Reading Response #3

The quote that I found that shows Scout making a tough decision is when Francis was picking on her. “Francis looked at me carefully, concluded that I had been sufficiently subdued, and crooned softly, ‘Ni**er-lover…’ This time, I split my knuckle to the bone on his front teeth. My left impaired, I sailed in with my right, but not for long” (Lee 96). This is an example of Scout having to make a difficult decision because Atticus has deliberately told her to not let her anger get the best of her and to keep her fists down, and she knew if she didn’t then she would disappoint him. She did as she was told to do for three weeks and she was doing very well at it, but Francis got to her with all of his name-calling and games he played on her, and she made the decision to disappoint Atticus and punch Francis. Because Scout is a child she doesn’t know how to fully control her temper, which causes her to lash out at people when she gets mad. If she was an adult she would have been able to handle the situation in a better way and she wouldn’t have punched Frances in the face. Scout's decision to lash out and punch Francis could impact the story because she doesn’t practice self-control and she isn’t very good at it which means she could become more aggressive and lash out more towards other people. 

I think that in part two of the book, Jem and Scout will get into more trouble when it comes to their lashing-out behaviors along with causing more problems for a lot more people in their town. 

“When stalking one’s prey, it is best to take one’s time. Say nothing, and as sure as eggs he will become curious and emerge…. I could wait patiently. I had sat there perhaps five minutes” (Lee, 95).

Scout’s cousin, Francis Hancock, knows about her father’s case and how he is supporting a Negro in court. Francis, following the ideas of his relatives and the majority of society, tries to aggravate Scout by repeating, “‘Nigger-lover!’” (Lee, 95) in a taunting way. Scout refrains from aggression after her father said to fight battles in her head rather than with her fists. But Francis continues to get her in trouble by framing her, convincing Aunt Alexandra that she locked him in the kitchen. This spurs conflict between her family and relatives because Atticus is the black sheep when trying to support a Negro. Scout and Jem, because of their father's odd decisions and ideas, have been dragged into ongoing conflict with their father. Their town says how Atticus has let his kids run wild and that they will end up in jail. Scout doesn’t have many options to support her father. Either she lets anger take over and fights out conflicts, or she follows her father's words and keeps quiet which is the best way to support her father. This moment impacts the story by showing how children’s ideas should be listened to by adults. After Francis got Scout in trouble, no one cared to listen to Scout’s side of the story because she was more naive in the past. In part two of the story, Jem and Scout will impact the story by creating conflicts with the community with the hope to support their father which they love. I think of this because Scout and Jem admire their father very much. Jem for instance uses his father’s exact sayings when talking to Scout about how to act around peers. Because of their father's importance to them, I predict that they will create arguments and tension in their town because they too see why Negros must be supported in society.

The quote that I discovered was the conflict of how Scout is reacting to all the name calling and yelling about how her family is black lovers, “‘You gotta make me first’ he yelled. ‘My folks said your daddy was a disgrace an’ that nigger oughta hang from the water-tank!’ I drew a bead on him, remembered what Atticus had said, then dropped my fists and walked away.” (Lee 87-88). Being a child changes their options on how they handle stuff because they make more impulsive decisions rather than thinking their actions through and they didn’t have the choice to be bullied for their whole life. The impact this moment has in the story is that now Jem and Scout have to face neighbors, people, and students going at them now because of their dad’s decision to help a black person. 

The role Jem and Scout will have in Part 2 will definitely be different because now they’re going to have to face the consequences of their father’s actions. People will be getting after them, yelling at them, and overall just out casting them. I think this because people will be angry at the court case of Atticus defending a black person and they’ll take any chance to let their anger be known to the family, even if they’re just kids and didn’t make that decision.

“I leaped off the steps and ran down the catwalk. It was easy to collar Francis. I said take it back quick, Francis jerked loose and sped into the old kitchen. “N*****-lover!” he yelled (Lee 110). 

