim very well and that your post was very nicely written.
DeletePart One (Final paragraph is in comments)
ReplyDeleteThe final chapters of the novel, 25-31, seemed to be the most interesting chapters of the book, with a large variety of events taking place. Within these chapters, the Halloween pageant took place with Scout being a ham in it. One thing that I didn’t think would happen was Atticus missing the pageant: “Atticus said...he just didn’t think he could stand a pageant tonight...He had been in Montgomery for a week and had come home late” (Lee 339). Atticus had a good reason to miss out on the pageant, but I found it surprising that he sat that one out. As a man who tries to do the best for his kids, and for this pageant being a community-wide event, you would think that Atticus would attend, especially after being seen as a local hero to many. Even though he had been gone for awhile and was tired, I thought he would’ve made an effort to come. Atticus may of not come, but I actually thought Boo Radley would show up: “Jem said he would take me [to the pageant]. Thus began our longest journey together” (340). This line from the book led me to believe that some type of run-in with Boo would take place, and things would go awry, instead of the surprise ending that took place. There’s always a chance that he could’ve showed up and followed Scout and Jem home too though, along with Bob, but it’s never mentioned in the book. I thought this would finally be the time that the kids would encounter Boo, but I guess I was wrong. I didn’t really see the ending coming, how it came about, but I was impressed by it. I knew it was Bob following the kids after they heard something, but before then, I would’ve never guessed. The fact that Bob came to kill the kids left me on the edge of my seat, and the fact that he came so close, breaking Jem’s arm, was even more interesting. I also thought the fake “Bob fell on his knife” saying, eventually agreed upon by all, made for a really good ending, especially with Boo being the real killer and the children finally getting to see him. What was even more interesting was how Boo wasn’t like anybody said. He saved Jem and Scout’s lives, and didn’t do anything to harm others. He even wanted to pet Jem to say goodbye, and simply just returned home, never to be seen again.
I read the excerpt from McDonagh Murphy’s book from David Kipen, a former book reviewer. One thing really interesting that David said was that he read the book as an adult, not as a young child, yet it still affected him. This is interesting because it shows how universal this book’s message is. It was also interesting how he connects to the author, being a writer himself. After Harper Lee wrote this novel, she took a break from writing and stayed in the shadows, while David thinks “I couldn’t do it, I would feel like a rattlesnake with the venom backed up in me.” David feels that writing is a way to tell something beautiful and to say something personal, and being a writer for years, he didn’t understand how Harper Lee could’ve stopped because everybody has something to get off their chest. David also believes that this novel is filled with humor: “It is a very funny book. Scout’s voice is a very comic voice.” Personally, I disagree with this. I didn’t really find this book funny, and I didn’t think Scout really added much humor, as it just showed her being a kid, which seemed more relatable then funny. David did say that the book has a good moral that isn’t forced though, which I agree with. He said, “it’s a moral book, without being starchy or medicinal in any way.” I agree with this because I think the lessons learned throughout the novel aren’t forced by the author, they natural show themselves throughout, during important, interesting plot points.
Finally, I believe that this book truly should be titled our countries “national novel”, just how Oprah Winfrey thinks and it definetly deserved a spot on the Great American Read List, simply because of its lasting longetivety, but also, this relatable novel shows our mistakes of the past, overcoming them, and the true American spirit of standing up for what you believe in, and the fact that it only takes one to make a change. At the time of the book’s release, African-Americans, like Tom, were treated unfairly, being unequal: “The information spread through the county...Tom’s death was typical...Easy come, easy go” (322). Back then, African--Americans unfair deaths were very common. They were killed off of false accusations and more, showing America’s past mistakes. One character in the book noticed this though, “Mr. Underwood...He likened Tom’s death to the senseless slaughter of songbirds by hunters and children” (323). The death of songbirds shows the destruction of innocence, and by comparing an African-Americans death to this, Mr. Underwood shows the true American spirit, writing this in his newspaper, showing somebody standing up for what we believe in and for others. In Scout, Atticus, and Boo, David states that, “one of the unacknowledged powers of the novel, is that...a life is saved, something is salvaged, perfect justice is achieved...our faith in the process renewed.” This just goes to show that in America, justice is an equalizer that connects our beliefs, which can be seen in To Kill A Mockingbird, expressing America’s beliefs in what’s right and wrong, giving in to the fact that overtime, America has overcome some our past nation-wide mistakes. This is why this novel belongs on the Great American Read List and should be declared our “national novel”.
DeleteI agree with your first statement. Atticus is one of those "die-hard" dads who would do anything for their kids. I never thought of him missing the pageant as out of the ordinary until I read your paragraph. Harper Lee taking a break is only human. Some people, like David Kipen, may not understand that, but sometimes people need a mental break. When reading this book, I never really thought of how old it actually was. My parents read this book as teenagers in school and here I am many years later done reading the same book. To Kill A Mockingbird's longevity is a great point.
DeleteI was also surprised that Atticus didn't go to the pageant. I thought that he would have at least made an effort to go. I was also surprised when Boo was revealed at the end. I thought that we would meet him sooner and get to know him. I agree that it has a lasting impact but I disagree that it is America's national novel. I disagree because it wasn't that interesting or exciting although the message was worthwhile.
DeleteI also found it odd the Atticus did not go to the pageant. I think that it was out of character for him. I too think the ending had some surprises, but for me they seemed too unexpected. I do agree with you in the fact that the book has had long life, but I don't think it should be on the list. There are other books that have the same messages and themes.
DeleteI agree that this book should be our national novel and should also be on the great american read list. I really like your point on that this book shows our mistakes of the past because segregation was something in our past that makes our country what it is today but this was a terrible thing in our country. Also the fact that you stated that the true american spirit of standing up for what you believe in, I thought was important because talking about segregation people started to stand up for what they believed in and that was that everyone was equal so they started to fight for more rights for African Americans.
DeleteI agree that the ending was surprising but I think it was more surprising in the sense that it did not make enough sense and it was almost irrelevant. I disagree that this novel should be our national novel but you do bring up great points as to why it should be such as it's longevity which I had not even considered and that it is a relatable novel about important events in the past. These are both true and good points to include for, as you were, arguing for the novel to be the national novel.
DeleteOverall, I believe the last three chapters were very well planned out but the characters actions were a little messed up. The first thing that happened was the one kid from Scout's school brought in an article about Hitler. People in America at this time were just learning about what he did so obviously they didn't like him. Then Mr. Ewell started going crazy by breaking into Mr. Taylor's house and trying to scare Tom's widow by following her around. During the play about Maycomb, Scout served as a ham and would have to go out at her time for the play to go right, and she didn't go at her right time. "She caught me backstage and told me I had ruined her pageant."(Lee 297) The most strange that happened was when Jem and Scout were on their way home from the pageant, Mr. Ewell was was following them and ended up attacking them for a man to attack children it is outrageous and would most likely be sentenced to death. To save their lives though because their attacker had a knife, Boo came out and killed him with a kitchen knife. "He (Boo) was carrying Jem. Jem's arm was dangling crazily in front of him"(Lee 302) Boo also carried Jem after safety after he broke his arm. So the sheriff knew that Boo killed him but it was for a good reason so he covered it up and they just said he fell on his own knife.
ReplyDeleteI read the James Patterson excerpt from the Murphy book. I agreed with basically what he said how this book teaches you and can be interesting at the same time. It lets children and even young adults know how blacks were treated at the time. He says that this book was one that he admired because of its very intriguing beginning with the foreshadowing about Jem's arm. To me was interesting his little section was he said he was never really that interested in books and now he is a famous arthor, so that he was an arthor because he wanted to make books for kids that made them want to read what he didn't have when he was growing up.
I have not read that many books, but to me it seems that like Oprah said it cold could be the "Nations Novel". It shows learning about the history of America and how is was changing a little with Tom almost winning the case and white people going against a white man using a black man. Because of this I believe that it defiantly should be on the list for the Great American Read. This book allows you to be in the shoes of each of the characters life because Lee describes them so good. Scout being a little girl that is learning how life is changing everyday. "Atticus, I wasn't scared." (Lee 322) This just showed how much she had matured throughout the book. Atticus was her father and mentor and explained things to his children. He was a very respected man and he did what he believed in like trying to help out Tom Robinson. "If this thing's hushed up it'll be a simple denial to Jem of the way I've tried to raise him.(Lee 314) This quote shows that he wants to be honest even if that means his son has to go to court. Overall this was a great book and deserves to win the Great American Read.
I completely see where you're coming from in the last few chapters. At times, the book was kind of slow, but in the final chapters, things really started to pick up, allowing for the final, well-planned, intriguing, chapters of the book. I also thought it was strange that Bob came for the kids, because honestly, I didn't see it coming. I also agree with your views of James Patterson, and how he claims that the book teaches a lesson to kids and young adults, truly showing how universal this book is in its lessons. It's also interesting that James didn't like reading, but became an author to make interesting books for others to enjoy. Finally, I agree that it should be the "national novel", because you're right, it does show our past, and how slowly, we can fight against what's wrong, how whites, like Atticus, did in Tom's trial.
DeleteI completely agree that Bob Ewell's actions were messed up. I see why Harper Lee had him go for the kids, however. Bob Ewell wanted to get back at Atticus for defending a black man, so he tried to destroy what Atticus loved the most, his kids. However, I found it kind of overwhelming that he just tried to jump out of nowhere and stab the children. It did mention that alcohol was involved, but it was still all very messed up, and in a way, hard to believe.
DeleteLibby Evans
DeleteI like what you said about the excerpt you read. I thought it was interesting as well how the author foreshadowed the ending of the book in the first chapter. Scout and Jem definitely did mature throughout the book. You could tell Jem was getting more mature because he was acting different in Scout's eyes. I agree that this book belongs on the Great American Read List.
Actually, I thought that the actions made sense. If you think about it, all of these actions can directly relate to the Tom Robinson trial. Bob most likely would not have harmed a child unles the children were that of his mortal enemy's. The ham thing was just a way to get Scout and Jem alone for Bob to follow them so I can see that being a little weird. And finally, I don't think bringing in an article about Hitler to school is all that wierd either.This was just about when Adolf Hitler became dictator of Germany. Bringin in this article is related to one of us bringing in a tweet that Kanye(ye) posted and talking about it. I also do not think these actions are messed up either. While the Bob Ewell actions are very wrong, they are semi-justified by the trial and how Atticus showed the real side of Bob, how he is a nasy person and evil too.
DeleteI agree all the actions were a little strange. Even though they could all be connected as symbolism to the Tom Robinson trial, they were all very off-topic. The flow was kind of messed up when the characters went all over the place. I read James Patterson's excerpt as well, and he pretty much summed the whole story up very well. I disagree with you on the "National Novel". However, I can understand your points. I definitely agree it should be on the Great American Read.
DeleteI agree that it was outrageous for Bob Ewell to attack children, despite his malicious character portrayal. I also agree that the novel was informative and fascinating at the same time because of its underlying theme and its strange events. I disagree that this book should be the national novel because of its lack of relevance in today's society, however I do agree that it should be on the Great American Read list.
DeleteWhen I finished the book, I was relived, but also a little confused. The author, Harper Lee, added all this suspense about Boo Radley in the beginning of the book and then seemed to have forgotten about him until the end of the book. At this point, I still am not totally sure who Boo Radley really is. I learned that he is not as scary as people make him seem and he has courage and heart due to him saving Scout and Jem. But the author leaves us with some mystery on who he really is. "He [Boo] gave us two soap dolls, a broken watch and chain, a pair of good-luck pennies, and our lives" (Lee 373). I am still not sure why Boo put items in a tree for Scout and Jem to find. I don't know if he has a mental illness of something like that. He is still a mystery to me; I feel like there is no closure with him. Maybe Harper Lee wanted to leave the reader with something to think about. I wish I knew more about Boo, but I'm not always going to like everything an author writes in a book.
ReplyDeleteFrom McDonagh Murphy's book, I read Mary Badham’s excerpt. As the actress of Scout from the movie, she had a lot of interesting things to say about after reading the book, one of them being about Calpurnia: "I would have loved to have included the parts of the book that talked of our relationship with Calpurnia..." (McDonagh Murphy 46). This was very interesting to me because I didn't realize Calpurnia wasn't portrayed in the movie as she was in the book. In the book, she was an underrated character. As a black maid, she befriended Scout, a white girl. Back then, it was abnormal for a white person to interact with a black person closely. Calpurnia was the "mom figure" in the story. She had such an impact on Scout. Scout really loved her. I am surprised that the film directors would not include that in the movie. Later on in Mary's excerpt, she says: "... it [Calpurnia's relationship with Scout] was so close to my relationship with the ladies that raised me..." (McDonagh Murphy 46). I think many people watching the movie could have related to Scout and Calpurnia's relationship, just like Mary's relationship with the ladies that raised her.
Oprah Winfrey claims that To Kill a Mockingbird should be America's "national novel". I agree and disagree with Oprah. I really like the message of the book about the topic of Prejudice and Racism. However, I did not really like how the book was written. I said above how I did not like how the author ended with an unclear picture on who Boo Radley really is. The book also confused me at times. It was not that enjoyable to read. I was interested in the trial and Boo Radley, but I never found myself never wanting to never put the book down because of how good it was. If I really like a book, I finish the book quickly. I do believe that this topic should be advertised all around America because of it's significance, so I agree that this book deserves its America's Great American Read spot. On the other hand, judging based of of the writing, I do not think it deserves it's spot.
This response is full of so many good points I don't even know where to start. Yes, about Boo! It was a bit abrupt to have Boo Radley show up and just be 'there' after so much buildup. It sort of is revealed that he's not as mysterious as people make him out to be, he's just...normal. And after everything the book fantasizes him up to be, I was slightly disappointed as well. I really wish there was more to him, but there's only so much mystery and make-believe you can put into a book so centralized on current events.
DeleteReading the excerpt, especially the one right after Mary's, I was kind of disappointed as well. It's mentioned by the woman who cast the kids of the movie that the producer understood the importance of keeping the movie the same as the book, the significance of having the movie was made after the book. It's a letdown that they didn't focus on the relationship between Scout and Calpurnia more. It was truly unique.
I could not agree with you more on your last paragraph. Trying to decide whether this book should be America's national novel was difficult, to say the least, because although the book may not be that enjoyable to read, it touches on some very important concepts and teaches some valuable lessons. It's a meaningful book, just not a good one?
Anyways, this response was truly awesome. The only criticism I can think of is for another quote in your first paragraph, possibly? One that describes his house, or gives an example of one of the rumors surrounding Boo Radley? It would help to support the presence of 'suspense' you mention towards the beginning. Still, this is one of the best responses I've read yet. Beautiful job.
oh my god that response is longer than my actual blogpost
DeleteI think the idea of Boo having a mental illness is interesting. It makes sense, since he was mute. I think Boo is an extremely interesting character and I wish there was more information about him within the book, since he is a sort of enigma. I read the same excerpt that you did, and I thought that she did say a lot about Calpurnia. Calpurnia was basically the mother figure that the kids did not have. I feel the same way with whether it should be the national novel. It had a good message, but I don't think the overall theme was good. I just thought that it was not appropriate to be America's novel. Nice work.
DeleteI can really see why you would think that Boo's character was left unfinished,I felt the same way at first.But I think that it was supposed to be left a mystery.I think that Boo's character was not really ever meant to be resolved.For why I really don't know.But I do know that he, to me, was supposed to represent all of the things that were said about him, and how they were not true.I think that his character is used to convey a message rather than further the plot.But this is just my opinion and could be up to interpretation.
DeleteI definitely agree with the idea that Boo's character was forgotten about until the end. Boo was an important character throughout the first part of the book, but then was never brought up until the attack. I feel that Lee purposely did that so she could create a sequel. I also agree with you about how To Kill A Mockingbird does not deserve a spot on the Great American Read list. Although I somewhat enjoyed the novel, it was sometimes difficult to follow along with the story even though the topics it portrays are important and are very valuable lessons.
DeleteI agree that Boo is still a mystery for people have only seen him 1 time in like 10 years so obviously he doesn't want people to know his true identity. I don't think Boo has a mental illness because he answered the questions pretty regularly, I think he was just scared. I think Harper Lee left the book like that so you could pick how you wanted to see Boo. It is kind of disappointing like Mary the astress of Scout said that in the movie that Scout and Calpurnia didn't have that close of a relationship. The thing about this relationship was it not very good at the beginning with Scout getting mad at Calpurnia at the beginning which eventually formed to a love relationship. I disagree with the ending though, I believe it was a very well thought out book with foreshadowing at the beginning which all came back at the end. I believe that it should be our nations novel.
DeleteI agree with everything you stated. I don't really like how Harper Lee kind of forgot about Boo Radley in a sense when the court case started. I would also have liked a more clear ending to Boo Radley's plot line as well. I sort of think that was what the author was going for in a sense. I don't think she wanted to create a very clear image of Boo in the end because it was told through Scout's eyes. I also agree with you because I don't particularly think this novel should be the National Novel even though I liked the messages it conveyed like you said.
DeleteComment by Mason Kacmar
DeleteI agree with you Alex, as I said in my post I really felt that Boo Radley was lost and part of the story and that kind of was upsetting for me because I thought he was a character that was going to be mentioned throughout the story and I thought he was forgotten sometimes. Also adding to your post oh, I think Bob Ewell was also someone who was sort of abruptly killed and that had a weird feeling inside when I read that and I don't think it made sense with the novel. I have to disagree with the place of “ To Kill a Mockingbird”, I think it definitely should when and I'm not sure if there are other books that are better. I definitely have not read all of them, but I think that considering this novel relates to our society it has such a impact and it shows how history can repeat itself.
I agree with you that at the end of novel I felt as if I had not had closure revolving Boo. Through the book I kind of forgot about him, since their was no mention of him during the trials. I also feel like Harper Lee purposly did not give the reader closure on Boo to leave them wondering. For example when it says that was the last time Scout ever saw him, it makes me wonder why he never came out to see her again. I also kind of agree that this deserves to be our "national novel", but also it doesn't. I think the values and messages through the novel makes it deserving of the title, but I understand your point of how based on the pure writing it might not be worthy of that top spot.
