Claire+Lexi

Feb 17, Ch. 1-5

Do you think Boo Radley actually is a bad guy? Maybe he likes it when hes bothered by the kids because he's lonely. -C I don't think that Boo Radley is actually a bad guy. I think that since he doesn't really talk to anyone and never comes out of his house that people think he's weird. And then some kids probably made up a story about him and now every kid thinks he's a bad guy. -L I agree. You know when they found the gum in the trees and stuff? I think that Boo put it there so he could get a little bit closer to them because he's lonely, and even as a grown man he wants to have friends. Do you think he's going to play a bigger part in the story later? -C I'm not sure if Boo was the one who put the gum in the tree because on page 49, Miss Maudie told Scout that the old Mr. Radley called him a foot-washing baptist. And supposedly foot-washing baptist don't believe in pleasure because they think it's a sin. -L Are you sure that's what it said? That //Boo// is the foot-washing baptist? And who said that he'll do what they are supposed to do? Maybe he was trying to be nice to the kids and show him that he's a good guy. Who else would have put it in the tree? -C Yeah, I don't think that she was talk directly about Boo, but maybe the reason why he didn't come out when he was younger was because of his foot-washing baptist father. I think that now he is older that he may want to venture out and find out what he's been missing. I don't know who else could of put the stuff in the tree, maybe we haven't been introduced to all of the characters yet. -L You're probably right. In the character thing. I still don't understand what a foot-washing baptist is, and I don't think we should make such a big deal out of it. In another discussion, they suggested that Boo Radley maybe doesn't exist, and that he's like the beast in lord of the flies. I still think he's alive though because Miss Maudie said so and because Scout heard chuckling coming from the house. -C Yeah, about the laughing thing. I think this whole thing with Scout, Jem, and Dill trying to make him come out is entertaining to him. I think he is definitely still alive and those stories about his ghost coming up to your window at night are just some stories people use to try and scare each other. -L I think that only rarely he might go around at night, because Miss Stephanie said that she saw him. But yeah, I definitely agree that they are entertaining to him, and I think that putting the gum in the tree was another way of seeing what they would do. -C  Feb.23 Ch.6-10
 * Hey Claire & Lexi -- Nice job puzzling out the Boo mystery here. I urge you to refer to the book a bit more (with page numbers), but I love how you pushed each other for clarification what was actually said about the whole Radley/foot-washing baptist thing. I can probably help you with that -- Miss Maudie is saying that Mr. Radley was a really devout Baptist -- foot-washing is a metaphor for being very observant and strict in his religious practices. And yet, she is also suggesting that just because someone is super religious doesn't mean that they're good. She's suggesting that some people use religion to accomplish bad things, or to justify cruel behavior (and that can be worse than a drunk). So, even though Mr. Radley probably never drinks or does anything that appears to be immoral, he is a tremendously cruel man ("there are other ways of turning people into ghosts" -- he has some cruel ways). We can imagine that life under his reign has not been pleasant for Arthur Radley, but somehow Nathan (Boo's brother) seems to have taken his father's lead and become just as cruel. In your next chat, try making some connections to your own life. Keep up the good work! -- Ms. C. **

OK, so what Ms. Clark was saying makes sense. Now, in the book though, Jem and Scout don't really talk about the Radley's much anymore. They started talking a lot about their family, like about Francis. I don't really like Francis. Do you? -L Heck NO!!! I practically cried when he was judging somebody ELSE'S parent. It is totally not okay to ever do that. And he made it look like Scout was the one who was to blame and that she should be punished. He FRAMED her. And then everybody took his side and stuff. It kind of reminded me a lot of my life, where if I am really upset about something and I tell a parent, they take the other persons side. It's SUPER annoying. I'm glad Scout straightened that out with Uncle Jack thought on page 97 and 98. -C Yeah, I know. I really hate Francis, he kind of reminds me of my cousin, but that was when we were little. Anyways so I guess what these last few chapters are leading to is the big case with the guy named Tom Robinson. Like how that boy told everyone about it in the school yard on page 84. -L   Yeah. That made me sad, because Scout is peing provoked by all these people to fight, even though she promised Atticus not to. But yeah, I think that they're definitely leading up to Tom Robinsons case. I think that Atticus took on the case just so he could try to bring a little love into the town. I really like Atticus. He's so nice! When do you think they're going to bring up what the case is about? -C I don't know when their going to bring up what the case is about, but from looking at the back it looks like its going to be a case about a black man being accused of raping a white girl. This might not be told to us like this though, because it's being told by Scout and I guess she's really innocent. -L Right. But still, I would have thought that by now she would have eavesdropped on her Dad talking about by now. Because on pages 99-101. Hey, why do you think Atticus wanted Scout to listen in on that conversation? -C I have no idea why he would want her to listen, but I think we're going to find out. -L

March 2 ch.11-17

So, so far we have heard from three people on this case. Do you have any thoughts on who is guilty and why do you think that? -L