There is a clear conflict shown in this quote in the entirety of society. You are shamed upon as a white human to support black people and it is the conflict in society. The decision that Scout had to make was to either hold back on Francis and not try to fight him or to act on impulse. Scout being a child doesn’t have the maturity to know morality. She just knows what society thinks so she doesn’t have many options on what to think. If she was an adult she could form her own opinion and have lots of evidence to back it up. She would also be taken more seriously if she was an adult. This moment has an effect because Scout is sticking up for her father’s view. This could change the outcome of the story by Scout and Jem agreeing with Atticus. In part II I believe that Jem and Scout are going to try to help the conflict in society and be in support of anti-black discrimination along with Atticus. 

Exceeds:

If Atticus was in this situation I believe he would respectfully handle the situation. Atticus is a very honest, compassionate person who sees everyone equal. From what I have seen I believe he is smart and would handle this very maturely. He would simply leave it be and wait for it to stop. Or, if they didn’t stop he would explain his position and refrain from any aggression and arguing.

“But Mrs. Dubose held us: ‘Not only a Finch waiting on tables but one in the courthouse lawing for niggers!’ Jem stiffened. Mrs. Dubose’s shot had gone home and she knew it: ‘Yes indeed, what has this world come to when a Finch goes against his raising? I’ll tell you!’ She put her hand to her mouth. When she drew it away, it trailed a long silver thread of saliva. ‘Your father’s no better than the niggers and trash he works for!’ ”(Lee 135).

I believe that the central conflict in the story is that people aren’t allowed to form their own opinions, the community that Atticus, Scout, and Jem live in is very discriminator and set in their own way. Jem and Scout are facing backlash from members of the community because of their father’s choices. Being children, their opinions are not yet formed, opinions are most likely influenced by their parents. If they were adults, it would be easier for them to decide what is right or wrong, but as children, their opinions are based on the ones around them. This could impact moments in the story because the children are blamed for their father's opinion, causing them to be confused about what is right and wrong. I believe that the role that Jem and Scout will have in the conflict in Part Two of the story will be in the middle of everything, I believe their choices will reflect on Atticus’s parenting and cause chaos for him within the community. I think this because both children are very headstrong and their choices aren’t necessarily the best. This could cause them to get into trouble, which would create turmoil in their lives and in their fathers. 

Exceed: I believe that if Atticus was present in this situation he would handle it in a more gentle manner. Atticus behaves as though he doesn’t care about judgment from others and he presents himself with confidence. Atticus does just that in this quote: “ ‘ I certainly am. I do my best to love everybody… I’m hard put, sometimes— baby, it’s never an insult to be called what somebody thinks is a bad name. It just shows you how poor that person is, it doesn’t hurt you. So don’t let Mrs. Dubose get you down. She has enough troubles of her own.’ ” (Lee, 144). Atticus keeps to himself, and in the process, he doesn’t judge others. This impacts his decisions because he is able to make a thorough decision without being biased or causing harm.

Scout has a verbal fight with Francis and she is confused, angry and doesn’t know how to react. From the beginning of the book to the point we are at now it shows how much Scout has grown because she holds back her feelings and doesn’t physically fight him. Francis made racially motivated comments about her dad and how he ruins the family because of it. He also is saying he's not a good father by letter her be like one of the boys. “If Uncle Atticus lets you run around with stray dogs, that is his business… I guess it ain’t your fault if Uncle Atticus is a nigger-lover besides, but I’m here to tell you it certianly does mortify the rest of the family.”(Lee 94) Francis is mad about the way Atticus represents black people in court and he thinks it reflects badly on the whole family where as Scout sees it as normal, a part of her life. This action of verbal harm to Scout could lead to her not liking her dad for representing black people, this could cause family drama within the house with Cal. I think Scout will continue to be herself and not change because she is different. She likes who she is and she knows who she is. I think later on in the Novel Scout will continue getting into these kinds of interactions with not just her distant family but classmates as well along with maybe even random people that recognize her in town.

“You might hear some ugly talk about it at school, but do one thing for me if you will: you just hold your head high and keep those fists down.” (Lee 87) 

The conflict is that kids are using racial slurs around Scout and Jem when saying Atticus defends Tom; a black man accused of rape. Scout gets into many fights because classmates and some neighbors are calling Atticus offensive names and speaking down on him. Jem responds to the taunting a little better and tolerates it more, but loses it when Mrs. Dubose called Atticus names and he cut up her bushes. Atticus punishes them and explains that it is not necessary to go to extreme lengths to defend him. I also think the fact that they’re children limits their ability to do anything about it, people won’t listen to children like they will adults. This could impact relationships with people if they spoke down to Atticus, and it could ruin Atticus’ reputation in the community since he is defending a black man. I think Jem and Scout would finally have a chance to be listened to as the story goes on.