DeleteI somewhat agree with you on the fact that Harper Lee sort of forgot about Boo until the end of the book. There was many chapters where Boo wasn't even mentioned and then he was crammed in at the end of the book with the reader still having little information about him. I think Lee did this for a reason. I also read from Mary Badlham's section and I agree with you when you say that Scout and Calpurna's relation was somewhat abnormal given the time period and Scout being white and Calpurna being black. I think Calpurna played an important role in the story as she acted as Scout's mom. I agree with you when you say you agree with Opra Winfry saying that this book should be America's novel because it dresses prejudice and it still happens today. I have to disagree with you when you say the book isn't well written as I enjoyed it and I found it taught an important lesson.
DeleteI completely agree with you about Boo. I wish that Harper Lee would have done some sort of explanation as to why Boo put those things in the tree for the children. I didn’t understand that part of the book, and I didn’t understand why his brother filled the tree hole up with cement. I understand that Harper Lee could have wanted to leave the reader with something to think about, like you said. However, I wish she had given the reader some sort of explanation as to why Boo put the gifts in the tree hole, and why his brother filled the tree hole up with cement. I read Mary Badham’s excerpt as well. I agree with you that Calpurnia was very underrated in the book. Calpurnia was very close with the Finch family, and I thought it was amazing that a white family was that close with a black women. Since Scout and Calpurnia were so close, I wish that there would’ve been a time where Scout ended up going to Calpurnia’s house like they had both wanted. I think that Scout would have gone over if it weren’t for Aunt Alexandra, and even though Aunt Alexandra said no, I wish there was a time later in the book that she changed her mind and let Scout go visit Calpurnia at her house. As I said before, I completely agree with you that Calpurnia was underrated, and I wish that she would’ve had a bigger part in the story.
DeleteThe final chapters of "To Kill a Mockingbird" were my least favorite. There was something lacking in them, that the other chapters had. I didn't really like how everything came to a conclusion. Although some parts, especially the parts with Bob Ewell, were exciting, the way Lee wrapped aspects of the book up was not my favorite. Boo Radley was one of the most intriguing characters, in my opinion, and the way he revealed was a little underwhelming. The characters just discover that he was the one to help them and that is the end of his arch for the most part. "' Who was it?' 'Why there he is, Mr. Tate, he can tell you his name' As I said it, I half pointed to the man in the corner..."(Lee 309). After the reader discovers who helped Scout and Jem, we learn little about him. Other than a few rumors being proven wrong, Boo Radley remains a mystery. I wish there was just a little more development of his character. The ending of the book also felt rushed to me. One event happened immediately after the other, so much so that I didn't have much time to process before another thing happened. I think these chapters could be improved with a few simple tweaks.
ReplyDeleteFrom McDonagh Murphy's book I read Alice Finch Lee's excerpt. I chose to read her excerpt because she is Harper Lee's older sister, and thought that should would have some interesting insights into the author's life. While reading her excerpt I learned much about Harper's family and people in her life. I also learned about her in her childhood. What I found most interesting was Alice's comparison of her life to the characters in the book. While there are many similarities between her life and Scouts, Alice points out that they are not perfectly mirrored. "Despite people wanting to make "To Kill a Mockingbird" a biography or and autobiography or a true story, we had a mother."(Lee 2). Alice Finch Lee provides a different outlook on things that happened in real life and things that happened in the book. She also talks about her brothers and her own life which I thought to be interesting. Lee gives a reason as to why Harper stopped making appearances and taking interviews as well. I think you can learn a lot from Harper's older sister.
Many people say that this book is their favorite novel and that it deserves its place on the Great American Read list. I, on the other hand, think that there are other books that deserve a place on the list more than "To Kill a Mockingbird". While I can see how this book was important and almost revolutionary for its time, I do not think it is the best book representing themes of prejudice and acceptance. For example, "The Help" is another book on the Great American Read list that has a similar historical context and shows the same themes. I think readers can learn the same messages from reading "The Help" in a more impacting way. Another book that shows oppression and prejudice is "Between Shades of Gray". Even though "Between Shades of Gray" shows prejudice in a different way, it still includes it. "Between Shades of Gray" is not on the list, and I think that it deserves a spot more than "To Kill a Mockingbird". Overall, "To Kill a Mockingbird" is an okay book that has important messages that are conveyed better in other novels.
I totally agree that Boo's reveal was underwhelming. He was the most mysterious character throughout the entire novel, so I thought the reveal would be very big and surprising, but I thought it was predictable. Also, I thought Scout would have been more surprised. All that she did when she first met him was say hi. I thought she would have been more overwhelmed and more amazed that Boo Radley was actually standing right in front of her. I think their introduction to each other could have been much more intriguing and climatic.
DeleteI do agree with you that the reveal of Boo Radley was very underwhelming and the author could have written a better ending for his plot line, but I disagree with you because I do believe this book should be on the Great American Read list. This novel may not have been the most exciting or the most interesting all the way through, but I do think the themes that are conveyed throughout the novel are very important to the country and everyone can learn something from this book.
DeleteI agree with you when you say that you don’t agree with how Harper Lee ended the book and how she talked about Boo Radley. I feel like it needed a bigger and developed ending. When you are talking about Alice Finch Lee’s excerpt, you say that she compares herself to Scout. The person that I talked about, Mary Badham, played Scout in the movie and also compares herself to Scout. I think that Scout is a likeable character and many people can relate to her in the way that she is trying to understand the world and is different than other girls/people around her. It is interesting to hear from someone who personally knew the author of a book because they can give you reasons for why the book is the way it is and they can give personal details like how you said that Harper Lee’s sister give a reason why Harper never went to any interviews. Moving onto the next paragraph, I like the way that you explain that To Kill a Mockingbird shouldn’t be on the list and then give other examples of books that should be on the list. I agree with you that there are many other books that share the same message but I disagree with you because I think that To Kill a Mockingbird should not be on the list.
DeleteI agree with your thoughts on Boo being revealed. I believe he should have had a bigger part later on in the book. He was just re-introduced within the last parts of the book, and only said a few words. But it was quite obvious that he was going to return within the novel, because when they build up a character like that, they will bring it back when you least expect it, even though we all expected it.
DeleteI agree with you that Boo Radley's reveal was underwhelming. I thought for being the mystery of Maycomb, when he was revealed it would be a bigger deal. Scout did not even seem affected, and just acted like she had not spent many days of her life trying to get him to come out of his home. I justexpected it to be more interesting surrounding his reveal. I also thought the final third of the novel was my least favorite, since in my opinion they were kind of boring. I disagree with you that this novel should not be our "national novel". Even though other books are more exciting, this novel demonstrates the basis of what America was built off of. It demonstrates our past, important values, and how we have evolved. This is why I belive that it should be our "national novel".
DeleteI was also somewhat disappointed with the reveal of the character Boo Radley. As you said, Boo was such a mysterious and intriguing character, and he was only present in the story for a short amount of time. Something else that kind of disappointed me was how Jim never got to meet Boo even though he saved his life. Personally, I think the ending would have been better if Boo had been developed more in the end of the story, and it Jim had been able to meet Boo.
DeleteI agree with almost everything you stated. I think that the last wrap up chapters were a little odd and left many unanswered questions and it did seem pretty rushed. I also agree that it should not be the national novel for the same reasons in that there are more deserving novels and there are better books displaying the idea/theme of prejudice and racism.
Delete
ReplyDeleteWhen Bob Ewell spat on Atticus, I knew that it was foreshadowing something. It was scary for me to see what would happen when Bob jumped the kids. It would be hard for a twelve year old to stand up to a grown man. It was interesting to see how Harper Lee described the fight through Scout's point of view because she had limited vision and could only listen to the fight and hope that Jem and Boo would protect her. After the fight when they were home, Scout realised right away who the man was but what surprised me also was that she acted toward him like she would have to any other person that she saw everyday of her life. Lee described very accurately what Boo acted like and looked like to the reader so that we could understand where he was coming from. I liked the way that Lee showed him in the novel because in the beginning, she described him as almost a monster through the rumors, but in real life, he just wants to be left alone and is shy. The section where he is with Scout at her house at the end is really important because it shows one of the themes of the book really well which is that to understand a person, you have to “...crawl into his skin and walk around in it” (Lee 33).
I read Mary Badham’s response and it was really interesting how she was later effected from the book and how she related with Scout. The way that she described the set and how she felt when filming it was really cool. Mary said that cast and the crew of the movie were like a family to her and when her parents died, Atticus stepped up to check on her every now and then. I agree with Mary when she says that To Kill a Mockingbird is targeting not only a racial issue of that time period, but a global issue and that is not going anywhere anytime soon.
I feel that I can’t really say if this book should be America’s “national novel” because I haven’t read many of the other books in the list to say that it is the best. I think that To Kill a Mockingbird should be one the Great American Read list because it talks about so many important themes in our culture today and also it show the influence that both the parents and society has on our generation. Just like Mary Badham states in her response in ‘Scout, Atticus & Boo’, “You don’t get a chance to have a film and a book that makes that kind of impact. The messages are so clear and so simple. It’s about a way of life, getting along, and learning tolerance. This is not a black-white 1930s issue, this is a global issue” (McDonagh 50). This is showing how the book relates to the issues and influences and daily lives in our world today. To Kill a Mockingbird shows the process of a girl growing up in a prejudice community and how it affects her and her choices and perspectives of people. The opinions and truths that Scout chooses to believe shows who she can be influenced by but also shows the curiousness of discovering things. “As Mr. Dolphus Raymond was an evil man I accepted his invitation reluctantly, but I followed Dill. Somehow, I didn’t think Atticus would like it if we became friendly with Mr. Raymond, and I knew Aunt Alexandra wouldn’t” (Lee 227). Even though Atticus tried to keep Jem and Scout unbiased between the conflicts with blacks and whites, Scout still looked up to him and tried to follow what he said and advised them. This is a example of one of the main themes that you have to “...crawl into his skin and walk around in it” (Lee 33). Overall, this book relates strongly to our world today because of Scouts journey though the issue of her time and how she responds to it when the people around her are telling her how to live and there is so much going on around her. There are so many big themes and lessons that you can take away from this book. In conclusion, I think that To Kill a Mockingbird should be on the Great American Read list.
I agree with what you were saying about Boo being portrayed as this horrible monster and then Scout going and talking to him normally is surprising. I think that your theme statement really goes along with that and how you used that quote was very well written. I also enjoyed how Lee wrote about the fight from Scouts perspective. That is probably very hard to portray something so big from a limited perspective. You made very good points about why you believe the book should be on the list and back those points up very well.
DeleteI find your viewpoint on how the book should not America's national novel have a smart reasoning behind it. The reason being that you have not read many books on the Great American Read List, therefore there could be some better books out there. But, I do agree that this book should be on the Great American Read List because it allows you to understand America's culture and history behind it. In conclusion, I liked your reasoning and your viewpoint and do agree that this book should be on the Great American Read List.
DeleteI agree with your points Faith, and I like how you incorporated so many quotes from both sources in your conclusion. I like how you appreciate the vastness of the Great American Read list and know that there could be a better book out there, but of what you know you made a decision. However, I could see that there was some foreshadowing, but I actually didn't think that Bob Ewell would try to attack the kids. Overall, I really liked reading your reply, and I agree with your points.
DeleteWhen reading the final chapters of "To Kill a Mockingbird", there was a surprising amount of characterization to Heck Tate that I did not expect. Heck is character that you don't see much of until Tom Robinson's trial. During the trial he is seen as an impartial representation of the law. He is the sheriff of Maycomb, and it's his job to make sure that the folks of Maycomb obey the law and get the punishments they deserve. You can see this through his testimony, and how his perspective shifts as he realizes that Tom couldn't have done what he was accused of. In the final chapters, Heck Tate is revealed to rely on his morals and abide by a looser interpretation of the law with Bob Ewell's death. He tampers with evidence and lies about his investigation's results because he knows it goes against his moral code. He has a dispute with Atticus, who wants him to arrest Mr. Ewell's killer because it would violate Atticus's views on Equality if he didn't:"To my way of thinkin', Mr. Finch, taking the one man who's done you and this town a great service an' draggin' him with his shy ways into the limelight—to me, that's a sin. It's a sin and I'm not about to have it on my head. If it was any other man, it'd be different. But not this man, Mr. Finch..." (Lee 370). We now see that he is willing to bend the law as he wants in accordance to his own moral compass.
ReplyDeleteI read the excerpt for Tom Brokaw, and I found his take on the novel very interesting. Tom lived in a small town in the north, and he very much understood the pressure that Atticus was under from being involved in a small town's controversy. He talks about how the pressure is so much more intense in the smaller setting:"People in big cities, I don't think, have any idea of what the pressures can be like in a small town when there's something as controversial as that going on." (McDonagh Murphy 62). Although I most certainly do not live in a big city, I also don't really know what the pressure would have been like. Nothing of this scale has happened in Aurora in my lifetime, so I really don't have any context as to how a small town can create such a large pressure on a person.
I would have to disagree with Oprah on "To Kill a Mockingbird" being the national novel. The book does have a good message, and it did have a large impact on the United States when it came out. However, I don't think that it portrays the United States as well as it used to. It doesn't appeal to me because it was meant to appeal to a different time. A time when the Civil Rights movement was picking up steam. The book was meant to portray a society that was almost 60 years ago. It reflects small towns in the south, not major cities and urban lifestyle. Majority of people live in the major cities and in urbanized environments today. The book held a message for different people in a different time period. Although it does have themes and ideas still relevant today, the story has lost much of its relevance with time.
I was also surprised by Heck Tate’s choice. Being the sheriff, he is supposed to keep order in Maycomb and bring justice to criminals. However, he plants false evidence so that Boo Radley is not brought to trial over the murder of Bob Ewell. He lets his own morals guide his decision to do this. Boo Radley was trying to prevent Bob Ewell from killing the children. He did the town ‘a great favor’ by killing Mr. Ewell (even if he did it to protect Jem and Scout) who would have stirred up even more trouble had he survived. It is interesting that Heck bends the law in this way because before this, the reader doesn’t know much about him except that he is the sheriff and gave a testimony at Tom’s trial. His testimony was against Tom, even if he didn’t agree with it. He just seemed very law-abiding before his decision to plant false evidence. I disagree on your statement that “To Kill a Mockingbird” should not be the national novel. It illustrates the prejudice and racism of the time. It is a terrible time in America’s history when African Americans didn’t have the same rights and freedoms as whites, but it happened. It cannot be ignored. This novel shows just how far we have come in reaching equality, and shows us the mistakes of the past. It teaches many important lessons that can be applied to everyday life.
DeleteThe characterization and importance of Heck Tate in the story also surprised me. He goes from being of almost no significance in the story to a pivotal role when he makes his choice about Bob Ewell's death. I also agree that this book should not be America's national novel for the current times. It just does not have the relevance to today's time enough though it does spread an important message. Finally I agree on the pressure that Atticus was facing during the ordeal being more than it would in a big city because everyone knows everyone and there is no hiding behind the masses.
DeleteThe ending of the book, “To Kill A Mocking Bird”, came as a shock to a lot of people. To me, I didn’t really find Bob Ewell dying that much of a shock. I felt like it was kind of expected that something bad was going to happen to him and plus he kind of had it coming for him. One question that I have about the last third of the book is, why did the officer accuse Tom Robinson of his crime even though he knew he didn’t do anything but then when Bob Ewell was killed he covered for Boo Radley and said that he fell on his knife, resulting in him killing himself. I understand that the times were different but there was no proof for Tom Robinson but there was proof for Bob Ewell, so why wasn’t Boo Radley prosecuted? David Kipen in McDonagh Murphyś book had a very interesting view of Boo Radley and Harper Lee. He thought that Boo Radley was Harper Lee even though most people believe that Scout Finch is Harper. The reason he believes this is because, “...taking the one man whoś done you and this town a great service an’ draggin’ him with his shy ways into the limelight- to me thats a sin… And that’Harper Lee, and it would be a sin to drag her into the limelight”( Murphy Kipen 107). I agree that Harper Lee could be Boo Radley becuase you don’t want to drag her into the limelight but I also think that she could be Scout. I believe that this book would make a good book to be our national book because this was something that happened in the U.S. and its a big part of our history. “Cry about the simple hell people give other people—without even thinking. Cry about the hell white people give colored folks, without even stopping to think that they’re people, too” (Lee 205). This quote really proves that segregation was happeneing in this book. Which is why I agree that this book would make a great book for our national book. This book deserves to be on the great american read list.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I found that the last few chapters were a surprise. I thought that the excuse that he fell on his knife was kind of ridiculous. The odds of that happening are very slim to none. While I do think this was a good book and it represented racism during the time period, but I don't know if that is the reason for it being America's national novel. I don't know if we want a novel all about racism to be our national novel. But, I do agree that this book does deserve to be on the Great American Read list. Overall, I agree with some of your points. Very nice!
DeleteI personally think that Boo Radley was not accused because they knew that he would have been found innocent.I think that they just did not want the publicity to get all on to Boo and they knew he just wanted to be left alone.But with Tom Robinson the news had already been made public and Tom could have done it but further in the trial it was obvious he hadn't.And this public trial was the reason that Boo was not accused, because they did not want the same thing happening to Boo that happened to Tom.Personally I do dissagree with you on the Great American Read List. I don't think it should be on the list because to me I don't think that a book should be on the list because of the message alone but also the rest of the parts that make up a book.
DeleteYa I sort of disagree and didn't expect Bob Ewell to die becuase I wouldn't expect him to attack some youngsters. If the officer would have not defended Bob Ewell he would have had a bad reputation like Atticus which he was not willing to handle. Like they said if he prosecuted Boo he would have won the case where Tom would maybe still not have. I also guess that like Kipen had said I can see Harper Lee as Scout giving us this honorable book and shouldn't be hurt because of it. I agree that it should be the national novel and on the Great American Read list because of how it shows our history.
DeleteI was actually the complete opposite. I had no idea that Bob Ewell was going to die, and
DeleteI was completely shocked. I understand why you were confused as to why Tom Robinson was accused for a crime he didn’t commit, and Boo was covered up. Heck Tate, the sheriff, didn’t determine Tom’s verdict. He actually had no say in it. The jury decided Tom’s verdict, not the sheriff. Heck Tate covered up for Boo because he knew that if a lot of attention was drawn to Boo, than it would be “like killing a mockingbird”, because the last thing Boo Radley wanted was attention. So yes, the sheriff covered up for Boo Radley, but he had nothing to do with deciding Tom Robinson’s verdict. I did not read the same person as you, but I see where he is coming from. I however, still believe that Harper Lee represents Scout, but I understand that a part of her could be portrayed as Boo Radley. I really like the way you explained everything.
