WEEK 4 ENGLISH HOMEWORK

A reflective response to chapters 9- 11 A few weeks have passed since Mrs Dubose died and Jem has had some time to think about the events of the last few months. In role as Jem, write a response in which you reflect on these events and what they mean. Post to your blog by Thursday 4 pm.

It's changin' now; the way I viewed things as a young boy, it's all changin'. Things are happenin' differently, and I have more of a responsibility now, more of a expectation to behave as any gentleman would I s'pose. We got toy rifles for Christmas from Atticus, which is what Scout and I had hoped for. We also learned that Atticus used to be the best shot in Maycomb - gavin' to take down a mad dog. I gotta watch out for little Scout, these past weeks have really put her patience to test. She's not quite old, or mature, enough to understand the situation that Atticus is in, defendin' the Negroes, and why everyones reactin' so harshly. She's not a wimp, I'll give ya that, and she'll fight anyone who ever said a bad word about uz - so it's partly my job to help her control that, she can't keep carryin' on like this. But it was only ever other kids, at school or cousins, that'd say nasty things about uz, calling uz nigger-lovers and sayin Atticus was givin the family a bad name. When Mrs. Dubose, the old lady in our neighbourhood started saying' it too, worse even, that's when it began to get to me too. She was nasty, she was cold and she didn't give care one bit about what she was actually saying' and how it waz upsetting uz. I did my best to control it, but a few wrong words and I'd lost it. She'd gone too far, and I took it even further - cuttin' down her prized flowers and ruinin' em. Of course, there was a punishment, and Atticus was real disappointed. I read to her every day, Scout by my side. I hated every minute of it. She was boring and rude and never satisfied. But what I didn't realise then was how strong Mrs Dubose was, she was fighting the battle of her life. If I'd had known it, I wouldn't have been so tough on her, but how was I expected to realise? And I gotta admit, at times, I found her with a grin on her face every now and then when I was reading' to er. Mrs Dubose died later that month, and I waz glad I read to her while she still her, it made me feel kind of good, rewarded inside. Atticus always said Mrs Dubose was a brave woman. I never thought it. I thought of her as cranky and rude and mean. But, she was, indeed very brave. Brave because she was passionate about what she believed in. She viewed things from a different angle than what others did and she never let anyone tell her otherwise. She fought her illness, and found the courage to stop relying on the morphine - she fought every step of the way, even though she knew she waz gonna die. I think that's what Atticus was getting at - that real courage comes from denying giving-up, to keep trying, to stand for what you believe in. Because of this I guess, Atticus thought of her az the bravest woman that ever lived.  

ENGLISH HOMEWORK T3WK3 - TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

The first eight chapters of to "Kill a Mockingbird" focus largely on the story of the children trying to make Boo Radley come out. List all of the events in this story including those which show the reader that Boo actually has come out. Now write a section in Atticus’s journal on the night after the fire at Miss Maudie’s house. How would Atticus reflect on the events that have happened? Post to your blog by 8.20 am Friday.

EVENTS SHOWING BOO RADLEY HAS COME OUT: 

1. A shutter in the house moves as Jem approaches the Radley house

2. Presents start to appear in the Radley oak tree: Tinfoil sticking out of a hole in one of the Radleys’ oak trees with two pieces of chewing gum + two old “Indian-head” pennies hidden in the same place+ ball of grey twine + two soap figure + spelling bee medal + old pocket watch

3. Scout hits the house whilst rolling in the tyre and hears laughter

4. Jem's pants mysteriously mended and folded neatly over the fence

5. The blanket that was draped over Scout

Atticus's journal 

Well, today was surely an eventful one. It was just past one this morning when we started to hear the commotion on the street, including the high pitched siren that came blaring round the curb. It was dear little Miss Maudie's house, it was alight, flakes of fire ravishing the house away and crawling up to the roof. I woke the children and told them to gather their coats, trying to be as calm and collected as possible as to avoid scaring them. I instructed them to wait in front of the Radley's house whilst I helped at the scene. There was already a crowd in front of the house, along with the firemen, and I didn't want the children being caught up in the anarchy. So, I left the children in safety, and accompanied the other men in helping to remove the furniture from Miss Maudie's humble abode. 

By dawn, the commotion at Miss Maudie's had calmed itself, and the fire was controlled, but my heart went out to her. She was a good, kind, strong woman - she was dealing with the situation very well, but she was still of course shaken and a little distraught. I met the children where I had left them, and took them home for hot chocolates to warm them up, it was cold and icy outside from the snow. As we sat before the fire pit it occurred to me the blanket draped over Scout's shoulders - it hadn't been there before, and the children had told me they did not leave where I had asked them to stay. I don't think Scout was first aware of it being there either, the children were probably too encompassed by the trouble at the fire. From then Jem started motoring away about the gifts they had found in the trees, and his sewn pants. He assured me it was probably the work of Nathan Radley, but I had my own idea that perhaps the man behind this all was Arthur. It somewhat affected the children I should say that though - it beats me - but they have this wrenching fear of Boo Radley. I think it's all talk to be honest, rumours being snowballed as the years pass. The Radley's are not bad people, they're just a bit misunderstood and judged too quickly if you ask me. No one knows enough about them to go around saying what they believe is true. I hope the children will come to realise this someday soon.