“When stalking one's prey, it is best to take one’s time. Say nothing, and as sure as eggs he will become curious and emerge” (95)

The conflict of the story is that in this town if a white person associates themselves with a negro they are a nigger-lover. Scout's cousin Francis is mocking Scout and telling her, her dad is a nigger-lover and that their grandmother tells him how it's bad enough that Atticus lets his kids run wild but now his helping a negro and that the family will never be able to walk the streets of Maycomb, He says how he's ruining the family. Later scout then punches Francis in the face. 

Because scout is a child she doesn't have a lot of options of what she can do in this situation but because Francis is pretty much the same age as her she has more options like punching him in the face and chasing him through the house but if Francis was an adult she wouldn't be able to really do anything physical to him she would probably just talk back. 

The impact of this moment is that later after the family leaves and goes back home Scout's uncle talks to her about what happened and she gets mad at him for not trying to listen to her side of the story, so he asks her and she tells him what happened. Then even later in the next chapter Scout asks her dad what Nigger-Lover means. They might have to accept what everyone is saying about their dad and they just have to brush them off and keep their head up just like what Atticus has been telling them. 

“I leaped off the steps and ran down the catwalk. It was easy to collar francis. I said take it back…. So I retired to the steps. I could wait patiently.”(Lee, 95) 

Scout handled this conflict differently then she would have in the beginning before she would have hit him but now she doesn't she ends up waiting patiently for him to come back outside. 

I think this quote shows that Jem and Scout will start being more affected by Atticus' actions and anything he does might come back on his kids. I so think this shows how scout is growing up and maturing a little bit she is definitely more mature no then the beginning of the book and i think that is really going to show in the second part 

If atticus was in this situation i feel like he would have tried to explain to francis why what he said is wrong he seams like the tipe of person to explain why what they did was wrong instead of get mad at them or punish them 

The quote I found where Scout is making a tough decision is when Francis was bothering her. “Francis looked at me carefully, concluded that I had been sufficiently subdued, and crooned softly, ‘Nigger-lover…’ This time, I split my knuckle to the bone on his front teeth. My left impaired, I sailed in with my right, but not for long” (Lee 96). Scout makes her tough decision by punching Francis in the face. Her anger got to the point where she couldn't take it anymore and just hit him in a child-like reaction. Scout being a child means she has to control her anger and learn to prevent outbursts from happening, a tough thing children deal with. Scout's option as an adult could be to use words and try to explain to Francis what he's doing, handle it like an adult and not like a tempered child. This impact could be bad for Atticus because he is her guardian and people could use her outburst to affect Atticus negatively during the trial. I think scout will be playing a big role in part two because her actions have consequences.  

In chapter ten in “To Kill A Mockingbird” it starts off with Jem and Scout thinking that their father Atticus is uncool because he is 50 years old and cannot play football like all of the other kids' parents. During this time the children are receiving nasty comments and backlash for their fathers involvement in the case against Tom Robinson. Then they were at home with cal outside when they saw the “mad dog” down the road and cal called atticus. Atticus pulled into the driveway with the sheriff, the sheriff brandishing a heavy rifle. When they saw the dog the sheriff tossed the rifle at Atticus and he took the shot killing the dog. Scout and Jem Finch both witnessed their father who “wanted nothing to do with guns” effortlessly taking out the dog. When it was all said and done scout said “we’d really have something to talk about at school on monday” (lee 112) and Jem told scout to not say anything about their fathers marksmanship. This was the hard decision they had to make because they really wanted to fit in with a “cool dad” but they couldn't tell anyone what had happened that day. The conflict of this part of the story is their dad not being a cool football dad and the kids wanting to fit in which is why it's a difficult decision not to tell anyone about their dad's skill. Them being children change the options because they want to fit in where as if they were adults they don't need to brag about their dad about fitting in because it is frivolous. The impact in the story that this conflict has is the kids finally believe in their dad. In part two of the story I believe that scout and finch will stick up for atticus when the town is shaming him for defending Mr. Robinson.