Libby Evans
DeleteI like what the excerpt you read said about Harper Lee. I never pictured her of symbolizing Boo Radley because we don't know a lot about him. I agree that the book should be our national book because of the history and wrong turns our people took. Racial and prejudice issues are an important part of our past, and we have to understand our mistakes so as not to repeat them. Overall great job explaining everything in your post.
To me this ending was not expected at all. It was very drastic and dramatic then what I thought would happen. But also i feel like the reason Boo wasn't sent to trial was because he would have been found innocent because he was saving two children of one of the most respected men in town. But also the fact that Boo was white and tom was black. This made it much easier for tom to get into trouble with the law but he was also accused of a very common crime assigned to his race. But in all good job on your blog post!!
DeleteIn the last third of the novel I was excited that we finally got to meet Boo Radley. I was also a little disappointed because they talked about him so much and made him seem so important and then we only saw him once. I was also disappointed that only Scout saw him. Dill and Jem were the main ones interested in Boo and they didn't even get to meet him. I thought that it was interesting how Heck Tate covered up Boo murdering Bob Ewell. I think that this is a connection to the mockingbird theme, how Boo is innocent and it would be a crime to make him go to jail for protecting Jem and Scout. “‘...To my way of thinkin’, Mr. Finch, taking the one man who’s done you and this town a great service an’ draggin’ him with his shy ways into the limelight-to me, that’s a sin. It’s a sin and I'm not about to have it on my head. If it was any other man it'd be different. But not this man, Mr. Finch’” (Lee 317). I also think that Tom was the mockingbird because all he did was help Mayella and he got sent to jail. I was also surprised that Atticus didn't take Bob Ewell’s threat seriously. He thought that it would blow over and he didn't try to take precautions.
ReplyDeleteI read the excerpt by Oprah Winfrey. I thought that it was a nice perspective of the book. I agree with some of her points but I disagreed with others. I disagreed with her opinion of Scout and how the book portrayed racism. I disliked Scout for many reasons and she was my least favorite character. I also didn't like how the racism in the book was warped by Scout’s own feelings. One thing that I liked was how she didn't push Harper Lee into doing an interview. “...I would never be able to convince her to do an interview, and it is not my style to push” (Murphy 203). I thought that it was interesting how she talked about how the book influenced her from her childhood into her adult life. It was nice that she got to meet Gregory Peck, Atticus’ actor, and Harper Lee.
I disagree that this book should be America’s “national novel”. While it does include America’s past/history in racism it wasn't that interesting or exciting. Most of the time I was bored and didn't want to continue reading it. There was a lot of buildup to some of the events but then the actual event was small and anticlimactic. There wasn't a lot of buildup to Tom’s trial and it was only mentioned a few times before it actually took place. When it did take place there wasn't a lot that was revealed that wasn't said before. On the other hand, Boo Radley had a lot of buildup but then was delivered suddenly. It was very short and misplaced. The children had been talking about him the entire time but we only met him in the end and only for a short amount of time. I also disliked the narrator Scout. I disliked her because she was rude to people and asked questions that made people uncomfortable. She also got angry at people for no real reason. The book was a semigood example of racism in America. It was evident in Maycomb and showed how the world actually treated blacks. In my opinion, the racism in the book was warped with Scouts own thoughts and feelings. It more so showed her perspective of racism than racism itself. There were some parts of the book that I enjoyed but for the most part I disliked it.
I agree with the part about Boo. It is kind of disappointing that they hyped up his character so much and he really only said one line. Although he did save the kids, it still seemed a little lacking. I see your points about it not being the national novel, and I agree to some extent. It was a little over dramatic and it was drawn out. I also did not like how it was only from Scout's point of view. I thought that it was a little unfair to other people's opinions. Boo's arrival was a little anticlimactic and creepy honestly.
DeleteI agree with your statement about how it was disappointing that only Scout got to meet Boo. I think it would have been very interesting if Jem and Dill could have met Boo as well. One thing I disagree with you is on Scout. I think Scout was a very interesting character and without her the book would not be the same. I thought it was very intriguing that Harper Lee choose to tell the whole story through the perspective of Scout as well. I do agree with you that this book should not be the Nations Novel although it does have good messages and themes.
DeleteI was also very dissapointed that only Scout got to see the real Boo, since it was Dill and Jem who were the most interested in him. I also thought it was interesting how Harper Lee connected Heck Tate covering up for Boo to the overlaying theme present in the message that it's a sin to kill a mockingbird. Where we disagree is that I liked Scout as a narrator. I liked how since she is young and naive, she saw everything for what it was and was not biased like many of the adults were. I loved how through her point of view we got to see how she evolved throughout the novel. I also disagree that this novel shouldn't be our "national novel". Even though at some points the book can be slow and boring, this novel displays important elements like racism and predjudice that played an important role in America's past. I think that the overlaying message of the novel makes it worthy of this title.
DeleteI agree that it is interesting that Harper Lee chose to only have Scout meet Boo Radley. Jem and Dill were more intrigued by his story and him than Scout was, and yet she was the one who ended up meeting him. I wonder why the author decided to do this. I found it really surprising that Heck Tate was the one who ‘bent the law’. He is the sheriff of Maycomb, but he still recognized how Boo Radley was just trying to protect the children. I think it shows how people in small towns look after each other. I partially agree that Tom was the mockingbird. I think that the mockingbird is an overall symbol of innocence, therefore being a symbol of Boo and Tom. Tom was wrongly accused by Mayella even though all he did was help her with chores. Boo was protecting the children and in the process killed Bob Ewell, who would have killed Jem and Scout had he not died. Boo is also shy and strange because he has been locked up for all these years. He is almost childlike and only killed in defense of Jem and Scout.
DeleteWithin the last chapters of this book, there were many surprises and turns that not many readers would have expected. Personally, the most surprising part was the appearance of Boo Radley and the attack on the two children. I like how the author ended up concluding the book with these two huge events. It just tied the book of perfectly and made it so that there were really no cliffhangers. Regarding the attack on the children, it was completely unexpected. Considering there has been no real form of aggression from Bob Ewell on the children earlier in the book, I felt it was a little bit random. I understand that it was supposed to be because of Atticus and his accusations in front of the whole court, but it felt like the author was just trying to bring Boo into the end of the story somehow. I never would have thought that Boo would kill Bob Ewell. It is understandable why he would want to protect the children, but the fact that he killed another man is a little bit morbid. It was very nice to finally see Boo and know what his character was like. I love how the author made his true characteristics come out at the end, with him barely saying any words but this: “‘Will you take me home?’" (Lee 282). I think that just shows that Boo has been locked in his house and still has not socialized as much. I still have a few questions though. Why has Boo been in the house all these years anyways? Will Jem be permanently affected because of this bad break? When does Boo come back out of his house?
ReplyDeleteI read the excerpt from Mary McDonagh Murphy, the girl who played Scout in the movie. It was very interesting to see how she felt while playing the role and how she felt about the movie. She made a statement about how she wishes there was more of the story in the movie than there was. This is what she had written; “I would loved to have included the parts of the book that talked of our relationship with Calpurnia…” (Murphy 46). I always believe that movies never really do the book justice. I loved reading this from her point of view, as she said she could even relate to Scout. That statement just kind of proves that this book can still relate to many people, even if it is not the exact same situation.
Personally, I am sort of torn between whether or not this should be America’s national novel. There were many relatable themes throughout the book. Little girls that are trying to be forced to be a certain way can relate to Scout and Aunt Alexandria’s constant judgement. People who are still being discriminated against can relate to Tom Robinson and his whole case, which was solely based on racism and prejudice. If people ever feel less than or feel like they need to hide away, they can relate to Boo Radley. Single parents that are still trying to provide for their children can relate to Atticus and his hard work and determination. Throughout the book, prejudice is a major topic. But, at the same time, do we want a book about prejudice to be our “national novel”? I personally enjoyed reading the book, but maybe it just puts America in a light it should not be in. If it was our national book and people from other places around the world read it, it seems like it would send an odd message out. Once again, I am torn on whether or not it should be the national novel. But, overall, this is a great book that many people can relate to and learn from.
I agree with your opinion of Boo Radley. I also think that his character was just dropped at the end to include him. It was a little morbid how he came in suddenly and killed a man. I think that Harper Lee was just trying to get Boo into the story and have a climax at the same time but it didn't work out well. I also had a lot of unanswered questions about Boo. I also agree that the book has a lot of parts that people can relate to. However I don't think that it should be on the list because it didn't show racism in a fair/unbiased light. I am also curious at the fact that people want a book about racism and prejudice to be our national novel. I know that both of these are a large part of American history but I feel like this novel didn't do them justice.
DeleteNow that I read your comment I can understand where your coming from when you talk about weather this book should be our national novel. In some ways I can see how people might even be offended that this book could be our National Novel because it did take place when segregation was common. However I do agree with you that this book a great to learn from.
DeleteYou had a very thoughtful perspective on this book. You're argument on why and why not To Kill a Mockingbird should be our national book made me rethink my own claim! You had a very good point on whether or not we should have this book be our national book due to it's contents, and I agree that the topic can be too heavy to handle, but personally I believe that's why it should be our national book. It does put an unwanted light on the prejudice in this nation, but the more we point it out, the more we work on it. If we keep it hidden from the light, then it won't be confronted. I understand how you can be torn, though, and though I may have a stronger opinion on this being our national book, I still appreciated your essay and observations.
DeleteThroughout the last couple chapters of the book there were many things that surprised me and there were also some events that I had predicted would happen. One thing that really surprised me in the end of the book was Bob Ewell attacking the kids. I could tell by the foreshadowing in the earlier chapters that he was going to do something to Atticus to make him pay for what he did but I did not think he would attack Scout and Jem. I thought he was going to try and harm Atticus but it does make sense why he attacked the kids because of how much they mean to him. One thing that I had predicted that was going to happen was Boo Radley finally coming out of the house. I thought that the way Harper Lee incorporated Boo into the end of the story was really good even though it was kind of predictable. One quote from the end of the novel is, “Anyway, Jem hollered and I didn’t hear him any more an’ the next thing- Mr. Ewell was tryin’ to sqeeze me to death, I reckon...then somebody yanked Mr. Ewell down” (Lee 309). This is from when Scout was telling the sheriff what had happened and just before the part when she met Boo for the first time. Overall, I really liked how the novel ended and I thought it was really well written.
ReplyDeleteI read the excerpt from McDonagh Murphy’s book that was written by Rick Bragg, a reporter and author from Alabama. I absolutely agree with what he wrote about in his excerpt from the book. I really liked how he explained his point of view from reading the book and what he got out of it. Especially because he is from Alabama, it makes his review about the book a lot more interesting and engaging. One thing that really stuck out to me from his writing in this book was when he was talking about Boo and how he saw the importance of Boo’s plot line change when he reread the book more and more. “Boo seemed like a much smaller kind of subplot to the book the first time I read it. It was all about the court case, it was all about the attack, and it was all about the wrongdoing of sending that man to jail. But Boo took on a bigger role as I read it down the line” (McDonagh Murphy 59). I really liked how he said this because even though I have only read the book once, I feel as though if I was to read it again I would feel the same way. I feel like the plot line of Boo at the beginning was very prominent because there was nothing else going on, but when the court case was introduced, I feel like Boo’s plot line was not as important anymore. Altogether, I really liked how Rick Bragg interpreted the novel and what he had to say about it.
Even though I thoroughly enjoyed reading To Kill A Mockingbird and I really liked the messages it conveyed, I do not think it should be America’s National Novel as Oprah Winfrey says. The beginning of the book was kind of slow and boring at first, but as the story continued the plot ad events throughout the novel became really interesting and intriguing. I also really liked the themes that were conveyed throughout the book and the messages the nation received from it. For these reasons I think To Kill A Mockingbird should be on the Great American Read list, just not the National Novel for the nation.
I agree that there was a lot of foreshadow that led up to the attack on the children. The point you made about the kids being very important to Atticus therefore making them a good target is clever. I think that we were able to see how Boo was part of the main plot line better than Rick Bragg because we have been reading this book analysis it along the way rather than for pleasure. I do understand how Boo's importance dwindled away though as we reached the trail and such in the book. The ending of Boo being a hero is predictable as you said but also put in a way that you may not have expected. Overall I understand what you were saying about the book and how it all came together in the end.
DeleteI both agree and disagree with you on different aspects of the novel. I agree that the author was foreshadowing something in the end and it came as a shock to me too that Bob Ewell attacked the children. I disagree, however, that the end of the novel was well written because in my opinion I thought the opposite. I like your reasons as to why the novel should at least be on the list such as the powerful messages the nation received from it but I too agree that it should not be the nations top novel.
DeleteI also both agree and disagree with you. Harper Lee did use some foreshadowing but I think that the ending came as a surprise and didn't really fit with the rest of the book. Boo Radley's story became less important as the story went on and then he just appeared again. Lastly, I disagree with how you rate the book. I think that the book could be considered our national novel but I do not think it should be on the Great American Read List.
DeleteThe last two thirds of To Kill a Mockingbird made me feel a lot better about the book overall.I was starting to really get confused on why Boo Radley had not done anything even though he had been a character that had been built up since the beginning.But at the end when he came in to save the kids I think wrapped up that plot hole for me.I also liked how Harper Lee chose to have multiple people being represented as the mocking bird.You could make a case for Boo Radley,Tom Robinson,or even Atticus. This could go either way and I think that is what Harper Lee intended.For the reader to make their own opinion.Personally for me I think that Boo really represents it more.One quote to me would be the main quote itself "it's a sin to kill a mockingbird" (Lee).I think that this alone shows that a mockingbird should represent someone who has never done anything to anybody.And although Boo had done horrible things in his past, he has changed for the better.But again that could be up for debate and you could argue either way.
ReplyDeleteI read the excerpt from McDonagh Murphy's book where she spoke with Mary Badham,the actress who played Scout in To Kill A Mockingbird.I found this part very interesting because of how alike Scout really was with Mary.They both grew up in the South and had very similar lives.And I also found it interesting how Mary really had a connection with Scout.She stated that "I think Scout and I were so similar......I felt so attached to Scout" (Murphy 47).She had grown up the same way Scout did and I find that very interesting that she was chosen without even really knowing how much she had in common with Scout.And how it was not until years later that she noticed.
Overall though I personally thought To Kill A Mockingbird was an okay book with a great theme.Although I don't think a book should be on a list just because of the message I do think this is an exception because of the amount of people that love this book and the amount of lives it changed.I can see why Oprah thought it should be the nations novel but I disagree. If we were going by message, then yes it is an important message.But if we were going by how good the book is, no.I don't think a book should be based on the message.I think it should be based on everything.And according to everything, to me, I don't think this book deserves it's spot on the Great American Read List.Even if the message is great.
This did not space out well so the beginning of my paragraphs are "I read the exerpt" "The Last Two thirds" and "Overall thought"
DeleteThomas LoGalbo
DeleteYou make a good point about how there can be many different interpretations as to who the mockingbird really is. You can see Tom, Boo, Atticus, Dolphus, and many others could all be a mockingbird in the analogy. I think that it was important that it could be multiple different people. There isn't just one mockingbird in real life, its an entire species. Mockingbirds represent the innocent, those who did nothing wrong. There are many people who qualify as a mockingbird by those standards. It isn't supposed to reference one person, its and entire group. Anyone who does nothing but good could be a mockingbird.
I can see how you thought the beginning of the book was confusing, and the ending of the book was needed. It did clear up confusion, tie Boo's character in, and make the story more interesting overall. I also agree with you that multiple people can be the mockingbird, but I never really thought about the fact that the author may of done this for personal interpretation. I also find it fascinating that Mary played Scout so well, staying true to her character, creating a real connection. I can see why you think this book shouldn't be the "national novel', but should make it on the list. It's interesting how it has been around for so long and has a good lesson, but simply isn't captivating to be the "national novel".
DeleteLibby Evans
DeleteI liked what you said about there being multiple mockingbirds. I never pictured Atticus of being a mockingbird, but I can see how he is. Atticus was judged by the town people for defending a black man when he was only trying to help. I agree that Lee probably wants the reader to decide for themselves who the real mockingbird is. I also agree that the book was only okay, but the message is what everyone loves about it.
I really like the way you interpreted the symbolism of the mockingbird. In the beginning/middle of the book, I thought that Tom Robinson was going to be the mockingbird. However, towards the end, it turned out that Boo Radley was presented as the mockingbird. I never thought that the mockingbird could represent more than one character, however it makes perfect sense. I agree with you that Boo Radley represents the mockingbird, however I also believe that Tom Robinson would be good as well. I read Mary Badham’s part as well, and I also thought that it was really interesting how much she portrayed Scout, especially the fact that she grew up in a house of boys and didn’t understand females that much. I think that you had very good thoughts and explanations, and your response was well written.
DeleteI like your point of view on how Atticus could be seen as the mockingbird. There are so many characters in this book that seem to take away from Atticus. He is truly a great man, and even though people keep telling Scout that it is kind of overshadowed until the very end when he stays by Jem side. Also, I like your idea of the book really just being okay with a great theme, but I disagree with you not thinking it should be on the list. I think even though the rest the book was just okay it still deserves a place on the list.
DeleteI like how you pointed out that the Mockingbird has a double meaning, as it represents more than one person and both provide reasonable arguments to either side. I think it is a great realization that The reader could have their own opinion in that issue and I agree with you that Boo represents the symbolism more. I like how you pointed out the similarities between the the character and the actor, it really connects the story to real life. I agree with you that it should not be Americas national book, but I do believe that it should be rated in the top 100 books in America.
DeleteThe last few chapters of To Kill A Mockingbird were a surprise and not expected by me. Instead of ending the book with Tom dying, I feel that Harper Lee incorporated a way for more suspense and more of a dramatic ending leaving readers with an emotional connection to the book. Even though Boo Radley didn't have much of a role in the book and was often a misconception, his true personality revealed at the end of the story really changed my point of view on him. I also loved how Heck Tate was protecting Boo Radley after he killed Bob Ewell. And even though Boo did murder him, he was only looking out after the children and if this news did get to the public Boo would have face everything he was trying to get away from, since he never came out of his house. One last thing I noticed at the end of the book is when Scout went from calling Boo to Mr. Arthur, and I believe that Mr.Arthur deserves this kind of respect for his actions and innocence. Harper Lee ended the book with the words “He would be there all night, and he would be there when Jem waked up in the morning” (Lee 323). I think it was thoughtful of Harper Lee to end the story about Atticus, because he was the one who really shared great advice and life lessons that everyone should have in their traits.
