Amanda+&+Claire

Begin your conversation here. Click on the EDIT button to begin writing. Always type the date at the top of your chat for that day.  **February 18, 2009

I really like Scout. I find her very funny and you can tell she is young, but she has a big vocabulary for a five year old. One of the things that she says is on page 6 when she says "Mrs. Dubose was plain hell." Her town is a little weird i think because the all have such strong labels and it doesn't seem like you are able to change that label. For example when Scout is explaining Walter to Miss Caroline on page 20. Also it seems like Atticus is very distant and isn't home much.**    **2.18.09

well i think scout is talking about her past as an adult and that's why her vocab is so big and intricate for a five year old. wait maybe she's six?? anyways the town is just really tight knit as far as i can tell. i mean, everyone knows everybodys business, especially Miss Stephanie Crawford. She kind of reminds me of the show Gossip Girl because she's always telling everyone what she knows about things but it isn't always wrong but not always right. t makes me think about maybe we're not as different from people back then as we think we are because we still kind of think the same and do the same things sometimes ** **February 18, 2009

I think we may still be the same in certain parts of our country, but things are definitly different. First off there is not racism, maybe there is a little from people especially in the south, but we as a country have moved forward. Not to sound like a nerd or anything. Also history is a much bigger deal to them. Anyway my dad was telling me how many lawyers aspire to be like Atticus, but we haven't really seen anything exciting with him except for he doesn't really like being a lawyer and he is busy a lot. I don't know if Scout is sad that he is distant or that she excepted it or what. I feel like that will be furtherly explained.**


 * 2.18.09

claire he is definately not distant. hes there every night and he helps scout practice reading and teaches them life lessons and is really nice. even when they were talking about boo radley it says that his dad was his lawyer and he helped him out when he didnt even know him. and he didn't ask mr. cunningham for money because he knew he didn't have it, but hes still a really nice guy. you know?? **


 * February 18, 2009

He is distant because on page 17 when Miss Caroline says that Scout's dad should stop teaching her how to read Scout makes it a big deal that he didn't teach her and Culpurnia did. I got the impression that he is very busy and doesn't spend that much time with his kids.**


 * 3.1.09

Hey Claire! well since you were sick we have to do this discussion now when i could be playing super mario galaxy! so..lets get started **
 * March 1, 2009 **


 * Since you are a freak I guess I start the conversation. So from chapters 6-10 I realized that Atticus is not at all distant. He may be busy, but he is still a big part of Scout's life. So you were right, but I am still trying to figure out if Jem and Scout are racist. What do you think? **

**um, we only have to write the date once...but whatever. i dont think Scout and Jem are racist. i mean, in that time where they lived, everybody kind of look down upon black people. but jem and scout know they shouldn't and think that distinguishes them from everyone else around them (besides atticus of course). i think the finches are a lot different from everybody else in maycomb, and that since they are different, they are ridiculed by people. like for example ms. dubose. im not sure if she was in chapters 6-10 but she always critisized atticus because he was different. I think around those times it was hard to be an...outcast. you know what im sayin? (: ** **March 1, 2009**

**<span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 255);">i dont think Dill is black. cause he doesn't talk like he is, and i dont think black kids are allowed to be foster children and dill is always moving from parents to parents. also, on page...90, it says, "Cal says she's been cussing fluently for a week, now." so she says the n word but shes just going through a phase i think. k your turn! ps: ms clark gave us this half sheet of paper when you were sick with idea discussions on it; i would like to discuss one of these two: why does atticus take on the trial? why might the passage about atticus and the rifle be in the book? OR a lot is coming up about scout and womanhood, or what is expected of women and girls. what do you make of this? ...you like?? ** <span style="color: rgb(244, 108, 175);">**March 1, 2009**
 * I do think that the Finches are different from the rest of Maycomb, but Scout still says the n word, but that might be because people at her school say it. Also i think that Ms. Maudie is not racist. Is it just me or did you think that Dill was black too? I don't know whenever i think of Dill i always picture Buckwheat from Little Rascals with no hair.**

<span style="color: rgb(244, 108, 175); font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**<span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 255);">ahhh claire dont mention the mockingbird part that is not in chap 6-10!!! anyways. his name is tom robinson you silly. atticus definately knows that tom isnt guilty, and of course the ewells are such jerks they know its not true either they are just trying to put him in jail cause they hate black people. they quote you said is totally what i think too because atticus is an honest person whos just really nice and obviously he wants to do the right thing, and even if the town hates him its the right thing to do. at this point even his family is being rude to him about it but he knows what hes supposed to do and hes gonna get it done. but do you think that if anyone else was the lawyer, they would go thru with it??
 * I still think that Dill is black. Anyway I think that Atticus takes on the trial because he is against racism and he knows that the guy did not do it. I think that he feels he owes it to Robert (is that his name i have no idea) and to himself to be fair. He may be doing the trial for many reasons, but the biggest is probably for his kids so that they know what is right and wrong. On page 75 he says why he is doing it. "The main one is, if I didn't I couldn't hold up my head in town, I couldn't represent this county in the legislature, I couldn't even tell you or Jem not to do something again." Also that whole shooting the dog thing was weird and maybe it will mean something later, but right now I just find it odd. Lastly on page 90 they talk about killing a mocking bird and how it is a sin to kill one. I think that this is the message of the book and it is asking why would you want to kill something that only does good and i think that is another reason Atticus is doing the trial.**

