Respond to two of the following prompts in 2 separate posts of 4+ sentences each. At least one of your posts must be a response to a classmate’s post. You will get extra credit for extra posts.
- Bravery
Scout narrates, “It was times like these when I thought my father, who hated guns and had never been to any wars, was the bravest man who ever lived” (134). What times are these? From this quote, how do you think Scout would define bravery? Are there other moments in the book that exemplify this type of bravery?
- Climbing into someone’s skin:
Atticus has told his children to try to see situations from others’ perspectives. Try to look at this chapter from Mrs. DuBose’s perspective. Can you excuse her behavior in any way? If so, how? If not, why not?
- Analyze the significance of one of these literary devices:
Mrs. Dubose calls Jem and Scout “the sassiest, most disrespectful mutts who ever passed her way” and also says that “A lovelier lady than our mother never lived” (133).
“Two geological ages later, we heard the soles of Atticus’s shoes scrape the front steps” (138).
- Explain the significance of one or both of these quotes:
Atticus says, “This case, Tom Robinson’s case, is something that goes to the essence of a man’s conscience–Scout, I couldn’t go to church and worship God if I didn’t try to help that man” (139).
Atticus says, “[B]efore I can live with other folks I’ve got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience” (140).
- Scout’s narration:
Some critics contend that Scout narrates with the perspective of a child experiencing the story but with the style of an adult reflecting on her childhood. Examine one of the following lines (or another one from the chapter) to explain how it reveals Scout (the child)’s innocence as well as Scout (the reflective adult narrator)’s command of language. How does the contrast in perspective create humor?
“Having developed my talent to where I could throw up a stick and almost catch it coming down, I had caused Calpurnia to deny me entrance to the house every time she saw me with a stick in my hand” (134).
“What Jem did was something I’d do as a matter of course had I not been under Atticus’s interdict, which I assumed included not fighting horrible old ladies” (137).
“I hated him for that, but when you are in trouble you become easily tired: soon I was hiding in his lap and his arms were around me” (139).
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Form that quote Scouts defenition of bravery is quite clear. Her defenition is standing up for what you belevie in no matter what. Atticus is defending a black man because he knows it’s right and he continues to defend him even though he is harassed and looked down upon by others because of it. Harper Lee wrote”Your father’a no better than the and trash he works for!”(Lee 135). Atticus is clearly being looked down on because of his descsion but he is brave and stands by it. (I left the n word put of the quote because I feel it shouldn’t be used and I don’t feel comfortable using it even if I’m just typing a quote)
I agree with Sam especially becuase I mentioned the exact same thing in one of the earlier posts. Scout defines bravery by sticking up for what she believes in. As people insult Atticus more the more eager to fight people. She is brave in a violent way which most people don’t consider to be brave. As the readers we can see why she is so upset but down of the townspeople don’t understand her.
Bravery
Scout is talking about how her father is brave in defending Tom Robinson. Since Atticus is a good person and know his morals, he does what’s right and defends him. Even though Tom is black, he still defends him because Atticus knows its right. Atticus is being brave because most of the other Maycomb people would not defend him because he is black.
I agree with Elise that Scout believes her father is brave for defending Tom Robinson. To build on her idea, Atticus has out others before himself. He knows his morals and knows that the right thing to do is to defend someone who he believes is innocent. He does this against all odds, and despite what others think of him.
No doubt about it Atticus is very brave for defending Toms Robinson, when he believes that they aren’t going to win. Also Scout is brave for sticking up for her dad, but also obedient than ignores the awful comment made about Atticus like he told her. Even after telling her that the town folks are their friends, which I couldn’t believe he could still be friendly, even after the mean comments.
Elise made a good point by saying that Scout thinks Atticus is brave for defending Tom Robinson. Atticus is old and wise so he know that is the right thing to do to defend Tom. To build on Elise’s point, I think that he is also defending Tom because he supports African American people. He trusts them and accepts them unlike any other people around this time.