ReplyDeleteI read the excerpt from Mary Badham, who portrayed Scout in the movie. I found it so interesting that she didn't have any experience in the film industry but yet she landed a huge role that the whole country looked up too, “ I knew nothing about film” (Murphy 48). Something else that came to my mind was the fact that Mary didn’t read the actual book until her daughter was born. Some people may find this hard to believe but I can understand where she is coming from with that. It’s just like seeing a movie, but then reading the book and the whole image you created in your mind changes.
Before reading To Kill A Mockingbird I knew it was valued by the country and symbolized something great, but I never understood how much the book meant to people until reading it. I agree with Oprah Winfrey that this book does deserve to be our “National Novel”. I’m not quite sure why this particular book out of millions, connected to me. I wasn't even born in the time period it took place in and I’ve never witnessed such events that happened in the book. But overall this book should have the number one spot on the Great American Read list for it’s courage and compassion.
I agree that I wasn't expecting what happened in the last chapters of the book with Bob Ewell dying and all. I also found it cool that Heck Tate was defending Boo for his actions, which just goes to show how much Heck didn't like Bob even when he was defending him, and maybe because he had to defend him even though he knew Tom was innocent. I also agree that maybe the book is based around Scout but the person that has got Scout where she is, is Atticus. It is strange that Mary never had any experience in film and then was in a decently popular movie. I agree that this should be our nations novel for how it shows the history of our country and teaches people lessons on what life used to be.
DeleteI agree that it is very interesting she had no experience in the film industry. It's amazing that she won many awards and was so well known. I feel that maybe she was able to portray the character so well because she was able to relate to the character. At the time of the film, civil rights and racism was a very big issue. I think maybe she was able to relate to Scout and all the feelings she has throughout the story.
DeleteI didn’t expect the ending either. I just assumed that since Bob Ewell hasn’t done anything for a while, he was out of the story, but instead, the author surprised us and brought him back to attack the kids and that was how she also introduced Boo to Scout. I agree with you that it was right for Harper Lee to end the book talking about Atticus because he was such a big part of Scout’s life and the trial. In the next paragraph, I agree with you that it is odd for someone who is new in the film industry to get a role in such a big movie. I also agree with you that this book should be on The Great American Read list. This book could have a big impact on someone even though it was written it such a different time.
DeleteI agree on the part where Mary Badham was saying on how everything changes on your viewpoint once you read the book, instead of watching the movie. Reading the book allows you to establish a more vivid image from the author's describing words on a place or event. Also, I agree that the author somewhat left a dramatic ending on having Boo kill Bob; surprising but dramatic. All in all, I think that you had valid points on why this book was surprising and Mary's input on how reading the book can change people's image on the story.
DeleteI agree that the book and the movie can put different feelings and images in your head. The book also does stress Atticus' importance by ending the book on one of his good qualities. It really stresses some of the morals that are present tense. But I disagree that it should be the national novel. It doesn't have enough relevance to our time even though it does have good ideas that should be spread.
DeleteIn the last few chapters of To Kill A Mockingbird, we find out who the real Boo Radley is. When Scout said that she saw someone pick Jem up off the ground and carry him back to the house, I knew it had to be Boo. When Boo was first mentioned in the story I made some predictions, and now knowing the ending, my predictions were right. I predicted that Boo was completely misunderstood by the county and that he was not a monster. I had guessed he was actually a caring person, and it turns out that that is the truth about Boo Radley. The text states, "Thank you for my children, Arthur..." (Lee 317). This is what Atticus says to Boo after saving the lives of Scout and Jem from Bob Ewell. This proves that Boo is no monster and does not harm anyone, in fact, he cares for and saves people.
ReplyDeleteI read the excerpt from the reverend Thomas Lane Butts, the pastor at the church the Lees attended. After reading what he had to say about the novel, I agree with all the points he stated. He mentioned that this book gave people fighting for civil rights something to relate too. I totally agree that this book addresses civil rights in a very wise way and gives hope to the reader. I also agree with his statement that Harper Lee developed her characters very well. The reverend said that the sheriff had a lot of courage and that disagreeing with Atticus was a very likable part of the story. I agree with this because it shows that not everyone in Maycomb is full of prejudice and that some of the people know right from wrong. Something that interested me was when he said that this was a love story. Thomas Lane Butts states, "It's love in its finest understanding of the meaning of the word." This intrigued me because I had not looked at this novel as being a love story. However, since I read his excerpt, I now see how this book portrays much love in various forms throughout the story.
I personally think this book should be America's national novel. I think this because it addresses some of the biggest issues our country has had and is still having. The main issue addressed is prejudice. Prejudice is seen everywhere and I strongly believe that everyone is a little prejudice. This has been a reoccurring problem, and has been the leading cause of many altercations throughout history. Also, I think this book deserves its spot on The Great American Read List because it is extremely well written. I think it is very interesting to read due to the fact that it is told from a child's point of view. This allows the reader to see many of the events in a completely different way than they would have if it was told from an adult's point of view. In conclusion, this book should be America's national novel and should be on The Great American Read List.
I loved reading your post Madi! i completely agree with everything you said especially about Boo. At first I thought that Boo was going to be some crazy man but it turns out that he was a kind and caring man. However I do disagree with you about how the book should be on the Great American Read. I feel that it does address some extremely important societal issues, but the novel was a bit confusing and it did jump around a little. I still loved your response and how well written it was. Great job!
DeleteComment by Mason Kacmar
DeleteI agree with you Madi, I also had many predictions about Boo Radley and they turned out to be wrong. I Thought that Boo Radley was a horrible person and was kind of scary, but I was completely wrong and he was a caring person especially to Scout. Also I was very surprised of how the town reacted to Boo being there or should I say how Heck Tate reacted. I also agree with your viewpoint topic that you were talking about. I think having a first person the whole time makes it clear to read and said having many switches in the reader unless there is dialogue. Considering Scout is the main charter and the first person, we only see Scouts perspective. I do wonder what it would be like if there were other viewpoints in the story.
I agree with you when you say that Boo turned out to be very different than people said he was. Although you predicted Boo would be caring, I thought he would have been quiet and mean because he had been kept away for so many years.I find it interesting that Thomas Lane Butts viewed "To Kill A Mockingbird" as a love story and as there was some love I don't believe it was a full blown love story. I agree with you that this book should be considered America's novel and that it deserves a spot on the Great American Read list because like you said, it is addressing prejudice which was a major problem back then and still is today.
DeleteI agree with you when you say that the book should be on the Great American Read List because it was in fact very unique that the point of view was through Scouts eyes. I also think that this book was very well written. Some people get carried away with the theme and the message shared throughout the text, but it is important to remember that Harper Lee wrote with great characterization, dialogue, sentence format and much more.
DeleteI agree with everything in your response except for your last point. I do not think that the book should be America's national novel. One of my reasons for thinking this is that it doesn't take place on a national scale. Another is because some people (me) prefer sci-fi/fantasy books over nonfiction novels. I agree with everything in your post except for your last point.
DeleteEmma Lang
There's definitely a lot to unpack in the last bit of To Kill a Mockingbird, especially the violent ending. It's quite terrifying to think that this little girl, who we've grown attached to throughout the book, could've died if it weren't for her ham costume. We finally figured out how Jem broke his arm from the very beginning of the book, and we get to see Boo Radley come out of the house. It's an interesting choice to have Scout, this little girl trapped in a wired ham costume, to be our eyes during the fight between Bob Ewell and Boo Radley. We don't get much description, but at the very end we realize it was Boo who came out of the house to kill Bob Ewell and bring Jem to his bed. Not only was it amazing to finally see Boo Radley come out of his house, but to also see how the sheriff, Heck Tate, defended Boo by claiming Bob had slipped onto his knife, we finally figured out the meaning of the title of the book. It's a magical moment that I've been looking forward to, the protection of the innocent and the justice served to Bob Ewell.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Mark Childress in his excerpt. He brought up a very valid point on the overwhelming amount of fame Lee received from her first book. It thought it was very insightful of Childress to address how the amount of fame someone get all at once right off the bat can affect their future career. Childress expresses how he doesn't blame Lee for not writing another book, even though he would have loved a continued series. "I have absolutely no idea why she never published book. But I don't blame her, and I think in a way it was probably the right decision...when you hit the ball out of the park the very first time you ever step up, why would you ever pick up the bat again?" (Murphy 82). He admits that even if he himself got all this fame and attention from his first novel, he too would be discouraged from writing another book. He says that it's very obvious that celebrities now will avoid living life in fear that they will be crowded by fans or paparazzi. Childress respects Harper Lee's decision to not create a series and just living her life without wanting anyone to bother her.
I firmly believe this book should be on the Great American Read. It deals with very serious issues that are still very relevant. It deals with prejudice, racism, a little bit of sexism, and even domestic violence. I love this book, but not just because it shows how unfair the world is, but it shows this injustice through the eyes of a child. We get to watch Scout grow up, and with growing up we get to see who influences her the most. We see all kinds of people teaching her valuable lessons which she carries with her. A perfect example is when Calpurnia was teaching Scout to not treat Walter Cunningham like anything less than their guest; "'Don't matter who they are, anybody sets foot in this house's yo' comp'ny, and don't you let me catch you remarkin' on their ways like you was so high and mighty!... if you can't act fit to eat at the table you can just set here and eat in the kitchen!'" (Lee 24). This is one of the many lessons about morals that people in Scout's life have taught her.
I like that you addressed how Lee chose to write the fight between Bob and Boo. I think that she wrote it with little detail perhaps so that she could have Heck Tate defend Boo like he did saying how Bob tripped into his own knife. The "magical moment" that you mentioned of protecting the innocent is truly a big end goal that Lee was trying to portray and you caught that moment. I think from what you've wrote Mark Childress's excerpt is very different and interesting. It seems that he understood Lee's reasons for a single book well and that he may have thought it was the right decision for her. Your reasons behind why the book should be on the list are good and you used evidence in the text to support your opinions and observations very well.
DeleteI also think that it was very interesting that Harper Lee chose for Scout to have limited view during the attack. It kind of added an element of mystery and panic. The reader didn’t quite know what was going on because Scout could only hear, feel, and smell things. I agree that it is kind of frightening to think that Scout would have been killed by Mr. Ewell had it not been for her ham costume. It makes me think how things would have ended up differently if Scout had taken the costume off at the pageant. The book also came full circle because we finally figure out why Jem broke his arm and why Scout blamed it on the Ewells in the beginning of the story. I agree that “To Kill a Mockingbird” should be America’s “national novel”. It illustrates many problems during this time period that are still issues today. However, it also represents how far our nation has come in terms of equality. The lessons this book teaches are invaluable and it has inspired many readers. It is an interesting point that this novel does show “injustice through the eyes of a child”. I have not encountered any other books who have been narrated by a child so young that experiences so much.
DeleteKitana I love the way you convey your ideas and opinions through your writing. It's so easy to read and gets the point across without any fluff. I just wanted to comment on that because I love it.
DeleteAlthough Scout's perspective may not have been the best for the fight, the entire story follows Scout's perspective, and it would have thrown the readers for a loop if the perspective were to change. It's confusing, but it's relevant, and I'm glad Harper Lee kept it the same.
Being a celebrity can be tiring, especially when you're constantly being swarmed by social media and the like. Harper Lee made the right decision to keep her book a one-shot. Truthfully, I'm not sure if she could have written another book with such an impact. Lee's lifestyle growing up gave her a perfect understanding and impression of what was going on at the time, and I just don't think she could retain that same understanding with more current events. She was the perfect author to write such a book, and I'm glad she did. I agree with you in that the book is full of valuable lessons and should represent America. If I were to ask for anything, though, if at all, it would probably be a quote in the first paragraph. I know no book line could possibly compare to what you have there, but it would improve the credibility of your response if you had concrete evidence there. Your entire response is beautifully constructed though. Well done.
I agree that the perspective of a child in a ham costume is an odd and inconveniently vague source of information when trying to read and understand what exactly is going on in the fight. The thing is, there was no one else who could really be in the moment to tell what was going on. Bob Ewell ends up dead, Jem's arm is broken, and Boo wasn't there during the entirety of the fight. Scout, uninjured and a witness of the attack, was the best option when looking to put the reader in the shoes of the children.
DeleteI admire your writing style and how you took facts and textual evidence from the book and the excerpts and still made it sound personal, like there was real passion behind the keyboard. Your writing has personality, and I like how structured your response is.
Your reasoning for its placement on The Great American Read list is valid as well.
Keep up the good work, awesome job!
- J Malinowski
The end of the book surprised me. I didn't think that anyone else would die after Tom Robinson based on where the book was headed. I was wrong. After Mr. Ewell attacked Scout and Jem, Boo Radley came out and defended the kids. After all the ruckus, Mr. Ewell was found dead: "Bob Ewell's lyin' on the ground under that tree down yonder with a kitchen knife stuck under his ribs. He's dead, Mr. Finch" (Lee 305). I think that Bob Ewell was killed by Boo Radley, even though Mr Tate says that Bob fell on his knife. I Think Mr. Ewell attacked the children sort of as a way to get back at Atticus, or even to get to him.
ReplyDeleteI read the excerpt by Mary Badham. Mary played Scout in the movie adaptation. She talked about how filming the movie went and about how it affected her life. She mentioned how similar life in the South was in the movie to real life: "Anyone who's lived in the South during that time period of the thirties through the sixties can totally relate to the feel of the book and the tempo, as far as the slowness and the way things are done" (Murphy 47). I totally agree with this as through that time period the South was flooded with racial segregation and prejudice.
Overall I think that the book deserves its spot on the Great American Read list. I think this because the overall story is great and I think it perfectly captures that time period. I think it should be considered the "Nation's Novel" as Oprah Winfrey stated because it Shows that the time period was filled with racial prejudice, something that has been with our nation throughout history."
I agree with the statements that you made talking about accusing Boo Radley for killing Bob Ewell. It makes sense because Mr. Tate found two knives at the scene and he is says to Atticus that he is just a simple man and the sheriff of Maycomb so that means that no one will question him if he says that Bob fell on his knife. I also agree with you that Mr. Ewell attacked Scout and Jem as a way to even with Atticus. In the next paragraph, you include a quote from Mary’s excerpt. I think that the reason why she said that the book relates very accurately to real life because Lee based the setting of the book off of her hometown. I also agree that this book should be on the list.
DeleteYes I agree upon that this should be America's "national novel",by showing how far we have came from racial prejudice and America's past. Also, I agree with the fact that the ending was surprising, the book took a turn that was very unexpected on how Boo Radley killed Bod Ewell. Overall, I do think that the book came off surprising and something you least expected but should be a number one choice as a national novel.
DeleteI agree with almost everything in your post. I think that it should be on the Great American Read list, but not America's national novel. I think this because it To Kill a Mockingbird does not take place on a national scale. Also, according to Jane Ellen Clark, the head of the Monroe county heritage museum, the town of Monroeville barely noticed the existence of To Kill a Mockingbird until production for the movie started. Otherwise I agree with your post.
DeleteEmma Lang
I do think that it was very unexpected than another person would have died after Robinson. I think you used a very important quote in your post, and it fit really well into your statement. I agree with your point that Bob Ewell wanted to get back at Atticus, and I think he was drunk, which took away the little bit of rationality that he may have had, and caused him to take it further than usual. Nevermind, being drunk is Bob's usual state. I thought it was interesting that you read an excerpt from Scout's actor. I agree with your opinion about the Great American Read, but not with the national novel.
DeleteThe last part of the novel was very unexpected, especially with the attack of the Finch children. I expected Bob Ewell to get revenge on Mr. Finch by burning his house or trying to hurt Atticus himself, but I was surprised when he tried to hurt the kids. It makes sense, since he was to scared to face Atticus, he tried to take away the thing he knows Atticus cares about the most. I definitely did not expect Bob to end up dead in the end, especially in the that way. I thought it was unfair of the author to only have Scout meet Boo, when really it was Jem and Dill who were intrigued by their neighbor. It was very good of Heck Tate to let Boo’s act go unnoticed by the town. He didn’t want people spreading rumors about Boo, when he was only trying to help: “I never heard tell that it’s against the law for a citizen to do his utmost to prevent a crime from being committed, which is exactly what he did…” (Lee 369).
ReplyDeleteI agree with the writer Rick Bragg about how at first it seems that the book revolves around the court case, but Boo had a sense of kindness and innocence, just like Scout, that is much more important. I like what Bragg said about the sin to kill a dove: “We knew it was a sin to kill a dove, because a dove had a biblical significance” (Bragg 59). I like this because he didn’t even know about the mockingbird saying, but this sin is just the same and just as beautiful. I didn’t know about the Dove thing, but I think that they have the same meaning, even if the dove is for religious reasons. They are both pure, innocent creatures, trying to convey a sense of hope and peace, and you shouldn’t hurt them for any reason.
I agree that this story should be America’s “national novel” because of the symbolism and racial issues displayed that are still somewhat present in our nation today. Some people still feel isolated because of their race, and reading this book is mindopening and shows you what people struggled with. It allows Americans to better understand our own history, so that we don’t repeat it. The prejudice thoughts and actions are American, and the reactions shown from a Southern child help readers understand the truth of our past and present in America. I think that this book definitely should be on the Great American Read List. It shows symbolism in characters and teaches in lessons about compassion that all people need to learn at some point in their life.
I like how you chose to point out how the book was focused on Tom Robinson's trial for a while, with Boo Radley becoming somewhat of a subplot, a mystery for when things had settled down again. I think Harper Lee purposefully did this to shock the reader and tie up loose ends. Loose ends, such as Jem's broken arm, the mysterious Boo Radley, and so on.
DeleteJust when the reader thought things were finally winding down after a long trial, Harper Lee ends the book with a bang. She leaves the reader to ponder the life lessons taught, and the relevance of the title to the overall story.
I agree that this should be America's National Novel, as it covers a topic still applicable to today's society and is treasured by avid readers across the country.
I like your word choice, and how you made the struggle with racism personal. I guess you could say you "climbed into someone else's skin and walked around in it".
Great job!
- J Malinowski
This post is by Libby Evans
DeleteI agree with you Libby. I also think that the ending was unfair. Jem and Dill should have also gotten to meet Boo since they are the ones the most interested in him. I also agree that it was good of Heck Tate to not arrest Boo because it would have ended messy. Rick Bragg talking about the dove also relates to one of the lessons of this book, not to harm things that do good to this world. I also agreed with Oprah. The book includes lots of symbolism and I found you thinking it helps those that feel isolated with race. I did not think of that. Overall, great job Libby!!
