I would like to take a moment to share a couple of students’ reflections from their reading, thus far, of To Kill a Mockingbird. Students were encouraged to “include inferences, connections, roadblocks, and/or an analysis of rhetorical/literary devices” in their reflections. Enjoy!
In To Kill A Mockingbird, there were many roadblocks that I met when I first started reading. The first one I met was the old slang and language used. A lot of times, in dialogue, Harper Lee wrote in the tone and slang of the character imagined. When I understood the slang, it added a lot of effect, but when I didn’t, I was extremely confused.
Language used in some cases was also very confusing for me. A term I also questioned in my “burning question” for chapter one was the use of “my senior” or “my junior.” I theorized that this was used as a comparison for age, but didn’t exactly figure it out.
A character I can really relate to is Scout. Scout is the youngest girl in the family and I know how that is because I’m also the youngest girl in my family. I can relate to her mostly because she is very inquisitive and is outgoing. She’s always being kicked out and shooed away by her older brother because of her age. She never means any harm but somehow manages to get in trouble. I like her a lot as a character right now, but I don’t know what will happen later on in the book.
Although I like the Finch family, I really want to know about the Radleys. I’m interested in how each Radley is and if they’re actually vicious and scary like people assume. Right now I feel like the story is kind of dry, but I can tell something interesting is coming.
One character I didn’t like was Miss Caroline. She was very traditional and I don’t think she was fit to be a teacher. I know that the teaching system was different in the time the book was set and hitting children with rulers and putting them in a corner was probably common, but she came off as rude and close-minded. I liked that Scout would keep standing up to her because it shows Scout’s bravery and true character.
Scout is also very inquisitive, as I stated before, and when she found the gum in the tree, I didn’t really understand why that was included. The situation was never brought up again (so far) and has had no significance to any of the characters from the book. I thought that one of the Radleys would come out and find them taking it, but nothing happened and the gum was perfectly fine.
I think the Indian coins might be brought up as an important factor later on, and the fact that Scout finding the gum wrapper led to that, makes that situation significant. Hopefully, something interesting will rise from one of the two of those situations.
One last question I have is this; how does the book deal with racism? So far, the only racism is the fact that the Finches have a slave, but the slave has no significance to the story. I predict that the Radleys will be black, but it hasn’t been mentioned yet. Surely, this book will deal with better themes within the next five chapters and beyond. – Jenna D.
I am very curious to find out who Boo Radley is and what role he plays in the book. I forget if it explains why they call him ‘Boo’, but I think they call Boo because he lives in that house like a ghost. I feel like he or his dad put the gum in the tree to try to be nice to Scout and Jem. Also, I understand that the children think that the house and the people in it are creepy, but what makes them so creepy? If they never come out of the house, how will the Radleys hurt the children?I am curious to find out more about Boo Radley, his family, and his life.
I have a question about Calpurnia. This book takes place in the ‘50s, ‘60s, right? That would mean slavery is outlawed. However, Atticus said that they were very poor. If Calpurnia helps them out in the house, but she’s not a slave, then wouldn’t she have to be paid? Why would you keep around the cook if you’re poor? Anyway, I really like Calpurnia. She is very stern, but she also is very educated. I wonder what her role will be later in the book.
Dill seems like a cool and mischievous kid. A couple of my friends have read this book before, and they said that Dill was annoying. So far I think he’s pretty okay, but I want to know where that opinion came in. I wouldn’t be surprised if he does something really stupid later in the book. Or maybe he is that one character whose sole purpose is to be annoying and end up screwing everything up.
The only reason I don’t loathe Miss Caroline is because we share the same name. Also, it seems like she is under a lot of pressure. When it said that she put her head at the of the chapter I felt bad for her, unlike Scout. I can understand why she would be frustrated. The book said that she was only 21, so this had to be her first year teaching, and she was already yelled at on her first day. However, I thought that is was completely ridiculous that she got mad at Scout for being able to read! As a teacher, she should be impressed that one of her students is already intelligent enough to read and write. This just goes to show how learning has improved over the last 50 years. Nowadays, students who are above their level are more challenged and congratulated for being above the expectations. If Miss Caroline wanted to be miffed at Scout for being smarter than her expectations, that’s fine. But slapping her hands and sending he to the corner was wrong! Furthermore, wouldn’t it be better to have a student that was above the expectations? That way you could focus on the students who actually need help, rather than trying to bring down the excelling students. One less person you have to teach! Lastly, how is learning to read a different way better? If you can look at the words on a page and comprehend them, congratulations! You passed! That is my opinion, and it looks like the only thing Miss Caroline and I have in common is our name. – Caroline G.
I want to thank 10th graders Jenna D. and Caroline G. for their candor in their entries, and their willingness to share their work. Thank you Ladies!
Be First to Comment