“Maybe he doesn’t have anywhere to run off to…” (Ch13-16)

In this section, Dill asks Scout why Boo Radley never left his house or Maycomb. In this case, we see the citizens as “stuck” because of such a profound ancestry. Even if they could have left, they don’t have anywhere to go. The people are so affected by evil, which they mistakenly start to inflict it on others. Dill remains affected by the cruelty he sees in Boo Radley. Dill is a prime example of innocence, threatened by the concept of racism and neglect. Maybe that’s why he can relate himself to other people because he sees part of himself in them. You don’t really see the reason why people act the way they do. Therefore, you don’t understand the reason why people hate blacks or the other way around. We are not given a substantial reason as to why Maycomb is the way it is, but we can start to see it as the real theme in the book. Even the innocent, is still conquered by evil. We don’t know why, but it just is.

Seeing in Black and White (Ch17-20)

In this section of the book, we see the indifference presented with Dill, Scout, and Jem. We can solely represent them as innocent figures in the wicked town of Maycomb. With the Tom Robinson trial, the children sit in the “colored” section. I would like to point out how the court is separated. Even though this country is supposed to be united, we still see the existence of segregation and how people are still “separate and not equal.” Therefore, we are presented with a racist judge and a biased jury. Everything is different in Maycomb. Even the language and church is separated, just because “whites” can not distinguish their ignorance for which they throw upon blacks. Maycomb is filled with so much history; the town is “too white and too black.” People are affected by evil. They only see in black and white. When, consequently, they need to see in color, which will help them see the brighter side of things. Tom Robinson will not win the trial, even when he is innocent. This is due to the color of his skin. We see how even the innocent is still preceded after evil. During the cross-examination, Dill and Scout have to leave the courtroom because Dill started to cry. The town of Maycomb, a historical place, is still trapped in the past. It hasn’t developed or progressed. Cruelty is presented with such clarity in the Tom Robinson trial, which we start to believe that evil does conquer all.

The Trial (17-20)

One thing that struck me about the trial was the fact that Atticus is accusing Bob Ewell of the crime. From what Atticus has presented in court it is almost 100% clear that Bob Ewell was the one who beat Mayella and not Tom Robinson. At first I wondered how any sane jury could ignore this evidence, and then I realized that this jury was not completely sane, and that it was likely that everyone on the Jury had been blinded and brainwashed there whole life with white supremest beliefs. I also found it very strange that a white man, just because he was white could blame a black man for a crime he committed, and then make it much more serious, just so that he would not get in trouble for beating his daughter, and depending upon her age he may not have even got in trouble for the beating. It is my sincere hope that through Atticus’ superior debating, and the production of convincing evidence that Tom Robinson will be cleared of this crime, and that Bob Ewell will be charged, although I know my hopes to be false and that this will not happen, and that Tom Robinson will be convicted and subsequently sentenced to electrocution via The Chair.

Running Away Image (Ch13-16)

I choose this picture as Dill ran away from his new home and “family” in Meridian. After getting married again, his newly founded family has not been paying enough attention to him. Here, I choose a zebra which gained enough speed (with the motorcycle) to escape the large cat which would eat him. The large cat represents the neglect his family is now showing him. Dill is becoming a bigger character as we progress in this story. I think one day Scout and Dill will be together as they want to be. This picture can also represent that racism in the book (along with Tom Robinson) especially if he motorcycle crashes.

–Shane Haddad

Dill Runs Away (Ch13-16)

In this section of the book, we see that Dill runs away from Meridian back to Maycomb. I think this represents the changes and also the love between the two (Scout and Dill) will not fade. Dill told Scout and Jem what he was enduring. This shows that sometimes when people get married again after having children, they may stop paying attention to the son. This is exactly what Dill is going through in this section. At first, I thought Dill would be gone for a long time. My prediction was somewhat wrong as he is now back. During this section, we also learn about Alexandra and how she basically tells Atticus that he is bringing shame to the Finch name. I think this was a misjudgment on her part as it is all a part of racism. A lot of the people in this book are too ignorant to understand that racism and neglect is bad. This relates back to Dill and how he ran away. I think further in the story we will see more develop with Dill as well as racism and etc. Dill is becoming a bigger and bigger character throughout this story and I think we will begin to see more soon.