<span style="color: rgb(244, 108, 175);">March 1, 2009

Crazy lady the mockingbird is totally in chapter 10 so i am right and you need to look at your book more. Anyway i now know his name but i was close enough. I don't think any lawyer in Maycomb at least would do the court, but maybe in a different town, but we can't prove that. And i really don't like Aunt Alexandria or the little boy. I am quite glad Scout punched him, but that didn't really help much. Anyway Uncle Jack is my favorite, but he hasn't really contributed much. Also when Ms. maudie was talking about how Atticus used to be good at shooting and then he stopped i feel like maybe he used to be a troublesome boy and then he shot someone or something and that made him feel bad and now he is serious. Did you get that too?? ****<span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 255);">im not really sure how "ol one shot" fits into this book. maybe your right, atticus was such a different person as a kid, and scout and jem really dont know much about him. but what if showing that..atticus really isnt who we think he is, that hes actually just a character that we cant trust, because of his past?

<span style="color: rgb(244, 108, 175);">March 1, 2009

If we can't trust Atticus that would be really sad!! I would probably cry because that would mean the world would fall apart! Anyway i think we can trust him i just think he has a past, but i think he has learned and is different now. Like Serena from gossip girl (there is not going to be a new one this week again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) Anyway Atticus is one of the only steady characters, but the book would fall apart if we couldn't trust him. ****<span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 255);">ok well maybe we can trust him. i was just trying to think of it from a different angle... but i think that if this were our life now, things would play out kind of differently. i feel like atticus is a special person who many people wish they could be like, because he was really good qualites. hes a good father, a nice lawyer, and generally a good person. but in life today, if this were a different situation (because we dont have as much racism now), i dont think a lawyer would be as nice and willing to help someone as atticus. if it was to defend like..a person from asia who married someone in the US so they could stay here, people might have like prejudice about that. ok..that was a horrible example but it was all i could come up with.

<span style="color: rgb(244, 108, 175);">March 1, 2009

Yes i agree and GOODBYE! have fun with your super mario galaxy even though you haven't read at all. THAT IS OKAY!!!! i will go now bye:) ****<span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 255);">3.3.09

heyyyyyyyyy claire! **

****<span style="color: rgb(244, 108, 175);">Hey! Cool question. ** ** ****<span style="color: rgb(244, 108, 175);">Earlier in the book when the men come to Atticus's house to ask Atticus questions Atticus says he knows he didn't do it. Also he says that he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he didn't do the trial so that must mean T. R. is innocent, but in court it doesn't seem like he is. Atticus's left hand thing makes me think that Mr. Ewell is guilty, but i will be interested to know what Mayella says. ** ** ****<span style="color: rgb(244, 108, 175);">I don't like Mr. Ewell. Why would he hurt his daughter and randomly blame it on someone else. In chapter 17 Scout explains how Mr. Ewell thought he was better. Anyway what do you think Ms. Dubose and Boo Radley have to do with this? ** ** ****<span style="color: rgb(244, 108, 175);">I think that the Mrs. Dubose was to show that bad things can happen when you use things wrong. Also she brought up the whole courage thing, she was more of a set up. I think that the message of the book was that people kill innocent and happy things that only bring joy for no reason. That is why the book is called to kill a mockingbird and the trial relates to that message that Mr. Ewell is just doing bad things to T. R. and for no reason at all except to make sure that the racism continues. It is pointless and stupid. But i do feel like the first part of the book is important. i don't think the Ewells and Radleys have an evil plan to take over the world. Boo is still innocent and a boy and his dad killed his life kind of. **
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(244, 108, 175);">March 3, 2009
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 255);">funny, claire. anyways. i was wondering...who do you think did the crime? or didnt do it?
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(244, 108, 175);">March 3, 2009
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 255);">well obviously its not Tom. i mean, it just cant be. if atticus knew it was tom, he wouldn't, maybe even couldn't, treat him with the compassion he treats him now. i mean, he stayed up at night to protect him from men coming to kill him, and that means tom must be worth it. you know? but mr. ewell...i dont want to think he did it because thats just disgusting. but if he did, thats child abuse. and why would he take the time to blame it on tom robinson? its not like mayella will be fooled. it just doesnt make sense to me. but i suppose its mr. ewell, because he seemed angry with atticus for him leading him and tricking him into something.
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(244, 108, 175);">March 3, 2009
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 255);">oh my goodness i was totally thinking the same thing. cause like theres all this trial stuff, and whos figuring out who did everything and all, and it doesnt seem like the first part of the book was inportant at all. was that supposed to just be background info? to show that scout is young and unaware, jem understands things more than many children, or aatticus has a kind mind. obviously it has to connect. im starting that think the radleys have something to do with...the ewells? but i dont understand it at all. on the very first page of the book, it says "I mantain that the Ewells started it all, but Jem, who was four years my senior, said it started long before that. He said it was the summer Dill came to us, when Dill first gave us the idea of making Boo Radley come out." i feel that since its in the same passage, the Ewells relate to the Radleys. that makes sense, right? i mean, maybe they have a past together, a history that went wrong. or maybe we havent gotten to that part yet. what do you think?
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(244, 108, 175);">March 3, 2009
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 255);">3.11.09

