Love, Life, and Growing Up (Ch10-12)

This section features a wide variety of themes. We are shown things such as the difference in age between Scout’s father and the other fathers. Although, in my opinion, this is a difference in age not spirit. We are shown Ms. Dubose, who seemed to have nothing better to do then yell and moan to anyone who passed about any issue. The last few things we see in this section is the fact that Jem and Scout are seemingly drifting away due to Jem’s age, Dill staying in Meridian due to his new father, and the segregation at the church even from the black church. A very important quote was shown to us early on as well. It reads as follows: “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy… That’s why its a sin to kill a mockingbird” (Lee, 90). Looking into this quote further, we see that anything innocent shouldn’t “die” or be killed inside. This is meant to represent how Boo Radley is still cooped up in his house and is innocent.

Dill and Scout wish to be married in the future. Their bond is very strong as Lee shows us, “Dill would reach up and kiss me when Kem was not looking, the longings we sometimes felt each other feel… With him, life was routine; without him, life was unbearable” (116). This time is very hard for Scout. She is having to deal with Dills absence, her brother wanting to distance himself, classmates and even Ms. Dubose making rude comments about how Atticus was defending a “N*****”, and of course Arthur Radley! Scout is holding strong through this period so far. I am eager to see what happens with Dill and Scout as well as the trio and Arthur Radley. I believe that the rude comments about Atticus will continue, however, due to the segregation and racism continuing in this time period of course.

Mrs. Dubose (10-12)

Mrs. Dubose is what is portrayed as a typical southern woman in To Kill a Mocking Bird. Atticus has chosen to defend a black man in court, and action condemned by the majority of his neighbors, and even some of his family has turned against him. Every time Atticus passes by Mrs. Dubose she ridicules him, and declares that he is a horrible person for defending a “nigger” in court, even when Atticus is with Jem and Scout. Despite repeated warnings from Atticus, when Mrs. Dubose says that Atticus and his Children are as bad as “niggers”, Jem flips out, grabs a stick from Scout, and begins to smash all of Mrs. Dubose’s Camelia Bushes. In response to this Atticus decides that Jem must go to Mrs. Dubose’s house every day for a month and read to her. Each time Jem Reads to her he reads to her longer and longer, but at the end of each session Mrs. Dubose acts very strangely. Around a month after Jem’s punishment is over, Mrs. Dubose dies. Atticus tells Jem that the reading was part of Mrs. Dubose’s effort to combat her Morphine Addiction, and effort that ended up successful. Atticus gives Jem a white camlia flower, that was a gift from Mrs. Dubose. It shows a great deal for Atticus that he is willing to aid someone who is very mean and nasty to him and his children, and that he is willing to punish one of his loved ones, so that someone who hates him can have a nice life, however short it may be.

Quote (Ch5-9)

“Then whose blanket is that?” (Harper 71).

So this quote is about how Scout was watching the fire and how they didn’t realize that Boo Radley put a blanket over their shoulder.  I think that this proves exactly what my point is when I say that they’re arrogant people. Even if Boo Radley comes out of his house, they won’t even pay the slightest attention to what’s going on.  I don’t see why they have to make such a big deal out of something that is so insignificant.  I guess they were too captivated to notice what was really going on.  So they shouldn’t be taking too much of their time on that. Obviously, something is going to happen with Boo Radley.  His house plays such an important role in the story and when they keep going to it, they’re expressing their interest in what is going on.  Bt I don’t think that they will care that much when they meet Boo Radley. And I’m pretty sure that Boo Radley doesn’t give the slightest care if they want to meet him.  In the end, I think that they will try to break in to his house.  And I think that’s wrong.