–Shane Haddad

Mature Decisions (Ch13-16)

When Atticus goes into town, his children follow, along with Dill. Atticus was sitting in front of the Maycomb jail reading a newspaper. It seems that his presence there has not gone unnoticed. Four cars drive out and park near the jail. When Scout runs out of his hiding place, it shows that he is still an adolescent at heart. He has not grown up yet because he is still incapable of making his own decisions. Another point would be to mention the fact that Atticus is starting to develop into a more dominant character. He shows that he is a good parent Scout finds that Dill ahs run away from home. He refused to part from the front of the jail door when the mob members ask him to. The real character that is starting to mature more is Jem. He does not listen to his father’s attempt to persuade him to go home. I believe that Jem does not want to leave his father’s sight in case something serious happens. The mob members do not pose a threat to him. His maturity makes an impression on Scout. Scout, however, lacks the maturity as he is found conversing with Mr. Cunningham during such an intense situation. In this case, when Jem told Atticus about Dill running away, Jem “rose and broke the remaining code of out childhood.” He is now looked at as a traitor. Symbolically, this marks the transition where Jem is starting to progress into an adult.

The Confrontation 13-16

In the confrontation, Atticus is sitting in front of the Maycomb Jail reading his newspaper, his children are spying on him and 4 cars pull up. The group from the car is presumebly there to lynch Tom Robinson, they tell Atticus to move, but he refuses, the situation starts to get tense, until Scout comes and diffuses the situation. Atticus did not know it but the whole time he had a friend with a shotgun above them. The confrontation in front of the Maycomb Jail says a few things about everyone involved. It says that Scout and Jem care greatly for their father, it also shows Scout’s inquisitive nature, and Jem’s Stubbornness. It reveals that Atticus is not one to be bullied, and that he is willing to defend the rights of others at great personal risk. It shows that Watler Cunningham is willing to do anything to get his way, but he still has certain limits, such as involving children. It also says that Atticus still has people on his side in the city, and that not everyone is against him, such as the newspaper editor. The main things The Confrontation shows you is that while the south is potrayed as negative, everyone there isnt, and that although some people may be negative in some aspects they still have positive parts to them.

Needle and the Damage Done – Neil Young (10-12)

First of all, when i did this Mixpod wasnt working so theres a second player for this song, Imeem only allows 30 second clips of songs, if you want to listen to entire song you can click on the link in the player.

This song is called needle and the damage done, it is about the danger and damage that substance abuse can cause. Morphine is a drug that can be injected through a needle, which is part of the reason i chose this song. In the book Mrs. Dubose is trying to escape her addiction to morphine, and Jem’s punishment is to help her get over this addiction by reading to her, although he only does this grudgingly and is still mad at her when he finds out she was addicted to morphine. In the song some of the people the singer sees dies, and he has damage caused to himself by drugs. I believe that part of the reason Mrs. Dubose is always so angry is because she is addicted to morphine, and if she never became addicted to morphine she would be a much nicer person.

Quote “She’s dead, son. She died a few minutes ago.” (Ch10-12)

“She’s dead, son. She died a few minutes ago” (Harper 110).

They had not seen Mrs. Dubose for over a month. I think that it really starts becoming more mysterious when she dies all of a sudden. It’s imperative to know that there will probably be more people that will eventually become deceased. As they describe her in the book as the bravest person they knew, I don’t believe it. When Atticus lies to his kids, I think that it becomes more inconsistent with how young they are to be dealing with these issues. That’s why they are so prone to such lies. Mrs. Dubose was such a brave person. And the way Atticus responds to her death is such a pity because she doesn’t deserve that. She doesn’t deserve to be dead in vain. Her intentions were good and even though she’s not present in the town anymore, people will still live in memory of her.

Black Church (Ch10-12)

For this section, I choose a picture of an old church which was only for black people. In the later part of this section, we see Calpurnia take Jem and Scout to the black church. At first, one of the church-goers tells Cal that the children should go to a while church. Eventually, the Reverend said that they are welcome as they are still children of God or something to that effect.

This shows that the racism is almost one sided in this time period. This, as we know, is a racially segregated time period and this represents that. I am almost positive that if Calpurnia was white and the children were black, they wouldn’t have been allowed in the church at all. Even if they were allowed in, the entire town most likely would have been furious. This picture also sheds a little light on the Tom Robinson case which Atticus, the towns best lawyer (who is white), is defending. There is also a lot of prejudice towards this fact as well.