Chapters 1-9
- Syd Sschoen
- Mar 1, 2018
- 3 min read
First Impressions
At first glance, I was intrigued by the characters and their interactions within such a familiar setting. The setting (Maycomb, Alabama) seems cozy, entrancing the reader and causing them to yearn for more. It's got a similar vibe to the setting of The Watsons Go To Birmingham, which also takes place in Alabama. The narration of the story can be a bit dull at times, since the narrator is not a child like majority of the main characters. Usually, having a narrator who parallels the main characters is the most enticing form of narration, largely because it allows their thoughts and feelings to be portrayed from a personal, in-the-moment perspective. However, the narrator of To Kill A Mockingbird is still talented in their own way of storytelling, adding a sense of charm to the rowdy story.
“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.” (pg. 30)
Blind to the Lives of Others
In class, we've been discussing the unknown definition of having a "secret life," along with what it means to live secretly. Our inability to feel, hear, or see the thoughts of others tends to put us at a disadvantage when it comes to empathy, making humans (along with basically any other living creature) extremely egotistical, and in many cases, utterly ignorant to those around us. This article by Mark D. White, PhD in Psychology Today does a great job of explaining some of the science behind why living things can't seem to "understand" each other, and the reasons behind our loyalty to our egos rather than to others.
My personal opinion on the matter runs along the lines of Brent Staples' experiences and/or ideologies: one's "secret life" is not one that others can see, but they can perceive it if they have the capability. It all happens in the mind, and how others see a person is most likely completely different from how that person thinks of themselves. How the person thinks of themselves is their "secret life" For instance, Staples was an innocent guy in his own mind, but the way others perceived him gave him the label of "threat," thus implying the opposite of what he thinks of himself.
Atticus Analysis
In class, I was selected to analyze the character Atticus Finch. Atticus is the father of the two main characters, Jem and Scout. He works as a lawyer and is known as well as criticized for defending African-Americans in court. He raises his children on his own (alongside Calpurnia, the chef), shaping them as they grow up with his strong morals and dry humor. Atticus's main conflict has to do with his defending Tom Robinson, a "Negro" of whom the rest of the town of Maycomb has racial prejudice against. The quote above the previous section, Blind to the Lives of Others, is by Atticus: “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.” This quote sums up Atticus's morals for the most part and acts as an explanation as to why he goes against the wishes of his community by defending a black man in court. It shows that Atticus is an empathetic soul who can see past the prejudice society at this time had built up.
The Discussion
During this past discussion, my group went into depth about the roll that Dill, Scout and Jem's friend, plays in the story, along with Atticus's trial, the fire at Miss Maudie's house, and the hole in the tree as well as the items found within it. The most intriguing part of our discussion was our conversation about how Dill isn't nearly as frightened of Boo Radley as the rest of the town. It may be because he comes from a different area, or because he's young and curious. Either way, he has a sense of courage that seeps into the impressionable minds of Jem and Scout. This is what builds the story - without Dill, there would be little to no plot, since majority of the plot consists of Jem, Scout, and Dill trying to communicate with Boo Radley in some way or another. Next discussion, it would be great if we went back to this topic and elaborated/altered our ideas based on the new chapters that we've read, answering questions such as "Does Dill have a secret life?" and "How has the community of Maycomb and/or its residents changed over the course of the book due to Dill's presence?"
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