hey claire! one topic i was really thinking about hard was about how Ms. Gates, scouts teacher, if thats even her name, was all like, "Over here we don't believe in persecuting anybody. Persecution comes from people who are prejudiced..." pg 281. but obviously this whole book has been about how everybody in maycomb is prejudiced towards black people, and it feels very hypocrite-ish to me. what do you think? ** ****<span style="color: rgb(244, 108, 175);">That was really big irony. As i read that i laughed really hard because of how stupid it sounds, but then i stopped laughing because it is really sad that they can't tell that they are being prejudice. I just think that this part is like Animal Farm in the way that they thought nothing was wrong with them when really if they looked at their situation from the outside they would see they need to do some adjusting. I got kind of frustrated, but at least they can identify a problem. **
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(244, 108, 175);">March 11, 2009
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 255);">3.11.09

i think this kind of ties in with the idea of innocence because as an adult, Scouts teacher doesn't even realize that she is completely prejudice too while scout, who is just a kid and has has barely any experience with this stuff, understands that you cant say stuff like that and be a hyprocrite cause on page...283 she says "...Jem, how can you hate Hitler so bad an' then turn around and be ugly about folks right at home--". it makes me think about how when you grow up to the adult world you dont see things as clearly as you did when you were an adult and that's why Jem blows up at her. it's because he didn't think you were supposed to think those things and since hes trying to be a grown up, having Scout around reminding him of childhood its hard for him. ****<span style="color: rgb(92, 255, 15);">Innocence is might be a possible topic. ** <span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 255);">
 * <span style="color: rgb(244, 108, 175);">March 11, 2009 **


 * <span style="color: rgb(244, 108, 175);">During these last chapters i have really understood how innocence is a big part of this book. Scout is innocent. Jem is seeing things to clearly and if he hadn't had a relationship with the trial i don't think it would have hit him the way it did. Also in the court scenes whenever the babies cried it was almost like they were reminding people of innocence. did you think that too? Also one of the scenes that i think is very important is the Dolphus Raymond scene in chapter 20. It is really sad that he has to pretend to drink so that people will respect him. That is not saying good things about the town. Lastly I can't tell you how many time people are hypocrites so that connects to my life. And maybe we have a huge problem right now that no one realizes that we would only be able to see if we stepped away and got a better look like artists do. **<span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 255);">
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 255);">3.11.09

what do you mean by there are many hypocrites in your life?? i mean, in my life at least i haven't really noticed many people being like that. i cant even think of one example right now but i guess maybe thats just because they arent inportant things in my life. but to tlak about dolphus raymond, i remember him saying that he pretends to drink because no one would believe that he chooses to live with black people with a clear mind. this way, people can be like, why does he do that, its so weird! but then remember, oh its because hes drunk. but it makes us think wow, this town really is a horrible place to live in. if you arent exactly the same as everyone else, or live up to the peoples "expectations" they gossip about you like all of the friends Aunt Alexandra has over. i just dont know why people would even choose to live there, or stay there once they know what it's like. kayyyyyy new topic.

on pg 267 calpurnia says, "Mr. Finch couldn't say somethin's so when he doesn't know for sure it's so." thoughts?? ** Amanda, when you see green that is my comments on what i think our paper should be about. **
 * <span style="color: rgb(92, 255, 15);">
 * <span style="color: rgb(92, 255, 15);">I think that we should talk about killing or harming innocent things. We brought up that topic a lot. Our examples could be with Ms. Maudie, the bug, and Boo Radley. We talk about Boo a lot at the beginning about how he is so innocent, and we saw how much he changed at the end of the book by coming out. I think we could incorperate things about innocence too because we mentioned that at the end. I think that our grade shouts down people all of the time and that is killing innocent ideas. Also for the social society it reminds me of our social that if you can dance and you don't have a lot of friends you are judged a lot but if someone who can't dance with a lot of friends isn't judged at all. It is so sad and it can't be changed because people are so stubborn and mean. **