I agree with Elise. Atticus is taking a really big risk taking this Tom Robinson case in his hands. The town has a strong opinion about Atticus’s actions which causes him to be brave. This trial could potentially change everyone’s opinions on him.
I don’t think that Mrs. Dubouse should talk to Jem and Scout the way that she does. I think that she should try and climb into Jem and Scout’s skin. Their perspective is that their father is the one defending a black man. Mrs. Dubose doesn’t know what it’s like for her father to be in that position.
Elise, I see your point that Mrs.Dubouse should try and feel Atticus’s position in life. However she had a terminal illness and was addicted to morphine. Morphine users are more prone to be neurotic, or have a slight personality disorder or side affects. Before she died she wanted to overcome her addiction. In the end she does feel sympathy for Jem because he was distracting her by reading.
Atticus tells Jem and Scout to try and see situations from others’ perspectives. In this chapter, Mrs. Dubose is unexplainably rude to the children. She calls them names such as “the sassiest, most disrespectful mutts who ever passed her way” (Lee 133). She also refers to Atticus as a “nigger-lover” on multiple occasions. Although Mrs. Dubose is sick, I don’t believe she has any reason to be rude and disrespectful to others. Even though she might be upset about her sickness, it isn’t an excuse to take it out on others. Mrs. Dubose should know better than to talk about and treat others in that manner.
Melinda has a very strong point and a lot of reasons to follow it up. I agree that Mrs. Dubose has no excuse for being so mean to the children. She should know to be easier on kids because they are still young. She should apologize for her actions and never do this again. I think everyone in town agrees that her actions are not okay and they are unexceptional.
Atticus is a good dad by telling his children to try to live in someone else’s skin. As far as Mrs DuBose’s drug problem that’s her own colt and everyone controls there own fate when it comes to making choises in life. The names like the “the sassiest little muts who ever pased her way” as she refers to the children ,is most likely because she is lost in her addiction and lonelyness. If I lived in the conditions she does because of her addiction we would act in the same manor.
I agree with Elise in saying Scout is proud of her father defending a black man. I think scout is realizing what it is to do the right thing in life . She is coming to the understanding that the right thing is not always the easy thing . She is starting to see that you need to stand up for what you believe in even if you stand alone . I also think that all of Atticus’s wise advice has a lot to do with Scout coming to these relisations .
(This has probably been allready typed but i have no other ideas so whatever here we go) Scout is saying that her Dad is the bravest of everybody, due to the fact that he is taking the court case for Tom Robinson. Since Atticus is loaded with morals, he’s the one that always does what’s right. That’s why he couldn’t kill the dog that had rabies. Also, i’m pretty sure the KKK is a thing that exists somewhere in this book’s universe, maybe that’s another reason why Scout is claiming that Atticus is brave?
Climbing into someone’s skin:
Atticus has told his children to try to see situations from others’ perspectives. Try to look at this chapter from Mrs. DuBose’s perspective. Can you excuse her behavior in any way? If so, how? If not, why not?
I could excuse her behavior because she is an addict so she is maybe tired of people saying unkind words to her. She does not deserve what she goes through. Yes she is in her old ages but she still should be treated equally and not just seen as a drug addict.
I agree with Christian. You could also justify her behavior by saying that she was raised that way. She was most likely raised stricter than Scout and Jem. When girls and boys had to dress and act certain ways. She was probably also raised to believe that African Americans were lower than white people. I’m not saying what she said was right, I’m just saying she’s only scared of the world around her changing so much.
Braver:
Scout narrates, “It was times like these when I thought my father, who hated guns and had never been to any wars, was the bravest man who ever lived” (134). What times are these? From this quote, how do you think Scout would define bravery? Are there other moments in the book that exemplify this type of bravery?
I think what Scout is trying to say here is that she knows that her dad is not into the other activities that the other dads are into. However, she knows that her dad is the most generous person in the world and one of the wisest as well. He would give you advice even if you did not want or desire any. He is also the bravest man because he knows that it does not take a man to shoot a gun or be tough to be brave.