<span style="color: rgb(155,112,225);">I'm pretty sure that Tom Robinson didn't do it because there was this one time when Scout heard Atticus saying something like "You and I both know the truth," and I'm pretty sure it was about the case. I'll look for that page later. I think that Mr. Ewells did do it, because it doesn't seem like anyone else could have, so either he did do it or maybe they just set it all up, Mayella and Heck Tate as part of it too, because why else wouldn't one call a doctor? -C Good point. I think its probably Mr. Ewell because he doesn't seem like a very loving father, with all the spending money on alcohol and hunting squirrels to feed his children. Mayella knows it was her father and doesn't want to tell the truth because she knows her father is going to (excuse my language) beat the shit out of her. My prediction on the end of this case is that Mayella is sick and tired of lying for her and decides to just come out with the truth. -L

<span style="color: rgb(155,112,225);">I think that is a VERY likely prediction Lexi, good job. But just one thing, why WOULD she be scared if her dad will be thrown in jail? Maybe she's just trying to be a good daughter, because she already lost her Mom, so she might not want to lose her Dad too, even if he is all incest and gross. -C That's another good point, but what if she thinks, "Oh my dad is a pretty sneaky person, who pretty much gets away with everything. So, what if he gets out of jail and then kills her and then he would probably go back to jail and be content because he killed his daughter for telling everyone the truth." Scary, but its been done before. -L

<span style="color: rgb(155,112,225);">.....Makes sense, but I don't think he could get out of jail. He got away with doing his daughter because he lives really far away, and during the time that he's in jail, maybe his daughter will have gotten away if he got out. I think the only thing that was holding her back before was her Dad, so now that he's gone....yeah... -C March 6, chapters 16-23

<span style="color: rgb(155,112,225);">Sooooo, basically there was a trial. Atticus lost. What are your thoughts? -C

I think that Atticus knew he was going to lose, but he still proved at how good of a lawyer he was with the whole left handed thing and everything. -L <span style="color: rgb(155,112,225); font-family: Verdana;">I agree. I think he knew he was going to lose, and I do think it was smart of him to prove how he was left handed, but I also think that everybody already knew that it was possible that Ewell beat his daughter, they just didn't care. I think that the main turning point was when he had his speech in the end that said they shouldn't choose a verdict based on skin-color. It didn't work, but still. -C

<span style="color: rgb(82,11,188); font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">I agree with the speech thing also. Either way he tried his hardest to prove that Tom was innocent. -L <span style="color: rgb(155,112,225); font-family: Verdana;">March 10, chapters 24-27

I'm sad about Tom's death, but they didn't talk about it too much in the reading. In truth, the only thing that really fascinated me about this assignment was that Mr. Ewell said "one down, two to go" or something like that, and in the end of chapter 27, it talks about how Scout and Jem are going to be walking together. Alone. What do you think Bob Ewell meant? -C <span style="color: rgb(82,11,188); font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Well I actually already read the book, but before I read it I thought that meant that Bob was going to try to kill Atticus or one of his children, so yeah. Bob Ewell is a very spiteful man and I truthfully don't like him. But I'm sure nobody really does in Maycomb either. Also remember in the beginning of the book how Scout was talking about how messed up Jem's arm is and then she says that the Ewells started it all, so I think that one of the Ewells has something to do with Jem getting hurt. -L <span style="color: rgb(155,112,225); font-family: Verdana;"> Max already told me everything, so I know what happens. But that's a good point about the beginning of the book when "The Ewells started it all". That is a very good observation. Be proud of yourself. But why do you think Mr. Ewell might go after Atticus' children? -C

<span style="color: rgb(82,11,188); font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Well, I'm guessing that Bob knows that Atticus' kids are like the world to him, so I'm pretty sure that he knows that killing Scout and Jem will definitely get to Atticus. What do you think? -L

<span style="color: rgb(155,112,225);">Agreed. New topic since we probably shouldn't be skipping ahead too much - Why do you think Mrs. Gates was so angry about persecution of Jews, but not at all sad about treatment of African Americans? It makes me so angry how stubborn people can be, and nowadays people are STILL like that about African Americans. I think It's because - Nick and Sophia said something like this in their chat - its because of peer pressure. Her town and her country... What do you think? -C Definitely, I think its because of peer pressure and wanting to be accepted. She does seem like the type of woman who would just go along with what everyone else thinks and that's kind of stupid in my opinion. If there were more people like Atticus then I think it would be a lot easier for people to start thinking for themselves. -L

<span style="color: rgb(155,112,225);">True True.... Before the chat is over, there were two more things I wanted to say. One of them was part of Mr. Underwood's article - he says its a sin to kill a cripple. Do you think that is like the title - to kill a mockingbird? The other thing - Don't you think that Jem is kind of turning into Atticus? He's animal - friendly and stuff. -C