Week 4 Term 3 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.

My Response:

In the past few weeks, so much has happened. Our little family gathering during the Christmas time, my first experience with a 'mad' dog, and the death of Mrs Dubose. Christmas was supposed to be a time of happiness, joy, and togetherness. At times, these attributes were present. However at others, they weren't. My cousin Francis, a similar age to me, was being extremely rude. He said that Atticus was a 'nigger lover', and claimed that he was putting his family to shame, In response, Scout attacks him and as a result is stopped by Uncle Jack. That night was very upfronting. We all realised that some people are against Atticus and his role in the court case, and we realised how even family can sometimes betray. Atticus knew that he was going to loose his court case, he even said it himself. But he had the determination and courage to keep at it, and to try his best despite the fact that he knew he would fail.

A couple weeks later, we encountered a 'mad' dog, meaning that it had rabies. Scout and I were freely playing outside when we saw a figure a couple hundred meters away. We called over Calpurnia who told us to get inside quickly. She called up all our neighbours to notify them of this danger. She called Atticus in particular for help. When he arrived with the sherrif, he was immediately in a position to shoot the dog dead, as he had the clearest shot in all of Maycomb. Scout and I were so surprised. He thought he was too old to have any particular talent, however we were obviously wrong about this. Atticus obviously had alot of experience with shooting, but this didn't concern me. He said that 'You could shoot all the bluejays if you want, if you can him' em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird'. I don't quite understand it's true meaning, but maybe I will later...

 Following this event, a few weeks ago Mrs Dubose died. I never really liked her, purely because of the horrible and hurtful insults she would always say to Scout and I, but most importantly, Atticus. She would call him a nigger lover, and say that he was trash, and that the people he worked with were trash. This got Scout and I really angry, and as a result, I ruined her beautiful garden. She got real angry she did! But she told me that for pay back, I had to read to her 2 hours a day for a month. This really annoyed me, 2 hours is alot! None the less, I had to do it. As this month went past, I learnt more and more about her. Her life was very interesting, and the more I went there, the longer it seemed I was there. She was fighting to stop taking pain killers, which was why Scout and I were always held there for a longer amount of time. After her death, I realised how courageous she really was. I never thought I would say that, but it's true.She had the courage to stop taking the drug; because she didn't want to leave her life with any loose ends. She was courageous to go through the pain to die free of the drug.

This past period of time made me realise so much about people that I never would have thought. Atticus for one, was extremely brave and determined. He knew that he was going to loose that case, but he continues to thrive to be the best he can. He also is a sensible man, and modest. He had such a great talent that Scout and I never knew about, until we saw him in action. It was a great experience, it truly inspired me. But when he told that it was a sin to kill a mockingbird, I never really knew why! As I said, maybe I will find out later... Leading up to Mrs Dubose's death, I never would have thought that I could perceive her as courageous. But she was. She gradually stopped taking that drug, to die a free person. This is so courageous, all that pain she went through. I also learnt that courage isn't about having a gun in your hand, but its about self sacrifice just like Mrs Dubose to her drugs, and Atticus to his court case.

Week 3 Term 3 Homework

Events involving Boo Radley coming out: 

- Jem touches the side of the house at night, the shutter moves and there was some movement insi the house. (pg 16)

- Scout finds some fresh gum in a tree outside the Radley's house (pg 37)

 - Jem and Scout go back to the tree and find a box full of 2 old indian pennies (pg 38)

- Scout is playing in an old car tire, and ends up on the front pavement of Boos house. She recalls hearing laughter inside the house. (pg 42, 45)
- Dill, Jem, and Scout attempt to give Boo a handwritten letter asking him to come out, and that they would buy him an ice-cream. This was unsuccessful and the children were caught out by Atticus (pg 54)

- Jems pants are caught on a fence whilst attempting to peek into the Radley's house with Scout and Dill, his pants are torn and left at the fence (pg 60)

- Jems pants are mended and left over the fence (pg 64)

- Scout and Jem go back to the hole in the tree, and find 2 small carvings of soap, which look like miniature versions of them (pg 66)

- The next week the return to the tree and collected a tarnished medal (pg 67)

- Four days later, they find a broken pocket watch on a chain with an aluminum knife (pg 67)

- Scout and Jem write a letter thistle unknown person giving them all the trinkets, to find that the knothole was filled with cement (pg 69).

- The fire in Ms Maude's house, a blanket is wrapped over Scout unknowingly. (pg 79)

Atticus's journal after the night of the fire in Ms Maude's house: 
 

How could it have happened? The fire at Ms Maude's house? Mr Averlry's dangerous fall? Or how a blanket miraculously appeared on Scout's bear shoulders? It's all just too much. The fire which set ablaze to Ms Maude's house was the first of events, completely unpredictable. It was the coldest night since 1885, when nearly the entire town was up and about Ms Maude's house, moving furniture, and watching in awe. Fire trucks were called upon from places over 60 miles away. I was woken up by the sirens, and was left wondering what all the commotion was about. I woke up Scout and Jem, and headed off towards the burning house. I told Scout and Jem to stay together and to wait outside of the Radley's house, whilst I walked toward the house to help out. I was moving furniture from inside the house, including Ms Maude's well loved wooden rocking chair. Mr Averly was moving furniture too, until the fire rapidly moved upstairs to the second floor where he was. His reactions were quite slow, and he didn't have enough time to walk down stairs and escape. Instead, he climbed outside the window, hoping there would be a safe route from there. He walked around the roof and fell down, landing in Ms Maude's shrubs below. People were wondering whether he was hurt, however their thoughts were contradicted when he stood up, and walked away. The fire was slowly diminishing, however, smoke was traveling fast to our house, and Stephanie's. Afterwards, the children and I returned home to some welcoming hot chocolate. It was then where I realised That Scout had a brown, woolen blanket draped over her shoulders. She and Jem were both extremely confused as to how it got there. They followed my instructions of waiting outside the Radley's house together... What went wrong? Who put that blanket there? Questions were running through my mind. It was then, that moment, where the impossible became possible. Was it Boo Radley who did it? The one man restricted and expected to have stayed inside his whole most his life, come out and place a blanket on a cold girl? Jem went silent, and we all were still in shock. That night, we were all left wondering.