DeleteI was surprised by the ending of “To Kill a Mockingbird”. They were many shocking events that happened in the final chapters of “To Kill a Mockingbird”. The first event that was shocking was not that Bob Ewell came after the kids, but it was that Sheriff Heck Tate told Atticus that “Bob Ewell's lyin' on the ground under that tree down yonder with a kitchen knife stuck under his ribs. He's dead, Mr. Finch” (Lee 357) Another event that was surprising was the fact that Boo Radley killed Bob Ewell. I think this is more surprising because this is the way that Boo Radley was introduced to us.If we had seen Boo Radley before, I don't think you would have been a surprising. But, since this is the first time we've seen him in the novel, it is very surprising. But now that I look back on all the events that took place in the final chapters of “To Kill a Mockingbird”, I think it makes sense. Everything came together very nicely. The person who was responsible for the death of the ‘Mockingbird’ was killed, we got to meet Boo Radley, and we learned that Boo Radley is actually a good person and helped the kids.
ReplyDeleteI read James Patterson's excerpt from “Scout, Atticus, and Boo”. I agree with James Patterson on his views of “To Kill a Mockingbird” being very important to American Literature. James Patterson said that “We are all attuned to Injustice”. (Murphy 156) James Patterson said it was a very emotional and powerful book. It gives you the same reaction gives everyone. This isn't fair, this shouldn't be happening, this isn't right. It's really important for everyone to read so we can all understand why something isn't fair, it shouldn't be happening or isn't right. He says the Harper Lee hooks you on in the book and gives you an important story in the form of Storytelling.
Although “To Kill a Mockingbird” was a very good book I don't think that it should be “America's national book” As Oprah Winfrey said. Even though it's a really good book and it teaches a lot of good lessons, I don't think it should be known as our national book. The book is very dark and talks about racial injustice in the really terrible things that we've done. Saying this is our national book Isn't really fair because that's not who we are anymore. Even though that was who we once were, It doesn't make sense for that to be our national book since that's not who we are as a nation. Even though there might be injustice is between us today, that's not as a whole nation who we are. I do think it deserves to be on the Great American Read Top 100 most loved books because it teaches you a lot about Injustice and it was a really really good book. The book changed a lot of things in America the time, during the Civil Rights era, by talking about the racial and justices that were happening at the time and still happen today. Even though it was written over 50 years ago it still relevant to what's going on today. Since it's such a well-made book with a strong message, I think it should be on the Great American read top 100 most loved books.
I agree with a lot of what you said, especially the reaction the book gets from a lot of people "this isn't fair, this shouldn't be happening, this isn't right". But I don't think this was necessarily a dark book. Since it's told through Scout's eyes, it sometimes gives a little humor or a child's view on things. I feel like even though we have grown as a nation, we aren't a perfect nation. And a simple reminder like To Kill a Mockingbird could be the quality makes it America's national novel.
DeleteThe Bob Ewell scene was shocking but it also wasn’t. He threatened the family and everything but I guess no one really ever thought he would go after the kids and not Atticus. I found it very odd too that Boo’s first appearance and the first time he was mentioned in a long time was about him murdering someone, but I guess it was for the greater good. Yes, this book is definitely important to American literature. What was going on back then wasn’t right and wasn’t fair. Although I did say that this book should be on the list I really like your reasons and how you explain why it shouldn't be. it makes me second-guess my choice because you are right the book was about what people did wrongly in the past and that doesn't define us now.
DeleteComment by Mason Kacmar
ReplyDeleteI thought the last couple chapters of the book had some good parts and bad parts. I think Bob Ewell dying was a surprise and very sudden and I kind of hoped it wasn't that quick when Jem and Scout were in the woods. But getting more to the overall part of these two couple chapters was the whole Boo Radley thing. I think Boo Radley was shown to quick as well as the Bob Ewell thing and that kind of ruined it for me a little bit because the whole story was leading up to who Boo Radley is and it really wasn't a great entrance of him. “Hey Boo”(273). It was almost like Scout new boo is coming and it was sort of unexpected and I didn't really like it. Even the movie it was very quick and not a good representation of Boo actually coming out of his house. Also Jem and Dill did not get to see who Boo was the for the first time and that kind of was upsetting for me.
I read Mary Badham’s section of the book and I found it to be very interesting. There is one quote specifically that I definitely agreed with. “ Anyone who's lived in the South during that time period of the thirties through the sixties and even today, can totally relate to the feel of the book and the tempo”(Badham 47). I think the book accurately described the feel as Mary says in the book. from what pictures I've gotten through articles and videos the book has similar things as the real time period. I agree with Mary's statement talking about the time period. I agree a lot with Mary's writing in these couple pages that were about her. considering she was in the movie ask out, and she read the book, it really shows that she's knowledgeable on the book and how to interpret it. A little thing I picked from the book was I thought it was really interesting that Calpurnia wasn't really a big figure in the movie until she read the book and I thought that was really cool that the movie had some changes from the book. Overall I thought these pages from Mary were very interesting and cool to read about.
I think “ To Kill a Mockingbird” should be the nations best book and obviously should be on the Great American Read list. I really enjoyed this book mainly because it could also relate to Summer things happening today and throughout history. The whole prejudice idea throughout the book really contributes to our society today of how people are judged and not treated fairly sometimes. Books are great when they make you laugh make you cry or are very mysterious, but books that connect to our everyday lives really are meaningful and have a huge impact on the reader. I also liked how Harper Lee added a lot of mystery and suspense throughout the novel, but there was a few things I would have liked to have changed. One of which is the whole Bob Ewell getting killed so abruptly I think there should have been a transition to that scenario. Another thing was I didn't really love when Harper Lee didn't include Boo Radley throughout the story sometimes, he was sometimes lost and not really included. Other than those few little things I thought this book was amazing and definitely should be recognized for that.
I loved reading this post Mason. I completely agree with everything you said. I also have gained a new perspective on the book should be the nations best novel. I never really looked at it like that and after reading your post, I have reconsidered my opinion. I agree with you about how important it is that books connect to our everyday lives. This book really does that. Thank you for giving me a different perspective!
DeleteI never really connected to it the way you did! As Liz said you gave me a different perspective. Although I would not name it our nation's novel, I would probably put it on the Great american Read list. I also agree with how Boo was introduced at the very end. That part was very underwhelming and I was also a bit disappointed. Although it was sad that only Scout got to meet him, I believe Lee did that for a reason. Even though I am not sure what it is, I feel like there's a purpose.
DeleteThe end of To Kill a Mockingbird were very packed chapters regarding the climax. Boo Radley finally comes out as I predicted, however this happened in an unexpected way. I think Lee's choice to have the kids targeted was well thought out and her way of writing it as well. She may have intentionally had Scout explaining it in her point of view that was very limited because it would allow for Boo to stay out of blame. In the book Heck Tate says, “‘To my way of thinkin’, Mr. Finch, taking the one man who's done you and this town a great service an’ draggin’ him with his shy ways into the limelight- to me, that's a sin’” (Lee 317). I believe that this part not only supports that the limited knowledge of what truly happened was intentional, but also explains how Boo could be a mockingbird.
ReplyDeleteI read the excerpt by David Kipen in "Scout, Atticus, and Boo" by Mary McDonagh Murphy. David Kipen has done many book reviews and literary projects throughout his career. In his excerpt he expressed his thoughts about the books story and Harper Lee. It said in his excepted how he believed the book was about "...a young girl surprised to discover her own goodness" (Murphy 105). From when the kids kept the mob from hurting Tom Robinson, to the kids finding Tom wrongly convicted, and how Scout was friendly and kind to Boo Radley when he comes out, Lee is portraying this. Scout learns throughout the book how to be kind and just to all people. Another opinion that Kipen explained was how he thought that Lee is Boo, where others believe that Lee is Scout. He says this because he thinks that even though Lee wrote an award winning book that was very successful, she should not be dragged into the limelight just as Heck Tate had said about Boo.
Overall To Kill a Mockingbird was very well written and I understand why people believe it belongs on the Great American Read List. This book addresses matters of race that will always be important of us to understand and keep from repeating the poor decisions taken once upon a time. Lee also addressed the impression that people make on children and how nieve they can be. These are very good points and makes it understandable for why people enjoy it so much, however I would disagree. I suppose it would make it on the list from these reasons or maybe because it is just a well known classic, but I would not vote for it. The book in my opinion does not connect with the younger generations and it is similar to many previously known topics that you read over and over again growing up. I do not think the content is new and makes it less interesting for young readers. Though I know people disagree I would not say this book belongs as the “national novel”.
Your views on why Harper Lee wrote the book the way she did it; and when you said Boo was representing a Mockingbird was very interesting. I totally agree with what you were saying and I really liked how you explained it differently than most of the people commenting on the book. I like yours and David kippens views as well. I really like the fact that he acknowledges that Harper Lee made Scout a good character and so is how she brought out the good in her actions. This book definitely addresses important matters of race and poor decisions. although I do not completely agree on your views of this book not being on the list the points you made are valid and very well written.
DeleteYou brought up very intriguing topics! You talked about interesting observations that I myself didn't notice while reading the book. You did an awesome job explaining your thoughts on why Harper Lee had a child be our narrator. I agree that the sense of anonymity of having Scout be our eyes during the fight between Bob Ewell and Boo Radley was intense. It did seem very intentional and purposeful to have Scout, this very vulnerable and naive kid be our guide. Also, David Kipen had a very unique thought that not all people can accept. David saying he thought Lee was Boo because while they did good, they shouldn't be brought into the spotlight for all to see got me thinking about how she feels about this growing fame of hers. Overall, great job!
DeleteI strongly agree about all the topics you talked about. I particularly enjoy the part about Heck Tate talking about how he did not want to bring Boo Radley into the limelight because he felt bad for him and that he did Atticus a huge favor in saving the children. I feel like this part of the novel was huge because it showed how different Atticus' lawful thinking was different than Heck Tate's. Overall, your whole response was very well written and I really enjoyed reading it.
DeleteI agree with what you are saying. I also believe that you are bringing up some very interesting points! I never would have thought about the limited view point being the reason she wrote it this way. I felt like she wanted to show a story about growing up, but wouldn't of thought about how it makes other people seem so innocent at certain points. I read Oprah's view and she also had the same idea with Harper Lee being Boo! I found that very interesting.
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ReplyDeleteOne of my prime reactions to this section was a question. Why did Harper Lee include two mockingbirds in her book? Both characters were important to the theme, but one of them carried much more significance than the other. I think Tom Robinson was the more effective mockingbird and has the most parallels. Tom really shows what makes the book so american - racism. It’s the reason why the book is banned in some schools and why it's so important to american history and lessons today. Boo Radley seemed almost like a background character throughout the book, just to show up at the end and save the day. Tom Robinson was also physically shot, a sure sign of being a true mockingbird whereas the only sin that could have been committed against Boo was the act of getting him out of his house. The newspaper editor, Mr. Underwood, “likened Tom’s death to the senseless slaughter of songbirds by hunters of children.” (Lee 275) This is a direct correlation to the killing of a mockingbird. Tom Robinson is also in more of the book’s main plot: the trial. Boo Radley isn’t even mentioned in these chapters. Regardless as to which mockingbird held the most literary weight, both contribute to the main theme in the To Kill a Mockingbird.
ReplyDeleteThe wasn’t too much to agree or disagree on; what Alice Finch Lee said was just facts about knowing the life of Nelle Harper, her sister. But I did find many interesting things about what she said. She pointed out how Nelle based many aspects of the book on her real life, even though she said it was not fully biographical or autobiographical. She said that “Nelle Harper grew up to be quite the little tomboy” - just like Scout did. She also indirectly compares their father to Atticus Finch. What I find most interesting about her interview was how the reaction she described of Nelle’s fans. She said they would try to adapt the story to their own lives and say things such as “‘I’m so glad Nelle Harper put my Aunt Clara in the book,’” or “‘I’m interested to know when you spent so much time in Greensborough,’” (Mary McDonagh Murphy 127, 128). This interests me because the book fits into people’s lives so well they think it was actually written about them.
Overall, I think not only should To Kill a Mockingbird be on the Great American Read list, but it should be America’s national novel. I think it carries a very simple yet significant message of racism, an important part of american history and modern life. These are great learning points whose importance should never be forgotten. I also think that like all good books on this list, the themes are ones that are relevant in today’s times and To Kill a Mockingbird is no exception. This book also has one more reason for its greatness: a general but all-encompassing theme. “It’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” is almost synonymous with the Golden Rule (treat others as you would like to be treated). These are the main two reasons why this book should be America’s national novel.
I agree with your question about the two mockingbirds because during our class discussion of the end of the book we talked about who was the real mockingbird in the novel, Tom or Boo, but I agree that Tom Robinson was the more prominent mockingbird because he was innocent and was just trying to help somebody out, but was killed because of the racial prejudice at the time. All in all, this was very well written and I agreed with almost all of your points.
DeleteMany significant events took place in chapters 25-31 of “To Kill a Mockingbird”. I predicted that Bob Ewell would try to hurt Atticus through others, and he did end up trying to kill Jem and Scout. However, I did not expect Bob Ewell to be killed in the process. When Scout and Jem were attacked, Scout, the narrator, was unable to see, so the reader doesn’t know exactly what is happening: “Something crushed the chicken wire around me...From...near by came the sounds of scuffling, kicking sounds, sounds of shoes and flesh scraping dirt and roots...We were near the road when I felt Jem’s hand leave me, felt him jerk backwards... More scuffling, and there came a dull crunching sound and Jem screamed” (Lee 300-301). Scout’s ham costume only gave her a small space to see and it was very dark, so she described the event in sounds and feelings. It was interesting that the author chose to give the reader such a limited view of the attack.The thing that really surprised me was Boo Radley. I would never have expected him to appear in the way he did. He defended the children and risked his life in the process. Even though Boo’s true character was revealed I still have questions about him. Why did Nathan Radley fill up the tree to stop him from giving gifts? What is Boo Radley’s true story? Why has Boo been watching Jem and Scout specifically? The end of the story also helped reveal to symbolism of the mockingbird. Even though it is implied that is symbolized Boo Radley, I think it is also a symbol of Tom Robinson, and overall, a symbol of innocence. Although Boo killed Bob Ewell, he was just trying to defend the children. Scout compared convicting him to shooting a mockingbird. Tom Robinson helped Mayella before she falsely accused him. Both were innocent in their own way therefore symbolizing the mockingbird.
ReplyDeleteI read the Allan Gurganus excerpt from Mary Mcdonagh Murphy’s “Scout, Atticus, and Boo”. Gurganus is the author of several novels. He related to novel because he was living in a very small town at the time, just like Scout. Gurganus says that the one of things that struck him about the title was its beauty and mystery. I agree with his opinion on this. Many times when I have been in the library, this title has caught my eye on the shelves. It seemed to me like it symbolized something important, even if I didn’t know what at the time. When Gurganus first read this book, he was still a kid, and close enough to Scout’s age to feel a connection to her tone of narration. He describes her voice as, “...[having] childlikeness...and sagacity of adult prospective” (Murphy 96). Gurganus viewed Scout’s voice as being childlike, but also having some knowledge of adult viewpoints. He also thinks that, “...one of things that’s not quite understood...is that Lee manages to be a child and an adult” (Murphy 96). I agree with these interpretations. Scout can be very immature and childish when narrating, but she also has some very wise remarks and outlooks on certain things. It is very interesting that Lee was able to write in this tone. I never really realized that Scout narrated in this way before I read this excerpt. Gurganus was also particularly insightful when he compares Scout to Huck Finn. They both have the same childlike innocence and charm.
Here is my last paragraph; it wouldn't let me post it with the other two:
Delete“To Kill a Mockingbird” should be America’s “national novel” as Oprah Winfrey claims. It represents America’s past and how we have learned from it, and makes readers aware of the prejudice and racism of the time. It illustrates one of the more shameful times in America's history when African Americans didn’t have the same rights or freedoms as whites. Readers can learn from this ‘dark time’ in American history and be kind and polite to everyone, even those who are different. Instead of letting this terrible time fade away, it should be remembered and learned from. It is not a proud moment in America’s history, but it is still part of its past. It makes me all the more impressed of how far our nation has come in the quest for equality. “To Kill a Mockingbird” also deserves its spot on the Great American Read list. The unique perspective of Scout is one that many readers can connect to. She is a young child still trying to understand the world around her and many readers can relate to this. The lessons readers learn from Atticus on empathy are also very deep and significant lessons. The setting and time period also makes this an interesting read. It helps the reader understand what it was like back then when blacks did not have equal rights. These paired with the important messages of equality and the representation of America’s past makes it worthy to be both America’s national novel and on the Great American Read list.
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ReplyDeleteI thought the final third of the novel was very interesting, but at the same time very confusing. I found is very interesting how the death of Bob Ewell came back to the mysterious Boo Radley. Through the events of the novel Boo Radley was kind of forgotten, so it was interesting how Harper Lee brought him back to be the one who ended up saving Jem and Scout’s lives. It felt as if justice I had been served when Bob was killed. Looking back at the first chapter, I loved how Harper Lee foreshadowed the result of the events of the final chapters. Through the murder of Bob Ewell, I was confused as to why Boo Radley came out of his house. If Boo had not come out of his house for fifteen years, why would he come out all of a sudden. He had no connection to the kids, so I was shocked that he risked his life for kids he has never even met. Scout’s reaction to finally meeting Boo also confused me. “...I gazed at him in wonder the tension slowly drained from his face. His lips parted into a timid smile, and our neighbor’s image blurred with my sudden tears. “Hey, boo,” I said” (Lee 310). I expected more of an elaborate reaction to finally seeing Boo, since in reality he is so different from what she thought he would look like. Her, Jem, and Dill have devoted a lot of their time to discovering Boo, so when she had such little of a reaction I was shocked. While some of the events in the final chapters confused me, overall I thought the ending was very interesting and surprising.
ReplyDeleteI read the excerpt by Mary Badham in McDonagh Murphy's book. I found it very interesting how playing Scout in the movie changed her life. I also thought it was interesting that at the time of the movie she did not really understand the main message, but looking back now at the book she is able to understand it. She is able to realize how this book and movie had such an impact on America. “You don’t get a chance to have a film and a book that makes that kind of impact. The messages are so clear and so simple. It’s about a way of life, getting along, and learning tolerance” (Murphy 50). I completely agree with her that this novel has had a major impact on America. So many Americans have read this novel, and so many cherish it. I know my parents and my grandparents all read this book. I loved how Mary states how she was able to relate to Scout, and relate to having somebody like Calpurnia in her life. All in all, the excerpt from Mary Badham was able to give me insight of how playing Scout in the movie felt and how it altered her life.
