Atticus and The Trial

When all the African Americans stood up on the balcony, it really reflects the relationship between them and Atticus. It had multiple messages: you are our friend, we respect you, and thank you.

They stood as an act of friendship because most of them were close to Atticus. For example, when Jem and Scout went to Calpurnia’s church. Everyone was aware of whom Atticus was, and for that reason Scout and Jem were welcomed with open arms. Atticus is accepted in the black community, so everyone stood to show that.

They respect Atticus because he respected them. He was always good to them and like they say, you go to give respect to get it. Also, he deserves respect because he did a noble thing defending Tom Robinson. It was brave that he did what was right and not letting society’s views get in his way.

The African Americans thanked him because not only did he look after their friend, Tom Robinson, but also defend for blacks in general. Atticus did a dignified act by sticking up for Tom Robinson even though he was a black man. He did not think of a black man accused of rape like most men. But he did think of an innocent man needing justice, which I think the African Americans appreciated and showed it by standing in the balcony. In addition, in the trial Atticus said many things defending all blacks. For example, “You know the truth, the truth is this: some Negroes lie, some Negroes are immoral, some Negro men cannot be trusted around women, black or white. But this is a truth that applies to the human race and to no particular race of men.” (Page 204) This is speaking about all African Americans not only Tom Robinson.

The trial reminds me of when I had to put my dog to sleep. When I was in fifth grade my dog, Maltby, had a really bad back problem and we couldn’t save him. My mom and dad decided we had to put him down. When we did I felt so guilty I couldn’t stop crying. For me although I did the right thing not making my dog suffer, my extra baggage was the guilt that came after it. The trial reminded me of this because Atticus did the right thing too and his extra baggage was all of Maycomb’s whites turning on him and his family. No matter what the problem is, the right thing is always the best thing to do.

Jem's Sensitivity

I think that Jem is crying at the end of chapter seven because he figures out that Mr. Radely doesn’t want Jem and Scout getting gifts from who ever was gving them. Jem finally figures out that it was Boo who was giving him the gifts as an act of friendship. He doesn’t want to play the Boo Radley game now because he realizes how nice he was for the presents and he feels guilty playing games on him. Scout on the other hand, still doesn’t know who gave the gifts and she doesn’t understand why Jem has been acting different and still is eager to play the game.

Fear and Unknown

Like all fourteen year olds, I am a curious one. My friends and I once went to the railroad tracks by one of my friend’s neighborhood. The six of us went to the tracks at around seven o’clock, when the sun was about to set. We were having such a great time, joking around and walking on the tracks that we never noticed how fast the sun was setting.

The night was cold but we just kept going. The moonlight was our only source of light, which didn’t help much because we couldn’t even see each other’s faces. To the right of where we were walking, there were thick blackberry bushes. Over the bushes, we heard some muffled voices and saw the top of a truck. We snuck up to the bushes, holding our breath to try to hear them better. I could hear two men’s voices and the sound of a radio but couldn’t understand anything. The truck’s lights suddenly turned on shocking us all. With the light on the truck pointing right at the blackberry bushes we were standing behind, we all were shaking. We couldn’t tell if they could see us but we all wanted to run away. My knees were shaking so much that I couldn’t even run. I don’t think I’ve ever been that stunned in my life.

My First Day vs. Scouts First Day

Scout's first day of elementary school is actually a lot similar to my first day of middle school. Her brother, Jem, made it very clear to her before school that he was in fifth grade and she was in first grade, which is very similar to my brother and I. My brother is a year older than me and for him I am his "Scout", the annoying younger sister. A difference, though, was when Scout got in a fight with Walter Cunningham.  Jem came and broke up the quarrel, helping Scout do something that she would regret. But with my brother and me, he probably would stay out of the fight and talk to me later about it at home.

Another difference between Scout’s first day of elementary school and my first day of middle school was that she is more outgoing and talkative than I. I am definitely shyer than Scout. She is very headstrong and was able to talk to Miss Caroline very confidently even when Miss Caroline thought she was lying. I don’t think I would ever be in that situation because I remember in middle school I barely talked or raised my hand until a week or so into the school year.

Surprisingly, for Scout being tomboy in the first grade, growing up in a small southern town in the 1930s and I, at the time being a average middle school girl in Gig Harbor, we share similar stories about our first days of school.  

Practice

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