I agree with Christian. I also think Scout thinks that Atticus is brave for defending Tom Robinson. Even though he knows that people are going to be cruel to Jem, Scout, and Atticus, he doesn’t let that stop him from defending Tom. Atticus is doing what is right to him and is not letting other people’s comments and opinions affect his decision.
Mrs. Dubose behavior can be excused. Atticus mentions that “… she’s is old and ill” (Lee 140). I think that Scout and Jem should try and see things from her perspective and understands she is ill and old. I think that Mrs. Dubose doesn’t know any better because she is old and ill so her behavior should be excused.
I agree with Cindy not only is Mrs. Dubose ill and old, but she must be lonely. The only person who stays with her is her caretaker. The loneliness she faces must cause her to be bitter. Her bitterness must push other people even further away.
Cindy has points with Mrs. Dubose being ill and old. Knowing how ill and old she is they know she can make mistakes but it doesn’t make it okay. When it comes down to it, I do not think Mrs. Dubose should be excused. No matter what mistakes you make or who you are, you must own up to it.
Atticus says “before I can live with other folks I’ve got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a persons conscience”(Lee 140). A person must be able to feel confident among him/her self before getting along with others. This goes along with the advice of you must fill yourself in another persons shoes. He must be able to understand himself to understand others.
Scott shows both childish and mature actions when she thought “what Jem did was something I’d do as a matter of course had I not been under Atticus’s interdict which I assumed included not fighting old ladies” (Lee 137). Scott wanted to act like Jem which shows immaturity. She choose not to because she wanted to 1) not be punished and 2) because she wanted to keep a good relationship with her father. These different perspectives have humor because she wanted to act like Jem but did not because she feared Atticus.
Scout sees her father as the bravest man when he steps us when no one will. An example of this is whenever Atticus passes her house he says, “Good evening, Mrs. Dubose! You look like a picture this evening” (Lee 133). Mrs. Dubose is know to be vicious, but Atticus acts like a gentleman to her despite how she has treated them. Another example is when Atticus shoots the dog. Everyone is hiding in their homes but Atticus accepts the challange and walks out into the middle of the street. I think Scout would describe bravery as facing the problem directly, possibly having to get phpysical if need be, despite the outcome.
I might actually see an excuse as to why Mrs. Dubose acts the way she does. She is old so when she was growing up things were different. Scout wearing overalls is unimaginable to Mrs. Dubose. When she was young girls would never wear pants because gender roles were probably very strong and it would not only seem unladylike, but maybe be even socially unacceptable. Also the way Jem and Scout address her. Jem and Scout address her casually, when she was was growing up she was probably taught to show the upmost respect towards her elders. That probably gets her angry to see the things she grew up with are now changing.
I agree with Maddie about how children were different in Mrs. Dubose’s time. Even though Maddie made good points, I don’t think that Mrs. Dubose was justified in being extremely rude to Jem and Scout. I think that Mrs. Dubose has to respect the differences between her generation and their generation. She has to accept the differences and not call children out on their mistakes. She also said something extremely offending to Jem and Scout about their own father, and that was uncalled for.
I see where Maddie is going, but I don’t think Mrs. Dubose’s actions were justified. Even though she grew up in a different time, that is not way to talk to children. She is the adult so she should know better. Everyone has a right to be different so if Scout wants to wear overalls instead of dresses, she can.
After Jem vandalized Mrs. Dubose’s yard and was waiting for Atticus to come home, Scout describes the time that Atticus comes home as “two geological years later” (Lee 138). The kids are obviously dreading the time that Atticus comes home because it seem like two years later. It seems like this because they know that Jem will be in a lot of trouble. When Atticus does come home, his shoes “scrape” against the floor, suggesting that the shoes made an unpleasant sound. The word scrape also has negative diction because Scout and Jem don’t want Atticus to punish Jem, so Scout is worried about what Atticus might do.