Finally, I think that this novel deserves the role of being America’s “national novel”. This novel represents our past, which very heavily emphasizes the disadvantages African Americans faced. It also shows an important American value of standing up for what you believe in even if it is not the popular opinion. Atticus, a white man, stood up for what he thought was right, which is a value that many Americans respect. This book also contains many valuable lessons that are learned through the eyes of Scout. Scout is similar to many young Americans learning the values if life, which makes her a very relatable character. What makes this novel different than many of the other books on the list is that this was the reality for many African Americans in the 1900’s. This novel showcases how America has progressed from the unfair state it used to be, which is why this novel should be showcased to show our improvements as a country. With this in mind, this novel should be the “national novel” of America, and deserves a spot on The Great American Read list.
I agree the third half of the book was confusing but interesting in Bob ewell's death connecting to Boo Radley was probably the best part. I also like the foreshadowing in the beginning and then bringing Boo back in the end to explain the beginning and giving him a sense of heroism and closure for Bob Ewell's death. I thought it was weird at first how after 15 years Buddhist ads come out just to save Jem and Scout, but I think he felt some sort of connection with them for some reason after seeing them walk past his house every day. I thought the scene where Scouts of Boo and her reaction was sweet. She didn't overreact and she wasn't frightened it was just calm and nice and welcoming for Boo. I definitely agree that this novel has a big impact on America. And, yes, this novel deserves to be on the list and your reasons are very good to support it.
DeleteAfter reading the last third of the novel, I concluded that they were my least favorite. I liked the first parts of the book, and more particular, Boo Radley. It made things interesting, having a mysterious person watching, and creeping around and not being seen in so long. But then in the last part, he is a heroic figure. But that's what I dont like, he just showed up, and killed someone. He doesn't really make me feel like he had a part in the book, except for that event. Only Scout saw him and knew it was him, and it was kind of weird when he snuck into their house and was standing in the corner by himself.“Why there he is, Mr. Tate, he can tell you his name' As I said it, I half pointed to the man in the corner..."(Lee 309). I would have liked to see a bigger entrance and a moment of realization for what just happened. But I would have also liked to have more than just Scout have met Boo Radley, but it turned out alright.
ReplyDeleteI read the passage by Rick Bragg, and I agree with his case stating that this book had a significant impact upon southerners. He also talked about how he was born in 1959 and that time was when there were lots of civil rights movements and acts. “I was born in 59, gre up as a baby boy in the civil rights movement” (Bragg 58). He also stated that the movement to him was almost invisible, or it wasn't big enough for a child to know about or comprehend. I found it interesting how he created the book to his home, where he lived. A predominantly white community with some racial aspects within it.
If I was born around 1950, I think I would believe this book should be on the top 100, because it would have talked about my childhood growing up, and the common problems there where. But I wasn't born back then and I just really don't think this book has enough relevant points to make it a good book. I don't really agree with Oprah, because I can't relate to the book quite like she can, and I dont think its that good.
I like the point you make with some of the book being unrelatable to today's society. America's racism has drastically improved today and this book might go to the extremes when pointing out racism. This is something we don't have today and can find hard to see in modern days. But I think this book is good reminder of how it was back when racism was still at the front of everyone's minds.
DeleteIn the book I was surprised that sheriff Tate was so calm about Bob Ewell’s death and so eager to cover it up. Another thing that really confused me during these chapters was whether or not Boo killed Bob or it really was an accident. “‘ If this thing's hushed up it'll be a simple denial to Jim of the way I've tried to raise him. Sometimes I think I'm a total failure as a parent, but I'm all they've got. Before Jem looks at anyone else he looks at me, and I've tried to live so I can look squarely back at him’ [...] ‘ mr. Finch,’ mr. Tate was still planted on the floor boards. ‘ Bob Ewell fell on his knife. I can prove it’” (Lee 314). this quote is showing that either Jem was the killer or Bob ewell's death was an accident. I was very confused because I didn't know which one to believe but then when we began to talk about it in class it was cleared up for me that it was actually Boo, not jem, or Bob himself which surprised me but also made sense to me. Going along with mr. Tate covering up Bob's murder I didn't really understand why because Sheriff's are usually so eager to catch the culprit but in this case he wasn't. When we talked about it in class more I Now understand that he was trying to save Boo from the town itself and making it look like an accident was easier for everybody to understand than making into a big murder deal.
ReplyDeleteFrom the excerpt of Mary McDonnell Murphy's books, Scout Atticus and Boo I read the story from Mark Childress. I found it interesting that when Mark was reading the book he was also in the town that inspired the book. I thought it was really cool that as he was reading the book and he got to the part where we was leaving the kids presents he was actually able to go up and look at the tree and walk down the path that the kids took get to school everyday. I agree with him that To Kill a Mockingbird was influential in a social sense more than a literary sense because at that time Racism was a big factor in the way people lived, it was like a system but it didn't really work. As Mark said, “We think of it as a contemporary book, but it is set in the 30s. So it also helped the white Southerners because there was distance between the South she was writing about in the present day when it was published. That allowed them to feel, ‘ well, we've moved a little beyond that.’ and because she was a white Southerner, there was something that allowed them to hear what she was trying to say” (Murphy 79). It help the readers back then see what was going on through somebody else's eyes and it maybe help them understand and potentially change their ways. now I think the book is really good but Mark Childress found this book revolutionary and completely changes life I didn't really see it but I think it's because he grew up and lived through what happened in the books and I'm reading about the past and I think that is the main difference between our views on this book.
I agree with Oprah Winfrey and I think To Kill A MockingBird by Harper Lee Should be on the Great American read list. overall I thought this book is really good and well written and I see why so many people like it. back then it probably gave people lessons and help them change their views and what was really going on, but now it is showing us what happened back then and almost makes us appreciate what we have now. I think this book teaches us a lot of lessons and definitely deserves a spot on the Great American Read list.
I can definitely relate to what your saying because I was curious if Boo did kill Bob under an accident or if it was on purpose. Either way doesn't change my perspective on Boo even though it was a murder.Boo was quiet and respectful, did no harm to anyone so I believe if he did kill Bob Ewell on purpose he is not considered a bad person, since he was protecting Jem and Scout.
DeleteIn the last third of the book I found very interesting and fast. The fact that Boo Radley finally came out of his house and saved Jem along with Scout by killing Bod Ewell was very surprising and was nice way to sum everything up. Moreover, the part where Boo coming out and Killing Bob was least expected when I read the book. I think this because the author allowed you to have this mindset that Boo was never going to come out, because he was afraid. But later did you know that not only would he come out, but also save Jem and Scouts lives! Also, I think the ending was very smart witted on Heck Tate's part. This is so because he knew that Boo wanted to stay out of the public's eye and not get any attention. So, if Heck Tate told everyone about how Boo killed Bob that would be the recent news that everyone would of heard about. “...all the ladies in Maycomb includin’ [his] wife’d be knocking on [Boo’s] door bringing angel food cakes’” (Lee 369). Showing that Boo would be treated different and would be the center of attention. Overall, I thought the ending was well written and was a good way to surprise readers and sum up everything.
ReplyDeleteI read the passage by James Patterson and I agree with the point on being that the author was attentive to keeping it surprising and unexpected events rather than a typical traditional expected ending. "I think To Kill a Mockingbird holds up because it's like an awful lot of classics, it's just good storytelling. It grabs your interest and it holds you" (Patterson 157). He also talked on how this can make you feel like a child again, since it is in a child preservative. I find that very interesting and understanding. In the end, I think James Patterson had some good connections to the book that I agreed upon.
In conclusion, I think that Oprah Winfrey is right and that this should be America's "national novel". This is so because it shows a lot of different variety through age groups, that can be read through all different ages. Also, it shows many aspects of life lessons throughout the novel that people can learn from. Along with it allows us to understand parts of the U.S history and past with racial segregation. Moreover, this should also be on the Great American Read List because it is a great understanding novel that many reader can relate too or learn from. This also can be compared to how far America has traveled to allow rights to blacks and trying to eliminate prejudice throughout.
I totally agree with your statement of how Harper Lee wanted to keep the ending surprising and attention getting! I think Lee purposefully pushed the mystery of Boo Radley into the background so it would shock the reader when he came out to defend the children.
DeleteI agree that the book opens a window into the past for the reader to look through and get an idea of what life was like in the 1930s. It provides the reader a southern perspective, and how life was very different from how it is today. Yet, as different as life may be now, racism and prejudice still exist in today's society.
I like how you talked about the progression of discrimination and how it has changed over time. I also like the varying length of your sentences, it provides variety and rhythm in your work.
Well done, Tori!
- J Malinowski
I agree with how shocking the ending was. No one really expected Boo to ever come out, be that time you had kind of forgotten and it felt as though he would never come out. When he did the reader was shocked, especially how Heck kept him out of public eye by saying Bob fell on his own knife. I also agree with you about how this should be Americas national novel. Also it had a wide appeal to many different people.
DeleteOne of the most prominent themes of Scout’s that really stood out to me while reading this book was the idea of being a ‘lady’, which was most touched on in chapter twenty-four and again towards the end of the book. Throughout the entire book, Aunt Alexandra, Atticus’ sister, is constantly chiding Scout for not being ‘ladylike’ enough. Scout’s constant wearing of overalls and her need to hang out with her older brother always warrants some sort of disapproval from her aunty. “Aunt Alexandra was fanatical on the subject of my attire. I could never hope to be a lady if I wore breeches; when I said I could do nothing in a dress, she said I wasn’t supposed to be doing things that required pants” sums their relationship up perfectly. (Lee 92) Scout of course, never listens to her aunt, but when Aunt Alexandra hosts a discussion meeting with her missionary circle, she can’t keep herself from wanting to join. She has to look proper, however, in order to join them. She has to look like a ‘lady’.
ReplyDeleteThe word female has never been a positive connotation in America, ever. The phrase ‘like a girl’ has become something people are ashamed of, and it’s evident Scout clearly doesn’t want to be called a girl. Not because being a girl is embarrassing, but because the negative traits associated with the word ‘girl’ are embarrassing. It’s gotten so bad even the women have accepted such, and when a person tries to fight the system, they are the ones to push their own kind down. In this case, you see Alexandra actively rebuking Scout-you see a woman who has chosen to accept her stereotypes suppressing a girl who is trying to fight against them. Throughout most of the book, readers are given this idea that Aunt Alexandra is antagonistic and being a lady is a bad thing. I believed it too, and it isn’t untrue, feminine nouns have always negative connotations here. But come the end chapter twenty-four, my perspective was completely changed.
Chapter twenty-four is set during one of Aunt Alexandra’s missionary meetings. Scout has dressed up and joins the meeting, munching on pastries and drinking tea like a proper Maycomb woman, when Atticus comes in with truly dreadful news. Tom Robinson has gotten himself killed. Incredibly shocking, not only because Atticus was his lawyer, but also because one, he had a shot at freedom, and two, he could have escaped if he had both his arms. Cal, Alexandra, Maudie and Scout, Atticus’ audience (he’d only allowed them to hear), are shocked. It’s impossible to return to that meeting without giving off some sort of negative vibe. And yet, they managed, all four of them, even Scout. Why? Because they’re ladies. Coming back to the meeting, they are quickly lost in gossip and dewberry tarts. The panic from before completely washes away, because to the other ladies, nothing has happened. And that is the true nature of being a woman. Acting natural, even when things might not be natural at all. Being a lady is staying strong, staying positive when things are as bad as they can be. Scout understands this as well as I do: “after all, if Aunty could be a lady at a time like this, so could I.” (271)
Reading the first few excerpts from Mary McDonagh Murphy’s book really got me thinking. I particularly honed in on Alice Lee Boatwright’s thoughts, mainly because she had so much to think about, being the caster of all the kids that would star in the movie. She had to preserve that childlike innocence while keeping the authentic southern flavor and finding someone who was just as boisterous as Harper Lee’s Scout was. When talking about the director of the movie, she brings up a point that I almost religiously agree with: “(the director) knew that his job was to adapt the book into a film, not to change the film from the book, which so often happens. There are many great books that don’t make great films. And sometimes there are rather bad books that make good films” (Murphy 55). This is absolutely, completely true, and if you’ve ever read a book and seen the movie, you would know. I’m very glad at least someone gets it, because it’s important that you base the movie entirely off the book, not just the general concept.
DeleteI’m very conflicted as to whether or not this book should America’s national novel, but it does for sure belong on the Great American read list. Although the book presents very good lessons and touches on a very critical topic at the time (why it should be on the GAR list!), it doesn’t completely represent all of America (why it shouldn’t be America’s national novel). What came before was important as well, and the book never once mentions the struggles of the American Revolution. And it shouldn’t, because it’s not a book made for that era, and that exactly is my point. In order for a book to be ‘America’s novel’ it has to encapsulate all of America’s history, not just a few centuries. It can most certainly be coined as the ‘book’ of the 1900’s, but the national book of America? Maybe not.
hi i got permission to write about chapter twenty four, please don't criticize me on that
DeleteI also noticed when Scout started thinking being a girl wasn't so bad after all. At first, I also thought Aunt Alexandra was going to be a pessimistic character, maybe as a result of the story being told from Scout's point of view. However, my image of her changed after the tea party when she showed what she really meant when she expressed "be a woman." While it is true that this novel only describes a short period of time in America's history, I believe it is the most important time. To Kill A Mockingbird shows what life is like in Alabama in the 1930s, complete with the Great Depression and racism towards blacks. This was a dynamic time in the history of the US the determined the future of the country.
DeleteThe end of "To Kill A Mocking Bird" was a big surprise to me. Three things that surprised me the most were that Bob Ewell went after Jem and Scout, Boo Radley had killed Bob to save the kids, and the sheriff had said Bob fell on his knife knowing Boo killed Bob. There was foreshadowing to Bob's plans to attack someone when he said "one down and about two more to go" (Lee 276). By Lee adding this quote in, it left the reader with suspension. I also think it is interesting how Boo had come out in the very end of the book and had such an important roll. If Boo hadn't saved the kids they would have died and things would have been completely different. I think how it's interesting how as Scout grew up and started understanding what her dad had said about stepping into others skin and walking around in it that she is no longer scared of Boo. When she meets Boo they get along and she shows no fear. Also, the sheriff I believe knew what was the right call for Tom's trial as he had said "There's a black boy dead for no reason, and the man responsible for it's dead" (Lee 316 and 317). This quote was Heck Tate telling Atticus his final verdict on Bob's dead and he mentioned how Tom had died for no reason as he did not commit the crime he was accused for.
ReplyDeleteWhat I find interesting about Mary Badlham's story was how much she related to Scout and how mature and smart she said Scout was. "Scout was a lot smarter than I was. She's a lot smarter than a lot of adults I know" (Badlham 2). I agree with her on this as Scout being so young was faced with so many problems because she lived in the South. Since she was a young girl Atticus has told her to not judge people until you get in their skin and walk around in it and she has showed that many times throughout the story. I also believe that since Mary related to Scout so much, it helped her play the character so well and really show people what it was like as a young child growing up in the deep South faced with issues.
I do agree that "To Kill A Mockingbird" should be America's book as it portrays one of America's biggest problems. I also think "To Kill A Mockingbird" should be on the Great American Read list because many people enjoy the book. Also, it shows the problems from many years ago and right now we may not relate to it exactly but racism is still a thing today so this book may change the view of people on racism towards others of color.
Juliana Malinowski
ReplyDeleteThe last third of To Kill A Mockingbird swiftly went through a series of events. Time passed quickly up until the death of Bob Ewell. Honestly, I wasn't really surprised. The end of the book was drawing near and the reason for Jem's broken arm still had not been explained. The passing of time where his arm went unmentioned lured the reader into a false sense of security. What did shock me, though, was Sheriff Heck Tate's unwillingness to prosecute Bob Ewell's killer. Surely an officer of the law would carry out the due process, right? Instead he said, "'Bob Ewell fell on his knife. He killed himself'"(Lee 366). He said this so as to cover up for Arthur Radley, Bob Ewell's true killer. I thought that Sheriff Tate would put the law before the anxieties of a man, Arthur Radley, who never leaves his house. I am still curious to know why Arthur stays inside his house all day, and why he never comes outside. Would the story be different if Arthur Radley wasn't terrified of the world outside his home? There may be more going on than meets the eye.
In Rick Bragg's excerpt from Scout, Atticus, and Boo, he points out how this book can be considered very influential. I agree, as Harper Lee took a big risk in publishing this book. In the time period of its publication, To Kill A Mockingbird would be considered controversial, especially to those who were born and raised in a prejudice community. Bragg describes how the book changed people's perspective, saying, "... young men who grew up on the wrong side of the issue that dominates this book-- they start reading it ... it's changed their views"(Murphy 58). To Kill A Mockingbird was written in a time where racism and prejudice were common mindsets among southern towns. Harper Lee provided a new viewpoint that many found themselves agreeing with. The book became famous, and is still celebrated and cherished today.
Oprah Winfrey claims that To Kill A Mockingbird should be America's National Novel, and I agree with her. Not only does it deserve to be America's National Novel, a place on The Great American Read list is due as well. The story is treasured by Americans, and is so well known that it just has to be the National Novel. To Kill A Mockingbird provided new perspective in a racist and prejudice south. Racism is not an issue of the past either, as it is prominent in today's society. To Kill A Mockingbird may have been published in 1964, but its morals still apply to our world today. Its eternal relevance is what makes it such a great book. To Kill A Mockingbird teaches life lessons that earn it a place on The Great American Read list.
You had a very formal writing style, and I liked your solid evidence that supported your claims. I agree with you on how To Kill a Mockingbird should be America's National Novel. You made a good point on how back when this book was published, it was risky to talk so boldly about this issue. It's clear now that this is the book that we need as a nation to learn from past mistakes. You did a great job on executing your perspective.