In Chapter 9 of To Kill A Mockingbird, I see scout make a tough decision when she decides not to fight a boy at school. “My fists were clenched and I was ready to let fly. Atticus had promised me he would wear me out if he ever heard of me fighting any more; I was far too old and too big for such childish things, and the sooner I learned to hold in, the better off everybody would be. I soon forgot”(Lee 85). This quote shows the conflict in the story because Jem and Scout are being made fun of for their dad defending a black man and clearly Scout is ready to fight anyone who dares to insult them but lowers her fists and realizes that fighting isn’t the answer.  I don’t think their being children changes anything. I think they are ready to fight for their family and that wouldn’t change if they were adults. They are already doing what most adults would do, fight for their family. This moment impacts the story because if Scout decides to fight Cecil Jacobs then the events of the story could change. I think Jem and Scout will continue to fight for their family and defend their father's name in Part Two.

With this in mind, I faced Cecil Jacobs in the schoolyard next day: “You gonna

take that back, boy?” “You gotta make me first!” he yelled. “My folks said your daddy was a disgrace an‘ that nigger oughta hang from the water-tank!”

I drew a bead on him, remembered what Atticus had said, then dropped my fists

and walked away, “Scout’s a cow—ward!” ringing in my ears. It was the first

time I ever walked away from a fight ”(Lee 87-88). 

 The conflict of the story is The finch family being left and attacked for defending a black man.   Cecil Jacobs was going after scout and her father for him defending a black man even called scout a coward. Scout being a child makes so she could have just walked off like she did or she could have fought him without getting in trouble with the law.   This could impact the story were the see Scout go from being a girl that dresses in boy's closed to wearing girlish clothes.  I think  Scout and Jem are going to have a hard time in the second part with feeling left out and called names. 

“I drew a bead on him, remembered what Atticus had said, then dropped my fists and walked away,” (Lee 87-88). The main conflict in the story is a lot of people won’t see things from the other perspective. This happened while Scout was at school, she was out in the yard playing when Cecil Jacobs started teasing and making fun of Scout’s father for defending Tom Robinson for the second time, this was also after she had that conversation with Atticus about the situation with Cecil at the beginning of Chapter 9, where Atticus told Scout that she is too old and too mature to be fighting over things like that and that she is just going to have to deal with it because it was going to happen a lot until after the trial. If these were adults not much would change except Scout wouldn’t have the option at all of getting into a fight with Cecil, she would no matter what just have to ignore it and deal with it. This challenge of not fighting everyone who insults her or her family is going to be hard for Scout to get used to but, this also means she is maturing, she is getting that self-control, she talks about how Jem is changing because of age but you can see that Scout as well is changing because of age, even though it is not explicitly stated. The conflict will probably be more revolved around Atticus, but Scout and Jem are always doing so many different things that they are still dealing with this conflict of not seeing it from the other perspective. 

The main conflict of the story is about Atticus defending a black man with rape allegations and how Scout and Jem deal with the backlash from the town. This leads to the underlying conflict of maturing and learning to understand right and wrong by experiencing adult situations. Scout and Jem are constantly plagued on their way into town by the unavoidable Ms. Dubose who interrogates and belittles them from her house across the street. She easily provokes Jem who complains to Atticus when he gets home. Atticus tells him to not let her bother him and to be the bigger person. On Jem and Scout's way into town, they pass by Ms. Dubose’s house again. They are subjected to her usual antics. She tells Scout that if she doesn't start acting and dressing more lady-like she’ll work at the O.K cafe which Scout is scared of. Jem reiterates what Atticus told him to Scout, “‘Come on, Scout,’ he whispered ‘don't pay any attention to her, just hold your head high and be a gentleman.’” (Lee, 117). Following this interaction, Ms. Dubose insults Atticus defending Tom Robinson, and hits a nerve with Jem. When Jem and Scout make their way home from the store, Jem ruins Ms. Dubose’s flowers. 