Scout narrates, “It was times like these when I thought my father, who hated guns and had never been to any wars, was the bravest man who ever lived” (134). Scout doesn’t understand that her father only uses weapons when he needs to. Atticus doesn’t like using weapons unless it’s in a time of need. Scout thinks is stepping up to things when you need to. Atticus doesn’t like shooting but in this case he had to.
I feel that Scouts narration is kind of funny because as she looks back at this time in life she is realizing how things really were. Just like when you look back to when your were little at the stupid or crazy things that happened. Sometimes you just need to look at things from different perspectives to really get it. (Little children look away) An example of this is the tooth fairy. When you were little you (probably) thought that if you put your lost tooth under your pillow the tooth fairy would come and give you money. As you look back at it you realize that it was just your parents and you feel a little silly for believing that there was a fairy that collected kids teeth and paid them for them.
I like Jason’s view on Scouts narration, it’s pretty funny. I agree with everything he says, it’s entertaining to read what Scout has to say. I miss thinking like a child and being naeve to the world and not having to worry about anything. Also believing everything that adults told you even if it was completely absurd you just trusted them.
Scout narrates, “It was times like these when I thought my father, who hated guns and had never been to any wars, was the bravest man who ever lived” (134). There was this time where chaos was everywhere and scout doesn’t understand that the neighborhood that she lives in maybe was not so peaceful. Scout would define bravery as beating up someone bigger than her, not resisting to fight for what they might believe in.
I agree with Haylee. Scout isn’t thankful for how protected her neighborhood is. Scout is very unthankful for things and takes things out on other people. For example when she tried to beat up Walter for no reason that’s her bravery in her mind. Scout doesmt understand Atticus is the most brave person in this story.
I don’t think that Mrs. Dubose should have called them that no matter what they did. She should try to look at things differently and look at them from their perspective. Calling anyone sassy is not okay if you do not know them that well. She should take the same advice from Atticus as Scout did about Ms. Caroline.
In the quote that Scout defines bravery, I think it’s true. Atticus is sticking up for the black man because he believes that it is the right thing to do. Even though he knows that he’s going to lose trying to defend him he feels as though this is the right thing to do for his self respect and justice. To be honest I would defend the man too, even though its risky because everyone in town looks at you badly its bravery. Atticus is brave to have the guts to stick up for what he believes in.
I agree with Sean. i think Atticus was also defending the man for self respect, not the kinda he gets from others, but the kind he grants himself. If Atticus didn’t defend the man to the best of his abilities, or just didn’t take the case, he would lose his respect for himself, because he’d be turning against his belief and just the overall way he carries himself. Scout thinks of bravery as concern for others and sticking up for what you believe in.
I don’t think Mrs. Dubose actions are justified. There is no reason why she has to talk to two little kids like that and use that kind of language. She is the adult in the situation and she should know better. What she says to them is rude and insulting.
Everyone has their beliefs and opinions and don’t see a problem with blurting out their opinions, because to the it’s the truth. I think this is happening with Mrs. Dubose, but that is the only excuse I can think of for her behavior, but no matter what Mrs. Dubose thought she was doing, I saw it as her antagonizing Scout and Jem because she has nothing better to do with her life. She is old, lonely, and claims to be sick, so I doubt she has very much to look forward to. I suppose that could be another excuse but it’s still wrong of her to get entertainment by insulting and angering people just to get a reaction out of them. Atticus makes a very good point when he points out that Scout and Jem should consider the other person’s perspective, but in this case, he was wrong to protect Mrs. Dubose. She disrespected Atticus, harassed Scout and Jem, and then pushed em to the breaking point.
Scout sees bravery as people sticking up for each other. They always stick up for each other no matter who they are where they are and what color skin they have. It is about having pride for yourself in what you do and when you do no matter what. Also not walking away from something If anything happens
Scout see her dad as being brave. Atticus is defending a black man and he knows that the he will lose. He is still going to defend him because he has morals and doesn’t care about skin color. Atticus will take on any case as a challenge showing he is brave