DeleteThe last several chapters of to kill a mocking bird was very eventful. Many drastic events happened like the children meeting boo for the first time or getting attacked by Bob Ewell, or his demise. Scout finally meets Boo Radley after he saves them from attack. Jem is unconscious during this time. Scout said she never saw him again so I wonder if Jem was sad to have missed out on meeting him? Boo saved the children from death, he truly did give them their lives as one of his many gifts as Scout said. Afterwords she really did understand how different his life was because she saw a small part of his life from his perspective. Bob Ewell was a selfish and prideful man and this was his downfall. This caused his to attack two children under the age of twelve and try to murder them for pride. Bob couldn't dead with the fact that he didn't directly win the court case and he wanted more revenge. This actually resulted in his own death. I think I agree with the sheriffs secret suspicions that Boo really did kill Bob. Because he was killed with a kitchen knife that was suspected to come from the Radley household. I do have some respect for Heck because he didn't drag Boo out for saving the children. He just said that Bob had not been killed by someone else and died without help from anyone else. ¨I may not be much, Mr. Finch, But I´m still sheriff of Maycomb county and Bob Ewell fell on his knife. Goodnight sir¨ (Lee 317). Heck didn't want someone so shy like Arthur have to go to court. He gave him respect and allowed him to go home again, because he did a great service that day.
ReplyDeleteI chose my excerpt to by by Mary Badham from Mary McDonagh Murphy's book Scout, Atticus and Boo: a Celebration of Fifty Years of To Kill a Mockingbird. She was actually the girl who played Scout in the movie version on to kill a mockingbird. She talked about how she liked the script and story line but also how similar her life actually was to the life of scout. She grew up with many men around her in a town kind of like Maycomb. Then was really cool to read from her perspective about how she loved scout´s character ¨Scout was a lot smarter then I was. Shes a lot smarter then many adults I know¨ (Murphy 47).
I think this book totally deserves to be on the great American read list because it really does depict the soul of Americas prejudice and racism in the south during Americas earlier years. I also do agree with Oprah Winfrey when she says this should be Americas nation novel because its our history. Good or bad this is our true history and heritage and we can do anything to change it now but we can learn from it. I think everyone should read this book because it really did give me a much better perspective.
After finishing the novel “To Kill A Mockingbird”, I am satisfied with the end of the novel but also a little bit disappointed. I expected more from the ending and I felt as if Boo Radley’s big reveal was not as climatic as it should have been. Yes, it was interesting that he came out of nowhere and saved the children from Bob Ewell’s attack, but it raised many questions for me such as “Why had he not come out sooner if he could’ve easily just walked out of his front door?” I wondered what had really kept him inside all those years. We do find out that Boo is not a monster, but a caring and considerate man as he demonstrates a heroic action when he saves the children from Bob Ewell’s attack, "Thank you for my children, Arthur..." (Lee 317). Other than Boo Radley’s reveal, I enjoyed the end of the novel. The kids attack was very interesting and I was in shock when I found out that it was Bob Ewell. I understood that he did not like Atticus after the trial, but it never crossed my mind that he would go after his kids and not him.
ReplyDeleteI read the excerpt by Allan Gurganus. I enjoyed his opinion and I completely agree with everything that he said. Something he said about Scout that stood out to me was “The narrative is very tough, because she has to be both a kid on the street and aware of the mad dogs and the spooky houses, and have this beautiful vision of how justice works and all the creaking mechanisms of the courthouse.” This really made me begin to think about how Scout was so little yet so wise. She always had a positive mindset and was willing to learn and go out of her comfort zone, even in the worst situations.
Overall, I do not believe that To Kill A Mockingbird deserve to be America’s national novel as Oprah Winfrey said, but it deserves to be on the Great American Read List. Although the book does include some very important messages such as racism and prejudice, the novel did not wow me enough to win that spot. This novel is very moving and teaches you many lessons that you can and will use throughout life. It does show you how African-Americans were treated throughout history and how one assumption or opinion could be the reason someone died. The prejudice and racism was extremely realistic and I liked that. However, the novel was a bit slow and did not always keep you interested. There were many times in the middle where I was wondering about Boo Radley and small things that had been mentioned in the beginning of the book.
I agree that Boo Radley’s reveal was not as exciting as I had expected. He was such a big part of Scout, Jem, and Dill’s childhood that I think his reveal was not grand enough. Unlike you, I had expected Bob Ewell to go after Atticus’s children. Atticus was not giving Bob the reaction he wanted, and Bob knew that Jem and Scout meant more to Atticus than anything. Allan Gurganus’ comment is very interesting. Scout is a very unique character, and the reader gets to see her grow throughout the novel. The events that she has been through have caused her to mature at a young age. My opinion differs from yours because I think that To Kill a Mockingbird should be America’s national novel. I understand that the story may not appeal to some people, but I personally enjoy stories that take place in the past. It provides an opportunity to experience a time that you never get the chance to actually live through. I think this story was a good example of that because it was actually written during the time period of the story. I agree that a lot of what was mentioned at the beginning of the book was not mentioned again until the end, but I think that this was a good source of suspense throughout the novel. The way that Lee used a full circle ending made everything fit together.
DeleteI do have to disagree with you on this Elizabeth because I believe that the reveal of Boo Radley was done very well. He was the focus of the entire book, and Harper Lee used this moment to allow Boo to give just one last gift to the children. It wove into the rest of the book beautifully, and I think it wasn’t too over the top. The answer to your question about why Boo Radley did what he did depends on when you are talking about easily walking out of the front door. If you mean why he was late to the attack, there is no easy answer, unless Harper Lee was trying to create more tension about the situation, or if Boo wouldn’t have realised that the kids were being attacked until he heard Jem yell out after his arm had been broken. If the time frame is the enitre novel, it is because of his reclusive nature, and I cover this more in depth in my reply. I do agree that the novel was pretty slow moving, but by experience, I have read some very slow moving books, so this was noticable, but not awful. However, the overall book creates such a great message that I believe that the book should be on the Great American Read. Also, the slow moving pace helps the childish perspective of the book, as as a child you think of life in small events, not by the whole picture. Overall, I can see your points, but I don't fully agree with them.
DeleteI agree with your thoughts of the book not revealing Boo in as climactic of a manner that it should have, and it does not do the character justice. I think the main point that I have taken away from your post is, if he could get out at any time, why didn't he? I smell cut corners! Other than that I agree that the novels ending is very good. I also like how the point of view is of a child and how Scout is not that mature enough to understand events. I completely agree with your thoughts on the national novel and the Great American Read. Great Post!
DeleteWhile reading the end of To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, I noticed that Atticus, Scout, and Jem did win in the end, even though they lost the trial with Tom Robinson. First, it was crucial when Atticus was not phased when Bob spat in his face, or when bob threatend him either. He was not feeding into Bob's anger. Another win for Attius and his children is when he didn't stoop low and try to protect Jem when he thought Jem killed Bob. "Jem's not quite thirteen...no,he's alread thirteen-I can't remember. Anyway, it'll come before county court-"(Lee 365). This is a win because Atticus was not going to try to avoid the law and be a liar and criminal like Bob when he falsely accused Tom of rape. Personally, I feel the ending was perfect in every way because it shows that holding composure and not bending the rules does you better than bending them.
ReplyDeleteI read the section where Rick Bragg came into the book. I agreed with what he talked about. He spoke about how this book doesn't mean much until you actually think about it and read it acouple of times. He also said that this book that people like Boo play a deeper meaning than just some subplot to fill in the book. "Boo seemed like a much smaller kind of subplot to the book the first time I read it... But Boo took on a bigger role as I read it down the line." (Bragg 59) Boo clearly was a symbol representing a Mockingbird. That means, Boo was never a bad person, and he never was meant to hurt anyone. That's why he comes out in the end and becomes the hero. Further explaining how it is hard to fully understand the point of the book. To some, it is a case about a black man, but the real point is to keep your composure and do the right thing all of the time. Even the protagonists, like Jem, fall short of keeping your composure.
From my experience of the book, I do think this novel is "America's National Novel" and Oprah claims. It is a great book that can be deciphered in almost endless ways. So no matter who reads the book, they can get some understanding of the book. On the contrary, this is not my favorite book. I prefer many books over this book. However, not many books are able to connect to many people like To Kill a Mockingbird. Now I do beleive this book should be on the Great American Read list because of its amwesome characters and very serious topic. To KIll a Mockingbird is a very fun book to read, and it helps you get the clearer view of life in the early to mid 1900s and really is a great read for all ages above 12!
I agree with what you said. Atticus, Scout and Jem definitely won in the end of the book. Bob Ewell got what he deserved, Scout got to meet and befriend Boo Radley, and every question that was brought up in the book was resolved. I also agree that you have to think in this book quite a bit. Not everything is so clear. And Boo is very important, much more important than the book writes him to be. Of course, he saves the kids life, but he is a symbol of innocence, the mockingbird. I disagree that it is Americas national book. It is no longer relevant to the degree of the story. Although it is a good lesson, it isn't our national book.
DeleteIt is true that they did win in the end and that Atticus succeeded in being the better man but Tom Robinson still died as a result of Bob Ewell's actions. One main point of yours that I agree with is that this book can be interpreted in almost infinite ways depending on where you come from in life and your experiences. That the novel can invoke so many different thoughts in different people is what I think makes it a good candidate for "The Great American Read".
DeleteI never really thought the end of the book as really being a win for Scout's family. I think it was more of a loss, just with a not so bad ending. Tom Robinson died, Buris Ewell died, and Jem broke his arm. Even though it was a kind of happy ending tragedy was everywhere. Also, I like your idea of the book bring able to be ¨deciphered in almost endless ways¨ because there is so many lessons and morals to the story. Overall, great post!
DeleteI do not agree that the ending was a win for the Finch family because of the death of Tom Robinson and the horrible event that occurred. However, I do agree that Atticus should be respected for his integrity after not responding to Bob Ewell and offering to have Jem go to court. I also agree that Boo was a significant role in the story and represented the mockingbird, but I also believe that Tom Robinson could have represented the mockingbird. I do not agree that this novel should be the national novel because although it is a great book with a significant theme, it is not that relevant in society today.
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ReplyDeleteNow that I have finally finished the book, I can say I did enjoy it. The ending was odd, as it was very predictable in Boo meeting Scout and Burris Ewell dying, but it unpredictable at the same time. I didn't see Boo coming to the rescue of Jem and Scout. I thought the book did a great job with symbolism, using the the mockingbird and courage to symbolize characters like Boo Radley and Mrs. Dubose. Also, I liked the ending on how Atticus would be there for Jem because I think that really characterizes the type of person he is. The excerpt I read was written by Tom Brokaw. He mainly wrote about he could connect to the book since he lived in a small town and how is life was similar to the book. I thought it was interesting how Brokaw wrote about his small town and Maycomb. “People who live in big cities, I don’t think, have any idea what the pressures can be like in a small town” (McDonagh Murphy 62). This quote shows how in the small towns where everyone knows everyone, the pressure builds up and you practically know what everyone is thinking of you because you know them. I disagree Oprah Winfrey’s comment on this being a national novel. I don’t think it is that great of a book, or a book that can really connect the nation together as the nation is alway changing. However, I do think it deserves a spot on the Great American Read list due to the phenomenal use of several literary elements. Lee used great characterization, plot, and conflict, but the best used literary element was symbolism. Lee used the literary element of symbolism like ¨´It’d be sort of like shootin’ a mockingbird´¨ (Lee 317). This quote show to report that Boo Radley killed Bob Ewell would mean the whole town would bother Boo. Therefore, there is really no reason or need to tell the town. It would be like doing something wrong for no reason, just like killing a mockingbird. Overall, I thought ¨To Kill a Mockingbird¨ was a great book that should be considered one of the top books in America.
ReplyDeleteI agree completely with you. I like how you pointed out some different examples of symbolism. I also think it is interesting that Tom Brokaw could think that about people who live in cities, especially if he has never lived in one himself. I think that your paragraph was really well organized and easy to read.
DeleteEmma Lang
I agree with you Joey. I think that the ending was very good and I also didn't expect to see Boo coming to the rescue. There is a lot of symbolism in this book and I think the mockingbird connecting with Boo is very important and has a lot of meaning. I'm sure that Brokaw is right, there's a lot of pressure that comes with living in a small town and I am sure that Harper Lee expressed that well.
DeleteI agree that the author did a fantastic job of using symbolism throughout the novel. I also agree that this book should not be the national novel, but because of its lack of relevance rather than it being a mediocre novel in general. I also agree that it belongs on the Great American Read list because of its remarkable theme, although I also agree that it had a predictable story line.
DeleteI agree with you completely. I really didn't expect the ending while it was, at the same time, someone predictable. I knew they would meet Boo at some point, but while I was reading after the trial, I forgot Boo existed. I agree with you also on the idea of how it used so many literary elements making it better especially the symbolism with the mockingbird and other various things.
DeleteThe final chapters of the story were the interesting climax to the book and I was surprised at the role that Boo Radley had in the attack on the kids. Boo, being bound into the house, has never really been seen by the kids, but has been curious about the kids ever since Dill thought of getting Jem to slap the house. In the beginning, it was just small deeds like Jems pants and the little gifts, but it turned into him saving the kids from Bob Ewell an attacker to the kids. “Boo was our neighbor. He gave us two soap dolls, a broken watch and chain, a pair of good-luck pennies, and our lives,”(Lee 373). Although I enjoyed the climax of the story, in my opinion, it was not tied up well at the end of it. It seemed like there were so many characters that needed more too them and needed a wrap up that did not get it. It also seems to end rather abruptly, although I am torn because I like how it ends with Jem asleep and Scout going to sleep, but I would like some resolution to the case with Jem and to hear what he perceived during the attack. I would also like to see what happened to all of the Ewell kids after Bob's death, and if they would be distributed among people or if they would go into Mayella or one of the other older kids ownership. Another thing I would like to know is if the word gets out about the attack, how will the black community react about it especially with their proximity to the Ewells and the treats that they all gave Atticus after the trial.
ReplyDeleteOf the many selections of excerpts in Scout, Atticus, and Boo, I read the one by James Patterson because I have read several of his books and I really enjoy them. One key point that he brings up is that to enjoy reading in general, one needs to find a book that interests them and keeps them into the story. I agree with that because it is important to enjoy a book to stay intrigued. He also states that injustice is an American idea and we are pulled to stories about that, to which I again agree. I liked how he connected it to the historical part of real life and addressed some of the reasons why people would not like the book. One of these reasons is the language used in these books, like the words used that are swear words now, is very deterring and some of the other languages is confusing. Patterson fires back with “Sometimes people will criticize To Kill A Mockingbird because of certain language, but it expresses views of how people thought in the 1930s”(Murphy 156). I agree with all of the points that Patterson brings up about the book and I think it is interesting how intrigued he was with it.
Although Oprah believes that it should be Americas national novel, I disagree because I don’t think that any book could be a national novel. I do agree with the point that it should be one of America’s novels, but, in general, it is not very representative to choose one novel to represent a diverse nation. To Kill A Mockingbird was a great novel and I agree with Oprah that it has a great significance to society back then and society today and it can teach several good lessons. I think it portrays the mistakes in the past perfect in a little girls point of view because even if she says something controversial, she is easily forgiven because she is a child and because her childhood ignorance gives the readers details, but still lets them interpret the event themselves. I think a good solution to only having one national novel, is to choose novels that each represent an aspect of America, for example, To Kill A Mockingbird would represent America’s change from the past, or could even represent that era of the history of the nation. The justice and the change in the book should not go unnoted and the lessons learned are amazing, so it should be renowned for these things, but it is not influential enought to be the single American read. Lessons like “you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them,”(Lee 374). Are why this book should be on a list of America’s national book, but that title is too big to give a single book.
The ending of the book surprised me. Once the trial picked up towards the center of To Kill a Mockingbird I had thought that Boo Radley had just been forgotten. They stopped mentioning him as much and to me i felt like the story had just dropped it's most interesting aspect. however he was briefly talked about when comparing his loneliness to that of Mayella's. In the trial Atticus said..."You must have friends"(Lee 245). When she took offense scout noticed she probably was lonely. I believe that this mentioning of Boo was to remind the reader of the mystery of who Boo Radley was. This went into the build up to make the end with Boo's reveal even more satisfying. I liked how they included Boo at the end and I believe it was a great way to tie together all the themes from the book.
ReplyDeleteOut of all of Murphy's excerpts i read the one by Oprah Winfrey. I chose to read this one because out of all those talking about the book, I was the most familiar with her. You could tell that Oprah loved this book. She said she read it as a girl and instantly fell in love with it. She often compares herself to Scout and even says how when she was little, she wanted to be Scout. One thing I found interesting is that Oprah states that this is how she learned about racial tension and inequality. "I never really felt any of the oppressions of racism" (Murphy 201). She realized the deep root that symbolizes racial injustice in the book and said it even motivated her to be who she is today.
On the subject of Oprah, she believes that this should be America's national novel. I do believe the book is very important to American culture and very important for realizing and speaking about things we might not want to. However, I just do not think it is worthy for being out "national novel." Overall, I enjoyed the book and I respect and value the message it convey's. Lee's writing style is very interesting and really creates a mood for the book. It is real, pure, and overall a great novel. The thing I enjoyed the most about the book was seeing this all through Scout's eyes. That is the same reason Oprah liked it so much. I believe reading it at this point in time is not how it should be read because many cannot take away the cultural impact it had. None of us had to go through this or any events in the novel. This book should be on The Great American Read list but I do not believe it should win it.
- Ethan Krupinski
In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, we read the remaining chapters of the novel. They were very interesting and surprising because I could definitely not predict what happened. One of the most interesting that happened at the end of the novel was the attack on the Finch's and the death of Bob Ewell. It was very surprising because Bob Ewell showed up in the court case that happened during the book and I thought that was the last time the book would talk about Bob Ewell because he did not seem like a very important character. But now that I think about the novel and why he would show up it made sense. After the court trial, Bob Ewell even approached Atticus and spit tobacco into his face;"According to Miss Stephanie Crawford, however, Atticus was leaving the post office when Mr. Ewell approached him, cursed him, spat on him, and threatened to kill him."(Lee 248) This quote shows that even after Bob Ewell won the trial, he still had a grudge on Atticus for even defending Tom and later he even tried to attack Judge Taylor, so after I went back and read the book, it was not surprising that a drunk Bob Ewell tried to attack Scout and Jem. But it was also really well told and written because the novel is written from the point of view of Scout, so it was really interesting to read about how Scout "saw" all the events that were happening and is told in the novel.