After the last chapter where Atticus shoots the mad dog Jem better understands Atticus’s perspective and holds him in higher regard as someone to look up to, “‘Atticus is a gentleman, just like me!’” (Lee, 113). Seeing as following Atticus's advice is important to Jem it is unusual that he would choose to go directly against it after he has made a point of choosing the high road. Being a child Jem's reaction to Ms. Dubose is altered slightly, he doesn't have the emotional maturity of an adult to look past her misgivings and see that although she was outright mean she did have other sides. This event is a moment where Jem gains a level of understanding and begins to lose his childlike innocence. So far the story has told about Scout's moments and mostly what things meant to her, the story events change from things like playing boo Radley to more adult themes. While she is still narrating the novel, the deeper meaning behind the events is better understood by Jem's reactions to them, rather than scout alone. The more adult moments are becoming more and more complex from a scout's point of view. Ms. Dubose helps Jem to better understand these moments, and this could mean the story is getting to its climax where Jem will be the one to provide the deeper meanings behind the events.

“Francis looked at me carefully, concluded that I had been sufficiently subdued, and crooned softly, ‘Nigger lover…’ This time, I split my knuckle to the bone on his front teeth.”(Lee,96) 

Scout had to make a hard decision on weather or not to keep her cool or fight, She was fed up with Francis making fun of her and decided to fight him. Atticus earlier had told Scout to not fight anybody and keep her cool, which she went against in this moment when she lost it and threw the first punch. Scout being still a child doesn’t have good control over her emotions, adult Scout would have most likely been able to keep herself calm and not get into a fight. Over the course of the book so far Scout has always had trouble keeping her emotions together and not lose it on someone when she gets angry with them. Because of this I think that when more pressure is added when the trial is closer she might have a much harder time keeping herself together. Which for Atticus could mess something up with the case if his daughter is acting out in violence.

“He did not calm down until he had cut the tops off every camellia bush Mrs. Dubose owned, until the ground was littered with green buds and leaves”(Lee 118). I think the conflict in the story at this point in time is both Scout and Jem, are struggling to see their father go through the verbal hate he’s been getting and seeing him handle it the way he is. If he were an adult it would have immediately left a bad impression on his family, that isn’t the way a grown man should be handling hate speech. Being a child, Jem didn’t get harshly punished for cutting the bushes, he just had to read to Mrs. Dubose a story every day. It was the time he spent around her that made him learn his lesson to see that even if a person comes across bad or evil, there is always a good side. You just have to realize that there is a good side in the first place if you want to see it. Jem helped Mrs. Dubose overcome a morphine addiction before she passed just by reading to her daily. This event probably matured Jem just a bit, realizing how his actions had consequences and it could most likely lead to him “growing up.”

I think that in the next part of the book, Jem and Scout are just going to be bystanders for the most part, the view will still be from their perspective, but I can imagine that it will mostly be about Atticus. I can also picture them getting in the way as well, making things harder on Atticus as he will always be working.

“Atticus had promised me he would wear me out if he ever heard of me fighting anymore… Cecil Jacobs made me forget. He had announced in the schoolyard the day before that Scout Finch’s daddy defended niggers.” (Lee 111) The conflict in the story is that people don't like that Scout's father is defending a black man. During recess, Cecil Jacobs instigates a fight with Scout saying racial slurs towards her about Atticus. Being a child changes their options because there isn't much they can do in this situation because they don't fully understand or know what is going on. Kids don't get put in the loop like adults do, and even then some adults don't know the whole story. People are mad at them for defending a black man because it is seen to be wrong because of the time they live in; black men and women are treated differently and unfairly because of the color of their skin. This moment could impact the way people look at Scout and the rest of her family. In part two of the story, I think Scout and Jem will stick by their father's side even if they don’t quite understand everything that is happening around them. 

Jem stiffened. Mrs. Dubose’s shot had gone home and she knew it:...he did not begin to calm down until he had cut the tops off every camellia bush Mrs.Dubois owned,”( Lee 117, 188)
What I think the story is about how you should treat people with the same amount of respect. Jem is walking by Mrs. Dubois’s house until Mrs. Dubois insults Jem about his father being a lawyer towards a colored person, leading Jem to beat down her flowers. Since Jem was a shield he had little responsibility for his actions, causing him to not be held accountable for vandalism. It shows how untrustworthy Jem can be and how he gets away with things he needs to be punished for. I believe that Jim will have to be responsible for something he had not done while saving her sister.