ReplyDeleteFrom the wide selection of authors and famous people, I chose the actor who played Scout in the movie adaptation, Mary Badham. I chose Mary because I felt like she would have a real deep connection to the book because since she was a kid, she read the script and really had to act the part of Scout, which was the main character in the novel. She talks about how similar she and Scout were and how intriguing the lines for the character was. "I think Scout and I were so similar. I grew up in a house full of boys, so I really didn't relate to any of the females at all."(Murphy 47). I really feel like Mary Badham really related to the character and acted her part out really well and talks about the experience and how it affected her.
Oprah Winfrey talks about how To Kill a Mockingbird should be America's national novel but I disagree because although it is a very good book, I do not think that is the very best book of all time because there are many different types of books that fit different general themes and genres, because To Kill a Mockingbird could be the best book of the main idea of prejudice and for example, And Then There Were None could be the best book in the mystery genre. So I feel like I would have to disagree on Oprah saying that To Kill a Mockingbird is America's national novel.
I agree with you Andrew, I also found the ending very interesting. I also didn't know that would happen but I guess it makes sense, Bob Ewell wanted to get back at Atticus for ruining his reputation so he planned to kill his children. I didn't read Mary Badhams excerpt but I find it interesting that she relates to Scout. I agree, she did do a nice portral of Scout in the movie. I do disagree with you though about "To Kill a Mockingbird not being the national novel. I think that sure, it isn't the best book ever but it does do a good job of showing this time in history that is important to learn from.
DeleteI was satisfied with the end of the book. I was happy that Boo finally came out and turned out to be rather nice too. I was kinda expecting Mr. Ewells reaction to the court case was expected, I just didn't think it would play out like that. I agree with Jane Ellen Clark. I think the most interesting thing she said was that Harper Lee "...wasn't prepared for the publicity, the fame."(Murphy 91) I think that is interesting because Lee wrote an amazing novel, I'm sure she knew that too, and wasn't prepared for any of what came after her novel was published. I also think that to create her characters, she kinda mixed together people who she knew growing up with little bits of herself. For example, for the Finches, she added her mother's maiden name, and for Boo, her shyness. I do not agree with Oprah Winfrey's claim that To Kill a Mockingbird should be America's national novel. To Kill a Mockingbird is based in a slow Alabama town where "a day is twenty-four hours long but seemed longer." (Lee 6). I think that this book should be Alabama's state book, as it doesn't take place on a national scale, so it does deserve its spot on the Great American Read list. I was rather satisfied by the book and believe that it had a great ending.
ReplyDeleteEmma Lang
One thing I found most interesting in the last chapters of “To Kill a Mockingbird”, was Heck Tate choosing not to arrest Boo Radley. Boo Radley killed Bob Ewell while he was in the woods attacking and planning to kill Scout and Jem. Boo heard the commotion out in the woods by his house and rushed out of his home to stab Bob with his kitchen knife. Boo did commit murder, but Heck Tate, the sheriff, decided it would be best to not arrest Boo. Boo was only protecting the kids. Heck Tate decided to claim that Bob fell on his knife. Although, there were actually two knives at the crime scene, Bob’s switchblade and Boo’s kitchen knife. Bob chose to steal the switchblade to hide the fact that Bob’s death was actually a murder. Scout connected the fact that they were going to not arrest Boo with the title and lesson taught by Atticus:”Atticus disengaged himself and looked at me.’What do you mean?’ ‘Well it be sort of like shootin’ a mockingbird, wouldn’t it?’”(Lee 370). If they did arrest Boo, it would be like killing a mockingbird, harming something that only does good to the world. Boo lived alone and secluded and by arresting him and making a trial, it would have ruined that and it would have made bad of Boo protecting the children. Furthermore, Boo killing Bob and Heck Tate choosing not to arrest Boo was very interesting to me during the end of the book.
ReplyDeleteIn the book “Scout, Atticus, and Boo”, I read the excerpt from Scott Turow. Something I do agree with is that Atticus is a very good lawyer and man. Atticus is the only lawyer at that time who would have taken on this case with the black man. Turow explained that,”It’s true that there aren’t many human beings in the world like Atticus Finch-perhaps none-but that doesn’t mean that it’s not worth striving to be like him”(Murphy 196) People who have read “To Kill a Mockingbird”, find Atticus a very good character and an example of what we want ourselves to be. Something interesting I found was that most lawyers tend to be very greedy but Atticus helped inspire Turow to become a pro-bono lawyer. Something else I found interesting was that he didn’t think the movie was all that good. The director of that movie was the same who directed a movie for one of his books, Alan Pakula. Turow explained that he wasn’t impressed by the movie and that he didn’t take it seriously. Finally, another thing he wrote about was how this book is for everyone. This book includes many moral lessons and everyone can enjoy it and love it. “To Kill a Mockingbird” is a very important book to many of its reader, one of them being Scott Turow where the book affected his career path.
I do agree with Oprah that “To Kill a Mockingbird”, should be the “national novel” of America. I think that the book shows a lot about america's past and that it is very important to learn from. The young narrator Scout shows her innocence and her wondering why people think these certain ways in America. Atticus is also very important, teaching his children young lessons and showing the theme that although you may not win it is still important to try and to give it your best effort and the theme that the popular opinion isn’t always the correct opinion. The book shows a lot of America's past racism and prejudice that is very important to our history and cannot be forgotten. This is a book for all ages and it teaches a lot to all readers. “To Kill a Mockingbird” also displays many themes and it reveals the mistakes of America and how we overcame it. In addition, Harper Lee’s book also does deserve a spot on the “Great American Read List” for similar reasons.
I agree with all of your points. The fact that Heck Tate chose to cover up what Boo had done really shows what his true personality is, and what his values are. I also believe this book is for everyone. It is understandable to younger kids because the book is told from Scout's point of view, and there are some adult themes in the book as well that adult would be interested in. Your reasons for why this novel should be the "national novel" make sense. Its themes relate to America as a newer country compared to the history of the world. This book truly represents our nation.
DeleteDuring the end of the story, one thing I noticed was Boo’s reclusiveness even after he had saved Jem and Scout, but he risked his secrecy when he saw the kids were in danger. The only reason Boo would’ve saved them is if he had an attachment to the kids. It’s made known by Jem the reason why Boo Radley stays inside the house; “I’m beginning to understand why Boo Radley’s stayed shut up in the house all this time … it’s because he wants to stay inside” (Lee 259.) So, if he’s stayed shut up in a house for 25 years by his own concious doing, he’s not just going to go outside to reveal himself for a person he doesn’t know or has no connection with that’s part of a town that is the entire reason he wants to stay inside. This means he must have a special connection with them and earlier in the novel could be the connection we are looking for. The knothole where Boo left his presents for Jem and Scout. We know he knows what they look like because of the dolls Boo made for them. Scout realises that on the porch when she is bringing Boo back to his house; “Boo was our neighbor. He gve us two soap dolls, a broken watch and chain, a pair of good-luck pennies, and our lives” (Lee 320.)
ReplyDeleteA book was written on the 50th anniversary of the publishing of To Kill a Mockingbird. This includes reactions from many people when they first read the book, all compiled into one book. Many of these people had interesting insights on the book, but one person stuck out to me. Mark Childress who read the book when he was nine, created an interesting comparison between the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement using a famous Abraham Lincon Quote; “Oh here’s the little lady whose book started a big war’ I think the same can be said about Harper Lee” (Murphy 78) I agree with this statement as the Civil Rights Movement is similar to a war, and also includes the same reason for the Civil War. Freedom for African-Americans, though in this case, it is freedom of rights, not actual freedom. However, this worked well enough because the book came out right in the swing of the Civil Rigths Movement, and may have given it the push it needed to succeed.
To Kill a Mockingbird is an american classic that should absolutly be on the Great American Read. I also believe that everybody should read this book because of its great message, compelling story, well done perspective, and Atticus. Yes, Atticus is his own reason. He deserves to be. Because he’s Atticus. Starting with Atticus, he is a great model for all fathers, with his strict boundries, but also letting Jem and Scout explore and learn on their own. He has great advice, including the most famous quote in the book. “Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them” (Lee 321.) The child perspective is done flawlessly, while still showing you the big picture, even though Scout doesn’t fully understand it. If every person reads this book and takes the message to heart, Jem’s thought might become a reality, instead of a rude awakening that that world isn’t true; “If there’s just one kind of folks , why can’t get along with each other? If they’re all alike, why do they go out of their way to despise each other?” (Lee 259)
Thomas Stoycos
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ReplyDeleteI thought the ending of To Kill a Mockingbird was fascinating and unpredictable. I did not expect Bob Ewell to commit such a sinister act, despite his unappealing character development. I was also wondering why Ewell was so determined to harm Atticus after the case had gone in his favor. It was also interesting how Scout began to understand the concepts and the theme of the story. For example, she compared accusing Boo Radley to shooting a mockingbird when Heck Tate stated that Ewell stabbed himself to preserve Boo’s privacy. “Mr. Tate was right… Well, it’d be sort of like shootin’ a mockingbird, wouldn’t it?” (Lee 317). Scout showed that she understood what Atticus had been trying to teach her and Jem when she compared giving an innocent Boo Radley publicity to shooting an innocent mockingbird. The theme also ties in with the Tom Robinson trial because Tom was convicted as an innocent man. I read the excerpt by Mary Badham, the actress who played Scout in the To Kill a Mockingbird film. Although I agree with most of the things she said, I disagree with her opinion that the novel is still as relevant today as it was in the 1930’s. She stated that, “this is not a black and white 1930’s issue, this is a global issue. Racism and bigotry haven’t gone anywhere. Ignorance hasn’t gone anywhere” (McDonagh Murphy 50). Although I agree that there is still prejudice present in society today, the level of racism and inequality today is nowhere near how extreme it was in the early 1900’s. I believe that racism and ignorance has come a long way in our society, contrary to Badham’s belief that racism hasn’t gone anywhere. I do not believe this novel should be America’s novel, but I do think that it should be on the Great American Read list. I do not think To Kill a Mockingbird should be our national novel because it is not as relevant as it was when it was written. There are most likely other novels that would represent our current nation more accurately. Although I do not think it should be America’s novel, I believe that To Kill a Mockingbird belongs on the Great American Read list. It tells the story of prejudice and racism in the 1930’s through the eyes of a young girl and conveys a significant theme throughout the story.
ReplyDeleteThe last third of the book was very unexpected, but I feel that chapter twenty-five left some clues leading to the last chapters of the book. After Tom’s death was advertised in The Montgomery Advertiser, Miss Stephanie Crawford discussed Bob Ewell’s reaction with Aunt Alexandra. “Mr. Ewell said it made one down and two to go” (Lee 323). This alludes to how Mr. Ewell plans to get his revenge and hurt Atticus. First, Mr. Ewell would kill the person, Tom, that Atticus felt so obligated to defend even though socially, it was wrong to defend a black. Then, Mr. Ewell would kill Atticus’ pride and joy, his life: his kids. Scout and Jem were the ‘two to go.’ Fortunately, we see in the last couple chapters that he did not succeed.
ReplyDeleteI read the part from Alice Finch Lee, Harper Lee’s older sister, in the excerpt from Scout, Atticus, and Boo. I found it really interesting to see what Harper Lee’s sister had to say about young Harper Lee and their family. In particular, Alice talked about why Harper never published another book or participated in interviews. “She said that reporters began to take too many liberties with what she said... they would print… what they wanted rather than what she said” (Murphy 128). After a few interviews, Harper Lee had enough and stopped doing them. In addition, Alice said Harper expressed that what she had done with To Kill a Mockingbird would be hard to top with another novel. She couldn’t do better. I think these are fair reasons for why Harper Lee virtually ‘disappeared.’
I agree with Oprah Winfrey. I believe this book deserves a spot on The Great American Read list, and that it should be America’s “national novel.” This book relates to the history of the United States, and an especially important time to the development of our country. “There are so many characters from every walk of life. You really feel like you are reading about a real town” (Murphy 89). To Kill A Mockingbird shows what life is like in Alabama in the 1930s. This was the time of the Great Depression and racism towards blacks. America was still recovering from its Civil War, and changed considerably during these years that determined the values it would follow in the future. I think America’s “national novel” should be a book that everyone can relate to and enjoy, which describes To Kill A Mockingbird. To Kill A Mockingbird contains elements that both young readers and adult readers would enjoy. Young readers would like a book that is easily understandable; Lee’s choice of narration, Scout, a young girl, makes the book understandable. “...He[Atticus] said… he did have deep misgivings when the state asked for and the jury gave a death penalty on purely circumstantial evidence. He glanced at me, saw I was listening, and made it easier. ‘--I mean, before a man is sentenced to death for murder, say, there should be one or two eyewitnesses…’” (Lee 294). Harper Lee has to explain certain things through older characters that she wouldn’t have needed to explain if the narrator was an adult. Adults would enjoy reading about some of the adult themes in the books, like criminal issues at the time and how the legal system dealt with certain cases. To Kill A Mockingbird is a book that everyone, of all ages, would enjoy. It captures the essence of our country in its most vulnerable time, making it an obvious choice to be the “national book” of America.
ReplyDeleteThe last third of “To Kill a Mockingbird” really surprised me. I honestly didn’t see Bob Ewell trying to hurt anyone, or Boo Radley to come help the children. There was no way I would’ve ever predicted this. Concluding the trial I felt like Bob Ewell had “got his way” and wouldn't need to be brought up again. As for Boo Radley I feel like we haven't really talked about him in a while. In a way not mentioning these characters until they make their major comeback creates this awesome twist. The only sign that Bob was going to do anything like this was on page 248; “...Atticus was leaving the post office when Mr.Ewell approached him, cursed him, spat on him, and threatened to kill him”. Although this part was pretty interesting, I feel like the rest of it was kind of underwhelming. For it being on the great american read list, I wanted it to be faster at some parts and never really boring. I almost feel as though some of the parts were unnecessary. Although this doesn’t relate to the ending of this book, I heard that in the second book Atticus is portrayed as very prejudice so I was wondering why that makes any sense. Throughout this whole book he was fighting for something that during the last chapters almost got his children killed. I feel if he really were then he wouldn’t have done any of these things that were so highly unacceptable during this time, especially with no major reasoning.
For the excerpt from McDonagh Murphy’s book, I read Oprah Winfrey’s passage. The thing that stood out the most to me was when she was talking about how she wanted to interview Harper Lee. I had heard that no one could really interview her and that she wouldn’t write anything else, but when I heard what she said to Oprah I was very intrigued. She compared herself to Boo Radley and said she hides just like him and she is him pretty much. Everyone always compares her to Scout, but it seems that she might have a little of herself in each of the characters. If you search more in it their might be aspects of her in each of them. Something else I find interesting is how Oprah talks about when she was giving books to her school. “I asked everybody to bring a copy of their favorite book, and I would say we have about 100 copies of [To Kill a Mockingbird]”. She stated that so many people had this book at the top of their list. I feel like most people that I have talked to really didn’t like it that much, so I found that interesting.
Overall I would have to disagree with Oprah. I do not believe that this book should be on the great american read list or our “national novel”. I personally did not like it that much and believe that there are other books that convey great messages similar to this and are a little bit better. I feel like because it is mandatory to read in schools it isn’t actually as loved of a book as the copies sold may deceive. If you think about it, it came out in 1964 then for 54 years in almost every school across america all 9th graders have to buy it , that's a lot of “forced” revenue. If anything I think it should be America’s most read novel, but I just haven’t heard of as many people saying this is their favorite book over more well loved novels.
I really agree with you Emma. The ending was surprising and that there are parts in the book that don't really fit and are kind of boring. It is interesting how Harper Lee relates to almost every single one of her characters. I 100% agree with you on the fact that no one really enjoys the book as much as it may seem. There are definitely better books that could portray a similar theme and that so many have read it because they have to for school so they don't enjoy the book.
DeleteThe last section of the book is where Bob Ewell attacked Jem and Scout. I cannot believe that Bob Ewell would stoop so low and attempt to kill a child. He has already acted out to about the trial by threatening Atticus, Judge Taylor, and Tom Robinson’s wife. I think it is surprising how he creeped up on them in the dark woods and attacked him. I think Bob Ewell almost deserved to die because, also a reference to the title, the children are innocent and it is inhumane and cruel to try to kill them for just being related to Atticus and being loosely involved with the trial. I also admire Arthur Radley because he sacrificed his private life to save the children even if that meant killing Mr Ewell. In the aftermath of the attack, it took me a minute to understand that Heck Tate was trying to protect Boo Radley by saying that Bob Ewell accidently killed himself instead of being murdered. It’s heartwarming that Heck Tate is willing to bend the law to allow Boo to keep his lifestyle and live in peace to thank him for saving the children. He thinks that, “taking the one man who’s done you and this town a great service an’ draggin’ him with his shy ways into the limelight - to me, that’s a sin”(Lee 317). It was an interesting ending to the book that I did not see coming.
ReplyDeleteI read the excerpt from Alice Finch Lee, Harper Lee’s sister. She described how she grew up, their family, how Harper Lee wrote the book, and how she reacted to its acclaim. She described people in their town and that is relevant because it is believed that Harper Lee based characters, events, and many other things in her book on people on her childhood. She even mentioned that random people, “around Monroeville was determined to see themselves in the book. They would go do anything - come up to her and say, ‘I’m so-and-so in the book’” (McDonagh Murphy 127). I do kind of agree with her when she says that the book is good and that she sees it more as a whole instead of having favorite parts.
Lastly, I think this book could be considered America’s ‘national novel’ but I do not think this book should be on The Great American Read List. To Kill a Mockingbird is about an important part of America’s history and includes an integral part of our society and culture. I think you can consider this our ‘national novel’ because it represents a segment of our history and puts it in a way we can understand and relate to. Despite this, I do not think this book should be on The Great American Read List. A book on the list is one of America’s most loved books but I do not see how this is one of our most loved books. Yes, it is a good book, but I don’t see how it is that lovable. I, for one, didn’t enjoy it that much because I didn’t find it that entertaining. I would not put this on The Great American Read List because it is not really a book you read for enjoyment. In my opinion, it is more of a book you read because of its historical significance which is why I would consider it America’s ‘national novel’ instead.
I greatly enjoyed the end of the novel. the end felt a lot like the end of green mile. the death of Ewell gave a lot of closure and security, but also made us uneasy for our protagonist. the situation that was left was crazy. For one part,we have two law official, dedicated to there craft. the situation realy caused a lot of drama. this book deserves to be on the list, but considering I haven't read even half of the books, I have no idea whether or not the book is the best.
ReplyDeletekillian snitzer